Boardwalk Times: Stories from the Seashore —Disney Will Finally Bring TV Style Channels to Disney+
This month's newsletter we take a look at Disney+ adding channels, DisneylandForward, Disney Adventure World, and more.
Welcome back to Boardwalk Times: Stories from the Seashore!
In this issue, we will be covering:
Disney Will Finally Bring TV Style Channels to Disney+ 📺
DisneylandForward Moves Forward 💰🚧
Disney Adventure World: The New Name for Paris’ Second Park 🇫🇷
Podcast Plugs 🎙
Links of the Month 📰
We’ve gained a few new subscribers this month (some from various organizations in the entertainment industry 👀), so I wanted to ask a question.
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Disney Will Finally Bring TV Style Channels to Disney+
A new report from The Information revealed Disney is in the early stages of adding channels to Disney+.
This would give Disney+ a new feature akin to Roku, Paramount+, Tubi, Peacock, PlutoTV, and others. It’s a feature that I have been campaigning for since August 2023. It would be 24/7 channels that would play Disney+ content on a loop. It would be the perfect way to stop doomscrolling on Disney+ and increase engagement.
So what types of channels would we see? It’s already a lock that we will see a Star Wars, Marvel, Pixar, National Geographic, and regular Disney channel. Then we may see the channel lineup go even further and break down into specific content or a specific genre. I could also see Disney+ changing out channel themes as they do for their collections. There are endless possibilities.
The move has received criticism from people who think it’s an attempt at recreating cable when in reality it’s just Disney adding a feature other streamers have had for a while. A feature that could increase engagement if utilized correctly and placed in a prominent spot on the service. The move to add channels also means there probably is a larger plan at play to improve Disney+’s UI/UX but maybe Disney will wait on the specifics of those decisions until they hire a new CTO.
Just think of how many Disney+ Originals would be discovered and watched if they were just on. You never know what films or TV series may find a new life on Disney+ by incorporating channels. The channels could also help with discovery because there is a lot of content on Disney+ and even using collections it’s still a lot to comb through.
The channels could also help with premiering content. Just imagine if Disney+ creates a “main hub” channel and when The Acolyte premieres at 9 PM ET it can be immediately followed by another Disney+ original or Star Wars series at 10 PM. Some may criticize the concept of channels but there is a reason why channels worked for so many years, and whatever is old becomes new again eventually. Disney+ adding channels would allow the best of both worlds. You can find what you want to watch directly or by surfing channels. Sometimes you want the decision to be decided for you, and that’s what channels do. “Oh man, I need background noise and I don’t know what to watch. Oh, let’s click the Star Wars channel. Let’s click the Animation channel.”
The other unique possibility of the addition of channels is the fact that Disney could spin this off into a separate product. A ton of companies are taking advantage of FAST (free ad-supported TV) channels. Could Disney+ make its own FAST that maybe features the less-prominent, underperforming content but has more ads? It could be one way to boost ad revenue if the numbers check out and it could also be done as a way to avoid content write-offs entirely.
Either way, it’s about time Disney+ adds channels. The streamer turns 5 this November so I expect it to evolve once again just beyond the new Hulu-esque color scheme.
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DisneylandForward Moves Forward
DisneylandForward is moving forward. The move will give Disneyland Resort zoning privileges and the resort will move forward with some planned expansions. The current budget is at $1.9 billion but I expect that total to be higher.
Disneyland Resort plans to expand with new attractions, retail developments, and hotels. Hopefully, actual construction can start on some of these projects this year. Some of the projects are more exciting than others, some are parking structures and walkways while there are other possibilities that fans will be more excited about.
The possibilities include an expanded Downtown Disney district which would be reminiscent to Disney Springs. Disney has also teased various intellectual properties such as Coco, Encanto, Zootopia, Avatar, Frozen, and Black Panther’s Wakanda.
Our take: I’d expect the focus to be on an expanded entertainment district and new hotels (Disney Vacation Club). Out of all the possibilities I feel like Avatar, Frozen, and Wakanda are the closest to being reality. Three properties that would get people to book trips to Disneyland Resort. DisneylandForward seems like the first step to making Disneyland Resort into a multi-day destination just like Walt Disney World.
Disney Adventure World: The New Name for Paris’ Second Park
Disney Adventure World is the new name for Walt Disney Studios Park out in Paris. Here is what you need to know.
Why: Walt Disney Studios Park was the original name for Disneyland Paris Resort’s second park. Since its inception, the park has been critically panned. Disney after many years has decided to give the park a new identity with Disney Adventure World.
What’s next: Disney Adventure World marks a new chapter and identity for Disneyland Paris. The park shifts from a cheaper, studio park into a more transformative theme park around immersive lands and experiences. Rumors have suggested after World of Frozen, Adventure World would receive a Lion King land along with potential attractions from Avatar.
The future of Disneyland Paris is bright. Disney has expansion space over there and unlike hurdles in California and Florida, it seems like France is all for more Disneyland Paris experiences. Disney may also want to beef up Disneyland Paris Resort as Universal Destinations & Experiences is currently lurking in the European market with potential destinations in Bedford, England, and Spain.
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Podcast Plugs 🎙
The Lowdown on the Plus-Up makes its Boardwalk Times Podcast Network debut. Kelly McCubbin and Peter Overstreet discuss Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln, Sleeping Beauty Castle, and Disneyland Hotel in their first three episodes. (Spotify) (Apple)
This is the Waycast: The Bad Batch is back. Join Giovanni, Sara, and Joaquin as they discuss the final season along with other Star Wars news like The Acolyte. (Spotify) (Apple)
Multiverse of Marvel covers the first half of X-Men ‘97. (Spotify) (Apple)
LINKS OF THE MONTH
— This CNBC piece on Dana Walden makes a compelling case for her to be the next CEO of Disney. It would be a history-making move if it happened. (CNBC)
— CNBC piece on Disney Parks Chair Josh D’Amaro — another potential successor to Iger — on the Disney Parks $60B investment, lessons learned from Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser, and more! (CNBC)
— Backstory on Disney+’s new color scheme and how it represents its integration with Hulu. (Fast Company)
— How Bluey Became a $2 Billion Smash Hit—With an Uncertain Future (Bloomberg)
— What Show Airs Where? Inside the Hulu–ABC Programming Machine (Vulture)
— The Threat in Disney’s Backyard: WSJ profiles Epic Universe (Wall Street Journal)
— The Rise and Fall of DisneyChannel.com (Inverse)
— Boardwalk Times Celebrates Its 7th Anniversary (Boardwalk Times)
— 7 Lessons Learned From 7 Years of Boardwalk Times [What I’ve Learned Building A Disney News Site] (Boardwalk Times)
— Takeaways from Disney’s Annual Shareholders Meeting 2024: Disney Wins Its Proxy Fight (Boardwalk Times)
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