- According to recent travel study studies, the wait times at the Disney theme parks have dramatically decreased, which suggests that attendance has decreased. Perhaps the charm of the Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resorts is fading.
- The average posted wait time on July 4th at Disney’s Magic Kingdom park in Orlando, Florida, according to Touring Plans, a company that gathers waiting time data from information provided by the Disney parks’ mobile apps and compares it to historically average wait times, was 27 minutes, down from 31 minutes in 2022 and 47 minutes in 2019.
- Len Testa, a computer scientist who owns Touring Plans, told the Wall Street Journal that it was “something that nobody would have predicted — just unfathomable.”
- Jamie Brown, an annual pass holder, said, “I couldn’t believe how light the crowds were,” pointing out that she was able to easily enjoy popular attractions like Spaceship Earth and the Topolino’s Terrace restaurant.
- Disney fans reported avoiding vacations to the theme parks in September as a result of price increases and money-grabbing practices.
- Out of almost 2,000 “self-described Disney World enthusiasts,” 92.6% felt a trip to the resort was out of reach for typical families, according to a Time2Play poll. Almost 70% of respondents stated they thought the theme park seemed like it had lost its enchantment as a result of the price increases.
- Disney reversed several pricing increases in the parks earlier this year and reinstated other free services, such as not charging visitors to download ride images. Additionally, according to reports, Disney said it would expand the number of days when tickets will be offered for the cheapest price.
- In response to the low attendance numbers, Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) told the Clay Travis & Buck Sexton Show that he believes Disney’s “woke” agenda is “impacting” ticket sales.
- “What made Disney the all-American company under Walt and beyond was a focus on family, a focus on traditional pro-American values,” DeSantis said. “They would never have wanted to sexualize children the way Disney has gone down this.”
