Disney sounds alarm about major problem affecting visit numbers

Yahoo

11-02-2025

With over 140 million people visiting the 12 Disney () parks worldwide every year, the theme park and entertainment giant is by far the most popular and well-recognized around the globe.
For multiple generations, certain Disney characters bring back associations with childhood while a visit to one of the parks — Walt Disney World and Disneyland in the U.S. — remains either a beloved activity or a bucket list dream.
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The decision about which park people choose to visit ultimately depends on their income bracket. In 2025, a single-day ticket to either California's Disneyland or Florida's Walt Disney World can top $200 during peak periods.
With things like accommodations and the cost of food factored in, different calculations have shown that $3,000 for a weekend is usually the minimum that a family of four coming in from out of town will leave at the park—a number that, according to equity research firm Wolfe Research, rose by 56% from 2014 to 2024.As reported in a new feature from the Wall Street Journal, internal reports show that the number of visitors planning future trips has been on the decline since the end of 2023. While visits for the last fourth quarter were still up, 1% growth is significantly lower than the 6% growth seen in the same quarter a year ago.
The rising cost of a Disney vacation is the primary reason for the downward trend— something that, according to the report, Disney executives like CFO Hugh Johnston have talked about in a roundabout way during past earnings calls. Concern is growing internally — particularly in the departments crunching visitor numbers.
"Internally, teams that worked on pricing, promotions and consumer feedback debated through the spring of last year how to improve the 'intent to return' survey results, people involved in the discussions said," Robbie Whelan wrote for the WSJ.
In internal surveys, lower-level Disney employees have also reportedly drawn attention to the fact that the cost of a vacation would be unaffordable to someone earning their salaries (however, complimentary access for employees and their families is one of the perks all Disney workers receive).
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In its response to the WSJ, Disney said that it offers a range of ticket and experience options to keep a visit possible for a middle-class family. The survey results also show that many visitors see Disney as a dream experience for which they are willing to save and pay extra.
The WSJ report, by contrast, highlights several families who say they scrapped plans to attend a Disney park in 2025 due primarily to cost.
"The number-one thing we hear from the millions of guests who visit our parks each year is how much a Disney vacation means to them, and we intentionally offer a wide variety of ticket, hotel and dining options to welcome as many families as possible, whatever their budget," Josh D'Amaro, chairman of the Disney Experiences division, told the WSJ.