Overview of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts:
When Walt Disney opened Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif., on July 17, 1955, he created a unique destination built around storytelling and immersive experiences, ushering in a new era of family entertainment. More than sixty years later, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts (WDPR) has grown into one of the world’s leading providers of family travel and leisure experiences, giving millions of guests each year the chance to spend time with their families and friends, making memories that last a lifetime.
Six world-class vacation destinations with 12 theme parks and 51 resorts are at the heart of WDPR, operating in North America, Europe and Asia. WDPR also includes Disney Cruise Line, with four ships and plans for two more to be completed in 2021 and 2023; Disney Vacation Club, with more than 220,000 member families; Adventures by Disney, which provides guided family vacation experiences to destinations around the globe; Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa, in Ko Olina, Hawaii; and Walt Disney Imagineering, which designs and creates Disney parks, resorts, cruise ships, attractions and entertainment.
UNPRECEDENTED GROWTH AND EXPANSION THROUGHOUT THE GLOBE:
In the last five years alone, WDPR has invested approximately $15 billon to bring historic and exciting expansions, both completed and in development, to its portfolio across the world. With unprecedented demand in the parks, WDPR has been focused on expanding its existing footprint to create more capacity and bring to life the exciting and vast portfolio of franchises and stories guests have been asking for – from Toy Story to Frozen to Marvel and Star Wars and more.
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• The highly anticipated opening of Pandora – The World of Avatar at Walt Disney World Resort completed the largest expansion in the history of Disney’s Animal Kingdom. The expansion also includes a new nighttime spectacular on Discovery Island, transforming the park into a full-day experience and offering guests longer days than ever before.
• At the Disneyland Resort, the opening of Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT! will anchor a broader Super Hero footprint that will grow over time at Disney California Adventure park.
• The new Star Wars-themed lands at Disneyland park in California and Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Florida will open in 2019, representing the largest singlethemed land expansion ever at 14 acres each.
• The reimagining of Disney’s Hollywood Studios is underway, transforming the park from a place that takes guests from behind the scenes of their favorite films to a place that immerses them in the story with the addition of Toy Story Land and a Star Wars-themed land.
• An expansion of the hotel business is currently underway with a new 15-story tower with 500 rooms at Coronado Springs, a new waterfront dining area and retail shopping area at Caribbean Beach, and potentially a new Four-Diamond, 700-room hotel at Disneyland Resort that is under consideration. Disney Explorers Lodge opened at Hong Kong Disneyland on April 30 and the 14th Disney Vacation Club property – Copper Creek Villas & Cabins – opens July 17.
• Two new ships will be added to the Disney Cruise Line fleet, which will be completed in 2021 and 2023.
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• Shanghai Disney Resort welcomed 10 million guests within less than a year of opening the first Disney park in Mainland China. The first expansion of a new Toy Story land has been announced and is set to open in 2018.
• Iron Man Experience, the first-ever Marvel themed attraction at a Disney park, opened at Hong Kong Disneyland in January 2017. Based on guest research, the new Iron Man Experience is already the most popular attraction in the park.
• Disney Explorers Lodge – the third hotel at Hong Kong Disneyland – opened in April, and the resort just received approval on a multi-year plan to transform and expand the park with new Marvel experiences and a Frozen-themed area.
• Nemo & Friends SeaRider debuted at Tokyo Disney Sea in May 2017, and Tokyo Disney Resort has also announced long-term development plans through fiscal year 2020, including an expansion of Fantasyland to include a Beauty and the Beast-themed area and a new full-scale indoor theatre, a new Big Hero 6-themed attraction in Tomorrowland and a new meet & greet location in Toontown. At Tokyo DisneySea, Soarin’ will open in Mediterranean Harbor.
• Disneyland Paris is celebrating its 25th Anniversary with new and enhanced guest experiences, including a new parade; two new daytime shows; a new nighttime finale; and new Star Wars experiences with Hyperspace Mountain and new scenes added to Star Tours: The Adventures Continue.
DRIVING BUSINESS SUCCESS WITH A FOCUS ON THE GUEST EXPERIENCE:
Following years of record growth, WDPR has shifted its strategy to focus on enhancing the guest experience by expanding to address capacity constraints, investing in core brands and franchises, and smoothing attendance throughout the year.
This relentless focus on strengthening the guest experience worldwide has produced the largest
success the segment has experienced in its 60-year history.
• Seasonal Pricing – In 2016, WDPR unveiled a new seasonal pricing approach allowing guests more options
to plan their vacation to a Disney resort. This move offers lower ticket prices during off-peak times to smooth attendance throughout the year, strengthening the world-class experience that only Disney can deliver.
• Technology – WDPR invests in technology in all aspects of a guest’s visit – from vacation planning to resort hotels to attractions and entertainment – with the goal of creating a seamless, worry-free experience that enables guests to focus on creating memories with family and friends.
• Providing Options to Personalize Park Experience – Many guests have asked for special experiences they can do with their families and loved ones to make their visit to a Disney park even more magical. Every guest has the ability to choose and personalize their own experience, from lower prices in the off-peak season to fun and immersive add-on options like parade and fireworks dining and seating packages to exclusive tours.
This relentless focus on strengthening the guest experience worldwide has produced the largest
success the segment has experienced in its 60-year history.
- Sixth consecutive year of revenue, earnings and margin growth. During this period, WDPR:
- In fiscal year 2016, WDPR achieved record revenues, record operating income and the highest margin since consolidating the international sites in 2004.
- Half way through fiscal 2017, WDPR has experienced its best first six months of any fiscal year ever.
—Delivered high single-digit (8%) average annual revenue growth
—More than doubled profit, growing at an average annual rate of 17%
—Q1: Revenue and operating income results were at an all-time high for any quarter in WDPR’s history
—Q2: Revenue and operating income results set Q2 records