The Walt Disney Company revealed in a new filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) how they will use their planned $60 billion investment in the Disney Experiences segment over the next decade.
$60 billion is almost double the amount Disney has spent on parks and the Disney Cruise line in the past ten years. Those expenditures included expansions like Pandora – The World of Avatar, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, Toy Story Land, Avengers Campus, and the Disney Wish cruise ship.
In the SEC filing, Disney listed these strategies for boosting Disney Experiences:
- Accelerate Storytelling
- Expand Footprint
- Advance Commercial
- Leverage Talent
- Reach New Fans
Disney CEO Bob Iger announced more recently that 70 percent of the investment would go toward increasing capacity.
Expanding on the above bullet points, the new filing states “Investments will build upon our strong track record of generating outsized returns and will focus on:
- “Accelerating storytelling by utilizing our wealth of intellectual property, untapped stories, and unmatched creativity
- “Expanding our footprint […] we have over 1,000 acres of available development across our six existing resorts in North America, Europe, and Asia
- “Investing in innovative technology to improve the guest experience
- “Reaching new fans around the world […] for every park guest today, we believe there are >10 consumers with Disney affinity who don’t visit the Parks in a given year.”
Disney Experiences Chairman Josh D’Amaro previously indicated the availability of 1,000 acres of development space, equal to about seven Disneyland Parks. Mr. Iger recently stated that Disney could build seven new lands, including a significant expansion to Disneyland Resort.
A summary of the 10-year investment plan states that 20 percent would go to Disney Cruise Line, while 30 percent would go to technology and maintenance and the other 50 percent would go to parks and resorts. Noted separately on the plan reiterates approximately 70 percent is dedicated to capacity-expanding investments. The plan “supports investments to create magical new experiences and refresh existing infrastructure.”
Highlighted as part of the filing are recent and upcoming Disney Experiences projects like the “Frozen” lands at Hong Kong Disneyland, Tokyo Disneyland, and Disneyland Paris; Fantasy Springs at Tokyo DisneySea (which includes the “Frozen” area); Shanghai Disney Resort’s Zootopia land; Tiana’s Bayou Adventure coming soon to Magic Kingdom and Disneyland Park, along with three new ships set to launch in 2025 and 2026.
Excited about Disney’s plans for the $60 billion investment?
