3 Dates for Disney Investors to Circle in October

Key Points

• The arrival of “Tron: Ares” highlights the first of three major Disney theatrical releases this month.

• Price hikes are coming to many of the media giant’s streaming plans.

• A new series on Disney+ hopes to give its fairy tale villains even more exposure.

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Walt Disney (NYSE: DIS) kicks off fiscal 2026 this week. Analysts see revenue rising 6% this fiscal year, topping $100 billion in revenue for the first time. It may not seem like a lot, but it would represent back-to-back fiscal years of accelerating growth. Those same Wall Street pros see earnings per share rising 10%.

Disney investors will have to wait until early next year to see how the new fiscal year is playing out. It doesn’t mean that there isn’t anything to do in the meantime. There is never a dull moment when it comes to the Disney. Let’s take a closer look at some of the dates in October that should matter if you have a stake in the House of Mouse.

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Image source: Disney.

Oct. 10

Disney has had a rough run at the multiplex so far in the 2025 calendar year. It has just one of the nine highest grossing films worldwide this year, a far cry from 2024 when it notched the top three slots.

Things should get better this quarter. Zootopia 2 comes out next month. Avatar: Fire and Ash should be the year’s biggest film when it hits the big screen in December. Disney has Tron: Ares premiering next week.

It’s hard to get a read on how this month’s premiere will do. The original movie came out 43 years ago. It’s been 15 years since Tron: Legacy came out. The third film will add new faces along with the familiar, but the film can go either way. It can lock in three generations of filmgoers if things go well and the reviews are favorable. If it falls short, it could be problematic since Disney invested a lot of money to open a Tron-themed roller coaster in its most visited theme park. One can also hope that the marquee attraction at Disney World’s Magic Kingdom has awakened park enthusiasts to the franchise.

Oct. 21

Prices are going up again for Disney’s streaming services. The media stock bellwether will be jacking up subscription rates for many of its tiers across its streaming business on Oct. 21.

The flagship Disney+ offering will see its monthly fee rise 20% to $11.99 if you’re willing to put up with ads. If you crave the ad-free version, that service is climbing 19% to $18.99. This is the fourth year in a row that Disney has hiked prices during its fiscal first quarter. It’s pretty shocking to see that the same Disney+ without marketing interruptions that launched six years ago at a monthly rate of $6.99 is 172% higher today.

Disney is also raising price points for many of its other stand-alone services and bundles. It’s a risk, coming shortly after the short-lived suspension of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, a move that inspired many people to post the canceling of their streaming service accounts on social media.

It’s not just Disney lifting prices. A lot of entertainment stocks are making their premium streaming platforms more expensive. Disney’s direct-to-consumer business turned profitable more than a year ago, but some of its rivals haven’t been as fortunate. You can expect to see more consolidation in the shakeout. Disney is positioned to do well. If consumers don’t flinch, an already profitable business will become an even bigger contributor to its bottom line.

Oct. 29

Most of the fall season’s hit shows — on ABC, Disney+, and Hulu — began several weeks ago. There is still fresh content arriving. One of the more interesting debutantes this month is Disney Twisted-Wonderland: The Animation. Based on a popular mobile game in Japan — where players train to be a villain based on the baddies of Disney’s animated classics — the new show follows a teenager named Yu navigating the enchanted academy.

Villains have started to bubble up at Disney. They have been getting movies where they are the stars in recent years. A new live stage show opened at Disney World’s Hollywood Studios earlier this year, where the audience decides which of three baddies has been wronged the hardest. This should all culminate in a couple of years when the resort’s Magic Kingdom introduces the highly anticipated Villains-themed land.

Narratives can change. Disney investors are hoping that the same can be said about its share price, which was languishing before bouncing back last year.

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Rick Munarriz has positions in Walt Disney. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Walt Disney. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.