MickeyBlog News for May 15th, 2023
Walt Disney World just promised that 2024 will feel a lot like 2019.
I’ll explain in this week’s MickeyBlog News!
The Disney Dining Plan Returns
Photo: Disney
Walt Disney World announced a series of initiatives that will return the park to its pre-pandemic glory days.
The best of these reveals, at least in my opinion, is the return of the Disney Dining Plan.
Starting on May 31st, guests may book 2024 vacations. As part of this process, you can once again buy the Disney Dining Plan!
Disney has confirmed two versions for 2024 but won’t offer the Deluxe Dining Plan at this time.
Photo: Disney
Instead, you’ll enjoy your choice of the Disney Quick Service Dining Plan or the Disney Dining Plan.
The Quick Service Dining Plan entitles you to two Quick Service meals per day during your Disney visit.
Photo: Disney
You must purchase the dining plan for everyone aged three and up you’ve listed on your hotel reservation.
Each person will receive the two entitlements plus a daily snack/nonalcoholic beverage and a refillable mug.
I’ve got at least 12 of these mugs in my kitchen cabinets. They’re one of my favorite parts of a Disney vacation.
The Disney Dining Plan offers everything on the Quick Service version. In addition, you can switch one of your Quick Service meals for a Table Service on each day.
Photo: Disney
So, you can grab-and-go for one meal but then sit down at a nice restaurant for the other. This combination works quite well for guests.
The Table Service restaurant offers better food and a more luxurious setting.
Photo: Disney
Also, while Disney hasn’t revealed the participating Table Service restaurants yet, a few of them will likely be character meals. And character meals are the absolute best!
If you want to learn more about a 2024 book and the Disney Dining Plan, you should speak with a MickeyTravels agent immediately!
These Disney experts can provide all the other details, and their services are free to you!
Park Pass Rules Change for the Better Next Year
Photo:visitorlando.com
Technically, Disney hasn’t eliminated the requirement for theme park reservations in 2024.
Realistically, few guests will need them, though. Allow me to explain the distinction here.
Annual passholders will glance at a new Disney calendar next year. It’ll include something new called “good-to-go” dates.
On any day in 2024 that displays as “good-to-go,” you won’t need a Park Pass.
This statement applies to annual passholders and Disney cast members.
Annual Passholder card
You will still need a Park Pass on other days in 2024, though. Even then, Disney’s other recent rules change comes into play.
Last month, Walt Disney World modified its rules for annual passholders. We can enter the parks without needing a Park Pass after 2 p.m. on weekdays.
That statement applies to three out of the four parks on weekends as well.
At Magic Kingdom, annual passholders still must book a Park Pass on Saturdays and Sundays to gain admission into the parks.
Got all that? I hope so because I’m about to add more.
Photo: Attractions Magazine
Those of you purchasing standard admission tickets for 2024 won’t need a Park Pass as well. My wording was precise there, too.
Disney’s standard tickets utilize time-based visitation dates.
The company has switched to a tiered pricing model wherein the price of a ticket fluctuates daily.
Photo: Disney
When you purchase tickets, you tell Disney when your vacation starts. Presuming you buy that sort of ticket, you don’t need a Park Pass!
The only people who DO need Park Passes on most dates are those using the classic tickets, the ones that aren’t date specific. And there aren’t many of those today.
Photo: Disney
So, Disney didn’t technically kill Park Passes this week, but they’ll be much less prevalent in 2024.
Disney also promised upcoming changes to Disney Genie+, but we don’t know any specifics yet. Stay tuned!
Disney Quarterly News
Photo: Disney
Last Wednesday, Disney reported its quarterly earnings and other information. CEO Bob Iger and his team also answered questions.
The earnings report was actually quite good, as Disney met expectations for revenue and earnings per share.
AP Photo/Richard Drew, File
So, of course, the stock dropped eight percent. Wall Street gonna Wall Street.
Anyway, the best news came from Disney’s theme park empire. This division earned nearly $7.8 billion, an increase of roughly 17 percent from 2022.
Photo: History.com
As I mentioned in my instant analysis, the parks are earning $6.5 billion more every six months than they had in 2018.
That’s almost $1.1 billion more a month that Disney gains from the theme parks than it had in 2018.
Photo:NYpost.com
If you’re wondering, Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) caused the stock drop with its update.
While Wall Street ostensibly cares about profits more than subscribers these days, its actions indicated otherwise.
Photo: Washington Post
Disney reduced its DTC losses from $1.474 billion two quarters ago to $659 million this time. In other words, Disney has cut its loss by 55 percent in six months.
Wall Street should love that, right? Oh no. No no no. Disney+ also reported four million in subscriber losses, a perfectly unsurprising result.
Photo: Disney
Disney lost Indian Premier League streaming rights last year, knowing full well that many Hotstar customers would gradually cancel.
That’s what happened this quarter, with 4.8 million Hotstar subscribers not renewing their annual subscriptions. If not for that, subscription totals would have increased.
Photo: skillastics.com
Alas, investors have no need for nuance. So, the stock dropped even as Disney+ reported a 20-percent increase in average revenue per user in North America.
Also, Bob Iger had some things to say about Florida’s governor.
Park Miscellany
EPCOT
With so many huge stories this week, I won’t bore you with minutiae. So, we’ve only got one more item to cover.
EPCOT’s Japan pavilion will open another restaurant this summer! Even better, this Table Service eatery will sell sushi!
At Shiki-Sai: Sushi Izakaya, Disney promises “a festive dining experience in a sharable Izakaya-style for you to create memories and good times through flavors.”
Notably, the menu will change slightly each month as Shiki-Sai pays tribute to various Japanese festivals.
Photo: Disney
This July, guests may celebrate Tanabata by asking the permanent cultural representative on staff about the event.
In September, you can commemorate another festival by eating “moon-viewing dumplings.”
Photo: Disney
This sounds like a fun, constantly changing dining experience. And I say that as someone who would never put sushi in my mouth!
Okay, that’s everything for now, my friends. Have a great week!
Photo: MickeyBlog
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Feature Photo: Disney
