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Disney | Fundamental Analysis 🔔

So many things are going on at the Walt Disney theme parks in Florida this week. Disneyland officially turns 50 on Friday, and unveils 18 months of new rides, attractions, and themed merchandise that should make turnstiles click and cash registers ring.

The media titan stunned investors when the theme park segment returned to profitability last quarter, much quicker than anticipated. Now it's time to see if theme parks can turn back to pre-pandemic revenue levels. That achievement may be easier to accomplish than you think. Disney has set its sights on increasing its per capita income to the point where it can make more money with fewer guests than before.

Paying more attention to higher-paying visitors through a tiered park reservation system, raising admission prices for day guests and annual passes, and introducing premium entrance to expedited lines are largely unpopular moves for Disney World fans. But they are the reason Disney will not only withstand but flourish over the next 18 months.

The most challenging attraction in all of Disneyland was the "Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance" attraction. Since its debut at Disney's Hollywood Studios in late 2019, people have had to secure a boarding group through the My Disney Experience app. Until Thursday of last week, to get a virtual boarding group from stock, which usually ran out within seconds, you had to walk up to your phone by 7 a.m. Another similarly short window opened at 1 p.m. for those who were already in the park.

Because the high-tech attraction was frequently out of service during most weekdays, and visitors favored the no-rail, dark Star Wars-themed attraction, Disney encountered a supply and demand problem. After the attraction began running more steadily (and the crowds were few and far between in the seasonally sleepy September), the boarding process was modified on

Thursday of last week. Disney World did away with the virtual line. People can now get in line for the ride just like they do for the rest of the resort's dozens of rides.

The transition has been refreshingly smooth. According to some initial reports, wait times were as long as three hours, but most of the reported wait times were within an hour or two, which is more than reasonable for an attraction that raises the bar for critics.

Opening access for the ride is very important. Guests who want to visit the attraction no longer have to give up the idea if they plan to come to Disney's Hollywood Studios later in the day.

Financially, the transition now opens the door for Disney World to begin charging for access to the new Lightning Lane+ queue, which will allow park guests to get through to the attraction even faster. Disney will soon begin introducing lucrative (but controversial) premium pricing for expedited queues, as most of its smaller competitors have long done. As wait times for "Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance '' and other famous attractions are expected to jump this weekend (and remain long for most of the next 18 months), a lot of money can be made by allowing visitors to pay for shorter wait times and more time elsewhere.

Another effective and less provocative development working in Disney World's favor is that international travel restrictions for European visitors will be relaxed in November. Since its opening, Disney's domestic theme parks have been forced to cater mostly to visitors from the states. Now the door is finally starting to open for lucrative international tourists -- just in time to partake in the golden anniversary celebrations.

On Friday, all eyes will be on the Magic Kingdom theme park, where it all began 50 years ago. Epcot Park, located within the resort, will also draw crowds of visitors as the new Remy's Ratatouille Adventure attraction opens Friday. Both parks will also feature new nighttime shows, and both parks will have new roller coasters open for 18 months.

The other two Disney World theme parks will not attract as much attention as the resort's two original parks, but they will become tourist magnets for people spending a week or more at the resort. The advent of Lightning Lane+ will also make the resort's two most popular attractions -- Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance at Disney's Hollywood Studios and Avatar: Flight of Passage at Disney's Animal Kingdom -- more accessible to those willing to trade money for time.

All of this will lead to big business in the Disney theme park segment. Even those regulars who don't normally buy trinkets may not be able to resist buying commemorative merchandise for the milestone. Less frequent visitors who have been putting off a trip to Disney World will have few excuses not to visit now if they can afford the increased prices. This is a golden anniversary for Disney, but also a golden chance for a major travel and tourism industry company.