A Message From Josh D’Amaro — Happy New Year: Reasons to Celebrate!

Happy New Year!

Last year was incredible … so before we get any further into 2023, I want to thank each of you for what you did to help our guests plan their Disney visits. For many, the magic starts long before they get to our parks and cruise ships. It starts when they take their first step in turning their dream vacation into a reality by contacting their preferred travel professional.  As I’ve said countless times before… for those guests, the magic starts with you.

I know there has been a lot of change over the past few years and I want to thank you for making sure your clients understand the changes and are prepared when they arrive as our guests. As you know, we are constantly adapting our business to create a better experience for guests, and to build a foundation so we can introduce new stories and experiences in the future.

As we enter 2023, we’ll have lots of new reasons to celebrate together. TRON Lightcycle / Run at Walt Disney World along with Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway, World of Color – ONE and Wondrous Journeys at Disneyland Resort are all opening this year… we’ll be celebrating Disney’s 100th anniversary … and bringing back old favorites to the parks, such as Happily Ever After and Magic Happens.

As we move into the new year, it is important that we continuously evolve to help deliver the best guest experience possible. So, I want you to be among the first to hear about a few enhancements that we are making – specifically ones that our guests have asked for and you’ve shared with us. And while this doesn’t address everyone’s feedback, these changes will increase flexibility and add value to our guests’ experience.

At Disneyland Resort:

  • significantly increasing the number of days – nearly two months’ worth over the coming year – that we’ll offer our lowest-priced one-day, one-park ticket at $104
  • offering more flexibility with our Park Hopper ticket, giving Guests the ability to begin crossing over earlier (starting at 11 a.m.), beginning February 4
  • providing complimentary Disney PhotoPass digital downloads of attraction photos for all ticketed park guests, beginning February 4 throughout the Disney100 celebration
  • making Magic Key passes available for sale more times during the year as inventory becomes available

At Walt Disney World Resort:

  • beginning in the next few months, Walt Disney World Annual Passholders will be able to visit the theme parks after 2 p.m. without needing a park reservation, except on Saturdays and Sundays at Magic Kingdom Park. Pass blockout dates will continue to apply like they do today
  • making changes that will help our guests get the most out of their visit, such as including complimentary self-parking for guests staying at Disney Resort hotels beginning this evening, January 10
  • beginning in the next few months, guests purchasing Disney Genie+ service will also receive digital downloads of their Disney PhotoPass attraction photos taken in the park on the day of their purchase, at no additional charge

Additionally, we’ve announced several new offers over the past few weeks, including at Walt Disney World, 2-, 3- and 4-day Florida Resident Disney Weekday Magic tickets and a special package offer that includes a Disney Dining Promo Card for guests staying at select Disney Resort hotels. We are also offering a 3-day SoCal Resident weekday ticket for $73 per day through late May at Disneyland Resort.

I’m excited about all of these changes and offers and want you to know that we are committed to listening, adapting, and staying relentlessly focused on making the guest experience at our Disney parks even better.

We have a bright future together… and I want you to know how much I appreciate all that you do for our guests.  I know that many of you are Disney fans yourselves… and I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it when you stop me in the park to tell how you feel about your visit.

I hope to see you soon!

Josh D’Amaro
Chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences and Products