Disney Sees Fewer Summer Visitors

Crowds are thinning at Disney parks, according to data from Touring Plans, which tracks wait times at amusement and theme parks.

The slowdown, which has also been seen at Universal Orlando, could be due to a number of factors, according to The Wall Street Journal. For one thing, fans may be fed up with high admissions prices, which jumped as much as 9% last October to $285 for an adult two-day ticket.

But it also could indicate a larger shift in post-pandemic vacation trends toward other destinations. “From what we’re seeing with our bookings, that pent-up demand has somewhat transitioned to cruises and Europe,” Greg Antonelle, co-owner of MickeyTravels, a travel agency based in Windermere, Florida, told The Wall Street Journal.

July 4 was the third-slowest day in the last year at Disney’s Hollywood Studios theme park in Orlando, home to its popular Star Wars attractions, according to the data analyzed by The Journal. Average wait times in the Magic Kingdom dipped to 27 minutes this year from 47 minutes in 2019. 

Demand appears to be lower at central Florida theme parks overall, and visitors tend to hit them all in one trip, according to Len Testa, a computer scientist who runs Touring Plans. People may be postponing their visits to Disney until Universal opens its third theme park in 2025, he added.

Disney is hoping to boost demand by rolling out promotions, including a 40% discount on rooms at some of its hotels on some days in December for its annual pass holders, according to The Wall Street Journal.