Today is Disney+ Day and after seeing some of the deals I’m wondering how desperate Disney is to “win” the streaming wars. All of this comes ahead of the end of their 2022 fiscal year. Just in time to tout “record breaking” subscriber numbers at the 2022 year end report.

In the past 24 hours Disney has released significant deals on peak season bookings at both Disney Cruise Line and Walt Disney World. While at the same time offering a $1.99 deal for the first month of Disney+ for new and returning subscribers. That deal gives you access to the peak season discounts.

All of this makes it seem that Disney is willing to do whatever it takes to at least appear to have big subscriber growth.

One month of a Disney+ subscription safely takes the company into the 2023 fiscal year before that discount would end and many would cancel. It’s plenty of time to secure the booking for both Disney Cruise Lines and Walt Disney World resorts as well. Showing a large surge at the end of the quarter/fiscal year. A surge that Bob Chapek would undoubtedly use to dazzle investors at the end of year meeting.

Lately there have been many stories about how the Walt Disney World parks are seeing significantly lower crowd levels. There could be a number of reasons for this: “Pent up demand” is waning, people are tired of Disney’s cost increases; cuts or politics, and are speaking with their wallets, or guests are afraid of an impending recession that puts Disney parks out of their sights. After all the talk about supply and demand dictating the constantly inflating costs of Disney parks tickets, merchandise, food, hotels, and more, Disney needs to keep the attendance up to keep their prices up.

How do you do this?

Create demand with a Walt Disney World Resort discount only accessible to those who subscribe to Disney+. Two birds with one stone.

Disney Cruise Lines will also benefit from this as many have been wary about cruising after the pandemic and the perceived issues with cruise ships. The strict and fluctuating requirements with vaccinations also put many off. DCL needs a boost and their current deal would do that for them, while also increasing their Disney+ subscriber numbers.

Even if people unsubscribe after they get a deal or after they watch the freshly dropped BTS concert, Thor Love and Thunder, Pinocchio, or any other “big streaming drop” Disney posts about today, they still have their subscription for this month. Better yet, if people don’t unsubscribe till their month is up or they forget and cancel until after they get billed in October, it sets Disney off into a great 2023 fiscal year. Those one month introductory rates are good until October, 2022, and count as a subscriber for the start of Disney’s “year.”

It’s all very well done and very smart, but the desperation is kind of obvious.

Hey, upside, the consumer scores the deals so Disney can brag about their numbers.

What do you think? Comment and let us know!