Disney Parks announces Lion King ride for Disneyland Paris

Disney’s flurry of announcements comes after a turbulent few years behind the scenes.

Earlier this year, Disney won a boardroom battle against critics who accused the media giant of “losing its creative spark”.

Activist investors, including Nelson Peltz of Trian Management, had sought seats on the company’s board of directors, which they said was too close to Disney’s leadership.

“All we want is for Disney to get back to making great content and delighting consumers and for Disney to create sustainable long-term value for shareholders,” Mr Peltz said at a shareholder meeting.

Just 31% of votes cast supported Mr Peltz for a seat, according to a source familiar with the results.

But the battle raised questions about struggles at Disney.

Last year, the company announced it was scrapping plans to build a new office campus in central Florida following a year-long dispute with Governor Ron DeSantis.

Mr DeSantis attacked the company after it opposed a state law banning classroom lessons on sexual orientation and gender identity in early years.

Disney filed a First Amendment lawsuit against Mr DeSantis and other officials.

The company had planned to build the campus around 20 miles (30km) from the giant Walt Disney World theme park resort and relocate 2,000 employees from Southern California.

Mr D’Amaro said in a memo to employees that “new leadership and changing business conditions” prompted the company to abandon those plans.

This year, the runaway success of Disney’s Inside Out 2 has helped boost the entertainment giant’s profits.

But operating profit declined 3% to $2.2 billion (£1.72 billion) with the company blaming a “moderation of consumer demand” that “exceeded previous expectations”, along with higher operating costs.

The 2024 Olympic Games in Paris were partly blamed for the drop in its theme park takings, which make up over half Disney’s profit.

However, its parks – among the most visited attractions in the world – have remained a reliable profit engine, helping cushion the impact of declines in traditional television and losses in Disney’s video streaming business.

The experiences unit, which includes parks, cruise ships and consumer products, contributed 60% of the company’s operating profit in the most recent quarter – up from 30% just a decade ago.

On Friday, details of new films including the title of the third instalment of Avatar, an addition to the Star Wars franchise and a sequel to Freaky Friday were announced at D23, held near Disneyland in Anaheim.