The Disney effect: pandemic won’t keep guests away from park magic | ticker VIEWS

Disney parks have always been renowned for escaping the real world for fantasy, and that’s exactly why people are leaving the pandemic at the front gates of Disneyland

Disney’s theme park division returned to profitability for the first time since the pandemic began

It’s clear the delta variant can’t stop guests from visiting the most magical place on earth

Disney has returned to profit – with a blowout third-quarter earnings, beating Wall Street expectations.

The Mouse house reported subscriber growth, revenue and earnings, with shares up more than 4 per cent.

Although, the parks alone are not yet profitable – but this isn’t a worry to the world’s largest entertainment company

Florida is a global epicentre of the pandemic – but guests keep flocking?

Disney CEO Bob Chapek said is “bullish” about the future of its U.S. theme parks, despite the country experiencing a resurgence of Covid-19 nationwide.

Chapek said theme park reservations are higher now than in the company’s third fiscal quarter that ended in early July.

Walt Disney World and Disneyland are still “not quite 100% open at this point,” Chapek said.

Walt Disney World’s hotel capacity is still at 70 per cent, and some restaurants are still closed— but the company plans to get closer and closer to 100% capacity.”

The Disney reopening statements come as Covid-19 cases and hospitalisations are spiking around the U.S due to the delta variant

Florida is now recording among the highest Covid-19 rates in the world, with record hospitalisation rates that now surpass those in New York City at the start of the pandemic in March 2020.

The Orlando area, where Walt Disney World is located, is now in “crisis mode”

The Orlando Sentinel reports the Reedy Creek Fire Department—which responds to emergencies on Disney property specifically, as the resort functions with its own local government—is now facing a Covid-19 outbreak among its employees.

Disney requires all of its employees in the parks and throughout the company to be vaccinated against Covid-19, though the employee unions are still negotiating with Disney on the exact terms of the mandate.

Masks are also reinstated as mandatory due to the delta variant outbreak.

However, people are still flocking to parks. Guests are eager for reservations – with limited availability adding to the hype and exclusivity

Disney theme parks have operated at reduced crowd capacities throughout the pandemic.

Dining reservations for October 1 (Walt Disney World’s 50th) opened up a few days ago and the availability was already extremely limited from the day it was released to the public.

In October 2021, Disney World is bringing a party to all of its parks – making this Walt Disney World’s biggest celebration yet.

Disney fans will always be loyal to the company, especially during special events

But with limited international tourists to the U.S – overseas Disney park regulars have been cut off from the in-person magic for the forseeable future.

This definitely was a major dampen to Disney’ Parks revenue, however people found other ways to indulge in the happiness of Disney – that gave the company something to smile about too.

Consumer products business, saw operating income reach $564 million.

During the quarter, Disney garnered higher revenue from merchandise based on Mickey and Minnie, Star Wars, Disney princesses and Spider-Man.

So despite the empty merchandise stands during the peak period of the pandemic when parks were closed in 2020, people still bought their favourite Disney items.

$4.3 billion. That’s how much Disney’s parks, experiences and products division earned in revenue in the third quarter of 2021

Guests attending theme parks is critical for Disney as well as guests who thrive from the experience

All six Disney parks around the globe have reopened after their shutdown last year and the resorts are slowly bringing back some of their pre-pandemic entertainment offerings, including the nightly fireworks show at Disney World.

Watching fireworks via livestream isn’t the same as standing in front of Cinderella’s castle watching the sky light up – and Disney knows this.

Walt Disney World in Florida is now seeing park attendance that’s “at or near daily capacity levels.”

Disney CFO Christine McCarthy said the company’s aim is to have their U.S. parks “be fully staffed up by the end of this calendar year.”

If you look back to the reason Walt Disney opened Disneyland it’s easy to see why people want to escape to the happiest place on earth

“To all who come to this happy place, welcome”

Printed at the front gates of disneyland

In the 1950’s the world was emerging from World War II and Americans were eager to find peace and prosperity.

Disneyland and DisneyWorld (that opened in 1971) were a way to escape the ‘real world’ and be emerged into fantasy.