The round numbers are starting to overlap for Walt Disney's (DIS +0.41%) domestic theme parks. Disneyland is celebrating the 1923 founding of the company with a flurry of festivities, and the centennial began on Friday morning with a pair of nighttime shows and the debut of the new ride at the original Disneyland theme park in California.
Three time zones away, Disney World will eventually hop on the 100th anniversary bandwagon. It can't play along at the moment. It's busy commemorating the Florida resort turning 50. The milestone was officially hit back in October 2021, but stretching the party 18 months finds the family-friendly soiree going on until the end of March this year.
Round numbers are a good thing. Did I mention that Disney stock is finally back above $100?
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Nothing can stop Disney now
The big draw at Disneyland on Friday morning is the opening of Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway, the park's first ride starring the Big Cheese himself. It's a trackless attraction with guests on train compartments gliding through high-tech animated scenes. There are no height requirements, so it's literally a ride for the whole family. It's the star attraction of a reimagined Toontown section of the park that will reopen to guests on March 8.
Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway is new to Disneyland, but it's not new to the media giant's theme parks. Disney World in Florida introduced the ride in early 2020 at Disney's Hollywood Studios. Both rides are identical, but the colorful queues rife with surprises for Mickey Mouse enthusiasts are completely different.
Guests sticking around at the California resort through the evening will have to decide between two new shows featuring themed projections and fireworks or fountain displays. Wondrous Journeys premieres at Disneyland. World of Color-One debuts at Disney's California Adventure. A daytime Disneyland parade that only ran a few weeks before the COVID-19-related shutdown three years ago will return in February.
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It's not just theme park fans who should be giddy about all of the new things to do at Disneyland. Shareholders should also be celebrating these overlapping milestones. It's not just the allure for folks to visit either domestic resort during these limited-time events. Disney rolls out unique merchandise and even food items that become popular purchases. From high-tech bracelets that interact with new statue installations to commemorative apparel and housewares honoring the 50th and 100th anniversaries there's more money to be made than just admissions. With Disney's ecosystem always brimming with a pipeline of iconic franchises and new characters there's nothing better than owning the world's most visited theme parks to drum up sales in consumer products and interest in upcoming movies and shows.
Disney's theme parks have been a bright spot at Disney lately. Despite the pandemic disruption, the media stock's domestic theme parks are cranking out record results. Guest spending per capita is 40% higher than it was in 2019, as Disney made the most of the lull to upgrade its offerings, introduce new premium experiences, and adjust its price points. After all, in the end it's all about celebrating round numbers.
