Disney World isn’t as packed as it used to be

The Future. For the past year, Disney World in Orlando, Florida, has been experiencing lighter-than-usual attendance, which Disney analysts and legions of bloggers have been tracking like a criminal investigation. It turns out a mix of rising consumer costs and political problems may be to blame. To combat the slowdown, CEO Bob Iger is rolling back some of the price hikes at Disney World… which will hopefully continue as he stays on for another two years.

High-priced magic
The July 4th holiday, typically a boom time for Disney park attendance, was much slower than usual — a problem plaguing the Mouse House all year.

What gives?

• Travel is up for Americans, but they’re choosing cruises and Europe over Orlando.
• Ticket prices have gone way up over the past several years, with the company monetizing every aspect of visiting the park.
• That’s made it increasingly difficult for families to afford a vacation there (which would make Walt Disney roll in his grave).
• Additionally, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ war with the company has put a political spin on visiting the parks.

That’s not to say Disney’s parks revenue is down, though. Earnings from its parks, experiences, and products division was up 17% last quarter, thanks to increased foot traffic at Shanghai Disney Resort, Disneyland Paris, and Hong Kong Disneyland Resort.

And we can tell you from experience that Disneyland in California always has a crowd.