A week ago I took a look at four dates for Walt Disney (DIS -0.56%) investors to watch in April. Between Disney's annual shareholder meeting, the opening of the Tron Lightcycle Run roller coaster at its most visited theme park, and some fresh content coming to movie theaters and streaming services, this is shaping up to be a big month for the media stock.
It turns out that there's even more going on at Disney this month. There are big changes coming to Disney World. There's a new timely show coming to Disney+. Let's take a closer look at some of the things taking place at the House of Mouse in April.
April 12
There's always a gushing pipeline of content coming to Disney+, and the catalog additions don't typically move the needle. One can argue that Rennervations -- a new four-part series that debuts on Wednesday -- wasn't going to be a game-changing show. It stars an Oscar-nominated celebrity who also happens to be a construction aficionado, renovating purpose-built vehicles to serve a community's needs.
The wrinkle here is that the celebrity here is Jeremy Renner, hence the show's name. Renner made headlines earlier this year, nearly dying after a catastrophic snowplow accident. He is on a long path to recovery, and it remains to be seen where the Rennervations show goes from here. It will still draw more attention that usual because Renner has been in the news in recent months.
Image source: Disney.
April 18
One of the more unpopular tweaks at Disney World and Disneyland since the coastal resorts opened after prolonged pandemic-related closures is the requirement of park reservations. Guests need to secure the free reservation, but it's easier said than done during peak travel periods. The reservation system is also a bit confusing, as reservations may run out for annual passholders but still be available for visitors on one-day tickets or folks staying on-site at a Disney-operated hotel.
Back in February Disney announced that it would be softening its reservation requirements. Starting April 18, annual passholders will be able to visit a park after 2 p.m. without an advance reservation as long as it's not a blockout date for that particular pass tier. The lone exception to the relaxed policy will be the Magic Kingdom -- Disney World's most popular gated attraction -- on Saturday or Sunday.
April 20
Passholders -- or, more specifically, aspiring Disney World annual passholders -- will get another treat later this month. The Florida resort will resume selling all four tiers of annual passes to new buyers on April 20. It's a pretty big deal. Disney World stopped selling most of its annual passes to new enthusiasts in late 2021.
The only year-round admission offered since then is the entry-level Pixie Pass, made available only for Florida residents. Pixie Pass is restricted to weekday use, and even some historically busy weekday periods are blocked from usage. Existing passholders have been able to renew their passes when the year is up, upgrading or downgrading them at that juncture.
Disney World bringing back the annual passes could be a sign that the leading theme park operator is finally comfortable with capacity. It has been gradually bringing back former pre-pandemic experiences and introducing new ones. In the past it could use promotions and price hikes to spur or pull back on demand, and it may feel comfortable enough to navigate those ups and downs with an onslaught of annual passholders in the mix. It will obviously be a boost to Disney's theme parks segment to bring back the annual passes, as long as it doesn't mean turning away less frequent visitors paying far more per day to visit one of Disney World's gated attractions.
