Increased numbers and spending at Walt Disney theme parks helped boost overall quarterly profits by 12% to $1.46 billion.
The company’s results for the three months to December included a rise in parks and resorts revenue of 10% to $3.2 billion with operating profit up 18% to $553 million.
This was driven by increased spending on tickets and food and drink at the group’s US sites while Disney Cruise Line cruise line was helped by full period of operations of the ship Disney Dream which launched in January 2011.
Higher operating income at Hong Kong Disneyland Resort was offset by lower results at Disneyland Paris, although the European park increased its average daily hotel room rates.
Disney president and CEO Robert Iger said: We’re off to a good start in this fiscal year executing on our ongoing strategy, deriving greater value from our brands – Disney, Pixar, Marvel, ESPN and ABC – in the US and around the globe.
“We are confident that our commitment to creating and providing exceptional family entertainment on multiple platforms continues to position us to deliver long-term shareholder value.”