Disney's blowout quarter proves it can still turn stories into empires. The stock soars 10%
Photo: Lyvans Boolaky (Getty Images)
Disney's (DIS) latest earnings report delivered a bit of old-school magic. Revenue rose 7% to $23.6 billion, up from $22.1 billion last year. EPS rose to $1.45 from last year's $1.21.
As the company works to steady its streaming ship, it's the theme parks that continue to do the heavy lifting, with higher prices, fuller cruise ships, and longer guest stays all contributing to that rising bottom line.
Disney stock rose 10.4% in Wednesday morning trading. The shares are still down about 8% so far this year.
Standout performance in parks
Revenue in the Parks, Experiences, and Products segment jumped 10% year over year to $8.4 billion, while operating income from domestic parks climbed 12% to $1.9 billion. Disney Cruise Line added the Disney Treasure to its fleet and expanded its itineraries. Guest spending also rose, thanks to add-ons like Genie+ and Lightning Lane.
Defying some analysts' fears that the trade war is weighing on American brands overseas, Disney's international parks turned in a strong quarter, with operating income up 7%. Hong Kong Disneyland even turned a profit—something that hasn't happened in years.
CEO Bob Iger called the parks 'a cornerstone of our business,' and with $60 billion earmarked for further buildouts over the next decade, the company is clearly betting that physical experiences will keep driving real-world dollars.
So far, the bet is working. Even amid a softening consumer economy, guests aren't balking at the price hikes.
Disney's storytelling machine is humming again, too.
Mufasa: The Lion King has now quietly pulled in over $720 million globally since its holiday release, and as Iger pointed out in his comments, Marvel's Thunderbolts is the top film in the world.
The rest of the 2025 lineup reads like a greatest-hits remix: Freakier Friday, Zootopia 2, Elio, Avatar: Fire and Ash, and The Fantastic Four: First Steps are all examples of the franchise extensions Disney is well known for.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the Moana universe 'knows the way.' Moana 2 became one of the top three films of 2024, earning $1 billion at the box office, and has clocked 139 million streaming hours on Disney+ since March. The original remains the most-streamed film on the platform with an eye-watering 1.4 billion viewing hours — and like other Disney IP goes on minting cash by fueling attractions, stage shows, and character meet-and-greets across parks and cruise ships. It's less a virtuous cycle than a virtuous voyage.
Content powers streaming to modest growth
All this momentum is translating into modest growth for Disney+. The service added 1.4 million subscribers in Q2 to reach 126 million overall, driven by both domestic and international gains. Executives credited the strong content bank — especially Moana 2, Mufasa, and Daredevil: Born Again — for the bump in subscriptions and streaming revenue.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
4 minutes ago
‘How to Train Your Dragon' soars ahead of 'Elio,' '28 Years Later' in box office
NEW YORK -- Neither Pixar nor zombies were enough to topple 'How to Train Your Dragon" from the No. 1 slot at North American box offices over the weekend. The Universal Pictures live-action remake remained the top film, bringing in $37 million in ticket sales in its second weekend, despite the sizeable new releases of 'Elio' and '28 Years Later.', according to studio estimates Sunday. 'How To Train Your Dragon' has rapidly amassed $358.2 million worldwide. Six years after its last entry, the Dean DeBlois-directed 'How To Train Your Dragon' has proven a potent revival of the DreamWorks Animation franchise. A sequel is already in the works for the $150 million production, which remakes the 2010 animated tale about a Viking boy and his dragon. Pixar's 'Elio' had a particularly tough weekend. The Walt Disney Co. animation studio has often launched some of its biggest titles in June, including 'Cars,' 'WALL-E' and 'Toy Story 4.' But 'Elio,' a science fiction adventure about a boy who dreams of meeting aliens, notched a modest $21 million, the lowest opening ever for Pixar. 'This is a weak opening for a new Pixar movie,' said David A. Gross, who runs the movie consulting firm FranchiseRe. 'These would be solid numbers for another original animation film, but this is Pixar, and by Pixar's remarkable standard, the opening is well below average.' 'Elio,' originally set for release in early 2024, had a bumpy road to the screen. Adrian Molina — co-director of 'Coco' — was replaced mid-production by Domee Shi ('Turning Red') and Madeline Sharafian. Back at Disney's D23 conference in 2022, America Ferrera appeared to announce her role as Elio's mother, but the character doesn't even exist in the revamped film. Disney and Pixar spent at least $150 million making 'Elio,' which didn't fare any better internationally than it did in North America, bringing in just $14 million from 43 territories. Pixar stumbled coming out of the pandemic before stabilizing performance with 2023's 'Elemental' ($496.4 million worldwide) and 2024's 'Inside Out 2' ($1.7 billion), which was the company's biggest box office hit. 