Future WDW Additions/Expansion

[TheUniC6]

Disney plans to nearly double its investment in parks and cruises business

Disney's theme parks have been a relative bright spot while the entertainment giant struggles to make a profit on streaming.

www.cnbc.com

 

[andrew]

How much does something like Galaxy Edge cost? And then something like Mickey's RR? Curious how far $60 billion goes. It's so so so much money.

 

[Cup_Of_Coffee]

I…. Don’t wanna get ahead of myself. Updates to the new parks, surely.

To me saying publicly you’re doing this means a 5th gate could be considered depending upon how Epic goes. Wouldn’t be for awhile, but to me this screams “It’s on the table.”

 

[TheUniC6]

How much does something like Galaxy Edge cost? And then something like Mickey's RR? Curious how far $60 billion goes. It's so so so much money.

GE i believe was 1 billion.

I…. Don’t wanna get ahead of myself. Updates to the new parks, surely.

To me saying publicly you’re doing this means a 5th gate could be considered depending upon how Epic goes. Wouldn’t be for awhile, but to me this screams “It’s on the table.”

There is plenty in the existing parks (espically Hollywood Studios) that needs to be built out long before a 5th gate. Heck, Disneyland Resort might very well get a third gate as part of DL Forward long before WDW gets a fifth gate.

 

[Tbad556]

Take it as you will, but they did mention this:

 

[Cup_Of_Coffee]

I can see the following, in any degree and timeline:

Animal Kindgom: Indy, Encanto, proper nighttime show, Pandora expansion.

Epcot: The usual nothing really. Maybe a re-do of American Adventure. Still great food though.

Hollywood Studios: Echo Lake replaced by either Zootopia, mini Cars land, or something new none of us have thought. Rockin Rollercoaster refurb, animation pavillion revamped.

Magic Kingdom: Fantasyland expansion of some sorts, likely to include Tangled. Beyond Big Thunder becomes Villains land.

Once these happen, and idk when they will as they operate slowly, 5th park construction begins. Wish is the main land in new park.

That’s my personal blue sky. I’d do more to current parks before a 5th park, but I’m sure they’d love a 5th gate if justifiable. I suspect Wish to be a major hit.

 

[GAcoaster]

Apparently they also said as part of that statement about increased spending that they are seeing the most growth in the overseas (Asia) parks-- sounds like a lot of that spending may be on those parks and not necessarily the US parks.

Also, including cruise ships in that can eat up A LOT of the budget if they continue aggressive expansion of DCL. Those are more than a billion each.

 

[Cup_Of_Coffee]

Apparently they also said as part of that statement about increased spending that they are seeing the most growth in the overseas (Asia) parks-- sounds like a lot of that spending may be on those parks and not necessarily the US parks.

Also, including cruise ships in that can eat up A LOT of the budget if they continue aggressive expansion of DCL. Those are more than a billion each.

I can see this. My thing is, Orlando has their most real estate. If things are down there, an investment is needed to revitalize it. Fingers crossed they realize this.

 

[alomar]

I can see this. My thing is, Orlando has their most real estate. If things are down there, an investment is needed to revitalize it. Fingers crossed they realize this.

One does not possess enough fingers to cross for Disney to actually realize the blatantly obvious.

 

[Michael S]

One does not possess enough fingers to cross for Disney to actually realize the blatantly obvious.

 

[Mad Dog]

Disney might also go slower on Orlando due to their dispute with you know who. Orlando might be backloaded into the end of the decade, or the next.

 

[Jake S]

Disney might also go slower on Orlando due to their dispute with you know who. Orlando might be backloaded into the end of the decade, or the next.

I also am skeptical that Walt Disney World needs to return fire because of Epic Universe opening. My hunch, at least in the short term, it'll be a rising tide that lifts all (Universal and Disney) boats — at least in terms of attendance. The resort has problems that need to be addressed but I'm not sure how much Epic plays into their urgency. We'll see!

 

[Nick]

So if they have all of this money they are ready to invest, WHY ARE THEY NOT APPROVING THE DAK PROJECT??? ugh.

Anyway, while WDW will get some stuff, i'm really thinking the majority of money goes towards DCL, International parks, and DLR. This is certainly like, way more money than you'd need for a fifth gate though. I don't like even mentioning a fictional fifth gate, especially with the condition the current WDW parks are in, but with Epic being built, I do wonder if Disney would be reactionary enough to actually go forward with something like that.

The question of what would go into a theoretical fifth gate comes into question though since Marvel is off the table (in almost all cases), they just built a $1B SW Land at DHS, Indy would be going into DAK along with Encanto (if it gets approved), Toy Story has a land, etc. I'm sure they could use something Pixar for a land (or even an overarching Pixar land), but I just don't see what the rest of another park would look like which is why it would be better to not do this and to continue investment into the current parks.

I want to make sure it's noted i'll start to believe that $60B will be spent on the Parks/DCL when they have a big blowout D23 again like 2017.

