For years, Disney (DIS) has fiercely dominated the theme park industry, with 12 theme parks and six resort locations worldwide.
These locations provide Disney with billions of dollars of revenue annually. However, in the last few months of 2024, Disney’s U.S. theme parks have seen a decline in foot traffic.
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This decrease comes after Disney World and Disneyland announced price increases in October for tickets and passes, and also quietly hiked food and beverage prices at multiple dining locations.
Related: A new Disney World attraction will not allow kids
A recent Wall Street Journal report even revealed Disney executives are allegedly concerned that its theme parks and resorts have become too expensive for middle-class families.
Visitors pose in front of a topiary display with Spaceship Earth behind them at Epcot, Walt Disney World.
Source: Anadolu/Getty Images
Disney World faces a major threat
Amid recent concerns about high prices, Disney World has unexpectedly suffered a major loss due to a rival that’s growing in popularity.
According to a new study from Nieuwe Casinos, which analyzed Google and Tripadvisor reviews, Discovery Cove, an amusement park in Orlando, Florida, has taken the top spot as the highest-rated theme park in America.
Discovery Cove is the sister park of SeaWorld Orlando and Aquatica Orlando, and it offers several attractions where visitors can interact with marine life.
In second and third place on the list are Knoebels Amusement Resort in Pennsylvania and Smoky Mountain Alpine Coaster in Tennessee, respectively.
Related: Disney World shares shutdown plans for a full theme park land
Disney California Adventure lands at No. 5, while Disney World’s Magic Kingdom takes the No. 6 spot.
The low ranking of Disney theme parks on the list comes as a surprise, since Disney World and Disneyland are some of the most-visited destinations in the U.S.
According to recent data from Road Genius, Disneyland in California attracts over 28 million visitors annually, while Disney World attracts 50 million.
Disney World visitors sound alarm on major problem
However, high prices at Disney’s theme parks have recently hurt the wallets of some visitors. According to a recent survey from LendingTree, 24% of visitors and 45% of parents who visit Disney theme parks have gone into financial debt to cover the cost of their trips.
The survey also found that on average, parents who take their young children on a Disney vacation end up with about $1,983 in Disney-related debt. For all Americans, that figure is $1,690. Many said that unexpected high costs for food, transportation, and tickets were some of the main sources of the debt.
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Despite this trend and a recent decrease in visitors at Disney’s U.S. theme parks, Disney CEO Bob Iger said during the company’s annual shareholder meeting last month that consumer demand at these locations is “extremely high.”
“I was just at Walt Disney World on actually a weekday in March, and the place was really busy, really across the whole property,” said Iger.
He also emphasized that Disney’s theme parks have several affordable options for families who want to save money.
“We’re constantly considering and developing and implementing new ways to make the experiences that we offer both more enjoyable, but of equal importance, more accessible,” said Iger. “We provide several options for families looking to spend less, including our lowest-price ticket to Disneyland, which we’ve kept at the same level since before the Covid pandemic. And two years ago when I returned, we tripled the number of days that low-price ticket was available.”
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