Disney's Largest Cruise Ship Launch in Singapore Drives Asia-Pacific Expansion

The Walt Disney Company’s earnings transcript discusses Singapore primarily in the context of its cruise ship business and strategic expansion in the Asia-Pacific region. The mentions highlight the launch of a new, very large cruise ship based in Singapore and the broader implications for Disney’s brand presence and growth opportunities in Southeast Asia.

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Key Points on Singapore from the Transcript

• Launch of the Largest Disney Cruise Ship in Singapore
  CEO Robert Iger emphasizes that the new ship launching out of Singapore is the largest Disney ship ever built, with a capacity of about 7,000 passengers, compared to the current ships that carry about 4,000 passengers. This represents a significant scale-up in Disney’s cruise operations.

  “Regarding the ship in Singapore, launching out of Singapore, Jessica, that's the biggest ship that we've ever built. And to give some perspective, our big ships today sail with about 4,000 passengers each. This will sail with about 7,000 passengers.”

• Strong Initial Sales and Market Demand
  The company notes that sales for trips on this new ship were “extremely robust” and sold out very quickly during the first two quarters of operation, indicating strong consumer demand and positive market reception.

  “We've said in previous calls that sales when we went to the market and started selling trips on this ship were extremely robust, sold out very, very quickly over, I think, the first 2 quarters of operation.”

• Strategic Brand Expansion in Asia and Southeast Asia
  The Singapore-based ship is described as a “floating ambassador” for the Disney brand, leveraging Disney’s intellectual property throughout the cruise experience. This initiative is seen as a way to deepen Disney’s brand affinity in Asia, particularly Southeast Asia, a region identified as having “huge Disney brand affinity.”

  “This will give us an opportunity to basically sell or float the Disney brand in all of its glory into a region that we think has huge Disney brand affinity and it creates a huge opportunity for us. It's a floating essentially ambassador for the Disney brand because if you've been on any one of our ships, particularly the new ones, we effectively use our IP built into the entire experience.”

• Broader Business Implications
  The company views the Singapore ship as a way to access new customer bases in regions Disney has not previously visited, while also encouraging repeat visitation from existing customers who want to experience the new ship. This expansion is part of a broader strategy to grow the Experiences business globally.

  “There are many destinations in the world that we haven't visited. And this gives us an opportunity to not only bring our brand to those destinations, but to attract customers from those regions who may want to sail in their region.”

• Financial Outlook and Consumer Reception
  The cruise ships, including the new Singapore ship, are described as performing very well with high occupancy and strong forward bookings, supporting the company’s positive outlook on the Experiences segment.

  “Our cruise ships continue to be incredibly well received. As we sit here today, we're already basically half booked out for all of next year, and the newer ships are even higher in that regard.”

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Summary

Disney’s discussion of Singapore in the earnings call centers on the strategic launch of its largest-ever cruise ship based there, marking a significant expansion into the Asia-Pacific cruise market. The company views this as a major growth opportunity to enhance brand presence in Southeast Asia, attract new customers, and drive repeat business. The strong initial sales and high booking rates underscore the positive market reception and support Disney’s optimistic outlook for its Experiences business segment.

This move reflects Disney’s broader strategy to globalize its cruise operations and leverage its IP to create differentiated, immersive experiences that resonate with regional audiences, positioning Singapore as a key hub in this expansion.