 

[TheUniC6]

I can see the following, in any degree and timeline:

Animal Kindgom: Indy, Encanto, proper nighttime show, Pandora expansion.

Epcot: The usual nothing really. Maybe a re-do of American Adventure. Still great food though.

Hollywood Studios: Echo Lake replaced by either Zootopia, mini Cars land, or something new none of us have thought. Rockin Rollercoaster refurb, animation pavillion revamped.

Magic Kingdom: Fantasyland expansion of some sorts, likely to include Tangled. Beyond Big Thunder becomes Villains land.

Once these happen, and idk when they will as they operate slowly, 5th park construction begins. Wish is the main land in new park.

That’s my personal blue sky. I’d do more to current parks before a 5th park, but I’m sure they’d love a 5th gate if justifiable. I suspect Wish to be a major hit.

For an area to replace either AC or EL, I would want to se an area themed to Disney Animation Proper. This could also be cloned to DCA to replace Hollywoodland.

So if they have all of this money they are ready to invest, WHY ARE THEY NOT APPROVING THE DAK PROJECT??? ugh.

Anyway, while WDW will get some stuff, i'm really thinking the majority of money goes towards DCL, International parks, and DLR. This is certainly like, way more money than you'd need for a fifth gate though. I don't like even mentioning a fictional fifth gate, especially with the condition the current WDW parks are in, but with Epic being built, I do wonder if Disney would be reactionary enough to actually go forward with something like that.

The question of what would go into a theoretical fifth gate comes into question though since Marvel is off the table (in almost all cases), they just built a $1B SW Land at DHS, Indy would be going into DAK along with Encanto (if it gets approved), Toy Story has a land, etc. I'm sure they could use something Pixar for a land (or even an overarching Pixar land), but I just don't see what the rest of another park would look like which is why it would be better to not do this and to continue investment into the current parks.

I want to make sure it's noted i'll start to believe that $60B will be spent on the Parks/DCL when they have a big blowout D23 again like 2017.

Hopefully D23 2024 is just that and not a "What If" group session. Disney can't do that forever. They have to know that at some point in the not distant future they have to actually commit to concrete plans for the parks.

 

[Nico]

There’s only so many times you can announce something, then secretly cancel it - before people stop paying attention to announcements. I hope they follow through.

 

[GAcoaster]

Or just announce you're considering doing something and then not do it. Their fans have taken their blue sky presentations as "IT'S BEING BUILT NEXT YEAR!!!"

 

[Cup_Of_Coffee]

Epic Universe absolutely has them sweating, I feel the last few years of “What about…. This!” Is genuinely on purpose. They aren’t sure what direction they should go, they aren’t sure what people want, and the guest experience is changing post Covid and during Desantis, so I think a lot of their decision making is truly up in the air.

I suspect concrete decisions to be made by 2024. Disney will always be Disney but Epic is a game changer and they simply can’t fall too behind.

 

[GAcoaster]

Watch Disney announce a fifth theme park at WDW to open by 2035, then Universal announces the second park for the south campus and gets it open faster...

 

[Nick]

The more ive actually caught up on this, it sounds to me like - especially because this was at an investor meeting at WDW that the $60B was pitch (with slides showing that higher investment leads to higher returns), it seems to me that this broke ass company really does want to spend on the parks, but without the approval from Wall Street they essentially can’t.

Like, you have to be pretty dead set on at least some future plans if you’re gonna invite these mega investment firms (such as black rock) to the Florida swamps to pitch to them that you want to spend $60B on the park. What they currently don’t have that they need is financial backing.

 

[Cup_Of_Coffee]

Watch Disney announce a fifth theme park at WDW to open by 2035, then Universal announces the second park for the south campus and gets it open faster...

Universal would be like “LORD OF THE RINGS” as fast as they can get a PR statement out there.

The more ive actually caught up on this, it sounds to me like - especially because this was at an investor meeting at WDW that the $60B was pitch (with slides showing that higher investment leads to higher returns), it seems to me that this broke ass company really does want to spend on the parks, but without the approval from Wall Street they essentially can’t.

Like, you have to be pretty dead set on at least some future plans if you’re gonna invite these mega investment firms (such as black rock) to the Florida swamps to pitch to them that you want to spend $60B on the park. What they currently don’t have that they need is financial backing.

In these meetings, wouldn’t they have to have a full pitch? They’re more likely to share with insiders the real plan than at a D23 event. If they have the financial backing they’d announce something.

We joke about all the cancellations and false promises which is true, but now attendance is falling. I suspect action. We didn’t get everything promised, but we did get Mickey and Minnie, Galaxy’s Edge, Guardians, Pandora, Ratatouille, and Tron within the last 5 years. I think we all forget that those are not insignificant projects. 2 of those projects really only move the needle attendance wise but I suspect big changes.

Also, no one is talking about the possibility of Wish being the next Frozen level IP so I suspect a lot is hinging on that popularity.