Shares of Walt Disney (DIS +2.30%) enter July with a head of steam. The media giant's stock hit fresh 52-week highs in each of the last three trading days in June. The shares have soared 36% in the last two months, and Disney is soundly beating the market in 2025 for the first time in five years.
It's summertime, but Disney isn't taking a vacation. There are plenty of things happening at the House of Mouse that could keep the shares moving sharply higher for the third consecutive month. There will be new theme park attractions and a potential rebirth of an iconic Marvel franchise. Let's take a look at some dates that Disney investors will be watching in July.
Image source: Disney.
July 17
Disneyland turns 70 on July 17. The original Disney theme park began celebrating its meaty milestone back in May, but it has a few new experiences that will debut on its actual birthday. A notable addition in two weeks will be the debut of Walt Disney -- A Magical Life, a new attraction at the Main Street Opera House that will feature the world's first audio-animatronic figure bearing the likeness of Walt Disney himself. The park's classic It's a Small World boat ride will also introduce a new verse to the popular song that plays throughout the experience.
Disney's gated attractions had a surprisingly strong fiscal second quarter, delivering a better-than-expected 7% increase in revenue and 20% jump in adjusted earnings. The theme parks were a major contributor. Disney warned a year ago that it expected softness at its theme parks through at least the first half of this year, but its domestic attractions came through with a 9% step-up in revenue and an even more encouraging 13% bump in operating income.
The operator of the world's most visited theme parks knows how to milk a milestone. Even though the Disneyland resort began celebrating its historic anniversary in May, it plans for the festivities to continue into next summer. With new shows, attractions, and merchandise, this pivotal business in Disney's diversified empire should keep growing through the next few quarters.
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July 22
It's not just Disneyland introducing new experiences. Disney World on the other coast is officially reopening an updated version of its Test Track ride at Epcot in three weeks. The update features the same layout that culminates in riders in six-passenger cars circling around the attraction building at speeds up to nearly 65 miles per hour. It is introducing some features that will give a nod to the original and more tranquil World of Motion attraction that opened in the same space when the park opened in 1982.
Disney World won't have a major new ride opening this summer. With rival Comcast opening Epic Universe at its nearby Universal Orlando resort, there's no point in matching a shiny new park with 11 new rides and countless more experiences. Florida's massive Disney resort will bide its time, making sure it keeps attracting its loyal audience before introducing potentially bar-raising new rides in the next few years. There is room for more than one winner in Central Florida, and Disney is always playing the long game with an ambitious slate of upcoming e-ticket experiences.
July 25
It's been a year of highs and lows for Disney on the multiplex front. It has put out half of the country's six most popular flicks in 2025. However, it also has had some high-profile flops in the live-action spin on Snow White and Pixar's latest release, Elio.
The second half of the year has a more promising slate, culminating in Avatar: Fire and Ash hitting theaters over the holidays. The first two Avatar films are among the world's three highest-grossing films. It's fair to say that this will likely be another box office success. Disney still has a slate of movies to put out before then, and its next major release is The Fantastic Four: First Steps.
Disney has put out three different films tethered to the Marvel franchise over the last two dozen years with two different casts. Unfortunately, the worldwide ticket sales for each subsequent film have been lower than the previous installment. It's hoping to change its luck with a new cast, director, and approach this month. Director Mark Shakman has excelled largely on the small screen, though he has directed episodes of WandaVision and Game of Thrones that excel in cinematic action sequences. The cast is also primed for success, already set to appear in the next wave of Marvel's Avengers movies. Summer is a big time for action films, but if The Fantastic Four: First Steps stumbles and falls, Disney's studio has other films ready to take the next step.
