Just when you thought you knew everything about the Disney Company, the parks, Genie+, and more…things change again!

This week was a big one for Disney news. We got the release date and pricing for the ad-supported Disney+ tier, comments from Disney CEO Bob Chapek on potential price increases in the future, and so much more. Ready to dive into the latest Disney news? Let’s go!

1 — Disney+ With Ads Pricing and Date Revealed

This week Disney released a whole bunch of information during its earnings call/report for Q3 of fiscal year 2022. Some of the news revealed around that time could seriously impact your Disney+ experience.

First, Disney released their latest Disney+ subscriber numbers. As of this prior quarter, subscribers rose to 152.1 MILLION, still moving them forward on their path of obtaining over 200,000 subscribers in the future.

But that’s not all. Disney also revealed that there will be a pretty significant price increase coming to the version of Disney+ without ads (which will be called Disney+ Premium). While this currently costs $7.99, starting December 8th that price jumps to $10.99 per month.

Want to get a cheaper Disney+ plan? You can…if you’re willing to see ads! Disney+’s ad-supported streaming service (Disney+ Basic) will launch on December 8th and it’ll be priced at $7.99 per month.

There will also be changes in cost for Hulu and some Disney bundles, so keep that in mind as you decide what plan to get.

Disney+ Day could bring some BIG announcements — here’s what to expect!

2 — BIG Disney Parks News and Potential Price Increases

The Q3 earnings call and report brought us some other huge news too. For starters, Disney announced that the revenue they made in the last quarter in their Parks, Experiences, and Products division increased by $4.3 BILLION (yes, with a “b”), compared to the prior-year quarter.

That increase was due to a number of things, including increased guest spending. But, reportedly the increase in revenue and guest spending was impacted somewhat by an “unfavorable attendance mix” at Disneyland. Click here to see a bit more about what that could mean.

When it comes to the demand in the parks, Disney executives commented on crowd levels and shared their view that demand appears to be “resilient and long-lasting.” In other words, they’re not too concerned that some of the big crowds we’ve seen are just due to pent-up demand from the pandemic. Instead, it looks like demand is going strong and is exceeding Park Pass availability on some days.

Speaking of Park Passes, you might be wondering if that system will be going away anytime soon. Well, if CEO Bob Chapek’s comments are any indication, it might be here to stay for a while. During the earnings call, Chapek discussed the park pass system and noted just how much it benefits the company. According to Chapek, the system “enables us on the fly, to change whatever factors we need in terms of ticket packaging.”

Now, what about Genie+? The system has received some mixed feedback from fans. But it turns out the system is pretty popular in the parks. According to Disney’s latest information, about 50% of visitors are buying Genie+. That’s an increase from the estimated 1/3 previously reported.

And it seems like all of this news of park revenues, Disney+ subscriber increases, and more caused Disney’s stock values (which had taken a tumble recently) to increase following the earnings call. How long will that forward momentum last in the stock world? Only time will tell, but we’ll be watching for updates.

And finally, what about those price increases? We’ve already seen price increases made on hundreds of food items, along with some sneaky price increases on ticket costs, but are MORE increases coming soon? Potentially. Following the earnings call, Chapek was interviewed by CNBC and made some comments on potential price increases in the parks.

According to Chapek, it all depends on consumer demand. Chapek shared, “If demand goes up, then we have the opportunity to do that. We’ve got no plans right now to announce in terms of what we’re going to do.”

Click here to see Chapek’s full statements

3 — Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party Begins (and More Halloween News)

Moving away from the financial news, we’ve got…HALLOWEEN! Yup, it might not be October yet, but Halloween time has arrived in Magic Kingdom!

It all started with some Halloween pumpkins on Main Street, U.S.A. Then, we got some more Halloween decorations, more pumpkins, and finally, the Halloween pumpkin wreaths appeared (in their Cinderella Carriage form).

