The Walt Disney Company had total revenues of more than $82.7 billion at the end of their last fiscal year, an increase of 22% from $67.4 billion the year before. This was enough to rank them 53rd on the Fortune 500 list of largest companies in the United States by revenue.
I’ve written about Disney several times on these webpages over the years, most recently just over two months ago when my family spent the holidays in Orlando. And I certainly understand that frequency may seem a bit out of place for someone living in central Pennsylvania. But, when you consider that in 2022 Orlando was the largest U.S. travel and tourism city destination, according to the World Travel & Tourism Council, maybe it’s not so odd.
Orlando welcomed 104.5 million travelers in 2022, a number equivalent to 31.25% of the 334.4 million people living in the United States. Granted, some of those travelers were international, but even if it’s only the equivalent of 20% of the United States population flowing through Orlando every year, well, that’s a pretty significant number and might justify someone in central PA waxing poetic about it every once in a while. I’m guessing the local Happy Valley Adventure Bureau would be overjoyed with a small percentage of that number of visitors to State College! (Maybe they ought to change that name though. What about those visitors not looking for “adventures”?)
Not to mention, Disney has been in the news a lot lately. The issue with Disney’s Reedy Creek Improvement District and the Governor of Florida has been a staple of my internet news feed for months.
In addition, Disney switched leaders a few months ago, naming Bob Iger the CEO. Iger had been Disney’s CEO from 2005 to 2020, and is back. Now, this sort of corporate machination happens regularly in large companies, but Disney is one of those places – did I mention a chunk of the U.S. population visits Orlando every year? – that creates a visceral reaction in almost everybody when the name is mentioned. You either love it/them or hate it/them.
Apparently Disney’s board felt a change at the top was necessary, and they weren’t the only ones. My kids both had an opinion on this subject. I can assure you my kids would have little to say if a similar move had been done at most of the Fortune 500 companies ahead of Disney. If CVS Health, UnitedHealth Group, Exxon Mobil, Berkshire Hathaway, McKesson, or AmeriSourceBergen – each of which is a top 10 company in the Fortune 500 – changed CEOs, my kids would hardly care. Or probably know. That speaks to the broad appeal of Disney and the Disney brand.
Which is why I’m back talking about Disney. Because last week I did something I had never done before in my life – I spent 139 hours, walked/ran 152,086 steps covering 101.1 miles and burned 24,681 calories all on Disney property. Without ever leaving. How, or why, did I do this? My daughter and I took part in Disney’s annual Princess Half Marathon Weekend.
Disney produces various running events every year, one of which is the Princess weekend. Which, as you might guess, is geared toward celebrating a few of Disney’s many fairy tale princesses. This year’s Princess weekend was Feb. 23–26, and consisted of a mass yoga event on Thursday morning, a 5k race on Friday morning, a 10k race on Saturday morning and culminated with a half-marathon on Sunday morning. And what better way to celebrate princesses than running in early-morning races (5 a.m. starts!) with your daughter?
We arrived on Disney property at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 22, and did not leave Disney property until 6 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 28. During that time my trusty sports watch was keeping track of all of the above information – steps, miles and calories. And what steps, miles and calories they were!
I’ve long since lost count of how many times I’ve been at Disney World. The first being during spring break in the early 1980s, then many times during the 13 years we lived in Orlando, and now plenty more during our visits south over the years. I’ve mostly morphed into a fine observer of humanity when I’m on Disney property – because there is often so much of it – but on every visit there’s always something that I’ve never noticed before, or better yet, something brand new to keep my excitement and interest.
During our time in the Disney parks my daughter and I enjoyed observing humanity by watching the never-ending parade of t-shirts with humorous sayings sported by everyone from kids to grandparents. It was sunny and in the upper-80s every day so the t-shirts were in abundance. Sayings that were unique to the Princess weekend such as, “Why Are All These Princesses Chasing Me?” and “Princess Security.” Ones poking fun at the usual crowds such as, “Most Expensive Day Ever,” and “I Grew This Beard Waiting In Line At Disney.” General Disney-oriented ones such as “When Is The 3:15 Parade?” “I’m Done Adulting. Let’s Go To Disney!” and “Let’s All Get Matching Disney Shirts. (Said No Dad Ever).”
In EPCOT, which over the years seems to have embraced the presence of alcohol in the park, t-shirts with drinking references were popular (pro tip – the frozen lime margarita at the stand outside Mexico is a must-have). A woman and man wearing matching color shirts – her’s read “I Wear The Ears,” his read “I Buy The Beers.” Or “Conquering the World, One Drink At A Time.” Or my personal favorite, “Drunkin’ Grownups. America Runs On Drunkin’,” which was printed in the same font and colors as the Dunkin’ logo.
In the “things I’ve never noticed before” department, the new TRON Lightcycle / Run roller coaster in the Magic Kingdom park was undergoing extensive testing while we were there. It’s slated to open on April 4, and my daughter and I both agreed it looks thrilling.
Lastly, in the something brand new and exciting department, there was the “Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind”ride in EPCOT. The best way I can describe it is as a wildly souped-up version of the Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster in Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Or, to compare it to a classic Disney ride for those who have never been on the Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, it is a much smoother and crazier version of Space Mountain. If you are a fan of the “Guardians of the Galaxy” movies and enjoy roller coasters, to the extent that you can capture the zeitgeist of an action movie within the framework of a roller coaster, this ride does a fantastic job of it. I highly recommend it.
Oh, and while spending those days with my daughter we also did a few races together! (I did pass on the yoga though).
Now, getting back to the Disney income I mentioned at the beginning, this fun and excitement does come with a price. And Disney’s revenue increase is partly a function of the ever-increasing cost to get into the parks and attractions at Disney World. A cost that now goes well into four figures if you spend multiple days in the parks, stay at hotels on property and pay for a few extras like the Lightning Lane passes to skip the bulk of the line on various rides. So, there is a barrier-to-entry here.
But, when all is said and done, spending 139 hours and 101.1 miles with your daughter? Disney magic or not, that’s, as they say in the commercial, priceless.
