Park Attendance is in Decline at Disney World
Once a highly sought-after travel destination, the thrill of a trip to Walt Disney World is not quite as strong according to the Walt Disney Company earnings report. Check out the current status of Walt Disney World and how this park measures up against the other Disney Parks.
Lower Attendance
The Walt Disney Company hosted an earnings call sharing the first fiscal quarter earnings for the 2024 fiscal year. Overall Disney Theme Parks posted made $6.3 billion in domestic revenue during the earning quarter.
Disney Parks both domestically and internationally increased by 7% from the last quarter. Overall Disney Parks & Experiences saw a decrease while the Disney Cruise Line generated higher revenue during the earning quarter.
Reasons for Decline
In particular, Walt Disney World saw a significant decline. The Walt Disney Company attributes this decline at Walt Disney World to several factors.
First, there are lower volumes of guests both attending and staying at the Walt Disney World Resort. Attendance is substantially lower when compared to the prior-year quarter with Walt Disney World's 50th Anniversary celebration.
Second, the higher costs are due to inflation. Third, increased guest spending. Although attendance is lower, the cost of spending increased. This is in large part due to the variable pricing of theme park tickets.
Many once-loyal Disney Parks guests have grown somewhat hardened to the current state of Disney Parks. With increased ticket prices, variable pricing for Genie+, and increased pricing for food and merchandise, a Disney vacation may not be as desirable as it once was.
Although attendance is lower, the cost of spending increased. This is in large part due to the variable pricing of theme park tickets.
It will be interesting to see if the decrease in Theme Park attendance continues and what steps The Walt Disney Company may take to correct this decline in attendance.
What do you think of the decline in Theme Park attendance? Do you think that the Walt Disney Company needs to make changes to increase attendance? Share your thoughts with us and share this news with your Disney pals.
We were a once every couple years, stay at deluxe resort family. We spent a lot on these trips. Won’t go any longer for several reasons. Definitely a noticeable decrease in customer service. Examples - wrong room provided upon check-in, took away mini shampoos and conditioners and shower gels and didn’t fill the large in shower bottles, refusal to allow guests to decrease AC to a comfortable temp (offering only to provide a fan which does nothing but push warm air around) and claim they can’t make it any lower (lies), and their lost and found claiming they can’t find my item when they confiscated it upon arrival (scissors) even though it placed in a box with my room number on it. I am not spending thousands of dollars to sweat and not sleep at night.
Park maintenance- rides shut down for maintenance (ok that’s understandable but more and more often), rides break during (and took a long time for anyone to fix it or let us off). Bathrooms dirtier than I’ve ever seen.
Park experience - charge for individual rides, making us pay for genie express, having to plan out your vacation minute by minute, never enough food reservations available. No flexibility. Developing a class system within the park. Needing to pick your park ahead of time and then you are stuck there until midday.
Also not happy how Disney had to politicize their experience. Sorry spending my money elsewhere.
I was there December 1971. Have been back almost every year in the 52 years. Sisters and brother-in-law are cast members. Their discounts are the only way I'm able to come from northern Indiana. Now kids are grown, and visiting Disney is a joy. Not going to the parks, just enjoying the atmosphere. Prices are too high for the typical family
Prices out of control- ticket prices just crazy - who wants to stand in long lines all day in Fla heat- my time with Disney is over - and I live in Fla!! Good bye and good luck with your future Disney!!!
Prices are just crazy. Variable ticket pricing is crazy. We’ve been for a week each year for 12 years but have finally priced me out.
Disney is sucking people dry with their prices. And….some of us keep going and some say ENOUGH!
It’s always crowded, sometimes more than others.
We are newly retired DVC owners. We can’t afford to go to the parks every year now. With cost of tickets & Genie, it’s just too much. This year will be our first resort only stay.
Prices are out of control.
In 2014 we bought 7 day tickets for less than what they're asking for 2 day tickets now, thanks to a combination of price incresses and date based pricing. It's $2400(+) for a family of 4 to buy four-day passes. That's beyond ridiculous.
