Disney World (DIS) has big plans for 2025 as it aims to attract more visitors by introducing new rides and attractions to its theme park.
Disney’s latest earnings report revealed that while revenue for its theme parks in the U.S. increased by 2% year-over-year during the fourth quarter of 2024, operating income for these locations declined by 5%. Operating income is a company’s profit after expenses.
Disney said in the report that the decrease was partially due to “lower volumes attributable to declines in attendance” at its theme parks.
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As Disney faces weaker consumer demand at its theme parks, it is doubling down on its plan to spend $60 billion in 10 years to expand its parks worldwide.
So far, Disney World has announced plans to debut Villains Land at Magic Kingdom around 2029 or 2030, which will feature rides and attractions inspired by classic Disney villains.
It will also unveil a new nighttime parade called “Disney Starlight: Dream the Night Away” this summer. In addition, a Pirates of the Caribbean Tavern is expected to launch at Magic Kingdom towards the end of the year.
Disney World raises eyebrows with latest announcement
Disney World will also debut a new lounge inside Spaceship Earth at Epcot in the spring of this year. However, there’s a catch.
The theme park just announced that the lounge will be called GEO-82, and it will only offer reservations for guests who are 21 and older, according to a new post on Disney Parks Blog.
Tourist take photos at the park entrance in front of a topiary display with Goofy and Spaceship Earth in the background during the Flower and Garden Festival at Epcot at Walt Disney World in Orange County, Florida on May 30, 2022.
While Disney World doesn’t usually have adults-only attractions, it does have experiences that are more geared towards adults such as the Epcot Food and Wine Festival and Disney After Hours.
Disney World states that GEO-82 will feature cocktails and “globally influenced small plates.” The new lounge will also have an “elegant and intimate setting” that contains “rich textures and warm, metallic tones.”
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The update from Disney World comes after it first announced last year its plans to open a lounge at Spaceship Earth. The space that GEO-82 will occupy was previously known as the Siemens VIP Center, which was only exclusive to corporate participants who used the space to entertain guests.
Food and drinks at Disney World have become more expensive
Disney World has yet to announce the menu for GEO-82. However, the new lounge will open after the theme park recently hiked prices for food and beverages at multiple dining locations last year.
For example, at Cinderella’s Royal Table at Magic Kingdom, breakfast for adults increased from $69 to $74, and for children, it increased from $42 to $45. Also, dinner at Chef Mickey’s at Disney’s Contemporary Resort rose from $66 to $69 for adults and $41 to $44 for children.
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A survey from LendingTree last year found that 24% of consumers have gone into financial debt to fund a Disney trip. For consumers with young children, that figure increased to 45%. Also, 65% of consumers who recently went on a Disney trip said that in-park food and beverages cost “significantly more” than for which they budgeted.
Amid the price increases, a recent report from the Wall Street Journal revealed that Disney executives are allegedly worried that its theme parks and resorts have become too expensive for middle-class families.
During an investor conference in December, Disney Chief Financial Officer Hugh Johnston said that the company needs to be “smart about pricing” at its theme parks.
“We want to be able to tap into those families and build the habit of coming to Disneyland or Disney World, not one time, but multiple times,” said Johnston during the conference.
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