Disney Announces Expansion in Cruises, Gaming and Parks

Skift Take

As Disney’s park attendance shows signs of softening, the company is betting on cruises and digital engagement to sustain its growth.

Jesse Chase-Lubitz

Disney unveiled a series of new projects and plans this weekend: Expect expansions across its parks, cruise line, and digital platforms. 

Disney’s plan to bolster its presence in the travel and entertainment sectors comes days after the company said it expects to see a slow down in attendance and revenue in the coming months.

An Expansion in Cruising

Disney announced that it would be debuting four new cruise ships between 2027 and 2031.  The expansion will bring the cruise line fleet to a total of 13 ships. 

Most cruise lines have seen resilient growth this year. As Disney’s park numbers flatten, cruises could provide the company some support.

Disney hinted at its intention to invest heavily in cruises in May when it was already seeing a relative slowdown.

“The cruise business, frankly, is one that has an enormous number of opportunities for us over time,” CFO Hugh Johnston said then. “We expect to get excellent returns out of the business.”

The new ships are expected to feature state-of-the-art amenities and unique Disney-themed experiences, catering to a broad demographic.

New Attractions at Disney’s Parks

Disney is also expanding parks. There will be a new area dedicated to Pixar’s “Cars” movies and “Monster’s Inc.” The park will also have new space for classic Disney villains.

In California, the Disneyland Resort will have a water based “Avatar” attraction. Paris will feature the previously announced World of Frozen in 2026, followed by a new Lion-King themed area of the park.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom is also expanding, with two new attractions linked to Indiana Jones and Encanto. 

Connecting Digital Worlds Through Games

Disney is moving further into the digital world. The company is collaborating with Epic Games to integrate Disney’s characters into digital environments that are linked to Fortnite, a popular online game. 

The characters will come together into a new environment and engage with each other. Guests can watch, play and create new stories with them. 

More than 1.2 million people watched part of the presentation that was live-streamed on Fortnite.