A Few Suggestions for Disney As We Enter 2025
The Walt Disney Company is doing great right now.
So, nobody there needs any advice from some keyboard warrior like me.
Walt Disney Company
Still, I write tens of thousands of words about Disney each month and hold some strong opinions.
Here are a few suggestions I have for Disney as we enter 2025.
Build an American Disney Adventure
Photo: Disney
The Disney Treasure just debuted two weeks ago, and let’s just say that the honeymoon phase won’t end for a while.
The ship is impeccable. People I know who have always said they would never take a Disney cruise are now saying the opposite.
Photo: Disney
They perceive the Treasure as a first-of-its-kind offering worthy of changing their entire stance on cruises.
However, this vessel will only stand as the flagship of the fleet for a few months.
Photo: Disney
Later in 2025, the Disney Adventure will set sail from its home port in Singapore.
On that date, the Adventure will become the finest Disney cruise ship, and that’s by design.
Photo: DCL
Disney Cruise Line will cater to the ultra-wealthy residents of southern Asia with this, the largest cruise ship in the fleet.
One of the stylistic choices of the Adventure redefines tourist expectations for Disney cruises.
Photo: Disney
Disney has structured the ship to consist of several themed areas…just like the themed lands at Disney theme parks.
In a very real way, Disney has extended the magic of Disneyland and Walt Disney World to the high seas.
DCL
While the Treasure offers impeccable experiences like Haunted Mansion Parlor, the Adventure goes beyond that.
Dear Disney: when you build one of those new cruise ships between now and 2031, please use the Adventure as the blueprint.
Photo: Disney
This is what fans like me want. It’s like a Disney theme park visit without the stress of standing in line all the time.
And ESPN+ Too
I commend Disney for building ESPN+ into a viable streaming service with 25 million subscribers.
That’s an impressive accomplishment for what’s tantamount to the limited version of ESPN.
Photo: Disney
Only a fraction of live sports content is available on ESPN+, but it’s exceptional for people like my wife, an Illinois State fan living in Tennessee.
She can intensely watch Redbirds basketball games while I sit perfectly still and remain quiet for two hours.
Photo: Disney
However, ESPN+ intentionally limits its own market due to the licensing agreements in place with live sports vendors.
The best content is rarely available on the service, and I say that as a subscriber since day one.
ESPN
Disney knows this, and it explains why the ESPN+ tile on Disney+ currently gives away most of this content for free.
When the full ESPN streaming service, Flagship debuts, ESPN+ serves no purpose other than bilking subscribers out of money via autopay charges.
Photo: ESPN
ESPN+ should shut down forever on the same day that Flagship debuts. I don’t expect that to happen, but it should.
Make Resort Character Greetings Permanent
During my most recent Walt Disney World trip, we were sitting in the hotel lobby at Disney’s Riviera Resort.
This spot has become one of my favorite hangouts at Disney, but it was somehow a bit more magical this time.
Photo: Disney
Right after we sat down, Donald Duck and Goofy walked into the lobby. They proceeded to spend 15 minutes interacting with guests.
Then, Donald Duck went outside and proceeded to play lawn chess…quite badly.
Disney
Children were spellbound. They followed the characters everywhere, shyly trailing behind but staring hypnotically.
Disney does this from time to time at its hotels, and it needs to be a permanent offering.
Donald’s NYE Outfit
The goal should always be to entice guests to spend more time at the hotels, as they’ll also spend more money there.
Meanwhile, that’s a few more people who aren’t standing in line for attractions, lengthening the waits.
Disney
This tactic is win/win for Disney and its fans, and it’s one of the least expensive Disney amenities to maintain.
The cost boils down to five Cast Members and costume cleaning. Do more of this, Disney!
Start a New Loyalty Program
Photo: Disney Movie Insiders
Disney Movie Insiders officially closed late in 2024 after an extended run. Its cancellation marked the end of an era.
When DVDs exploded in popularity, Disney capitalized by incentivizing its most loyal fans to buy more discs.
Photo: vecteezy.com
This program worked well for many years in that when people purchased lots of DVDs, they could exchange them for exclusive rewards.
Some of them were very good and had values in the hundreds of dollars. Disney knew it would make up the difference in volume.
However, the decline of physical media caused Disney Movie Insiders to dwindle.
Few people were buying the necessary amount of discs to make the program worthwhile. So, Disney ended it.
Photo: Disney
Still, the need remains for a Disney incentives program. I’d argue it’s more necessary than ever.
Fans can celebrate their Disney fandom with theme park vacations, cruises, streaming subscriptions, and D23 memberships.
Photo: English Jargon
While Disney+ Perks are a thing, Disney needs something more fully formed and well-considered.
Let’s say that you spend a week at the theme park. Should Disney throw in a year of Disney+ as an incentive?
Photo: Getty Images/Ringer illustration
Isn’t a Disney cruise worth a six-month subscription to Hulu? Disney’s selling these trips for thousands of dollars.
Some fans just need a little push to book a trip. And while it may sound ridiculous to you or me, a free D23 Gold membership might be enough.
Disney needs a total solution to reward its loyal customers and thereby incentivize us to spend even more time on Disney content.
Tread Carefully with Snow White and Moana
Getty
Disney finally has its film division humming again, with the studio reclaiming its box office crown for the eighth time in nine years.
Universal famously usurped Disney in 2023, although even that statement required asterisks such as ignoring how many more films Universal released.
(Photo by VALERIE MACON / AFP) (Photo by VALERIE MACON/AFP via Getty Images)
Still, Disney undeniably struggled in 2023 before regaining its momentum in 2024. It’d be a shame to lose that.
Alas, Disney faces two upcoming challenges, one of which will come quite soon.
Photo: Disney
Snow White debuts in theaters on March 21st, which is roughly ten weeks from now.
Star Rachel Zegler has faced a media onslaught due to her political stances, and the appearance of the Seven Dwarfs also went viral for the wrong reasons.
Photo: Disney
Then, we have the live-action remake of Moana in 2026. Since Moana 2 is still in the box office top five as I type this, that seems very soon.
Disney faces two uphill marketing campaigns, and it needs to tread carefully here.
Commercials should reinforce the magic of Disney and avoid literally anything that could be a trigger for the easily offended.
Disney’s on a hot streak right now and shouldn’t risk its momentum on a project like Snow White that isn’t sure to succeed.
Photo: Disney
As for Moana, I question whether this was a good idea once Disney decided to produce Moana 2.
However, people like The Rock loooove the story of Moana. So, I’m more optimistic about this title.
Photo: Disney
Each of them needs special care and forethought to avoid losing recently returned Disney fans, though.
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