In a new filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), The Walt Disney Company has broken down how they will use their planned $60 billion investment in the Disney Experiences segment over the next 10 years.
$60 Billion Investment in Disney Experiences
They announced the investment in an SEC filing last fall. $60 billion is almost double what Disney spent on parks and Disney Cruise Line in the past 10 years, which 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 that filing, Disney listed these strategies for “turbo-charging” Disney Experiences:
- Accelerate Storytelling
- Expand Footprint
- Advance Commercial
- Leverage Talent
- Reach New Fans
More recently, CEO Bob Iger announced 70 percent of the investment would go toward increasing capacity.
The new filing expands on the previous bullet points, stating “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 referenced the 1,000 acres of development space, equating it to about seven Disneyland Parks. Recently, Iger stated they could build seven new lands, including a significant expansion to Disneyland Resort with the DisneylandForward project, which would see a minimum of $1.9 billion invested into the California resort. The Anaheim Planning Commission will vote on the DisneylandForward proposal on Monday, March 11.
A circular graph of the 10-year investment plan states 20 percent would go to Disney Cruise Line and “other,” 30 percent would go to technology and maintenance, while 50 percent would go to parks and resorts. A separate note reiterates approximately 70 percent is for capacity-expanding investments. The plan “supports investments to create magical new experiences and refresh existing infrastructure.”
The filing highlights 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; and three new ships set to launch in FY25 and FY26.
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