The Best D23 Announcement Disney Could Make
Everyone reading this article wants Disney to build a fifth theme park in Orlando.
That’s a given. We all want Walt Disney World to expand in size, thereby reducing in-park crowds.
Photo:visitorlando.com
Even if 25,000 more people visited daily, those guests would be evenly distributed with most hanging out at the new park.
So, if anything, crowds at other parks would diminish. That’s the hidden reason why Disney parks expand regularly.
Photo: D23 what?
However, there’s something else Disney could do at the 2024 D23 Expo that would matter more to guests on a daily basis.
Let’s discuss the best D23 announcement Disney could make.
About D23
Photo: D23
We’re a month away from the 2024 D23 Expo. So, the hype machine is about to go into hyperdrive.
Historically, Disney has used D23 to announce many of Disney’s biggest expansions ever.
Projects like Pandora – The World of Avatar and Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge have their roots at D23.
More recently, Disney revealed the Tropical Americas re-theme of DinoLand U.S.A. at D23.
Disney Skyliner
Disney uses this event to garner headlines on all its most exciting projects, and they’re not just about themed lands and attractions.
In fact, executives confirmed the Disney Skyliner at the 2017 D23 Expo.
There are two lessons within this statement. The first is that some projects take longer than others.
Barely two years after the Disney Skyliner reveal, the gondola system was up and running at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort.
Pandora in Animal Kingdom
In the case of Pandora, Disney wouldn’t even break ground for three years, with the project ultimately finishing six years after the announcement.
So, the timelines for these projects vary wildly, depending on their scale and scope.
Floating mountains in Pandora
Still, the important takeaway here is that Disney utilizes D23 as a massive marketing campaign.
Sites like MickeyBlog do all the work in hyping the big announcements.
D23 EXPO 2022 – (The Walt Disney Company)
In the process, Disney fans around the world learn about what’s coming next, and it excites them enough to book upcoming trips.
At its core, D23 is a marketing machine that keeps all the Disney theme parks crowded throughout the year.
Photo: The Walt Disney Company-
Josh D’Amaro (Chairman; Disney Parks, Experiences and Products)
For that to happen, the announcements must give guests the news they want to hear and the reasons they need to justify a visit.
Why Disney Needs a Win
Photo: Disney
Next month’s event will work a bit differently than most.
Historically, Disney has held the spotlight as the only theme park company of note.
Universal
Universal Studios fans bristle at comments like that, but the market share statistics are irrefutable.
Still, something is different about the next 12 months. Universal Orlando Resort has an ace in the hole this time.
Photo: Universal
During the summer of 2025, Universal Epic Universe will open. It’ll become the first new Central Florida theme park since 1998.
Obviously, 26 years is an eternity in this industry, and all eyes are watching Universal to learn whether the park lives up to the hype.
Photo: Universal
Based on everything I’ve learned about Epic Universe, it should succeed, as Super Nintendo World alone will justify a visit.
That’s a concern for Disney, as its 2025 Walt Disney World attendance may suffer a bit.
Photo: Disney
CEO Bob Iger and others have suggested that they believe the rising tide will lift all boats.
Under that thought process, with more people visiting Orlando for Epic Universe, Disney will benefit.
Universal
That’s entirely possible, and I believe it’s a likely outcome regarding actual park attendance.
Disney’s concerns are twofold, though. First, Universal Studios will claim an inordinate amount of hype for Epic Universe.
Photo: Universal
This aspect is already happening, and it’s placing Disney on the defensive in terms of PR/news cycles.
More alarmingly, Epic Universe will add three hotels, and the new inventory could hurt Disney.
Photo: Universal
As the argument goes, with more people staying at Epic Universe, Disney’s hotels could suffer through lower occupancy.
Since Walt Disney World resorts hover in the 90-95 percent range with occupancy, a lower rate hurts the bottom line…possibly severely.
The Best D23 Announcement Disney Could Make
Photo: Disneyplanning.com
I cannot take credit for this idea. While I rarely read the competition, I do make an exception for Disney Tourist Blog.
Last week, Tom Bricker suggested something that made me stop and think, “That’s it. That’s the solution.”
Yes.
Disney needs to make a D23 announcement that steals headlines away from Epic Universe.
Most such moves would be temporary, though. That’s because of the aforementioned delays in bringing such projects to fruition.
Photo: Universal
Even a two-year project would be too slow to keep the attention away from Epic Universe, which may not even be possible anyway.
Still, there’s an announcement Disney could make that would fundamentally change the way people evaluate 2025 vacations.
Photo: MouseHacking.com
Disney could bring back Magical Express next year. As a reminder, that’s the free transportation service to and from the airport.
Guests received that amenity for free for more than 15 years, and many of us relied on it for our Disney trips.
Photo: Disney
Disney should bring back Magical Express.
Why Disney Should Restore Magical Express
Photo Credit: DVDRentalStore.com
As previously discussed, there was really no need for the service to end anyway.
Former CEO Bob Chapek disliked the idea of free…well, anything. So, he used the pandemic to justify killing the program.
The end result is that tourists must fend for themselves at Orlando International Airport.
That’s a problem as we enter 2025, as people with rental cars can drive between Walt Disney World and Epic Universe.
Photo: Disney/Universal
So, they can easily plan a split vacation, which isn’t what Disney wants. That’s a path that leads to lower hotel occupancy rates.
In short, Disney is now incentivized to bring back Magical Express.
Photo: Universal
Should the company take this step, guests wouldn’t have transportation. Thus, they’d be more likely to stay at Disney World.
Sure, they could ride-share, but with so much to do at Disney World, they might get too distracted to think about Epic Universe.
Disney
Even better, restoring the free bus transportation system wouldn’t take long.
Disney could have this back up and running in months, which makes it an immediately attainable goal, a rarity for D23.
Photo: Universal
In the process, the company would secure its hotel occupancy rates while reminding guests that there’s no real need to leave the Disney campus.
Sure, some folks would still take a split vacation between Disney World and Universal Studios, but it’ll reduce the number of such trips.
Magical Express bus
Since Magical Express is fairly economical for Disney, there’s really no reason why they shouldn’t take this step.
Most importantly, this is the most tangible D23 announcement Disney could make to counter Epic Universe solely for 2025.
I think it’s an exceptional idea and one I hope Disney strongly considers.
Thanks for visiting MickeyBlog.com! Want to go to Disney? For a FREE quote on your next Disney vacation, please fill out the form below, and one of the agents from MickeyTravels, a Diamond Level Authorized Disney Vacation Planner, will be in touch soon!
