November is a time to be grateful, and for now Walt Disney (DIS 0.92%) shareholders should be thankful that the stock has clawed its way back up to the triple digits. After a rough correction, investors are gravitating to the House of Mouse again.
The saga will continue in the month ahead. Disney reports its fiscal fourth-quarter results, but that's not the only thing for investors to track in November. Disney will introduce new movies. It will also bring back some popular Florida attractions. Let's take a closer look at some of the dates that could get Disney moving in November.
Image source: Disney.
Nov. 3
Nighttime spectacles are a staple at Disney World's theme parks, but one of the more popular shows has been missing since the parks reopened in 2020 following a four-month COVID-19-related closure. Well, Fantasmic at Disney's Hollywood Studios returns on Thursday.
The outdoor amphitheater that's been dormantfor more than 30 months will spring to life, retelling the tale of Mickey Mouse taking on the media giant's iconic villains. This is a pretty big deal. The popularity of these nightly attractions -- from parades to fireworks to this unique waterfront performance -- keeps guests around longer. The more time they spend in the parks, the more likely they are to spring for dinner, snacks, and merchandise instead of leaving early to find cheaper alternatives offsite.
Nov. 8
Investors see Disney pull back the curtain on their financial performance every three months, and next week it's time to announce fiscal fourth-quarter results. Analysts see a 31% increase in revenue, accompanied by an even bigger jump on the bottom line.
Disney isn't firing on all cylinders. Its theme parks and Disney+ platform have been huge winners, but the same can't be said for its movie studio. There are naturally new concerns that its huge media networks business will suffer a slowdown in advertising if the global economy weakens in the coming months.
Nov. 11
This has been an atypical year for Disney's movie studio. The same theatrical giant that delivered all six of the highest grossing movies at U.S. multiplexes in 2019 has just one of the top 5 -- and two of the top 10 -- in box office receipts in 2022. Things should improve for Disney, starting next weekend when Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will be a huge draw.
Unlike some of Disney's less high-profile releases, this one is getting an exclusive theatrical run. It won't be the full three months that have been common in the past, but most fans of the Marvel franchise aren't going to wait until late December or early January when the superhero film is finally available to stream at no additional cost for Disney+ subscribers.
Nov. 13
There are six parks at Disney World. The four traditional theme parks are the key drivers here, but the massive Florida resort also houses a pair of themed water parks. Blizzard Beach reopens to guests in two weeks. Themed to a snowy oasis -- an odd look for a water park in Florida, but that's also the point -- Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon have been treating guests to watery fun when they need to cool down in more than just their hotel pools.
The opening of Blizzard Beach isn't all good news. It will coincide with the temporary closure of its sister park, Typhoon Lagoon. Disney has yet to have both gated attractions open at the same time since reopening the resort in the summer of 2020. Whether it's a matter of staffing or consumer demand, the world's busiest theme park resort is using the guise of refurbishment to keep one of its two water parks closed.
Nov. 23
Heading into theaters just in time for the Thanksgiving holiday season, Disney's Strange World is the latest full-length feature out of the company's historic animation studio. Strange World features a family of explorers as they explore an uncharted land. The project is helmed by the team that brought Disney's Big Hero 6 and Raya and the Last Dragon to life.
Disney's last few animated features have opened to encouraging reviews but failed to deliver blockbuster box office returns. Disney's animation studio hasn't scored a top 10 film -- in terms of annual domestic ticket sales -- since 2019 when it dominated the local multiplex with Toy Story 4, Frozen II, and the photorealistic computer-animated The Lion King reboot.
The pandemic obviously didn't help, but the bar is lower to crack the top 10 these past three years. Even the highly anticipated Lightyear failed to crack the chart this year. Other studios have also scored top 10 annual hits, including Minions: The Rise of Gru and Sonic the Hedgehog 2 in 2022. Disney is trying to stock its streaming services with content, but sooner or later the media stock bellwether is going to need families back in the movie theater.
