We just learned more about the future of The Walt Disney Company, but there were some topics that were mysteriously left OUT of the recent announcements.

The Walt Disney Company held its third-quarter earnings call for fiscal year 2023 on August 9th and released an earnings report as well. CEO Bob Iger talked about the Hollywood writer and actor strikes, the new ESPN betting service, and whether Disney would ever sell to Apple. But there are a few BIG things that he DIDN’T mention, and we’re left waiting for more details.

Let’s talk about what Disney CEO Bob Iger DIDN’T say at the recent earnings call.

Changes to the Genie+ System

Disney announced a couple of months back that Genie+ will be CHANGING in 2024. However, they didn’t release any details, and since they made that announcement, we haven’t heard anything else about those upcoming changes.

We were hoping that Disney would share some specifics about the upcoming changes, but unfortunately, we’re still left guessing.

In case you missed the previous announcement, Disney acknowledged that they’ve heard guests saying they wish they could “plan with Disney Genie+ service and individual Lightning Lane selections before the day of their park visit” and Disney shared that they’re “working on ways guests may do this for visits in 2024.” Their goal is to “give you the opportunity to spend less time planning in the park and more time enjoying your visit with friends and family.”

Click here to learn more about Disney Genie+.

Park Pass Reservation and Park Hopping Updates

Another huge change that’s coming in 2024 is that Park Pass Reservations will no longer be required for most guests starting on January 9th. This change applies to all date-based tickets (date-based tickets are what Disney describes as the “standard” ticket option offered to guests).

We knew about this change already, but we have a few questions that have yet to be answered, including one BIG one: Will Park Passes ever go away entirely? With the January 9th change, Annual Passholders, Cast Members, and other people who have non-date-based tickets will still have to make reservations. But how long will that rule stick around?

Don’t forget that Annual Passholders usually do NOT have to have a Park Pass Reservation if they’re visiting a Disney World park after 2PM (though some exceptions apply).

Park Hopping is currently restricted to after 2PM, which was a change that happened once the parks reopened after the pandemic-related closures in 2020. The rule has not yet been reversed, and we’re still wondering whether it will ever change.

Disney did not comment on this possibility during the recent earnings call.

Learn more about Park Hopping here!

The DeSantis Lawsuits

Disney is in the midst of a few different lawsuits related to the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District (previously called the Reedy Creek Improvement District). Disney has sued Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (along with some members of the CFTOD board), claiming that the governor waged a “relentless campaign to weaponize government power” against Disney to punish the company for speaking out against certain legislation.

Gov. DeSantis has filed motions to dismiss the lawsuit, which were not successful.

Bob Iger commented on the Reedy Creek issues during the last earnings call before this one, and he’s also shared his thoughts in other interviews. However, he did not comment on this situation during the third-quarter call.

Though no comments were shared during the call, the same warning that we saw in a previous quarterly report was present in this most recent one as well: “In Florida, steps directed at the Company (including the passage of legislation) have been taken and future actions have been threatened, which collectively could negatively impact (and may have already impacted) our ability to execute on our business strategy, our costs and the profitability of our operations in Florida.”

Gov. Ron DeSantis recently said he has “moved on” from the conflict with Disney.

What Disney DID Say

Although Disney didn’t comment on those big questions, they did make several other announcements. Check out these posts to learn more:

• Bob Iger Was Asked If He’d Sell Disney to Apple. Here’s What He Said.
• NEWS on Disney CEO Bob Iger’s “Number One Priority”
• A NEW Disney+ and Hulu Bundle Is Coming Soon!
• DATE ANNOUNCED for Disney+ Price Increase
• Disney CEO Bob Iger Comments on New ESPN Sports Betting Service

Be sure to check back with us on the latest Disney updates!

Click here for a summary of the BIGGEST recent announcements from Disney.

What do you think of these topics being omitted from the meeting? Let us know in the comments.