Disney CEO Josh DAmaro wants to merge Disney+ into a super app, but its not
as thrilling as youd think instead youll be forced to see ads pushing theme parks and cruise lines, and who really wants that?

Date:
Fri, 08 May 2026 13:00:00 +0000

Description:
Disney CEO Josh D'Amaro wants to merge Disney+ with Disneyland Resort and Disney Cruise Line Navigator apps.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Disney+ could be merging with Disney park and cruise apps CEO Josh D'Amaro teased it at the company's
latest earnings call The aim is to boost engagement with Disney+ subscribers who don't visit its theme parks Ever wanted Disney+ to force-feed you ads on its theme parks and cruise lines? No? I thought so but it seems that one of the best streaming services could be getting the overhaul regardless.

Speaking at the entertainment giants earnings call on Wednesday (May 6), newly-appointed CEO Josh DAmaro teased a possible merging of the Disneyland Resort and Disney Cruise Line Navigator apps with the companys flagship streaming service, which was first reported by Bloomberg ($/) . But why? In short, DAmaro wants to upgrade the Disney+ user experience to encompass not just one or two areas of the brand, but everything that it has to offer
across its divisions. As we look to build Disney+ beyond a premium streaming video service, we are focused on making the platform more engaging, more personalized, and more central to how fans experience our brands, the company states in its earnings call document . Latest Videos From You may like
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Prior to the days of Disney+, it was theme parks and theatrical movie
releases where Disney fans would primarily interact with the companys extensive universe of fantasy worlds and characters. But consumption habits have changed, and DAmaro, who ran the Disney parks division before taking
over Bob Iger as CEO earlier this year , has acknowledged this. Disney+ becomes the primary relationship between Disney and its fans, the place where everything comes together, DAmaro said at the companys earnings call.
However, DAmaro still believes that theme parks are the beating heart of the brand, even though he shared that there are still millions of Disney fans who dont visit them.

To put it simply, combining its streaming service with other apps like Disneyland Resort and Disney Cruise Line Navigator would create one big comprehensive hub reaching millions of people who arent reading about the parks, and who are therefore not spending money to visit them. For example, a Disney+ subscriber could stream a movie or show and then decide they want to plan a visit to a theme park, and they wouldnt have to look anywhere else other than the Disney+ app to find resources such as whats on guides, timetables, and news and announcements to help them piece together an itinerary for their trip.

But getting more fans to visit the parks is just one part of the plan. DAmaro believes that combining these apps to boost engagement might be the single most significant opportunity that [we] have when it comes to preventing churn on Disney+, AKA, the number of users who are unsubscribing. But is pouring a shedload of, lets be honest, unrelated apps into a visual entertainment platform the key to achieving these goals? Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

Weve seen this film before with other tech giants. Back when Elon Musk was gearing up to acquire Twitter (now X), he said it was the start of his
journey to create an everything app , which would encompass services where
you could conduct everyday tasks like the WeChat platform. But look at how that turned out.

In Disneys case, its a more realistic idea given the synergy of its
divisions, but whether or not its something that Disney+ subscribers and
movie buffs have asked for is a completely separate debate. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/streaming/disney-plus/disney-ceo-josh-damaro-wants-t o-merge-disney-into-a-super-app-but-its-not-as-thrilling-as-youd-think-instead -youll-be-forced-to-see-ads-pushing-theme-parks-and-cruise-lines-and-who-reall y-wants-that


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