During a question-and-answer session at the MoffettNathanson Media and Communications Summit on Wednesday, May 15, Disney CEO Bob Iger stated that nearly all future investments into the Disney Parks will be based on intellectual property (IP).
Bob Iger and the Future of IP at Disney Parks
During the talk, Iger spoke with Michael Nathanson of MoffettNathanson about everything from streaming profitability to his tenure as CEO, and the strength of IP across The Walt Disney Company. Eventually, this conversation turned to Disney’s plans for the future across its businesses, including the Disney Parks.
It was here that Iger confirmed that, based on the successful returns of leveraging IP in the theme parks, “almost all” of Disney’s investment in the parks will be using IP.
And interestingly enough, if you look — if you analyze carefully how we achieve those returns on invested capital in the Parks, it was all about the IP. So, for quite a long time, new attractions in lands at the parks were based on essentially either very old IP or no IP, just an attraction.
And starting really with Cars Land and Toy Story and there are a few others, I can’t remember this, all the specifics, we decided that almost all of our investment in the parks in terms of attractions and lands would be using that IP. And it’s very, very clear what that delivers.
Bob Iger, CEO of The Walt Disney Company
This confidence in the strength of Disney’s vast library of IP to pull from clearly indicates the company’s mindset going forward when it comes to expanding the parks around the world. Just next month, a newly rethemed flume ride inspired by “The Princess and the Frog” will open at Walt Disney World, and a themed port featuring “Frozen,” “Peter Pan,” and “Tangled” will open at Tokyo DisneySea.
Iger is confident that interest in these stories is not lessening, and will only grow and be more valued by guests over time.
“But it’s very, very clear that the experience we deliver, whether it’s at a park or a cruise ship is an extraordinary experience that I think where the value is not going away, showing no signs of ebbing at all,” said Iger.
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I am hurt and disappointed 😞 on wdw it was family based now it isn’t I will never be able to take my grandchildren due to you going against walt disney beliefs. So sad 😞