If you have been waiting to plan that post-pandemic vacation to a Disney theme park, now might be the perfect time.
Traffic to Disney parks is down substantially right now, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal. Data from one travel company found that this July Fourth weekend was the slowest in a decade.
The WSJ reports that recent price hikes and other unpopular changes — such as ending some free amenities — have caused families to reconsider Disney vacations. That has resulted in smaller crowds.
The WSJ cited a report from Touring Plans — a company that tracks wait times at major amusement parks — that found reduced waiting times for rides at Disney parks.
According to the newspaper:
“The average posted wait time at the Magic Kingdom park in Florida — which has a special fireworks display on July 4 — was 27 minutes this year for the holiday, down from 31 minutes in 2022 and 47 minutes in 2019, the Touring Plans analysis shows.”
Disney appears to have noticed the slowdown. It has unveiled promotions ranging from price breaks on return visits to savings of up to 40% at some Disney World hotels for annual passholders, the WSJ reports.
In addition, Disney plans to allow visitors to prepay for meals beginning next year. That popular option has not been available for several years.
Such attempts to woo customers are not unique to Disney, with the WSJ noting that other Orlando-area theme parks — such as Universal Studios and SeaWorld — also are rolling out price breaks.
Last year, theme parks across the U.S. saw revenues jump from their pandemic lows, but attendance continued to lag, according to a report from the Themed Entertainment Association and the design and engineering firm AECOM.
One travel professional told the WSJ that travelers appear to be more interested in Europe and cruises right now.
If you are on the fence about your next Disney vacation, check out “4 New Perks Disney Is Offering to Get You Into Its Theme Parks.”
