Walt Disney Co. (NYSE: DIS) shares inches down in pre trading session on Tuesday as at its Orlando amusement parks, the company green up pointing triangle is discontinuing several of its Covid-19 pandemic ticketing practices.
Visitors who purchase a dated ticket to Walt Disney World will no longer be required to make a reservation to one of the resort’s four theme parks, Magic Kingdom, Epcot Center, Animal Kingdom, or Hollywood Studios, beginning Jan. 9, 2024. Since the beginning of the Covid-19 epidemic, the firm has required ticket holders to make reservations in order to regulate overcrowding.
Disney said that the approach shortens waits by restricting the number of visitors to the parks each day. However, many tourists were dissatisfied with the system, complaining online about not being able to plan trips on their preferred dates.
The corporation announced the modifications on Monday, citing user input.
Annual passholders will also get access to parks without a reservation on select days next year, according to Disney. It did not disclose any other information. In January, Disney began enabling holders of yearly tickets to its Walt Disney World Resort to visit the theme parks without making a reservation during the afternoon hours.
Disney is also reintroducing its meal plans, which were discontinued in 2020. The proposals allow Disney resort visitors to pay for meals and snacks before visiting the theme parks. The feature will be reinstated on January 9, according to the business.
The moves come roughly six months after Robert Iger returned from retirement to take over as CEO of the media group, succeeding his predecessor Bob Chapek.
Mr. Chapek oversaw the parks, which squeezed more money from fewer visitors. In the fiscal first quarter that concluded Dec. 31, 2022, revenue at Disney’s theme parks increased 21% to $8.7 billion, compared to the same quarter the previous year.
On Wednesday, Disney is expected to report its second-quarter earnings.
