Walt Disney Co (NYSE:DIS, ETR:WDP) has confirmed that prices for its theme parks are going up again as it forecast a significant improvement in the contribution from its cruise operation.
Surge pricing, more lightning lanes and premium offerings such as park-hoppers are on the way said Hugh Johnston, chief financial officer, at a conference in New York.
"Where we're delivering more value, we feel comfortable taking more price," said the CFO.
Johnston added that experiences or parks, cruise ships, and consumer products should grow by between 6% and 8% next year.
"Right now the consumer seems to be doing fine," he said at the conference. "So from that perspective, we're quite confident we've got good visibility in terms of the guide."
Disney will launch its sixth cruise ship, the Disney Treasure, at the end of December with a further seven planned by 2031, said Johnston.
Cruises are "going to be a significant contributor," he added.
"It's the highest reviewed product of any of the products that we have.
“It's got lots of layers of competitive advantage because of all the IP that we put into the ships."
"Cruises will become a bigger and bigger piece of the business over time," he added.
Shares in Disney fell 1.8% to US$114.6 as Johnston also cautioned about the impact of a new Universal theme park in Orlando.