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Credit: Inside the MagicDisney isn’t looking so hot on Wall Street, but neither is anyone else.
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It’s an unprecedented time for Disney, with the company announcing an ambitious slate of plans during its D23 event last year. This annual event has become one of the most anticipated times of the year for Disney fans, especially those who frequent theme parks, as Disney typically has a number of big announcements up its sleeves.
These usually include new rides and attractions, although 2024’s D23 was perhaps the biggest yet, with Disney revealing not just new rides and attractions but entire lands for both its West and East Coast theme park resorts. Some of these reveals were met with excitement, while others were met with confusion.
A few projects, in particular, struck a nerve among die-hard park fans, such as the sweeping changes planned for Magic Kingdom’s Frontierland and Disney’s divisive plans for The Muppets.
However, 2025 is also unprecedented for an entirely different, far more important reason, as April marked the launch of President Donald Trump’s heavily criticized tariffs.
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Like most publicly traded companies, Disney is posting huge losses in the wake of Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariff policies. Disney stock has been down almost $6 since these tariffs officially launched yesterday, but the company was already on a downward trend.
Disney started the week at $96, over $10 less than it was just a month ago in March. When looking at a year-long table, the difference is staggering, with Disney stock valued at $117 in April 2024. It’s unclear what will happen to Disney and other companies as Trump’s tariffs start to seep into both the local and global economies, but experts are rather worried.
According to a new report from The Hill, Trump’s tariff policies could result in families losing $4,000 of purchasing power. Prices are likely to rise too, especially for food and cars.
“For the average new car sold in 2024, this would be the equivalent of an extra $3,700 to the price, with foreign cars and cars with high foreign content relatively more exposed,” according to an analysis from The Budget Lab.
The S&P 500 saw its biggest one-day loss since 2020 after Trump unveiled his tariffs on Thursday. The broad market index dropped 4.84%, seeing its worst day since June 2020.
Disney stock climbed to an impressive $122 last March, a number it hadn’t seen since April 2022, though it fell hard throughout the year. Late summer and early fall were especially troublesome for The Walt Disney Company, with the company’s stock price staying under $90 for multiple days.
It’s anyone’s guess what happens to American companies as 2025 continues, though it’s likely to be one bumpy road.
What are your thoughts on President Trump’s tariff plans?