Disney To Restructure Theme Park Operations

Walt Disney has announced that it is to restructure its theme park operations, after reporting that operating income fell by 24% to $382 million and attendance dropped by 5% for the final quarter of 2008.

In order to boost profits, Disney is revisiting its relationships with agents, who currently drive approximately half of the company's bookings. Disney already owns 25,000 on-site hotel rooms in Walt Disney World Orlando, as well as nearly 800 campsites; yet new initiatives include upgrading its hotel base and park attractions, whilst the Disney Cruise Line is preparing to double its fleet of cruise ships from two to four by 2011.

One new Disney promotion enables anyone to apply for a one-day pass for any Disney park on their birthday only. Disney hopes that this latest initiative will attract more guests into multi-day stays, generating additional revenue.

Ed Fouche, senior vice president, Travel Industry Sales and Marketing, Disney Destinations, LLC, said the campaign had enjoyed great success already: “The Birthday promotion this year has been great in getting people travelling. We were so pleased to see that some 2 million people have already signed up with us online to be part of that promotion."

The ‘Celebration’ theme is reinforced at Disney by a number of interactive activities. A new Disney parade encourages guests to ‘Move It, Shake It, Celebrate It’, by getting into the street and joining in with the parade, whilst the all new American Idol Experience invites guests to audition for the shows that day - this latter having proved particularly popular already with some 500 guests per day registering to participate in the auditions.