Everyone knows a Disney parks vacation costs a lot. Disney was once a byword for whimsy and quality, but it seems like in our era, "expensive" has replaced "magic" as the single adjective most people use to describe an audience with Mickey Mouse. But ever since the initial rush of post-pandemic travel, bookings for Walt…
The U.S. travel sector has been surprisingly resilient when it comes to travel. Domestic travel numbers have returned to pre-pandemic levels and air travel has surged even as more than a third of travelers planned to take on debt for summer trips. However, inflation-weary consumers might be taking their money elsewhere when it comes to…
We've had plenty of warning signs that the current management of the Disney brand doesn't understand or appreciate their roles as stewards of priceless Americana. For the last few years, the current decision makers at Disney have been carrying on as if they're running a shopping mall and not a national treasure. Obsessed with floating…
By the end of 2024, Disney Cruise Line (DCL) will have six ships in operation, with two more in the pipeline. That's double the fleet the company had 12 years ago, when a single private island, Castaway Cay, could handle all the ships that needed to call there on Caribbean sailings. All the major cruise…
How did we get here? The casual and relaxing days of Walt Disney World began to die in the 1990s, when Disney purchased the ABC networks and forced its channels to plug the company theme parks in daily programming. That corporate-mandated "synergy" resulted in increasingly overcrowded parks. How prices spiraled at Disney Parks Enter FASTPASS,…
Enchanted valleys, vibrant street markets and fantastical forests. Those are just some of what fans of Disney cruises can expect on board the upcoming Disney Adventure, according to details announced Tuesday by Disney Cruise Line. The ship — the sixth cruise liner from Disney — is the company's first to homeport in Asia. Its maiden…
Disney World has become a repeat vacation spot and second home for a group of adults who love Disney. Now the company appears to be trying to replicate that magic at its international properties, using American influencers and bloggers to draw U.S. fans to Disney theme parks in China and Japan. The professional content…
Underplanning In Disney's drive to increase profit centers, the company has changed its basic theme park experience. Now every visitor must plan somewhat or pay a price. To eat at the best sit-down restaurants or enjoy a character meal, you must make reservations 60 days in advance or else face a lack of availability.…
Dwindling cash reserves, huge corporate acquisitions to pay off, crazy costs to lift the Disney+ streaming service off the ground, boardroom battles . . . the Walt Disney Company sure is dealing with a lot of financial woes right now. It's a good thing Disney has vacationers to milk for cash! Open your wallets, travelers, because…
Ask any theme park aficionado to list all the things you can do during a day at Walt Disney World near Orlando, and you'll hear the resort's inventory rattled off as easily as the alphabet: four theme parks, two water-slide parks, a huge shopping district, a sports center, and more than 20 resort hotels. Not…