Walt Disney Co.’s theme parks and cruise line business is holding steady despite national concerns about discretionary consumer spending and higher gas prices.
The Burbank media and entertainment giant’s experiences division reported $9.5 billion in revenue in its fiscal second quarter, up 7% compared with the same period a year ago.
The increase was due to higher guest spending at Disney’s domestic parks and experiences, which reported a 6% bump in revenue to $6.9 billion, and more capacity on the company’s cruise line with the introduction of two new ships. The segment saw a 5% increase in operating income to $2.6 billion for the three-month period that ended March 28.
Disney’s theme parks segment was under close scrutiny given the national conversation about rising consumer costs and gas prices due to the U.S.-Iran war. Analysts had wondered whether consumers would tighten their belts and forgo vacations given the higher travel costs.
Disney did see a 1% decline in attendance at its U.S.-based parks compared with the prior year, which the company attributed to “continued softness” in international visitors, but said it was starting to move past those issues. Company executives have previously said Disney pivoted marketing and promotional efforts to attract local visitors.
Though the heightened economic uncertainty around the world could have a “potential impact” on the business, Disney Chief Executive Josh D’Amaro and Chief Financial Officer Hugh Johnston said in a shareholder letter Wednesday that the company was “encouraged by current demand.” The company expected that fiscal third-quarter domestic attendance numbers would improve, they wrote.
The company’s overall earnings were powered by its entertainment business, which posted revenue of $11.7 billion, up 10% compared with the prior year’s quarter.
That growth was driven by big gains for Disney’s streaming services — Disney+ and Hulu — which raked in nearly $5.5 billion in revenue, an increase of 13% compared with 2025, thanks to higher subscription fees from user growth and more advertising revenue. Operating income for the streaming business jumped 88% to $582 million.
Disney’s entertainment segment also had a stronger quarter at the theatrical box office, with standout performances from 20th Century Studios’ “Avatar: Fire and Ash,” the animated sequel “Zootopia 2” and Pixar’s “Hoppers.”
Overall, the company reported $25.2 billion in revenue, a 7% bump from the prior year. Income before income taxes totaled $3.4 billion, an increase of 9% compared with the same period in 2025, while operating income rose 4% to $4.6 billion. Earnings per share, excluding certain items, was $1.57, compared with $1.45 a year earlier.
Disney’s sports segment, which includes ESPN, reported revenue of $4.6 billion, a 2% increase from the same period in 2025. It brought in operating income of $652 million, a 5% slide that the company attributed to higher sports rights costs and the absence of UFC pay-per-view revenue compared with last year.
Disney also alluded to the company’s view of artificial intelligence as a “meaningful long-term opportunity,” saying it could play a role in content creation and production, monetization, workforce productivity, consumer and guest experiences and enterprise operations.
“At the same time, we are committed to implementing AI in a way that keeps human creativity at the center of everything we do and respects creators and the value of our intellectual property,” D’Amaro and Johnston said in the shareholder letter.
After noting OpenAI’s closure of the text-to-video AI tool Sora, which Disney had planned to invest in, D’Amaro and Johnston said the company will “continue to explore” commercial opportunities with OpenAI and other companies.
The 2026 Travelers’ Choice Awards look at both the quality and quantity of reviews, from February 1, 2025 to January 31, 2026.
Laurel Greatrix, chief communications officer at TripAdvisor Group, said: “There’s a clear theme in this year’s winners: they bring out what makes a destination unique.”
It has won a number of awards, with theme park website Blooloop also praising it: “What makes the Pleasure Beach of today unique among British parks is its surviving collection of vintage rides. Some of these are the last remaining types of their kind worldwide.”
The Blackpool theme park is even set to open an exciting new £8million ride, a gyro-swing called Aviktas which will be the tallest of its kind in the UK.
There is also the Valhalla ride which was named best water ride by the European Star Awards last year.
And it wasn’t just Blackpool Pleasure Beach named one of the UK’s best theme parks.
Other UK entries include Paulton’s Park (14th), Camel Creek Family Adventure Park (16th), The Milky Way Adventure Park (17th) and Twinlakes Family Theme Park (20th).
