5 Dates for Disney Investors to Circle in June

Image source: Disney.

There's never a dull moment atDisney, but June promises to be more lively than usual. From new movies and rides to the debut of an entirely new theme park, the media giant has a lot going on this month

Let's take a look at a few of the days that should turn heads at the House of Mouse.

June 2

The NBA finals tip off tomorrow, and Disney's ABC is the official home of the final round of the playoffs. There are plenty of storylines as the Golden State Warriors try to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers -- again -- to repeat as league champs.

Sports are a big part of Disney's media empire given its ownership of ESPN, and these programming deals are costly. Disney shareholders will want to root for a long and widely watched playoff series.

June 16

It's been several years since a new Disney theme park opened, but that changes come June 16 with the grand opening of Shanghai Disney. Park admissions, on-site hotel reservations, and tickets to the resort's flagship Lion King show sold out quickly when they went on sale back in March.

The park was originally supposed to open last year, but building delays and reports of cost overruns have pushed the opening out to this month. Disney will own just 43% of the resort, but that's a significant stake if the theme park takes off in China's bustling Shanghai.

June 17

There are a couple of things happening on June 17. Soarin' Around the World -- an update to the bar-raising Soarin' attraction that takes guests on a simulated hang gliding trip -- debuts at Disney California Adventure in California and Epcot in Disney World.

The real soaring may take place at the local multiplex where Finding Dory opens nationwide. The long-awaited sequel to Pixar's Finding Nemo should fare well. The original generated more ticket sales than any other Disney animated feature at the time.

This is also the release date for Finding DoryPlay Set for Disney Infinity, the final accessory that will be made available for Disney's console-based Disney Infinity. Disney Infinity was discontinued last month.

June 21

One of the more anticipated new rides opening at Disney World sets sail on June 21. Frozen Ever After has been in the works since Epcot's Maelstrom boat ride closed two years ago. The Frozen-themed attraction may have arrive a couple of years after the movie's singsong popularity peaked, but a sequel is in the works.

Epcot was Disney's slowest growing park in 2015, according to the recently published annual report by the Themed Entertainment Association and the Economics practice at AECOM.With two rides opening days apart, Epcot is setting itself up for a strong bounce in popularity if things go well.

June 26

Game shows and primetime television may seem like a retro combination, but ABC is doing exactly that this summer. It is trying to reboot a pair of classics on Sunday night, with Michael Strahan hosting The $100,00 Pyramid and Alec Baldwin taking the lead on Match Game.

ABC has had blowout success with bringing back the primetime game show format before, but let's not assume that either entry will top Who Wants To Be a Millionaireas a game-changer for the major network.

The article 5 Dates for Disney Investors to Circle in June originally appeared on Fool.com.

Rick Munarriz owns shares of Walt Disney. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Walt Disney. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.