Walt Disney Co’s DIS theme parks, primarily the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida, and Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California, are seeing their quietest stretch in a decade, according to a recent report from the Wall Street Journal.
The report cites data from a travel company that showed wait time in lines at the Orlando theme park was the shortest throughout the Fourth of July weekend in nearly 10 years.
In line with the data from the travel companies, Disney executives have warned that earnings from its parks may be down in 2023. Disney’s attendance at its parks peaked in 2018 and 2019, right before the COVID-19 pandemic, according to DisneyNews.Us, a website that tracks news and data related to Disney.
No More Waits: One of the worst things about going to a crowded theme park is having to wait in line for your favorite ride. Luckily for families that went to Disney World last weekend, the wait times were much shorter than they normally are. The average wait time for rides throughout the Fourth of July weekend at the park in Orlando was 27 minutes according to Touring Plans. This is down from an average wait time of 47 minutes in 2019.
Tracking wait times at rides can be a good way for alternative data companies to gauge attendance and popularity at theme parks. But the methodology is far from perfect, with outside factors impacting wait times such as broken-down rides or other unplanned occurrences.
Why The Drop? It’s unclear exactly why Disney’s attendance could be down, especially at a time when travel numbers are at their highest in years. One potential explanation could be that the company’s feud with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is dissuading some conservative would-be customers from attending the parks.
Another potential explanation is that people are just fed-up with the extremely high prices and inconveniences such as high wait times at the parks, the WSJ report said.
Either way, Disney will be hoping for some magic to return to its parks — and the revenue back to its balance sheets.
Read Next: Ron DeSantis Vs. Disney: Governor Requests Federal Judge To Throw Out Lawsuit, Citing Broad Immunity
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