Nearly five years on from its premiere, every morsel of information about Mike White’s addictive HBO series is still met with feverish excitement. And its upcoming fourth season is no exception: After previous visits to Hawaii, Italy and Thailand, the Emmy-winning series is checking into digs on the French Riviera, with its backdrop none other than the Cannes Film Festival.
Just as closely watched has been the string of starry casting announcements — and one very high-profile departure, Helena Bonham Carter, who departed the show shortly after production began. According to an HBO spokesperson, “With filming just underway on Season 4 of ‘The White Lotus,’ it had become apparent that the character which Mike White created for Helena Bonham Carter did not align once on set. The role has subsequently been rethought, is being rewritten and will be recast in the coming weeks. HBO, the producers and Mike White are saddened that they won’t get to work with her, but remain ardent fans and very much hope to work with the legendary actress on another project soon.”
The road to a new “White Lotus” season is always a twisty one, as executive producer David Bernad recently told The Envelope. He also shared details on the season’s themes, other key cast members and how the production plans to maneuver around tourists. Here‘s what we gleaned from our chat.
A bad French hotel restaurant experience changed everything: Bernad and White spent a week scouting in France but weren’t sold until one fateful night. “Mike and I went to meet a friend for dinner at a hotel in the South, which will remain nameless. The maître d’ was so rude and they called security on us,” says Bernad. However, once inside, the staffer continued to be dismissive of them and the show. “The whole season crystallized in that moment, and as we were leaving, Mike’s like, ‘I know exactly what we’re going to do and we’re doing it in the South of France.’ It was the most productive dinner I’ve had,” he says.
Helena Bonham Carter, the first actor cast in Season 4, became the first to exit, HBO confirmed Friday. Her character will be reimagined and recast.
(Dave Benett / WireImage)
Other countries were in contention: Choosing each season’s swanky location is always a “conundrum,” says Bernad, who shared that he and White initially planned a multicountry European tour. “We were starting in France, then we were going to Spain, then Ireland. But once we had that moment in the South of France at that restaurant, Mike said, ‘I don’t want to see anymore.’ So the rest of the trip was canceled,” says Bernad.
Cannes and its history form the season’s backdrop: One of the show’s familiar sights during the first three seasons has been swelling waves dramatically crashing against rocks, but you’ll see something different in Season 4. “A lot of those shots will be replaced by Cannes, the city itself and the glamour of the festival,” says Bernad. Also, the focus won’t be confined to the present but also pay tribute to the past. “It’s also the storied history and glamour of the festival, and we’re going to be tipping our hat to French cinema throughout,” he adds.
Cast member Vincent Cassel at Cannes with “The Shrouds” in 2024.
(JB Lacroix / FilmMagic)
The season’s theme is “really intentional”: Bernad says he’s known the Season 4 theme since they realized the hit show would be ongoing. “We’ve always had an idea that this season would explore the arts and fame, celebrity and the spiritual journey of being an artist, so we focused on countries that had a long relationship with the arts,” he says. Fashion’s influence is also key as “Dior permeates through the entire season,” he says, adding that French designers and artists are doing pieces for the show that lean into “the painful, existential journey of what it means to be an artist.”
No Hollywood star cameos: With Cannes as the backdrop, you might think A-listers like George Clooney or Anne Hathaway will be wandering through a “White Lotus” scene. Nope. “The show lives in the universe of ‘White Lotus’ so we’re not doing cameos, we’re not doing celebrity,” says Bernad. “In that universe, there are references to real people, but everything is its own world.”
Kumail Nanjiani is among the Americans in the international cast.
(Michael Buckner / Variety via Getty Images)
The Season 4 cast is eclectic… and still evolving: Ironically, the exiting Bonham Carter was the first person cast for Year 4. “Mike always had her in mind as we started this process, and we built the cast around her,” says Bernad. While we wait for her revised character to be recast, an array of international artists are set to appear, including Brits (Steve Coogan and Dylan Ennis), Americans (Sandra Bernhard, Chris Messina, Kumail Nanjiani, Chloe Bennet, Ari Graynor, Heather Graham and Rosie Perez), French (Vincent Cassel, Corentin Fila, Nadia Tereszkiewicz and Laura Smet), Canadians (Alexander Ludwig), Norwegians (Tobias Santelmann), Swedes (Frida Gustavsson) and Australians (Caleb Jonte Edwards). It’s no surprise that multiple language interpreters will be on set, says Bernad.