'Elemental' was Pixar's previously lowest earning film, launching with $29.6 million. It rallied in later weeks to collect nearly half a billion dollars at the box office. The company's first movie, 'Toy Story,' opened with $29.1 million in 1995, or $60 when adjusted for inflation. It remains to be seen whether 'Elio's' decent reviews and 'A' from CinemaScore audiences can lead it to repeat 'Elemental's' trajectory. With most schools on summer break, the competition for family audiences was stiff. Disney's own 'Lilo & Stitch,' another live-action remake, continued to pull in young moviegoers. It grossed $9.7 million in its fifth weekend, bringing its global tally to $910.3 million. . '28 Years Later' signaled the return of another, far gorier franchise. Director Danny Boyle reunited with screenwriter Alex Garland to resume their pandemic apocalypse thriller 25 years after '28 Days Later' and 18 years after its sequel, '28 Weeks Later.' The Sony Pictures release opened with $30 million. That was good enough to give Boyle, the filmmaker of 'Slumdog Millionaire' and 'Trainspotting,' the biggest opening weekend of his career. The film, which cost $60 million to make, jumps ahead nearly three decades from the outbreak of the so-called rage virus for a coming-of-age story about a 12-year-old (Alfie Williams) venturing out of his family's protected village. Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Jodie Comer and Ralph Fiennes co-star. Reviews have been good (90% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes) for '28 Years Later,' though audience reaction (a 'B' CinemaScore) is mixed. Boyle has more plans for the zombie franchise, which will next see the release of '28 Years Later: The Bone Temple' next year from director Nia DaCosta. '28 Years Later' added another $30 million in 59 overseas markets. After its strong start last weekend with $12 million, A24's 'Materialists' held well with $5.8 million in its second weekend. The romantic drama by writer-director Celine Song and starring Dakota Johnson, Pedro Pascal and Chris Evans has collected $24 million so far. Next weekend should also be a competitive one in movie theaters, with both 'F1,' from Apple and Warner Bros., and Universal's 'Megan 2.0' launching in cinemas. With final domestic figures being released Monday, this list factors in the estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore: 1. 'How to Train Your Dragon,' $37 million. 2. '28 Years Later,' $30 million. 3. 'Elio,' $21 million. 4. 'Lilo & Stitch,' $9.7 million. 5. 'Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning,' $6.6 million. 6. 'Materialists,' $5.8 million. 7. 'Ballerina,' $4.5 million. 8. 'Karate Kid: Legends,' $2.4 million. 9. 'Final Destination: Bloodlines," $1.9 million. 10. 'Kuberaa,' $1.7 million.
San Francisco Chronicle
23 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
‘How to Train Your Dragon' tops the US box office as ‘Elio' marks a new low for Pixar
NEW YORK (AP) — Neither Pixar nor zombies were enough to topple 'How to Train Your Dragon" from the No. 1 slot at North American box offices over the weekend. The Universal Pictures live-action remake remained the top film, bringing in $37 million in ticket sales in its second weekend, despite the sizeable new releases of 'Elio' and '28 Years Later.' , according to studio estimates Sunday. 'How To Train Your Dragon' has rapidly amassed $358.2 million worldwide. Six years after its last entry, the Dean DeBlois-directed 'How To Train Your Dragon' has proven a potent revival of the DreamWorks Animation franchise. A sequel is already in the works for the $150 million production, which remakes the 2010 animated tale about a Viking boy and his dragon. Pixar's 'Elio' had a particularly tough weekend. The Walt Disney Co. animation studio has often launched some of its biggest titles in June, including 'Cars,' 'WALL-E' and 'Toy Story 4.' But 'Elio,' a science fiction adventure about a boy who dreams of meeting aliens, notched a modest $21 million, the lowest opening ever for Pixar. 'This is a weak opening for a new Pixar movie,' said David A. Gross, who runs the movie consulting firm FranchiseRe. 'These would be solid numbers for another original animation film, but this is Pixar, and by Pixar's remarkable standard, the opening is well below average.' 'Elio,' originally set for release in early 2024, had a bumpy road to the screen. Adrian Molina — co-director of 'Coco' — was replaced mid-production by Domee Shi ('Turning Red') and Madeline Sharafian. Back at Disney's D23 conference in 2022, America Ferrera appeared to announce her role as Elio's mother, but the character doesn't even exist in the revamped film. Disney and Pixar spent at least $150 million making 'Elio,' which didn't fare any better internationally than it did in North America, bringing in just $14 million from 43 territories. Pixar stumbled coming out of the pandemic before stabilizing performance with 2023's 'Elemental' ($496.4 million worldwide) and 2024's 'Inside Out 2' ($1.7 billion), which was the company's biggest box office hit. 