Disney tries to bring back the magic, unveils park changes

The Walt Disney Co. is making several changes at its domestic theme parks, including some easier reservations, in order to improve the public perception of its business.

Among the changes: it will cease charging for overnight self-parking at its Walt Disney World resorts; Walt Disney World annual passholders will be able to visit the theme parks after 2 p.m. without needing a park reservation (except on Saturdays and Sundays at Magic Kingdom) and individuals buying its Genie+ service will receive digital downloads of their ride photos taken in the park on the day of their purchase for no additional charge.

Like many companies, Disney struggled during the lockdowns of the COVID-19 pandemic. Its theme parks were shut down for some time, with the closures causing delays in the construction of various projects. Concurrently, former CEO Bob Chapek received a lot of criticism for increased prices and other moves that the company made, including the end of the Magical Express bus service from the airport in Orlando, Florida to Walt Disney World resorts, the implementation of the Genie planning and ride reservation system and its theme park reservation system.

Disney theme park loyalists have not shied away from their criticism of the moves that have occurred over the past two years, with some even bemoaning on social media that “the magic is gone.”

One big recent change is the return of Bob Iger to the Burbank, California-based company. Iger replaced Chapek as CEO in November and just a few weeks later was seen visiting the Disneyland and California Adventure theme parks in Anaheim, California with Josh D'Amaro, chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences, and Products.

Disney is now making known that it is listening to its visitors. On Tuesday the company made a flurry of announcements that were largely met with great fanfare...