One White Lotus hotel isn’t enough: “What’s cool and unique this season is there’s going to be two hotels so not everyone is staying at the same hotel,” says Bernad. In fact, while the White Lotus Cannes is a beautiful property — the Hotel Martinez in Cannes will be used for filming — the more coveted place to stay is the White Lotus du Cap, filmed at the Airelles Chateau de la Messardière in Saint-Tropez. “That starts to play into the theme and story about ego and narcissism and how we view ourselves as it relates to how the world views us,” explains Bernad, adding filming at Paris’ Mandarin Oriental Lutetia will also double for some of the Cannes action.
The Airelles Chateau de la Messardière in Saint-Tropez will stand in for the “White Lotus du Cap.”
(Jarry/Tripelon / Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)
Filming in a high tourist area is a “Jenga tower”: Previous seasons were shot in more remote, secluded locations, but that’s not the case for the fourth season. “We’re shooting in the South of France during a very peak tourist time, and it has been the most challenging season so far,” says Bernad. “It’s like making a Jenga tower work with all the crazy dates in the South of France and things that are booked out.”
Production is the longest ever: Shooting at multiple hotels isn’t new for the show, but in previous seasons, “we would stay in a hotel and we would shoot it out and then we’d move on to the next hotel,” explains Bernad. This time, it’s more of a puzzle that will make Season 4 the longest production schedule ever for the show. “We’re going to be shooting, leaving and then returning [to properties]. We’ll shoot in the spring, and then we’re going to come back in the fall when high season’s over,” he says.
Besides a great hotel, another major factor exists in securing a location: Besides finding the perfect property that will look great on camera and lining up a variety of schedules, a “White Lotus” location “has to be a place we want to live for a year,” says Bernad. “Because it is a year and it is relentless work … I think Tanya [Jennifer Coolidge] says at one point, ‘At this age, you just want to feel comfortable,’ and that’s us.”
This package offers a family of four the chance to experience on of Gulliver’s four theme parks and includes tickets to the park, entertainment, and an overnight stay for less than £25-a-head
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Park tickets and accommodation are included in the deal(Image: Gulliver’s Theme Parks)
Keeping the kids entertained can be a costly undertaking, but this deal offers families not only a fun day at a theme park, but also a memorable overnight stay, all for less than £100.
Gulliver’s Theme Park Resorts, who have four locations in Milton Keynes, Warrington, Matlock Bath, and Rotherham, are now offering a ‘1 Night Saver’ package on selected dates that comes in at £99 for a family of four. The package includes tickets to the park, so families get access to all the rides, attractions, and entertainment for the day.
The cost also includes an overnight stay in select themed family accommodation, with access to the resort’s facilities and activities for even more fun for all ages. Families can book these overnight packages on selected Friday dates throughout 2026, with park access on the Saturday after you check out.
The package can be booked at www.gulliversfun.co.uk, where families can also browse the fun accommodation options available to them. Depending on the park and availability, these can include family-sized double suites, western-themed dens, fairy hideouts, and dino dens, so no matter what the kids are into, there’s an accommodation option they’ll find thrilling.
If you’re looking for different dates, it’s also worth checking out Wowcher’s Gulliver’s deals, which include school holiday dates. Packages start from £159 for tickets and overnight accommodation, and options include stays in Jungle Cabins and dinosaur-themed Lost World dens.
Facilities and attractions also vary by resort, but as an example its Warrington park features rides such as a wooden rollercoaster, pirate ship, log flume, and lots of other fun themed attractions for all the family. Look out for themed events such as Princess and Pirates weekend where kids can meet characters that they love.
If you don’t have a Gulliver’s near you, many other theme parks across the UK also offer short break packages. Paultons Park, known for being the home of Peppa Pig world, is offering short breaks from £177 per family. This includes a second free day in the park for the family, free parking, and breakfast.