'Elemental' was Pixar's previously lowest earning film, launching with $29.6 million. It rallied in later weeks to collect nearly half a billion dollars at the box office. The company's first movie, 'Toy Story,' opened with $29.1 million in 1995, or $60 when adjusted for inflation. It remains to be seen whether 'Elio's' decent reviews and 'A' from CinemaScore audiences can lead it to repeat 'Elemental's' trajectory. With most schools on summer break, the competition for family audiences was stiff. Disney's own 'Lilo & Stitch,' another live-action remake, continued to pull in young moviegoers. It grossed $9.7 million in its fifth weekend, bringing its global tally to $910.3 million. . '28 Years Later' signaled the return of another, far gorier franchise. Director Danny Boyle reunited with screenwriter Alex Garland to resume their pandemic apocalypse thriller 25 years after '28 Days Later' and 18 years after its sequel, '28 Weeks Later.' The Sony Pictures release opened with $30 million. That was good enough to give Boyle, the filmmaker of 'Slumdog Millionaire' and 'Trainspotting,' the biggest opening weekend of his career. The film, which cost $60 million to make, jumps ahead nearly three decades from the outbreak of the so-called rage virus for a coming-of-age story about a 12-year-old (Alfie Williams) venturing out of his family's protected village. Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Jodie Comer and Ralph Fiennes co-star. Reviews have been good (90% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes) for '28 Years Later,' though audience reaction (a 'B' CinemaScore) is mixed. Boyle has more plans for the zombie franchise, which will next see the release of '28 Years Later: The Bone Temple' next year from director Nia DaCosta. '28 Years Later' added another $30 million in 59 overseas markets. After its strong start last weekend with $12 million, A24's 'Materialists' held well with $5.8 million in its second weekend. The romantic drama by writer-director Celine Song and starring Dakota Johnson, Pedro Pascal and Chris Evans has collected $24 million so far. With final domestic figures being released Monday, this list factors in the estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore: 1. 'How to Train Your Dragon,' $37 million. 2. '28 Years Later,' $30 million. 3. 'Elio,' $21 million. 4. 'Lilo & Stitch,' $9.7 million. 5. 'Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning,' $6.6 million. 6. 'Materialists,' $5.8 million. 7. 'Ballerina,' $4.5 million. 8. 'Karate Kid: Legends,' $2.4 million. 9. 'Final Destination: Bloodlines," $1.9 million. 10. 'Kuberaa,' $1.7 million.
New York Post
an hour ago
- New York Post
‘Melrose Place' star Courtney Thorne-Smith divorcing husband Roger Fishman after 18 years of marriage
Courtney Thorne-Smith is ending her marriage to husband Roger Fishman. The 'Melrose Place' actress, 57, filed for divorce from the talent agent after 18 years of marriage in Los Angeles Superior Court on June 17. In the documents, which were filed without a lawyer, Thorne-Smith cited 'irreconcilable differences' as the reason for the split, according to TMZ. Advertisement 6 Courtney Thorne-Smith and Roger Fishman at Courtney's book launch party in 2007. WireImage Thorne-Smith reportedly filed for joint legal and physical custody of the former couple's son Jacob Emerson, 17, and asked the court to terminate her and Fishman's rights to spousal support. The 'Ally McBeal' star also revealed in her filing that the exes have been separated since September 2021. Advertisement 6 Roger Fishman and Courtney Thorne-Smith at the 3rd Annual Pink Party at the Viceroy Hotel on September 8, 2007. WireImage The Post has reached out to Thorne-Smith's rep for comment. Thorne-Smith married Fishman on New Year's Day in 2007. Their son was born in January 2008. The actress was previously married to geneticist Andrew Conrad from 2000 to 2001. She also dated her 'Melrose Place' co-star Andrew Shue in the early 1990s. Advertisement 6 Courtney Thorne-Smith in 1993. Getty Images 6 Courtney Thorne-Smith visits Hallmark's 'Home and Family' at Universal Studios Hollywood in 2019. Getty Images In an interview with People last year, Thorne-Smith recalled being 'charmed' by Shue, 58, when they filmed the pilot of the soap opera. 'I did remember shooting with Andrew for the first time. The scene that I remember that we talked about that was so much fun was him dancing. When he's dancing — you can actually see it in my face — how charmed I am,' Thorne-Smith shared. 'I was being completely charmed by Andrew in that moment. It was so adorable.' Advertisement 6 Courtney Thorne-Smith with Andrew Shue at the Academy Theatre in Beverly Hills, Calif. in 1993. Getty Images 'So I just remember him and him coming in with this sweet, sweet energy and how much fun it was to do that with him,' she added. Thorne-Smith reunited with Shue on an Aug. 2024 episode of her 'Still the Place' podcast, where she said that their breakup was 'shockingly not weird,' while Shue admitted that 'there was a little bit of time where it was tough.' 6 Courtney Thorne-Smith backstage at the 55th Annual Emmy Awards show in 2003. Getty Images The exes also reminisced on the 'no tongue' kissing rule for their characters that they set in place after their split. 'Our relationship, we helped carry each other through a very intense time,' Shue told Thorne-Smith. 'The show got a lot of attention. I know you had already been fairly well known, but we were dealing with a lot of, we'll call it Fox celebrity craziness.' 'And I remember just feeling safe knowing we were together guiding each other through it,' Shue added. Thorne-Smith and Shue starred in 'Melrose Place' with Heather Locklear, Thomas Calabro, Grant Show, Laura Leighton, Marcia Cross, Doug Savant and more.
