Disney has been making some pretty big moves lately.
From the feud with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to the newly approved contract that increases wages for Cast Members, the company has been in the news quite a bit recently. With an overwhelming amount of layoffs in the works and a reported $5.5 billion in budget cuts scheduled, things at Disney have been looking a little dark as of late. But today, we have an update on the situation and it sounds like things are looking up.
During the company’s 2023 Annual Shareholder Meeting on April 3rd, Disney CEO Bob Iger answered some questions about upcoming projects and plans for future spending.
In a statement about how Disney plans to preserve shareholder value, Iger shared some pretty big plans for growth in the coming years. He stated that they are “currently planning now to invest over $17 billion in Walt Disney World over the next 10 years.”
In doing so, this will add an additional 13,000 jobs within the company, and thousands of other indirect jobs as well.
How will this affect the Disney parks? While Iger wasn’t direct about what would be added to the parks specifically, during the D23 Expo in September of 2022 we learned of some Blue Sky Projects that the company was working on. “Blue Sky” means that they are unconfirmed projects that are currently in the brainstorming stage, so none of these are certain — but they could point to some possibilities!
Disney teased the potential for DinoLand U.S.A. in Disney’s Animal Kingdom to turn into Zootopia and Moana-themed lands. There was also talk of adding Coco, Encanto, and villain-themed lands into Magic Kingdom in the area beyond Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.
Earlier this year, Disney also shared some interesting new developments during South by Southwest (SXSW) — like a tiny real-life Tinker Bell and a prototype roller-blading bunny robot (that looks a bit like Judy Hopps). These are also Blue Sky Projects, so we’re still not sure what of these, if any, will be a part of this new spending or not — but it is exciting to see the possibilities!
We’ll keep an eye out for any updates about these big plans, so stay tuned to AllEars for more.
Click here to read more about some of the projects Disney has in the works
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What do you think this new spending will look like in Disney World? Let us know in the comments.
My hope is that a lot of that money goes to hiring enough cast members to staff all the shops and restaurants again. No more closed shops or understaffed eateries! Then let’s see them invest in more buses (and drivers), trams, and newer boats.
Another thing I’d like to see would be more consideration for guest comfort, like more benches and shade areas.
After these, I think Disney could really gain from adding more value rooms to the resort, especially near Magic Kingdom. I’m tired of all the hotel announcements being “we’re adding more DVC rooms.”
But the biggest thing I would like to see would be an investment in bringing back the unique shops and eateries. Fewer shops with merch that you can find in any park! Don’t sell generic Mickey T-shirts in the shops of World Showcase.
I so wish Disney would expand the World Showcase in Epcot. There are so many places and cultures that Disney could add that would expand the public’s exposure to and knowledge of other cultures. Think Africa and South America and Eastern European countries. Then , and I think the possibilities here are huge, they could do something with the Arctic/Antarctic regions. Imagine a sledding ride to the South Pole. It would be great.
Not bad. Keep it up