Disney Headlines for May 20th, 2025

In this week’s Disney Headlines, we’ll discuss the competition for a change, making it our first-ever Universal Studios Headlines as well.

Oh, and I’ll talk about Lilo & Stitch one more time, too.

A Big Week for Disney

Sometimes, the biggest Disney Headlines are for what’s about to happen, and that’s definitely the case right now.

Disney is currently riding the momentum of the opening of the Disneyland 70 event.

Photo: Disney

Technically, Disneyland Park won’t celebrate its 70^th anniversary until July 17^th, but why should we wait when we can have a party now?

As MickeyBlog covered extensively over the past week, Disneyland 70 features a stunning array of amenities, exclusive foods, and merchandise.

Now, as Memorial Day Week arrives, Walt Disney World springs into action with two new show-based attractions and Cool Kid Summer.

The shows are The Little Mermaid: A Musical Adventure and Disney Villains: Unfairly Ever After.

Photo: Disney

Both will be popular, but let’s be clear. The Disney Villains show has created an epic degree of buzz as it builds anticipation for Villains Land.

As for Cool Kid Summer, the theme parks at Walt Disney World will host more character meetings and activities like crafting and DJ parties.

Disney is going all-out over the next three months…and for good reason.

Epic Universe Finally Opens

Photo: Universal

The so-called Theme Park War unofficially kicks off on Thursday when Universal Epic Universe finally opens to the public.

I’ve written a companion article that discusses the situation in detail, but it’s not a coincidence that Disney has taken a proactive position.

Photo: Universal

For the past six (!) years, many theme park industry veterans have meticulously tracked the construction of Epic Universe.

Universal Studios broke ground on its third Universal Orlando Resort theme park in 2019.

Photo: Universal

We’re just getting it now due to pandemic delays which wreaked havoc on the construction schedule.

Now that the park is finally opening, Disney faces an inflection point of sorts.

For years now, Disney executives have expressed their convictions that Epic Universe wouldn’t negatively impact Walt Disney World attendance.

In fact, Josh D’Amaro just doubled down on that declaration during a recent interview, stating that while the new park was nice, tourists would still flock to Disney.

While D’Amaro and his boss, Bob Iger, have said all the right things about Epic Universe, they still are showing their competitive streaks

Disney “coincidentally” timed the announcement about Disneyland Abu Dhabi two weeks before the opening of Epic Universe.

Photo: Disney Abu Dhabi

If you didn’t think that a corporation could be passive-aggressive, now you know better.

But the point is that the entire theme park industry will spend the body of 2025 micro-analyzing every attendance/revenue tidbit.

Cool Kid Summer maps

Disney critics are desperately hoping to notice some chinks in the armor, while fans are excitedly anticipating Cool Kid Summer and its amenities.

So, the main Disney Headline this week is, “Let’s all watch!” It’s gonna be fascinating.

If nothing else, you’re going to hear a LOT about how much better Disney’s virtual queue system is than Universal’s. I can promise you that.

The Summer Season Begins

Photo: Marvel

Memorial Day Week marks another start for Disney. The summer box office campaign kicks off this week.

After a moribund first three months of the year, which was partially Disney’s fault – I’m looking at you, Captain America: Brave New World – the tide has turned.

Photo: Marvel

We’ve had several blockbuster hit movies recently, including this past weekend’s Final Destination reboot, A Minecraft Movie, and Sinners.

Now, Disney tries for the fourth time to release an unqualified blockbuster as it still looks in the rearview mirror and winces at the carnage of Snow White.

Photo: Marvel

While Thunderbolts* has earned $325 million thus far, it’s not sure to surpass Brave New World, a clear-cut financial loser for Disney.

Thankfully, Thunderbolts* cost less and maintains an outside shot at profitability during its theatrical release.

Photo: USA Today

Still, as I argued a few weeks ago, everyone’s about to forget about all the early 2025 struggles. That’s because a hero is coming to save Disney.

His name is Stitch, and his film is tracking to earn roughly the gross national product of Hungary during the four-day holiday period.

A year ago, I was speculating that the film could open to $120 million, but if you look up economic facts about Hungary, you’ll notice I was low.

Tracking suggests a historic performance for a Disney live-action remake…or any live-action remake, really.

Photo: Disney

Okay, I’ll backtrack and say any of them other than The Lion King or Beauty and the Beast, the Disney Renaissance’s holy duo.

Remarkably, Lilo & Stitch has an outside chance of matching their totals, albeit in four days rather than three.

Photo: Disney

Here’s what I want you to remember over the next seven days, though. The box office doesn’t matter.

A Merchandising Armada

If you’ve read MickeyBlog at all lately, you should know the deal.

Stitch already stood near the top of Disney brands with regard to merchandising revenue.

Photo: Disney

For the body of 20 years now, it’s been my white whale to find detailed data about Stitch revenue, a data I’m hoping gets released by someone this year.

What I know for certain is that Stitch has been the only non-Sensational Six character to receive monthly stuffed animal lines in 2023 and 2024.

Photo: Disney

The original Lilo & Stitch and its spinoff animated series became the equivalent for the children of the early 2000s to what Frozen was last decade.

Now, these folks have children of their own, and they can share their love of ‘ohana with their ‘ohana. It’s beautiful.

Disney knows that Stitch toy sales are about to shatter records, and it has said yes to pretty much anyone who has asked.

There’s a Stitch SPAM license this year! We’ve also got a Dole tie-in, ColourPop makeup,  and even a plane.

We haven’t talked about it yet, but I already know I’m buying this popcorn bucket.

It’s going to make my wife so happy that I’m calling it her birthday present.

Oh, who am I kidding? The other 25 Stitch items she tells me to get will be her birthday present.

Folks, there are a LOT of people like my wife out there, and that’s the point I’m making here.

Photo: Disney

No matter how much people talk about the film’s box office this week/month, it’s not the real money.

Disney will make a mint from this entirely new batch of Stitch merch. Not coincidentally, Disney just promised its investors a huge year. Call it the Stitch Effect.

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Feature Photo: Disney