In the midst of a challenging summer season, The Walt Disney Company’s flagship theme parks, Walt Disney World and Disneyland, are reportedly witnessing a decline in visitor numbers.
This is evidenced by reduced waiting times for rides, indicating a potential decrease in park-goers due to high ticket prices, according to an analysis by Touring Plans and a report by The Wall Street Journal.
Touring Plans, a company that tracks wait times using data from the Disney parks’ mobile apps, reported shorter average wait times at Walt Disney World parks in Orlando, Florida.
While the Magic Kingdom ride wait time averaged 47 minutes in 2019, it fell to 31 minutes in 2022 during the pandemic and stands at an average of 27 minutes this year. Similar patterns have been observed at EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom.
Adding to the signs of decline, Hollywood Studios, known for its Star Wars attractions, saw one of its slowest visitor days on the Fourth of July, traditionally a popular holiday for theme park visits.
Jaime Brown, a local Walt Disney World annual pass holder, corroborated this finding, stating her surprise at the lighter crowds, especially at popular attractions such as Spaceship Earth and Topolino’s Terrace restaurant.
“I couldn’t believe how light the crowds were,” Brown told The Journal.
Industry analysts suggest that the downturn in foot traffic may be attributed to a combination of factors including high ticket prices, the Florida summer heat, and increased interest in visiting Europe and other overseas destinations.
The Post has reached out to The Walt Disney Company for comment.
In response to this situation, Disney CEO Bob Iger, who resumed leadership of the company after the tumultuous tenure of his selected successor Bob Chapek, has taken steps to make the parks more affordable.
Earlier this year, Iger reduced some price increases and reinstated complimentary services that had been removed by Chapek. In 2021, Chapek introduced a charge for Disney World annual pass holders to download photos from their park visits, a service which had previously been free.
Iger has increased the number of days when tickets are available at the lower $104 price point, while reducing the number of days charging the top-tier price of $179 for adults.
He also rescinded parking fees for guests driving to the theme parks from Disney-run hotels. This fee, which ranged from $15 to $25 per vehicle per night, was introduced in 2018 and met with strong opposition from visitors.
Despite these changes, Disney’s theme parks saw revenues of $28.7 billion and profits of $7.9 billion in the 2022 fiscal year, exceeding their pre-pandemic performance in 2019.
Nevertheless, the company has recently found itself entangled in political controversy. It has been at odds with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis over issues such as the teaching of sex- and gender-identity education to children, and the status of the tax district that governs the land on which its theme parks are situated.
It is also likely that the parks are suffering from backlash from their woke policies, a Bud Light affect if you will.
If Disney would focus on making their products and services appealing and affordable to the majority of family oriented Americans it is presumable that support would shift back.
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