Josh D’Amaro, chairman of Disney Experiences, said he’s not concerned about NBCUniversal’s massive new Epic Universe theme park decreasing web site guests to Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando — the reality is, he thinks the opening of the rival trip spot will help enhance attendance.

D’Amaro, speaking on the MoffettNathanson Media, Net & Communications Conference on Wednesday, when requested about Epic Universe said, “We’re always on the offensive… We’re persistently investing for the long term, fortifying each definitely one in every of our theme parks.”

He continued, “If one factor is constructed new in central Florida, like Epic Universe,” that pulls new friends to the realm, “that vacationer goes to have to go to the Magic Kingdom.”

Frequent Epic Universe formally opens on Might 22, 2025. As part of a 750-acre enchancment, it’s going to be the most important of Frequent Orlando’s three theme parks, that features higher than 50 experiences all through 5 themed worlds: The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic, Great Nintendo World, One of the best ways to Put together Your Dragon – Isle of Berk, Celestial Park and Darkish Universe.

In his focus on, D’Amaro moreover hyped Disney’s plans to open the model new theme park in Abu Dhabi, launched remaining week. He well-known that Disneyland in Anaheim will flip 70 years outdated this 12 months. The Abu Dhabi park can be the agency’s seventh theme park resort — so, he said, opening a model new park is a once-in-a-decade willpower.

“We knew there was demand for Disney product across the globe,” D’Amaro said regarding the agency’s scoping out potential locations for its subsequent park. The workforce centered on the Middle East space and at last settled on Abu Dhabi. One-third of the world’s inhabitants is inside a four-hour flight radius of Abu Dhabi, he said. “This is usually a crossroads for the world,” he said.

Disney didn’t current a timeline for the event or opening aim date for the model new park. The problem is being developed in partnership with Miral, an Abu Dhabi-based maker of immersive areas and experiences, which is funding the buildout of the park beneath license from Disney. Disney, which can have ingenious administration and oversight of the Abu Dhabi park, said “the waterfront resort will probably be located on Yas Island, a world-class trip spot for leisure and leisure, connecting vacationers from the Middle East and Africa, India, Asia, Europe and previous.” The model new park will “combine Disney’s iconic tales, characters and sights with Abu Dhabi’s vibrant custom, attractive shorelines and breathtaking construction.”

D’Amaro has said the resort in Abu Dhabi will probably be “in all probability essentially the most superior and interactive trip spot in our portfolio” and the setting “will allow us to tell our tales in completely new strategies.”

Disney in 2023 said it deliberate to boost capital spending throughout the Disney Experiences enterprise to $60 billion over a 10-year interval, virtually double in distinction with the sooner decade. D’Amaro said that when CEO Bob Iger returned as chief in November 2022, he agreed that Disney has a great deal of room to develop the theme parks enterprise. “Josh, we’ve gotta turbo-charge this enterprise,” Iger said, in step with D’Amaro.

“We’ve solely scratched the ground by the use of the tales we’re capable of inform,” D’Amaro said, noting that Disney parks have however to assemble sights primarily based totally on widespread motion pictures like “Coco” and “Black Panther.”

Throughout the first three months of 2025, earnings in Disney’s Experiences part, which includes theme parks, cruises, resorts and shopper merchandise, rose 6% to $8.89 billion. Full part working income was up 9%, to $2.49 billion, with 13% progress in dwelling parks and experiences and a 14% rise for shopper merchandise offsetting a 23% decline in worldwide theme parks. For fiscal 12 months 2025, Disney projected 6%-8% progress in working earnings for the theme park and shopper merchandise biz.

D’Amaro is probably going one of many inside candidates Disney’s board is been said to have been evaluating as a result of the successor to Iger, whose contract expires on the end of 2026. The company’s board, led by chairman James Gorman, has said it expects to announce a CEO successor early subsequent 12 months.

D’Amaro began his occupation at Disney in 1998 on the Disneyland Resort. Over his 27-year occupation, he has held administration positions all through the company every internationally and domestically, along with CFO for Disney Consumer Merchandise World Licensing, chief industrial officer for Walt Disney World Resort, and various enterprise planning, method, promoting and advertising and marketing, ingenious and operations roles. Earlier to turning into chairman of Disney Experiences, D’Amaro was president of Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort.