It’s December 23rd and that can only mean one thing: Happy Festivus! As we’ve done in years past, we thought we’d celebrate the Festivus season by reflecting on the year in Disney in a way that would make Frank Costanza proud, including the traditional Airing of Grievances, the Feats of Strength, and a celebration of Festivus Miracles. It’s a Festivus for the rest of us!
The Airing of Grievances
“I’ve got a lot of problems with you people! Now, you’re gonna hear about it!”
The tradition of Festivus begins with the airing of grievances. While we admire most of what The Walt Disney Company does over the course of a given year, there is always room for error and bad decisions. Here are some of the ways Disney let us down in 2024:
Cutting Disney Aspire
Ever since Disney launched its Aspire program, which offers tuition assistance for Cast Members pursuing higher education, it was something that Bob Iger and the communications team often touted. So why then did they make drastic cuts to the program in September? While the program previously covered 100% of tuition, books, and fees for those in bachelor’s and master’s programs, a cap of just $5,250 per year was instituted for many participating schools. Sure, an extra $5,000+ toward school isn’t nothing, but it’s a far cry from what Aspire was meant to provide — and from what likely provided many Cast Members a chance to afford college in the first place. What do those students do now? Unfortunately, that’s one of the hard choices they’ll be facing in 2025 after Disney’s bait and switch.
Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade’s Odd West Coast Timing
On a much lighter note, those living in the Pacific or Mountain time zones hoping to catch this year’s Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade live may need to set their alarms. While the parade steps off at the reasonable hour of 10 a.m. Eastern (and 9 a.m. Central), it will air starting at 5 a.m. PST and MST. Basically, West Coast viewers might as well stay up after Christmas Eve midnight mass and go straight into their Christmas Day. Of course, it’s true that the special will then be available on Disney+ starting at 8 a.m. PT… but waiting until that time means you’ll miss the first hour of the Dunk the Halls basketball game.
Making Us Wait to Hear The Muppets Fate
When Monsters Inc. Land was announced during D23, fans immediately wondered where the project would be built, with many fearing that the answer would be the Muppet Courtyard. For months, Disney (to paraphrase the Cranberries) let us linger rather than offering any answers about the topic. Finally, in November, they finally admitted that Monsters were indeed taking over for Muppets — although Kermit and the gang would also be filling in for the Bad Boys of Boston over at Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster. So why the wait? Well, we could speculate that the idea of booting Aerosmith in favor of the Muppets was a reaction to fan feedback… but, still, why did they need to drag things out by making us wonder for so long? Just tell us the truth!
The Feats of Strength
And now, as Festivus rolls on, we come to the feats of strength. 2024 once again saw Disney flex its muscles at home and abroad:
Box Office Return to Form
Even if Disney is ending the theatrical year on a slightly sour note as Mufasa underperforms (so far), 2024 has actually been a great rebound for the company in terms of box office. This year, they were the only studio to surpass $2 billion domestically and $5 billion internationally. Those milestones were aided by record-breaking runs from Moana 2, Inside Out 2, and Deadpool & Wolverine among others. While 2024 might not be the best year ever for the studios, it did certainly inspire confidence once again.
Disney Tops YouTube for Viewing Share
In November, for the third consecutive month, Disney platforms collectively accounted for 11.1% of all TV (or “television” equivalents, as it were) viewing in the United States. This even topped YouTube, which earned 10.8%. Streaming content made up 43% of Disney’s total, which is pretty significant given the emphasis on the direct-to-consumer model, which the company will further grow in 2025 with the launch of ESPN “Flagship.”
Festivus Miracles
What other explanation can there be? These were truly Festivus miracles:
Disney Makes a Deal with Bluey
Earlier this year, it was reported that Disney had passed on the merchandising and theme park right to Bluey back in 2019. With that context, when it was revealed that a Bluey film co-produced by Disney would be hitting theatres in 2027, we couldn’t help but wonder whether, perhaps, this had been rectified. Well, apparently it has as it was announced soon afterward that Bluey and Bingo would be coming to Disney Cruise Line next month and would be making their way to Walt Disney World and the Disneyland Resort later in 2025. For now, it seems likely that we’re just talking meet and greets — but could more be in the works for the future? After this miracle, who’s to say?
All Those Old Rumors Made True
In our grievances section, we mentioned the arrival of a Monsters Inc. Land — which is set to include the long-rumored doors coaster. But that’s not the only project that, after what feels like decades of fan theories, is becoming reality. Another example is the Villains Land coming to the Magic Kingdom. Overall, it seems that fans are excited that these projects that some thought would never happen finally exiting Fantasyland and (soon) moving to a shovels-in-the-ground phase. Miracle!
We’re Bringing Back the Laughing Place Podcast (Sort Of)
Finally, taking a page from Disney themselves, we’re going to engage in some synergy by taking this opportunity to announce that the Laughing Place Podcast is (nearly) back. On Friday, December 27th, we’ll debut the newly-named Laughing Place “On Balance” Podcast. While this new iteration will feature some familiar faces voices, it will take on a new format that will explore Disney’s moves in depth and offer analysis alongside the latest news. So join us for the Laughing Place “On Balance” Podcast this Friday wherever you get your podcasts.