Castle in the middle. Railroad traipsing around. Man-made "mountains" concealing family rides. A meandering waterway through an American frontier landscape. The periodic hoot of a steamboat whistle. That's the formula that made Disney parks great. It's repeated at Disneyland in California, Magic Kingdom in Florida, Disneyland Paris, and Tokyo Disneyland—they all establish and celebrate the…
A slump in air travel to the U.S. is emerging in the wake of President Donald Trump's tariffs, and it could hit Walt Disney 's important theme park business where it hurts. With international guests accounting for about 20% of Disney's park attendance in Orlando, Florida, and Anaheim, California, according to Barclays, the latest data…
The New York Times, November 28, 1946:"The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People expressed regret yesterday over Walt Disney's new production, Song of the South, on the ground that it is helping to perpetuate the impression of "an idyllic master-slave relationship" in the South. Walter White, executive secretary, in telegrams to newspapers, stated…
There's a famous event from the history of architecture that serves as a warning to companies that assume competitors could never catch up. In the late 1920s, the Empire State Building, 40 Wall Street, and the Chrysler Building were all being constructed in Manhattan. Architects for each of the three buildings were desperate to claim…
The app-based Lightning Lane service, which was introduced as Genie+ at Disney's American theme parks in late 2021 and revised in July 2024, evokes dread in casual visitors to the self-billed Happiest Place on Earth. People who choose to vacation at a Disney park already struggle to navigate high costs and crowds. Lightning Lane Multi Pass, which…
Deal alert! Walt Disney World in Florida is bringing back its Disney Dining Plan for a limited period in mid-2025. Historically, the Orlando-area resort has whipped out its food plan to help shore up bookings in softer periods. This year, the plan's dates of availability coincide with the first weeks of operation of Disney's…
Just before the arrival of Hurricane Milton in Florida, a new restaurant at the Walt Disney World resort posted its menu in advance of its grand opening. You may have already had a sense that Disney is expensive, but chances are you didn't realize just how insane the costs truly are now. The prices announced…
Ever since the pandemic, one of the biggest annoyances at Disney theme parks has been the monetization of lines for rides. A few years ago, Disney invented a way to trick customers into paying extra for something that was previously bestowed for free as a mark of Disney's fabled quality. The standard lines, the ones…
Bookings for Disney's first cruise in Asia open on Dec. 10, 2024, about a year ahead of the ship's maiden voyage, which is scheduled to depart Singapore in December 2025. Prices for a three-night cruise on the Disney Adventure for two adults start at $958, while double occupancy rates for four- and five-night cruises start…
Disney's Lightning Lane paid line system has some fatal flaws, and guests are exposing them online. If more people refused to pay for Genie+, the problems would resolve.
Forget creativity, forget "magic" and "dreams," forget Walt's "vision." The Disney brand of our day is built mostly on…