It’s hard to believe it, but the end of 2025 is here! On this last day of the year, Daps Magic is revealing what it believes to be the top story of 2025 from the realm of Disney and positive stuff. In previous days, we have been working our way through the top five. This year, this includes Walt Disney Studios earning $6 billion at the box office, Walt Disney World entering an era of transformation, the Disneyland Resort 70th Celebration, and the announcement that a Disney resort is being built in Abu Dhabi. Today, Daps Magic reveals the top story of the year and shares why it is in this spot.

To choose these top spots, there are quite a few considerations that are taken into account. They include the impact of each of these stories on the past, present, and future of The Walt Disney Company, how they impact the Disney community, and how they impact the world beyond Disney. These are just a few of the big-picture thoughts that were taken into account when picking the Top 5 Stories of 2025. Let’s take a look at the top story of the year!

Disney Experiences Turbocharges

In 2023, Disney CEO Bob Iger announced a plan to turbocharge Disney’s Disney Experiences segment. This meant new financial investments of $60 billion over 10 years that will see strategic growth and expansion for the segment. This initiative got started in 2024 but really took flight in 2025. This year has been a year full of changes, as Disney has really shown that it is serious about turbocharging Disney Experiences. While it is doing this, it also saw $10 billion in operating income from Fiscal 2025. This made it the most profitable segment of The Walt Disney Company.

The year saw new offerings around the globe in Disney Parks. This includes new experiences, entertainment, and more (some of which were covered in Walt Disney World’s era of transformation and the Disneyland Resort 70th Celebration posts). The Disney Cruise Line also added the Disney Destiny to its fleet, with the Disney Adventure also joining in March 2026. Disney Experiences also continued to deepen the partnership with EPIC Games, which was announced at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event in 2024.

If there was one word that could be used to describe the year for the Disney Experiences segment of Disney, it could easily be “growth.” Beyond the construction of new offerings at Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resorts, Disneyland Paris has been hard at work making magical new offerings at what will be the Disney Adventure World when it opens in 2026. Shanghai Disney Resort announced work on a new hotel and Spider-Man themed land. Hong Kong Disneyland is also hard at work on a new Spider-Man attraction, along with a new Pixar entertainment offering. Tokyo Disney Resort also continues to work on updating and reimaging its Tomorrowland. The Disney Cruise Line continues to expand its fleet with new ships and new offerings aboard these. Disney Consumer Products is also coming up with creative new offerings and collaborations around the globe.

The new things have meant there is a lot of change happening at the Disney Parks and beyond. This can be challenging for fans as change can be hard. However, without change, the business would become stagnant and eventually die. The continued commitment to turbocharge Disney Experiences shows the confidence that Disney has in this segment. Its operating income of $10 billion in fiscal 2025 validates this strategy. While the parks might not have been what The Walt Disney Company was founded on, it has shown through the last seven decades that it is a crucial part of the Disney brand as it continues to be an incredible storyteller in many different ways.

As we say goodbye to 2025 and hello to 2026, there is a lot to look forward to from Disney Experiences and beyond! There will be new stories and experiences to be had, along with more to look forward to. 2026 will reveal more of the future when Disney announces its new CEO, new announcements are made about the different segments of the company at the next D23: An Ultimate Disney Fan Event, and the vision for the next chapter of Disney’s story is revealed. 2025 has been an exciting year. It would not be a shock at all if 2026 is even more exhilarating!

The turbocharging of Disney Experiences in 2025 is just one of Daps Magic’s top 5 stories of the year. All five can be found here:

What do you think of this being the top story of the year? What would you choose and why? How about for all five top stories? Share your thoughts and opinions in the comments below!