Disney senior executives are reportedly considering combining Disney+ with other apps like Disneyland Resort and Disney Cruise Line Navigator into one unified app, according to a report from Bloomberg. These discussions are at an early stage, but internally, they're calling it a 'super app' - which is either a brilliant branding move or the most generic possible name.
Disney CEO Josh D'Amaro, who took over for Bob Iger earlier this year, has emphasized his intent to streamline the Disney experience, making the relationship between Disney+ and the Disney parks more cohesive. 'Disney+ becomes the primary relationship between Disney and its fans, the place where everything comes together,' D'Amaro said on Disney's quarterly earnings call this week. So essentially, Disney+ will be the central nervous system of your entire Disney existence, which is either convenient or terrifying depending on your tolerance for Mickey Mouse popping up in your cruise booking app.
The project is a bit reminiscent of Elon Musk's desire to turn X into an 'everything app' like China's WeChat - though X recently launched a standalone chat app, which is counterintuitive, but that's Elon Musk for you. Instead of encompassing literally everything like payments and messaging, Disney's ambition to bring all of its mobile platforms under one app is a bit more feasible, though still a bit eyebrow-raising. It's likely that D'Amaro wants to increase interest in the parks by getting Mickey Mouse in front of more Disney+ subscribers. It's worth noting that Disney+ subscribers and Disney parks visitors aren't necessarily the same customers, which could prove awkward if the Disney+ app were bogged down with advertisements for cruises. Because nothing says 'immersive streaming experience' like a pop-up ad for a seven-day voyage to the Bahamas.