But there’s MORE Halloween news to share. You can grab some Halloween ears in the parks that no one else will have, check out our tips to make a Halloween tree at home (it’s a thing!), look at ALL of the Halloween costumes Disney dropped online (including some inflatable ones that have us concerned), and even pick up a Halloween soap dispenser!

Oh, and if you’re going to Disney World soon, Joffrey’s PUMPKIN coffee flavors should be in the parks for you to enjoy, so fill up on that pumpkin pie latte — it’s FALL y’all!

Click here to see ALL of the Halloween merchandise you can get in Disney World right now!

But wait, there’s MORE! The first Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party kicks off today (August 12th) and we will be there to cover it alllllll for you. Be sure to check back with us for live videos and more content from the party.

Until then, check out all the Halloween party news we shared this week. First up, we’ve got a complete list of everything NEW coming to the party. What’s on that list you ask? Well, one of the new things is incredibly epic. Max Goof dressed as POWERLINE will be making an appearance at the Halloween party! (Our hearts are not prepared.)

We’ve also got a list of the fireworks times for the Halloween party (along with other showtimes), info on the dining reservations you can book for the party, details on the Halloween-themed dessert party, and a complete list of all of the rides that will be open during the party.

And we spotted a Hocus Pocus 3D photo op up in Disney World (during regular park hours) that should be in full swing during the party.

Get ready to bring out ALL the spooky vibes!

Click here to see our page FULL of updates about Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party!

4 — Confusing Genie+ Rule Change

If you’re planning to use Disney’s paid FastPass+ replacement — Genie+ — while Park Hopping, there’s an important change you need to know about. Recently, Disney made a confusing rule change as to how Genie+ interacts with Park Hopping, and…well…it might break your brain a bit.

Let’s break it down. Under the previous rules, if you bought Genie+ and had a Park Hopper ticket, you could book a Lightning Lane return time at your SECOND park starting as early as 7AM (when those first Genie+ reservations become available). Park Hopping doesn’t start until 2PM, so the Genie+ system would automatically populate selections with return times that were at 2PM or later.

Now, things have changed. Let’s say you buy Genie+ and you have a Park Hopper. If you look at the return times right at 7AM, you’ll generally see return times that are pretty early. The system will no longer automatically give you a time that’s 2PM or later. Instead, you’ll have to actually wait until the listed return time in the Genie+ section of the app for the ride you want to go on reaches 2PM or later for all guests (regardless of whether they’re park hopping or not). In other words, you may have to wait a bit later to make those Genie+ selections for your second park.

Confused?

Read our full post (with an example of how this works)

5 — Travel News

And finally, we’ve got some travel news to share. Over the past few days, gas prices in Florida have dropped to some of the lowest levels in months, making that road trip to Disney World potentially less expensive.

If you’re flying to Disney World though, you’ll want to be careful. This week we shared how U.S. airlines have mishandled over 200,000 bags recently. You can click here to see how you can prepare for the worst in case your bag gets lost, damaged, or otherwise mishandled.

You can also see a list of the best and worst airlines in the U.S., ranked by customer complaints, by clicking here. It’s good information to read up on before you decide what airline to use for your next flight to Disney World or anywhere else in the world!

Looking to skip those LONG security lines at the airport? A new TSA pre-check initiative could help you bypass the waits at the Orlando Airport and beyond — read about it by clicking here.

2 more places have been added to the CDC’s “high-risk” travel list — click here to learn about them

That’s it for the big news! Want to learn more about the other stories shared this week? Check out the links below:

• See the new changes on the Magic Kingdom park map
• A popular show will close temporarily next month in Disney’s Animal Kingdom
• Disneyland Magic Key passholders have been left “anxiously awaiting word about their renewals”
• The 2023 runDisney springtime surprise weekend theme has been revealed
• Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique reservations have become available

That’s all for us for this week’s news. Check back for more updates!

What news from this week are you most surprised by? Tell us in the comments!