Alton Towers is also currently running a Spring Sale where those who stay overnight get a second day free. Alton Towers packages include free parking, 9-hole golf, and breakfast. Guests can also add a waterpark pass to their booking, allowing them to enjoy even more family fun during their stay. You can find out more on the Alton Towers short breaks website.
Other parks operated by Merlin are also offering a similar deal, including Chessington, Thorpe Park, and LEGOLAND. Many resorts also offer additional entertainment and perks to guests, making for the ultimate family sleepover.
Find out more about Gulliver’s deals, check availability and book short breaks at www.gulliversfun.co.uk.
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I KNEW Efteling theme park had a fairytale garden, but I didn’t realise a stay there would give me such a royal welcome, too.
The lobby of the newly opened Efteling Grand Hotel at this Netherlands attraction feels like its straight out of the classic storybooks my nan used to read me when I was a child.
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The lobby of the newly opened Efteling Grand Hotel at Efteling theme park feels like it’s straight out of the classic storybooksCredit: Supplied
A sweeping staircase circles an intricate, cascading chandelier made from tiny gold keys, candles flicker in the alcove and a 1920s bellhop — a mime-artist in full character — performs a slapstick routine pretending to dust off everyone’s suitcases.
It’s a welcome distraction for the kids, who were itching to bust through the back door and on to the rides. And even as a grown adult, I’m mesmerised.
Efteling first opened in 1952 and its mix of traditional fairground attractions, modern thrill rides and whimsical storytelling now attracts more than five million visitors every year.
Perched dominantly on the edge of the theme park, the Grand Hotel is a a castle-esque chateau that began welcoming guests last summer.
It’s the first time in Efteling’s history that visitors have been able to stay the night within the park gates.
Unlike its other accommodation options — Efteling Wonder Hotel and the holiday villages Bosrijk and Loonsche Land — the Grand Hotel is slightly more premium for those who want some proper R&R — that’s rest and rollercoasters.
It doesn’t feel like a twee theme- park hotel, though.
The arty design was inspired by the park’s history and leans in to the visual style of film director Wes Anderson’s Grand Budapest Hotel.
The 140 plush, modern, yet cosy rooms and suites look more like they belong in a stylish boutique hotel, although there are subtle nods to a princess theme.
Delicate vintage-style decor has been paired with ice-blue walls and brushed gold fittings. Elsewhere, there’s a great swimming pool, spa facilities and two fantastic restaurants.
The quirky and family-friendly Symbolica makes for a fun rideCredit: efteling.com
Guests are also given unlimited, free access to the theme park throughout their stay, including on arrival and departure days and free private parking.
For those who don’t fancy driving, it’s incredibly easy to travel by train. Eurostar operates direct services from London to Amsterdam, then it’s an easy change on to a local train that will have you at Efteling in less than an hour.
After a very early start, the fluffy linens in my room could have easily tempted me to have a duvet day, but the views of the park from my window were too much to resist.
Within minutes, I was out of the door and approaching my first ride of the day — the quirky and family- friendly Symbolica.
Revered as one of the best attractions at the park, it’s an absolute must-do.
The immersive experience sees visitors sit in floating cars on a modern, magnetic track, journeying through a Gothic palace that features some curious inhabitants.
It’s packed with optical illusions and special effects, perfectly pairing Efteling’s reputation for storytelling with enough excitement to appease the TikTok generation.
There’s plenty for adrenaline junkies too, and for children of all ages.
If you’re travelling with kids, keep your eyes peeled for Hooghmoed.
The Sun’s Helen at The Grand Hotel at EftelingCredit: Supplied
Set to open on May 1, it features three drop towers and is aimed at younger guests who don’t yet want to take on the white-knuckle rides.
And if you’re not a fan of rides full stop, there’s plenty more to enjoy at Efteling.
The theme park is set around stunning gardens and enchanting woodland, which is used to full effect to play out the fairytale theme.
Granted, parents don’t tend to leave a theme park feeling well rested, but somehow the Efteling Grand Hotel changes that.
The atmosphere feels serene, despite being literally next-door to six roaring rollercoasters and a donkey that poops gold coins (one of the park’s quirkier attractions).
