Boardwalk Times: Stories from the Seashore —What If Walt Disney Imagineering Designed Movie Theaters and How Moviegoing Can Be Revitalized
This month's newsletter we take a look at the possibility of Walt Disney Imagineering designing movie theaters, how moviegoing can be revitalized, and five key Disney moments to watch for in 2024.
Welcome back to Boardwalk Times: Stories from the Seashore!
In this issue, we will be covering:
What If Walt Disney Imagineering Designed Movie Theaters and How Moviegoing Can Be Revitalized 🍿 🎥
Five Key Disney Moments To Look Forward To In 2024 👀 📈📉
A Quick Boardwalk Times Outlook For 2024 🎡
Podcast Plugs 🎙
Links of the Month 📰
We’ve gained a few new subscribers this month, so I wanted to ask a question.
Referral Program
Refer your friends to subscribe to this newsletter and earn some rewards by moving up the leaderboard! Rewards include a newsletter shoutout, a Zoom meeting with me where we can chat all things Disney and themed entertainment, and even a discount to the Boardwalk Store!
What If Walt Disney Imagineering Designed Movie Theaters and How Moviegoing Can Be Revitalized
This month’s main topic became such a big, passionate idea that I decided to split it into two parts. The first section will dive into the “What if” scenario of Walt Disney Imagineering designing movie theaters. How could WDI reimagine theaters? And what could Disney do to stand out? The second section is a much broader topic but it’s something that is constantly discussed and that is how moviegoing can be revitalized. I give some ideas on what theater owners can do and how studios could encourage theater changes. Both of these subtopics intertwine well together.
What If Walt Disney Imagineering Designed Movie Theaters?
Let’s ponder an extremely fun “What if?” What if Walt Disney Imagineering designed movie theaters? WDI designing movie theaters would be fresh and innovative. Taking a themed entertainment approach to regular movie theaters could be legendary. It’s clear movie theaters are at a dangerous crossroads, they have to become experiences or else they will die off.
Every theater needs to think of itself as an experience. From when you walk in until you leave, it should be an awesome time. That’s why Walt Disney Imagineering would be such a stellar choice to reimagine movie theaters. Now would that be feasible? Probably not but it’s a fun scenario to imagine. Disney owning a theater chain wouldn’t work for multiple reasons, but Disney outsourcing WDI or possibly creating a joint venture to make a chain of customized, Disney-fied theaters would be an intriguing proposition. Disney would then be able to own the entire theatrical experience from start to finish for these chains.
Walt Disney Imagineering excels at making magical spots. If given the proper budget, they could easily reimagine movie theaters. I could imagine innovative lobbies, concession stands that are themed, and the possibility of having a gift shop or other experiences within the theater. I’d also love to see what Imagineering would decide for seats. I’d imagine they would opt for something different. These theaters could maybe feature more innovative screens and effect options depending on the showing as well.
Just imagine the next-level experiences they could create. If going to the theater felt like going to a mini Disney Park wouldn’t you want to go more often? Plus reimagining theaters feels like a unique challenge for Walt Disney Imagineering and I would love to see what they could do with it.
Also, a non-Disney example, I’ve thought about is Amazon acquiring AMC Theatres. This is a bit different from Imagineering designing theaters but it’s the same idea. Amazon could potentially make the combination extremely valuable. The combo could create value for Prime members and extra space at theaters could be used for other Amazon businesses (Prime fulfillment, Whole Foods, etc.)
Walt Disney Imagineering designing theaters would be incredible, it’s the type of thing Disney should explore. I will expand on this in a future story.
How Moviegoing Can Be Revitalized
Moviegoing can be revitalized. Here are some ideas.
The first is making the industry-standard be recliners. All seats need to be upgraded. Regular theater seats no longer cut it, and I would argue uncomfortable/regular seats actively get people to avoid theaters. If movie run times are going to be longer, then theaters need to have their guests be in recliners.
Now we have to take a look at the biggest issue that is affecting moviegoing and that’s pricing—specifically pricing in relation to value. Most movie theaters are overpricing their audience. There are a couple of solutions to make moviegoing more affordable and perhaps sustainable for movie theater owners. Mondays through Thursdays you should have lower prices. My local theater does $5 Tuesdays and it’s insanely popular. Now just imagine if you could expand that type of traffic four times a week? Then Friday through Sunday can be peak pricing. Every location and theater is different but this could be a stronger model, and it would likely cause films to have longer legs due to people seeing films on Mondays through Thursdays. To a larger point, theaters should just adopt the variable pricing model. Slower periods should be cheaper, and busier times should be higher.
Regarding pricing, all theaters should also create robust loyalty and rewards programs. Create programs that can attract casual moviegoers and die-hards. Loyalty and rewards programs pay off, especially if the perks are there. The programs usually incentivize people to visit more often and even take trips to the theaters for films they wouldn’t normally go see.
A big aspect of modern moviegoing is the food. I think the theaters that are successful are the ones that are constantly innovating and have great food. Bars also attract different demos into theaters as well. This is something every theater should think about.
Theaters also have to continue unique offerings like concerts, sporting events, and more. Plus giving consumers the option to rent a theater to watch films in a big group. Theaters should also consider doing more specific events that are targeted towards certain consumers like an Animation weekend, Christmas events, Star Wars marathon, a Harry Potter marathon, etc.
