The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on the 10th that the popularity of Disney World, the representative amusement park in the United States, has recently faded.
According to Touring Plans, a company that tracks waiting times at major amusement parks, the average wait time at Magic Kingdom Park in Orlando, Florida on the 4th of July was 27 minutes. Compared to 2019 with a 47-minute wait time, it has almost halved.
Disney World annual visitor Jamie Brown has visited the resort three times in the past week and has used all four parks. Popular rides have hardly had a long wait time, and restaurant reservations have been much easier. Brown said, “There weren’t too many people to believe,” and said it seemed to be much less crowded than in 2021, which was during Corona 19.
The WSJ pointed out that Disney’s policy of raising admission fees and eliminating free amenities in recent years may have been a factor in turning visitors away. In October of last year, Disney raised the price of a two-day pass from $255 to $285 for adults, a 9% increase.
Stephanie Oprea, head of marketing for Fixit Travel, a travel agency specializing in Disney resort travel products, said, “People can get a little tired of price hikes in the current economy,” and consider a cruise or beach trip instead of Disney World.
The heat wave that hit Florida this summer is also considered one of the factors that reduced Disney World visitors. Last week, the highest daytime temperature around Disney World approached 38 degrees Celsius. In addition, the fact that Disney World has no new rides or attractions other than the reconstruction of Splash Mountain was pointed out as a factor that lowered its competitiveness compared to other amusement parks.
Feeling a sense of crisis, Disney decided to give annual pass holders discounts on revisits and up to 40% discounts on hotel rooms during the peak season this winter. In addition, the once-popular meal prepayment program, which was abolished, plans to revive next year.