At the end of each tiring day, I was made to feel like a sleeping beauty snuggled in that ridiculously comfy bed.
Although having endured upside-down loops, sudden drops and water rides, I’m not convinced I looked like one.
Elsewhere there are two fantastic restaurantsCredit: SuppliedInside the stylish hotel, where premium deluxe rooms cost from £127ppCredit: Supplied
GO: Efteling
GETTING THERE: The Eurostar from London St Pancras International to Amsterdam Centraal is from £35pp. See eurostar.com.
Tickets for local trains to Efteling, from around £12, can be bought at the station.
STAYING THERE: Premium deluxe rooms at the Efteling Grand Hotel cost from £127pp, based on a family of four (two adults and two kids, aged 4-12, sharing) including parking and theme park entry. See efteling.com/en/grand-hotel.
Chocolate lovers will soon be able to enjoy a brand new theme park based on an iconic Swiss brand, and at the heart of it all will be a real-life working chocolate factory to explore
The park is a chocolate lover’s dream(Image: Maison Cailler )
If you’ve got a serious sweet tooth, and spent your entire childhood reading and re-reading Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, then a new attraction could soon be top of your bucket list.
Switzerland is already a major destination for chocolate lovers and for many of them the highlight of the trip is visiting Maison Cailler in Broc, Gruyère. It’s where the iconic Cailler chocolate has been made since the late 19th-century, and is among the oldest chocolate factories in the world to still be in operation.
At the moment, chocolate lovers can visit the factory and take tours, and there’s already a museum on the history of Cailler. Guests can take a chocolate workshop to learn to make their own treats such as truffles, and of course, there are plenty of opportunities for tastings along the way.
Now, new plans could mean the chocolate factory will be just the start of the excitement for fans of the brand. While the current attraction is 2,000 m2, there are plans for it to be expanded to nearly 30,000m2, allowing for what its website bills as a “memorable sensory experience”. The plan is for a park that’ll take around four to six hours to explore, taking visitors on a “journey of discovery through cocoa”.
Around 400,000 visitors a year already visit the attraction, making it one of Switzerland’s most visited museums, and there are reports that the park could double this number in the first phase alone.
Plans also include a cable car to whisk visitors from the car park to the factory, and a ‘flying theatre’ that will allow for stunning views over the Swiss scenery. There will also be a huge cocoa greenhouse so visitors can see how chocolate is grown and harvested.
And if that’s not enough chocolate-themed fun, a new hotel will allow visitors to indulge their sweet tooth overnight. If the project goes forward, the first phase should be open by 2030.
Maison Cailler can be reached by train from Montreux, and even the journey itself has been designed for chocolate enthusiasts with a themed train that zips you across stunning Swiss landscapes. Most visitors from the UK fly to Geneva, just a 90 minute flight from the UK, with a number of services run by easyJet, TUI, and British Airways.
Broc itself is worth spending some time in, whether it’s in the winter when the snowy Alps are at their most beautiful, or during the summer when the mountains are lush and green. Explore the fairytale-like Château de Gruyères whose stone walls are covered in ornate oil paintings and treasures.
Just down the road another of the area’s famous exports is made. At La Maison du Gruyère you can explore a working cheese factory and sample this distinctive local product. You can even take a tour and see the huge wheels of cheese being ripened to perfection.
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FOR those waterpark fans amongst you, there are some exciting plans in the works with five more potentially coming to the UK.
From massive indoor resorts with beaches, to surfing lagoons, here’s everything you need to know.
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Therme Manchester could become the largest water-based wellbeing destination in EuropeCredit: suppliedThe Chessington World of Adventures will be outside the Safari HotelCredit: Chessington World of Adventures
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Chessington World of Adventures Resort
Chessington is known for its rides, zoo and aquarium, but is hoping to add waterpark fun to its offerings.
Back in 2024, the theme park submitted plans to build an African-themed waterpark with six water slides, two lazy rivers and rapids.
If given the go-ahead, it will have a kids wave pool, splash pad, spa pool, a safari beach, cafe and outdoor restaurants.
The plans are for it to be built opposite the Safari Hotel.
