MickeyBlog News for August 15th, 2022
This past week, Disney took its first victory lap in ages. Meanwhile, changes were afoot across the parks, and a party started.
I’ll explain in this week’s MickeyBlog News.
Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party Returns
Three years can feel like an eternity, especially when a pandemic is involved.
For the first time since 2019, Magic Kingdom has hosted Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party.
The event started on Friday evening, and fans embraced its return. Last year, Disney offered an after-hours Boo Bash event instead.
Park officials changed the name to protect the brand, as Boo Bash didn’t offer the full complement of amenities.
Now, we have the real deal again, and it’s incredible! MickeyBlog offered full coverage of the opening night proceedings. Here are the full highlights.
For starters, Magician Mickey is back. I have fond memories of one fateful Halloween night at closing time. We were one of Mickey’s final friends.
The delightful costumed cast member was hungry but had no candy.
We offered a couple of pieces, and I’m not joking when I say that Mickey grabbed a fistful out of our candy bag! Nobody expects tricks from Mickey!
Of course, the event we’ve all missed is the Boo to You Parade, which we haven’t seen in full since 2019. MickeyBlog snapped lots of pics here.
If you’d like to see more, here’s a video of the complete parade:
Alas, Central Florida experienced some rain during the opening night festivities. As a result, some events, like the Hocus Pocus Villain Spectacular, closed early.
Still, Friday night brought back the magic after three excruciating years of pandemic-related cancellations. So we’re all unbelievably lucky that the event is back!
Disney’s Theme Parks Excel
During its fiscal third-quarter earnings report, Disney announced $21.5 billion in revenue.
Remarkably, more than one-third of that revenue came from the Parks division. Disney somehow keeps setting revenue records during disadvantageous quarters.
For example, Shanghai Disneyland only operated for three days during the latest fiscal quarter. So, this shouldn’t have been a historic earnings report.
Despite this lack of revenue from one of Disney’s six international theme parks, the Parks division somehow earned $7.4 billion.
Disney attributed this stunning feat to several factors. First, per capita park spending has increased by 40 percent from 2019.
That’s good and bad news for us as frequent Disney park guests. On the plus side, Disney has somehow overcome the existential threat of the pandemic.
The negative involves pricing. Those park increases aren’t your imagination, as you’re spending $1.40 now for what cost $1 three years ago.
Obviously, that’s not an apples-to-apples analogy, but it’s the overhead perspective for Disney executives.
Overall, 100 guests now pay the same as 140 guests did three years ago. That means less congestion in the parks for the same profit.
Ultimately, smaller crowds also lead to better survey scores and overall guest satisfaction, the highest priorities of park officials.
The Financial Impact of Disney Genie+
Much of this newfound revenue stems from the Disney Genie+/Lightning Lane program.
I recognize that this is a sore subject for many. However, Disney CEO Bob Chapek confirmed on Wednesday that roughly half of the park guests buy this product.
That statement proved surprising, as Chapek had previously indicated that a bit more than 50 percent of guests purchased these products during the holiday season.
At the time, the CEO suggested that the baseline is one-third of guests during the rest of the year. Instead, it’s a coin flip whether guests buy Disney Genie+.
These numbers solely apply to Walt Disney World. Still, they indicate that half of the guests are paying at least $15 extra beyond the cost of park admission.
Guests who purchase two Lightning Lane attractions are paying more than $30 beyond the standard admission price.
Since half of the guests are doing that, Disney has effectively increased the cost of daily admission by $10+…and the extra money is by customer choice.
That’s a remarkable business achievement, no matter how we may feel about it as individuals.
This news does come with a positive, though. Disney has fixed its balance sheet for the first time since the pandemic. It’s what happens when you earn more revenue than ever before.
For this reason, Disney can afford more projects. That’s terrific for you and me!
Chapek and his team indicated that capital expenditures (CapEx) will increase to $6 billion. That likely means park enhancements like new attractions and themed lands.
You may recall that during the pandemic, Disney cut its CapEx costs by $900 million. This is the first time we’re getting that money back.
Long story short, the 2022 D23 Expo might come with some bigger announcements than I’d previously expected. Here’s hoping!
Disney Park News
We’ve got plenty of other park updates today. Let’s start with planned refurbishments, of which there are several.
Starting on Monday, August 22nd, the Liberty Square Riverboat will drop anchor and stay docked through September 1st.
Presuming no setbacks, the riverboat should be up and running again just in time for Labor Day Weekend.
Speaking of September, Feathered Friends in Flight at Disney’s Animal Kingdom will close from September 11th through September 24th. The show should reopen on September 25th.
At Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort, one of the three quiet pools closed today. From now through late September, the Ranchos pool will remain unavailable.
Thankfully, you can still swim at Cabanas, Casitas, or The Lost City of Cibola.
In happier news, Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique has finally reopened at Magic Kingdom and Disneyland. Children are happily receiving makeovers as we speak!
While a few things remain closed at the parks, this boutique probably counts as the most significant amenity that hasn’t returned to the parks until now.
Next up are Fantasmic! and the Walt Disney World Railroad. Once they’re back in business, Walt Disney World will be at full strength.
Speaking of the parks, Disney has solved its supply chain woes. For this reason, the parks have dropped the two-item limit on many purchases.
That’s terrific news since Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party just returned!
Speaking of which, Powerline Max from A Goofy Movie is appearing at this year’s event. You must have a ticket to the after-hours party to see him, though.
Finally, EPCOT is testing something significant. Soarin’ Around the World may have a Single Rider option if you visit soon.
The attraction once featured Single Rider but hasn’t offered that option in years. So, it’ll be a big deal if Disney brings back Single Rider permanently here!