Disney confirmed last year that they are embarking on a massive $60 billion expenditure plan for Disney, Parks, Experiences, and Products over the next ten years.
Though no details were provided at the time, Disney Parks, Experiences and Products Chairman Josh D’Amaro said “We have an ambitious growth story that is supported by a proven track record and a bold vision for the future of our Parks business,” in a statement last February. CEO Bob Iger also echoed this sentiment, saying that this investment would lead to “growth all over.”
Now, nearly six months later, we finally know where most of this money is going, and unfortunately, it looks like only half will be spent on theme parks.
Disney lays out 10-year project budget in SEC filing
In a financial filing summarizing Disney’s 10-year investment plan, it was confirmed that of the $60 billion total sum, $30 billion has been earmarked for theme parks and resorts, $18 billion will go towards technology and maintenance and $12 billion will fund new Disney cruise ships. The $30 billion set aside for theme parks will be used to create “magical new experiences and refreshing existing infrastructure,” according to the SEC filing.
While many have wondered how Disney might respond now that Universal is a credible threat to them, we now know that at least $17 billion of the aforementioned $60 billion has been set aside specifically for Walt Disney World, likely to build new attractions.
For more information, check out the entire presentation here.
What is Disney going to build with this new investment… and where?
In a statement, Disney said the company has “over 1,000 acres of land for possible future development to expand theme park space across its existing sites – the equivalent of about seven new Disneyland Parks.” However, Bob Iger has remained noncommittal when saying exactly where they will be building with this newly earmarked cash.
When asked during a presentation about where and when this money will be spent at the theme parks, Iger said, “You can pretty much conclude that they will be all over, meaning every single one of our locations will be the beneficiary of increased investment.”
Clearly, Disney isn’t ready to officially announce anything just yet, but we’d guess that will all change in about 5 months or so when Disney hosts a big event…
Expect a ton of big announcements at the next D23 Expo
While we don’t expect anything to be announced in the short term, D23 Expo 2024 will be taking place this August and it seems extremely likely that whatever big plans Disney has cooking up for its theme parks will be announced then.
Rumored new rides and attractions for Disneyland, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and perhaps even the Magic Kingdom based on popular IPs like Moana, Indiana Jones, Zootopia, and Coco will almost certainly be officially announced after being teased for years. We’d also expect international locations like Disneyland Paris and Shanghai Disneyland to get some fresh new attractions as well.
Though we don’t know exactly what Disney will announce in August, hopefully, it will be enough to finally get some momentum going to get fans excited about their long-gestating next chapter.
