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Walt disney (NYSE: DIS) has made an art of turning big theatrical outings into theme park rides and attractions. The tables are starting to turn. Disney + introduced a new series this week – Behind the attraction – with each episode examining the origin of popular theme park attractions.
The stakes will be even higher when Jungle cruise hits theaters next week. The film, starring Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt, is named and themed for the classic pun-laden Disneyland boat ride.
Image source: Disney.
In the wings
This isn’t the first time that Disney has relied on an iconic experience in the park as a content creator. The Pirate of the Caribbean Heavy Boat Ride has spawned the most successful theatrical franchise based on a theme park attraction, but Disney has not been shy about releasing films titled Country Bear Jamboree, Haunted house, Mission to Mars, and Tower of Terror.
Some of these movies aren’t particularly watchable, but the synergy is pretty obvious if the things click. A blockbuster at the multiplex will draw visitors to Disneyland or Disney World, and the media giant won’t have to invest in building a new ride to cash in on a hot movie.
Next weeks Jungle cruise will be somewhat different. Disney has invested in modernizing the attraction on both coasts. It is not necessarily the arrival of the new film that inspires the adjustments. We are not adding the audio-animatronics of Blunt and The Rock to the water attraction. The original jungle cruise ride had some elements that didn’t fit the awakened new normal, joining Pirates of the Caribbean and eventually Splash Mountain as classic rides that go for a more social transformation.
The Disney ecosystem is hard to beat. It operates the most visited theme parks in the world. In 2019, he released the top six grossing films in the country. Its media empire is run by ABC, Disney Channel, and ESPN, and they give House of the Mouse a deep reach in homes. It’s not just luck that the Disney + streaming service reached the top 100 million paying subscribers just months after its second year of availability. Put it all together and Disney is designed to cash in on any property that gains popularity in any of its operating segments.
The easiest connection is when Disney has a blockbuster movie, a well-stocked pond after making 10-figure acquisitions from Marvel, Pixar, and Lucasfilm. Lucasfilm Star wars is the base of the themed grounds of Disney theme parks in Florida and California this is the series that put Disney + on the map, and a Star wars– a themed luxury escape hotel will open next year at Disney World.
New Behind the attraction the show on Disney + is smart. It provides the media with stock promotional material that it can broadcast as content for the rapidly growing service. Yes Jungle cruise is a hit, it’ll be even smarter, especially if it’s successful enough to warrant sequels that will maintain demand for the theme park experience as well as additional merchandising opportunities. Sometimes the best place to extract content is in your own backyard.
This article represents the opinion of the author, who may disagree with the “official” recommendation position of a premium Motley Fool consulting service. We are motley! Challenging an investment thesis – even one of our own – helps us all to think critically about investing and make decisions that help us become smarter, happier, and richer.
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