Disney Shareholder Meeting Announcements Include Disney+ Subscribers Top 100 Million

 by Ray Keating

News

DisneyBizJournal.com

March 9, 2021

 

During its annual shareholder meeting today, The Walt Disney Company announced that its Disney+ streaming service subscriber number topped 100 million.

Disney CEO Bob Chapek said, “The enormous success of Disney+ —which has now surpassed 100 million subscribers—has inspired us to be even more ambitious, and to significantly increase our investment in the development of high-quality content... In fact, we set a target of 100+ new titles per year, and this includes Disney Animation, Disney Live Action, Marvel, Star Wars, and National Geographic. Our direct-to-consumer business is the company’s top priority, and our robust pipeline of content will continue to fuel its growth.”

 

As of the end of its first quarter on January 2, 2021, Disney+ subscribers had registered 94.9 million. The service is 16 months old and is available in 59 countries now.

 

All ten members of the Disney board of directors also were re-elected.

 

Bob Iger noted that this would be his last shareholder meeting, and he will be leaving Disney at the end of the year.

 

Beyond the Disney+ announcement, Chapek mentioned that Black Widow is still set for a theatrical release on May 7, and West Side Story will hit theaters on December 10.

 

In addition, Chapek said the company was looking to open Disneyland in late April. A firm date would be announced later.

 

And Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure will be opened on October 1 at EPCOT’s France pavilion, with Avengers Campus opening later this year at Disneyland’s California Adventure.

 

Finally, the Disney college program will be reinstated, but no specific date has been set. Chapek was hoping that it might happen by the end of the year.

 

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Ray Keating is the editor, publisher and economist for DisneyBizJournal.com, and author of the  Pastor Stephen Grant novels and assorted nonfiction books. Have Ray Keating speak your group, business, school, church, or organization. Email him at raykeating@keatingreports.com.

 

The views expressed here are his own – after all, no one else should be held responsible for this stuff, right?

 

Keating has two new books out. Vatican Shadows: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel is the 13ththriller/mystery in the Pastor Stephen Grant series. Get the paperback or Kindle edition at Amazon, or signed books at www.raykeatingonline.com. Past Lives: A Pastor Stephen Grant Short Story is the 14th book in the series. Get the paperback or Kindle edition at Amazon, or signed book at www.raykeatingonline.com. 

 

You also can order his book Behind Enemy Lines: Conservative Communiques from Left-Wing New York  from Amazon or signed books  at RayKeatingOnline.com. His other recent nonfiction book is Free Trade Rocks! 10 Points on International Trade Everyone Should Know. 

 

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Despite COVID Bumps, Disney Moves Ahead on New Attractions

 by Beth Keating

News

DisneyBizJournal.com

November 17, 2020

 

The fallout from COVID may have caused no end of turmoil in 2020, but Disney still has its eyes on the future as they move toward the new year.  

 

Yesterday, Josh D’Amaro, Chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences and Products, was one of the speakers at the annual IAAPA Expo, which this year was held virtually, and he shared a look at some of the Disney projects that are moving forward. IAAPA is the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions,  the attractions industry’s trade association with more than 6,000 member companies.

During his address, D’Amaro reflected on Disney’s journey over the past several months, as well as the path forward. He also shared a variety of construction photos, videos, and artist renderings to show off the progress of various attractions. Among the highlights of D’Amaro’s keynote remarks at IAAPA were: 

 

• Updates on the progress of the Avengers Campuses at Disney California Adventure and Disneyland Paris. D’Amaro’s presentation included a peek at the ride vehicles for Web Slingers: A Spiderman Adventure.

Courtesy of Disney Parks Blog

• News of the ongoing transformation of EPCOT, including the construction progress of the soon-to-debut nighttime spectacular “Harmonious”; videos of the ride path and track for the Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind omnicoaster with its 360 degree rotating vehicles and reverse launches; and Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, slated to open in 2021 in the France pavilion, with its trackless ride vehicles that allow you to shrink down to the size of a rat as you make your way through Gusteau’s in a family-friendly 3D chase with adorable Chef Remy.

 

• Star Wars fans will probably lose their minds over the renderings of the new Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser staterooms that D’Amaro shared.  It might be a “hotel,” but the Halcyon will function more like a cruise ship, where guests will board the starship for a 2-day, 2-night immersive experience and “become the heroes of their own Star Wars story.”  The drawings shared by D’Amaro give prospective Jedi a better look at their “home away from home.”

Courtesy of Disney Parks Blog

D’Amaro also offered updates on Disney’s international ventures, including:

 

• Disney’s Hotel New York – The Art of Marvel – at Disneyland Paris, “celebrating 80 years of Marvel storytelling in a typical New York setting.” The hotel’s contemporary Art Deco style will be only one interesting feature of the new resort. Marvel fans will discover the largest publicly viewable collection of Marvel artwork in the world. 

 

• Shanghai Disney Resort, where the park’s eighth themed land and the first-ever Zootopia-themed land at any Disney park is also progressing.  Aerial photos of the land shown at IAAPA showed off the construction of the giant show building that will use state-of-the-art technology to bring the metropolis and animal characters of Zootopia to life.

 

• Tokyo Disneyland, currently undergoing the largest expansion of the park’s 37-year history, where four new attractions, three restaurants and a themed hotel located inside Tokyo DisneySea will overlook the new “Fantasy Springs.” Fantasy Springs will tie-in to the films Frozen, Tangled and Peter Pan.

 

Additional photos and details from the IAAPA address are available on the Disney Parks Blog.

 

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Beth Keating is a regular contributor to DisneyBizJournal.

 

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Announcements from Disney Shareholder Meeting, Including Opening Date for Avengers Campus

by Ray Keating

News

DisneyBizJournal.com

March 11, 2020

There were a few announcements at today’s Disney shareholder meeting, including:

• Avengers Campus at Disneyland’s California Adventure park will open on July 18^th.

• Loki will debut on Disney+ in early 2021.

• Disney will distribute Peter Jackson’s documentary The Beatles: Get Back, and it will be released on September 4^th.

Ray Keating is the editor, publisher and economist for DisneyBizJournal.com, and author of The Disney Planner 2020: The TO DO List Solution and the Pastor Stephen Grant novels. He can be contacted at  raykeating@keatingreports.com.