First-look images reveal a huge indoor waterpark with outdoor waterfalls and greenery surrounding the pool areas.
Little else is known about it right now, with the last update back in 2024.
Therme Manchester
When Therme Manchester opens, it will be the “largest water-based wellbeing destination in Europe“.
It’s set to cost £500million, and could welcome three million people a year to its indoor resort.
It will be every waterpark’s fan dream with spa and wellness facilities that will be split into three distinct zones – Play, Relax and Restore.
The Play zone will focus on ‘next-generation’ water slides, along with a wave pool, warm water pool, steam rooms, saunas and lounging and family dining experiences.
The Relax zone will be adults-only and there will be a “focus on premium wellbeing experiences”, as well as indoor and outdoor pools, waterfall showers, mineral baths, steam rooms, saunas and dining.
The last area is the Restore Zone and is also adults-only.
Here will be “industry leading health, nutrition and wellbeing therapies”, “sauna rituals”, experience showers, wellbeing consultations and dining.
Therme is due to open next to the Trafford Centre in late 2028.
Check out our favourite holidays to Greece – two have waterparks…
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Blue Bay Beach Resort, Rhodes
The four-star Blue Bay Beach Resort sits a stone’s throw away from this beach, and has its own pools, splash park and water slides. Here you’re only a 15-minute drive away from Rhodes Old Town, where UNESCO-listed medieval streets wind through castle-like architecture. Make sure to check out the Street of the Knights, one of the best-preserved medieval streets in Europe.
Gouves Bay Hotel keeps things simple on a sunny Greek island location right by the sea. This hotel has a relaxed, family-friendly feel with two pools, a kids’ club and easy all-inclusive dining. And if you fancy a change of atmosphere, Gouves’ bars and tavernas are just a short walk away for your choice of evening drinks with a view.
The picturesque hotel is perched up high and surrounded by lush greenery in the historic harbour town of Kos. Here you’ll find a huge swimming pool and a waterpark, as well as activities like darts, tennis, football and more. There’s evening entertainment six days a week, and an on-site spa with a hot tub and sauna to unwind.
This mega resort with six pools and its own waterpark is rated five stars by TUI. In the main restaurant, you’ll see show cooking displays as you take your pick from an extensive international buffet. Plus, Kalives beach is on the doorstep of this hotel, with its strikingly blue water and soft golden sands.
Great Wolf Lodge is hoping to open its first resort in the UKCredit: GreatWolfuk.co.uk
Great Wolf Lodge
Great Wolf Lodge might not mean much to Brits, but it has 23 resorts acrossNorth AmericaandCanada, and wants to to open its very first UK site.
The company has submitted plans to built on the current site of Basingstoke Golf Centre on Worting Road in Hampshire.
The plans are for it to be transformed into a 50,000m² complex.
It will consist of three interconnected buildings – one will be a hotel, another an adventure park and the last, an indoor waterpark.
It will be lots of family-friendly pools, slides, rides and splash pads.
Planned activities inside the adventure park will be a children’s haven with a rope course, mini bowling, mini golf and a games arcade.
Seahive is a new proposed water attraction in KentCredit: Fabrick Agency / SWNS
Seahive
While not a waterpark per se, Seahive is set to be a huge new water attraction near Deal in Kent.
If it gets the go-ahead, Seahive would be the world’s firstsurfing wellness resortwith a dedicated surf lagoon for every skill level with waves ranging in size from 50cm to 2m.
The site will also have a relaxing wellness area, spa and gym.
There’s room for on-land activities too like a skate park for skateboards, bikes and scooters.
Also proposed for the site are 15 holiday lodges and a clubhouse with restaurants.
The Cove Resort is set to be a £75million new attraction in SouthportCredit: Sefton Council
The Cove Resort
Similar to Seahive, in Southport there will soon be Cove Resort which is a £75million new attraction with incredible views across the Irish Sea.
Visitors will be able to experience leisure activities like an outdoor lagoon with opportunities for surfing.
Other proposed facilities include a thermal spa – the resort will focus primarily on health and wellbeing.
The plans include the building of large 4-star hotel on site too.