Meanwhile, their competitor often has Buy 2, Get 2 sales. Right now that same family can get a 4 day pass to Universal for $1250. Plus their hotels are far better priced.
The parks are crowded, been to parks at least 10 times in the past 2 months and the crowds keep getting bigger. Genie plus is a joke. I don't plan on renewing our passes this year. Expecting families to pay high prices for tickets plus being expected to pay extra for rides is overkill.
I am am annual pass holder and I have been able to get around including on crowded days.
Also Infatuation in the US is affecting price increases in other areas and not just Disney since its happening at other places like Universal and my parents told me that they have lievd through similar experiences in the past. It seems every 20 years the economy always has a problem which leads to these price increases. Plus the reason I am able to adapt to Genie Plus is because it's system resembles amd may be based on the old Fastpass system when it was originally on Paper and not Magic Bands. I wonder what do you think about all of this. I just wanted to let you know what I have leanred .
Wasn't the goal to decrease the number of people in the Parks because everyone was complaining about the crowds? That's when the bigger than typical price increases started. So, it sounds like the goal is starting to be achieved. Now, everyone is complaining that the revenues are down. You can't have it both ways...
Actually Infatuation in the US is affecting price increases in other areas and not just Disney since its happening at other places like Universal and my parents told me that they have lievd through similar experiences in the past. It seems every 20 years the economy always has a problem which leads to these price increases.
We are out of state DVC and AP’s. DW has gotten so very expensive even though we don’t have to pay to stay, the food is much more expensive and the quality has gone down. Genie+ is so expensive often quoted at $15 a day per person at times has almost doubled that amount and with larger families a good sized daily expense not to mention if you purchase Lightening Lanes even more of an expense. I so miss the free Fast Passes which made everyone equal and worked soooo MUCH BETTER than Genie+ and you didn’t have to wait until the day of and get up early to purchase, try to get reservations and the LL as well as virtual queues. Also having to now live on your phone is no fun!
Not to mention the added expense and inconvenience of transport from the airport since they stopped the free Magical Express!
Things such as cleanliness of resort rooms and the way Disney went out of their way that made everything “Magical” has diminished.
These things along with parks being so crowded (they say lower attendance) makes the costs in comparison to experience less desirable to go.
Disney has a lot of fixing to do as far as I am concerned to stay a DVC member.
These are my opinions so please refrain from those replies saying just don’t go or just sell your DVC. My grandchildren only know it as it is today and not how wonderful it used to be!
Thanks
We are planning to go this summer. Thankfully with the meal plan, hotel and quick dining service it was a little more affordable. $4000 US for a week.
Disney needs to shape up. More $$$ for less. Not a good business model. Leadership has forgotten who their core customers are (families with children). The parks are getting more rundown, customer service isn't what we expect from Disney, and prices are outta control. Disney needs to focus on entertainment and stay out of politics (because by getting involved in politics they are automatically alienating half the country no matter what side they take). Maybe leadership will shape up...probably not though.
Infatuation in the US is affecting price increases in other areas and not just Disney since its happening at other places like Universal and my parents told me that they have lievd through similar experiences in the past. It seems every 20 years the economy always has a problem which leads to these price increases.
Go woke, go broke!
yeah... back to the 50's... LOL
Can’t expect guests to keep paying more for a less convenient experience. Genie+ is a garbage system. Can’t plan ahead.
We looked at booking a trip to WDW…. The tickets cost more than airfare and hotel combined. Then you have to feed everyone and pay to get to the resort, since they discontinued Magical Express. So we decided to go somewhere else!
Well Infatuation in the US is affecting price increases in other areas and not just Disney since its happening at other places like Universal and my parents told me that they have lievd through similar experiences in the past. It seems every 20 years the economy always has a problem which leads to these price increases. That might be the reason for these issues.
You reap what you sow, as the saying goes. OR Goose. Golden egg. Fi ally: Karma.
Need I say more?
BALONEY
we were at EPCOT MONDAY AND IT WAS CROWDED
I have been on crowded days myself. Finally someone says it.