2025 proved an exciting year for Disney fans and there was plenty to keep us busy and occupied with as the years went on. Below, I’ve recapped some of the most notable highlights, across new movies, theme park news and various other topics.
Movies
Movies were in plentiful supply in 2025 from the Walt Disney Company, with Disney, Pixar and Marvel all releasing blockbuster hits. Snow White released back in March to a storm of controversy that seemed to overshadow the film itself. Things did pick up later in the year with the positive release of Lilo & Stitch in May which grossed $1.038 billion and became the third-highest-grossing film of 2025 and the highest-grossing live-action/animated hybrid in history.
On the animated front, Zootopia 2 broke further records for Disney, having the highest grossing opening weekend for an animated movie. Pixar’s Elio released in June to generally positive reviews, however a severe lack of marketing for the movie in the lead up to its release led to it underperforming at the box office.
2025 proved a busy year for Marvel Studios too, with three feature length movies hitting the big screen. Captain America: Brave New World released back in February to mixed reviews and a fairly poor box office performance by Marvel standards, with President Kevin Feige citing the film’s disappointing $415 million box office performance to the absence of fan-favourite Chris Evans. Both Thunderbolts* and The Fantastic Four: First Steps also released in 2025, both of which receiving generally positive reviews.
There were plenty of other movies released last year that too deserve a special mention including Freakier Friday, Tron: Ares and of course Avatar: Fire and Ash.
TV Series
It was also a busy year for TV Series for Disney, with a number of new and original series arriving to Disney+, as well as returning fan favourite series.
2025 saw the highly anticipated season 2 of Andor arrive and I have to say, this may just have been one of my highlights of the year! The series received fantastic critical acclaim and received twenty-two nominations for Primetime Emmy Awards, winning five in 2025, including a huge win for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series.Marvel also had a busy year with TV series, with Daredevil: Born Again and Ironheart joining the MCU, with both received generally positive reviews across the board.
The first ever Pixar long-form television series released in the form of Win or Lose, a coming of age comedy drama centred around a softball team called the Pickles. The second season of Percy Jackson and the Olympians arrived to Disney+, as well as the revival of the iconic Phineas and Ferb with its fifth season.
Theme Parks
The biggest event of the year was Disneyland Resort’s 70th Anniversary, with a number of events and celebrations to commemorate its 70th anniversary.
One of the biggest pieces of theme park related news in 2025 was the announcement of the Disney Abu Dhabi project which was officially unveiled as a major partnership with Miral. While an official opening date is yet to be announced (though rumours point to 2030), it will be Disney’s first theme park resort in the Middle East, opening up a host of new and excited adventures for a brand new audience.
We also said an emotional goodbye to Muppet*Vision 3D which permanently closed its doors at Walt Disney World’s Hollywood Studios, much to the disappointment of Disney fans across the globe. Phased closures also began at Animal Kingdom’s Dinoland U.S.A. as it prepares for a ‘Tropical Americas’ retheming.
Disney Cruise Line
Disney Cruise Line saw a brand new ship launch in November 2025 with the magnificent Disney Destiny. With a capacity for 4,000 passengers the “Heroes and Villains” themed ship features the debut of Pride Lands: Feast of the Lion King, a first-of-its-kind musical dinner show, and The Sanctum, the first Doctor Strange-inspired lounge at sea. Early reviews of the Disney Destiny have been fairly positive, particularly amongst families with mixed-age kids and adults seeking a more mature sailing experience.
Merchandise
It’s very hard to summarise all of the new releases when it comes to Disney merchandise as it is a never ending cycle at times! That being said, there were a few particular new releases of note, particularly with some of the Disney LEGO sets released over the past 12 months. From the affordable display pieces like the Pixar Luxo Jr. and WALL-E and EVE sets, to the more extravagant LEGO Icons Captain Jack Sparrow’s Pirate Ship (The Black Pearl) which brought back the return of the fan favourite LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean theme.
Trading cards also saw a massive surge in popularity across the board in 2025 and Disney trading cards also exploded in 2025 across released from Topps, Kakawow and Lorcana. 2026 looks set to continue this trend with a number of other sets due for release across all three of these manufacturers.
As a big LEGO and card collector, 2025 proved an expensive year for myself!
Commercial Performance
Commercially, Disney had a fantastic year, crossing a massive milestone in 2025, reaching nearly $94.4 billion in annual revenue (up 3% from 2024). Despite strong earnings, the stock remained volatile throughout the year, fluctuating between a low of $80 and a high of $124 as investors weighed streaming wins against declining traditional TV. The Parks and Experiences division reached a record $10 billion in annual operating income, remaining the company’s most reliable and resilient “cash cow.”
| 2025 Milestone | Achievement |
| Highest Grossing Movie | Zootopia 2 ($1.58B+) |
| Newest Destination | Disney Abu Dhabi (Announced May 2025) |
| Newest Ship | Disney Destiny (Launched Nov 2025) |
| Financial Growth | $94.4 Billion Revenue (Up 3%) |
All in all, 2025 proved a successful year for the Walt Disney Company, not just commercially, but positive critical responses across movies proved that there’s still life in the mouse yet!
What was your Disney highlight of 2025? Let me know in the comments below!
Steamboat Charlie 