When it comes to preview, most theaters are tech-savvy enough, they should just list multiple start times. There are people who like getting there early to watch previews and then there are others who would love to roll up just four minutes before showtime.
Another change that could help moviegoing would be the ability to have an intermission. Studios would need to agree but for these longer films, an intermission could help and it could also boost concession sales as well.
Well, those are just some of my ideas. It’s a topic I’m passionate about because I adore the moviegoing experience.
Share this newsletter with a theater owner!
Have a topic you want me to cover? Drop me a line at boardwalktimes@yahoo.com!
Five Key Disney Moments To Look Forward To In 2024
Disney’s Annual Shareholders Meeting
This is a big one. This spring we will see if Nelson Peltz finally gets his way. During this event, we will also get a general idea of how the company plans to move forward. Plus we will hear from shareholders and that’s always a wild ride.
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure Opening
Unless it gets delayed, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will open next year. This will be a key moment for the Disney Parks and Walt Disney Imagineering. Can they deliver on this often-discussed reimagining? The discourse will be rough when this attraction opens due to it replacing Splash Mountain.
D23 in August
D23 will be the ultimate event for The Walt Disney Company this August. The event should give us an outline for the future of the Mouse House from the films to Disney+ to the Disney Parks. If it doesn’t then I expect more disarray in the coming years.
Deadpool 3 Opening Weekend
After a rocky 2023, Marvel Studios looks to rebound with Deadpool 3. Can Marvel Studios get a big critical and box office hit? Or will all the doubters be proved correct when it comes to this so-called “superhero fatigue.”
Late 2024 Succession Watch
Disney wants to name a successor in 2025, so late 2024 may be the window. Keep your eyes on Disney Entertainment Co-Chairman Dana Walden, Disney Experiences Chairman Josh D’Amaro, Candle Media Co-CEO Kevin Mayer, and other possible candidates emerging in the race to become CEO of The Walt Disney Company.
A Quick Boardwalk Times Outlook For 2024
2023 was a year of expanding and reinventing Boardwalk Times. That will continue into 2024. We strive to tell awesome stories, cultivate creativity, and create compelling content. The goals in 2024 are to expand, excite, and reinvent once again.
In 2023, we experienced explosive newsletter growth. We grew our subscriber count by 440% since January 1, 2023 (at the time of this writing). This is great considering this is a monthly newsletter, yet in 2024 we hope to reach an even larger number. Another surprise this year was our growth on LinkedIn, which is becoming a key platform for people discovering Boardwalk Times. Expect our presence to grow there in 2024.
Boardwalk Times in 2024 hopes to provide inside access and early looks at some of your favorite stories and attractions. We will continue our business-focused coverage, our historical lookbacks, along with providing compelling podcasts. 2024 will also be an exciting year for Boardwalk Store as we continue to add new designs, products, and curate an exciting fandom fashion shopping experience.
Dates to watch for Boardwalk Times in 2024 (so far):
April 2, 2024 — Boardwalk Times celebrates its 7th anniversary. It will be a fun one!
May 19, 2024 — Boardwalk Store celebrates its 1st anniversary.
If you like what we do. Please support us on Ko-Fi. Speaking of Ko-Fi, we are going to be adding some paid tiers on there in 2024 along with expanded access and exclusive content.
Want to write for or help Boardwalk Times? Check this out.
Podcast Plugs 🎙
A look at our Spotify Wrapped numbers: 75% of This is the Waycast listeners discovered us in 2023. 27% follower increase for This is the Waycast. 25% follower increase for The Zach Perilstein Show. 73% of our Multiverse of Marvel listeners discovered us in 2023. 23% follower increase for Multiverse of Marvel.
📈 📈 📈
Multiverse of Marvel returns in 2024 with new episodes on What If…?, Echo, Deadpool 3, our 100th episode, and Wakanda’s potential at the Disney Parks. (Spotify) (Apple)
This is the Waycast returns in 2024 with new episodes on The Bad Batch, The Acolyte, Skeleton Crew, Tales of the Jedi, our 100th episode, and more. (Spotify) (Apple)
LINKS OF THE MONTH
— Joe Rohde’s heartwarming story about how he pitched Animal Kingdom to the late great Dick Nunis. (Instagram)
— Disney’s Head of Gaming Sean Shoptaw outlined the company’s gaming plans. Fascinating read. (Axios)
— Why Disney Plus’s new Hulu integration was such a huge, high-stakes challenge. (Fast Company)
— Percy Jackson Is Simply Spellbinding. (Boardwalk Times)
— A Look Back At Disney Investor Day 2020. (Boardwalk Times)
— What should Disney do about its Rock 'n' Roller Coaster? (Theme Park Insider)
— Friend of the site, Savannah Sanders went in-depth on the possibility of Wakanda coming to the Disney Parks. (Substack)
If you’re interested in a paid version of this newsletter. Make a pledge for the future.
If you want to support Boardwalk Times: Stories from the Seashore here are three things you can do.
Share this newsletter with friends!
Subscribe to the newsletter!
Please follow us on social media @BoardwalkTimes and visit boardwalktimes.net for more commentary, news, and opinions on the worlds of Disney and themed entertainment. Happy New Year!