As you know, the three priorities of The Walt Disney Company are creativity, technology, and international expansion. Having recently been aboard the Disney Dream, I can tell you that the ship is filled from stem to stern with creativity and technology. But how is the Disney Cruise Line doing with international expansion?
With the recent announcement of the 2012 itineraries, it has come to light that no Disney ship will be based out of an international port. While the ships will visit international ports of call, the ships will be based out of Port Canaveral, New York, Seattle, Los Angeles, and Galveston. Even the Alaskan cruises that are sailing out of Vancouver in 2011 will be departing from Seattle in 2012 (Though Vancouver will be a stop).
A Disney spokesperson told the Orlando Sentinel that, “Europe remains important to us and we look forward to returning there in the future,” even though there are no announced plans to return across the pond. I can’t help but wonder how Disney’s 2012 plans were influenced by world events. International markets have been plagued by economic hardship and civil unrest. This has caused Disney to change itineraries in 2011.
It is hard to determine if Disney avoided going international due to international concerns or if they were experiencing soft bookings. In addition, it is near impossible to determine if the pace of bookings is influenced due to political instability or the state of the economy. But one thing is near certain, don’t expect a 5th and 6th Disney vessel until Disney is able to tap in to markets outside of the U.S. With the new ships’ larger capacity, Disney has plenty of stateroom inventory to meet current demand. In order to expand, Disney will need to look overseas. But that is the whole reason international expansion is so important to Disney in the first place.
Quick Takes:
Studio Entertainment: The Wrap is reporting that the sports drama, “McFarland” is back on track to being made at the Disney studios. The story about a high school coach who formed a cross-country team in order to inspire his students was acquired by Disney, but was never made. Disney’s Sean Bailey is breathing new life in to the project. This matches his statements that Disney is looking to making inspiring stories like “Remember the Titans” even though their “Secretariat” underperformed.
Media Networks: ESPN keeps sending me reminders that their coverage of the Masters has begun. This includes coverage of all four rounds on ESPN3D. The only problem is, I really don’t care about golf. Unless it is four rounds of mini-golf at Winter Summerland, which is something I could get in to.
Consumer Products: Today Disney Store opened their first two Imagination Park stores in Canada. The stores in the Square One Shopping Centre in Mississauga, ON, and the Metropolis at Metrotown in Burnaby, BC, have all the magic of the U.S. stores plus the magic of paying with Canadian dollars. Now the Canadian prices on the merchandise actually serve a purpose.
Interactive Media: With Easter being so late this year, I feel like I should already be celebrating. Luckily, DisneyFamily.com has the top 25 Disney Easter crafts and recipes. For the record, I prefer the recipes to the crafts.
Marvel: Marvel’s big comic event started today with the release of Fear Itself #1. For those that worried that Disney’s acquisition would cause Marvel to steer away from darker stories, Fear Itself should abate those concerns. The story is depressing, but in a good way. I really liked the comic. I especially liked how the companion “Home Front” comic told more personal stories that were influenced by the main title. But I think it is safe to say, Disney is not exercising editorial control over what the architects at Marvel have planned.