Previous rumors of Disney completely pulling out of Florida have been unfounded.
People Also Ask
It would certainly hurt the state of Florida. The government would lose all the tax revenue. People who work at Disney would lose their jobs. There are many companies that only exist because of Disney or that get a lot of their business because of Disney, like hotels near the park.
Disney World Is Quickly Compensating for Low AttendanceDisney itself has announced that Guests are, on average, spending more than 40% more per day in a Disney Park than they did in 2019, meaning that the company has been compensating for the loss of mass revenue quickly.
One factor is that people may be less interested in theme parks. From what we're seeing with our bookings, that pent-up demand has somewhat transitioned to cruises and Europe, Greg Antonelle, the co-owner of Florida travel agency MickeyTravels, told the Journal.
With costs so high, it's no wonder why many families find it difficult to afford a Disney vacation. A recent LendingTree survey found that 18% of Disney visitors have gone into debt for one or more of their trips to the destination. And among those with Disney debt, 8% say it will take more than a year to pay it off.
Meanwhile, travel agents have pointed to higher ticket prices as a major factor in declining theme park attendance. On top of that, trips to Europe appear to be cannibalizing demand for domestic theme parks this year — likely both contributing to the downturn.
All told, Disney officials have indicated that visitors spend 40% more per day in US parks than they did pre-pandemic. The company's operating income from parks and experiences fell 13% last quarter, but was still 24% above where it was in 2019.
The closure of the Orlando-area Disney parks has only happened eight times before now, according to media reports: For Disneyland, the two parks, Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure, will close at midnight tonight and will stay closed until next month.
From ongoing battles with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and his board appointees to subscriber losses on its streaming platform, Walt Disney leadership may be wondering if they've unknowingly fallen under a dark curse. And now, to make matters worse, its theme parks are dealing with declining foot traffic.
Disney parks chief Josh D'Amaro said “leadership changes” and “changing business conditions” prompted Disney to reconsider its 2021 plan to relocate employees, including its Imagineers who design theme park rides, to a new campus in Lake Nona.
The Burbank entertainment giant had planned to relocate 2,000 jobs — mostly from California — to a sprawling office complex near Orlando International Airport, which serves as a tourist portal to Walt Disney World. Executives explained the move by touting Florida's business-friendly policies.
Post Disney Depression is a real thing.It's that blue, miserable, nothing-will-ever-be-magical-again feeling you get after you leave a Disney park or cruise (or, if you're really hardcore, a particularly emotional Disney movie). Colors seem more dull. Food tastes less delicious. Nothing is sparkly or exciting.
Nevertheless, the point stands that this is what below-average crowds looks like in 2023 at Walt Disney World. Lower doesn't mean everything is a walk-on, or even below an hour! Animal Kingdom has higher wait times on average, but it also has far fewer rides than Magic Kingdom.
Of course, Animal Kingdom, EPCOT, and Hollywood Studios are all incredibly popular as well, but Magic Kingdom is the go-to place for Disney Guests. However, the summer of 2023 has proven to be quite shaky for Walt Disney World attendance, with the Parks facing their lowest attendance numbers in over a decade.
Starting on January 9, 2024, you can visit any theme park without a reservation as long as you have a date-based ticket. A date-based ticket is the standard ticket option and means you've purchased park passes for a specific time frame (whether it's tickets alone or part of a vacation package).