Is it my imagination....

[juxtapose]

We just got back from DL, LA area, and Vegas and crowds in all 3 places were super low for summer. We've traveled to all in past summers and crowds were noticeably lower. I think less people are traveling in general but especially in summer when prices and temperatures are high.

 

[tom1944]

US tourism is being hit hard.

 

[AnnaKristoff2013]

The heat remains the same

It doesn’t. It’s getting hotter. The number of extreme heat days are up, the maximum temperatures reached during those days are up, the number of hours a day in extreme heat, all are up versus, for example, 1971 when the park opened.

 

[TheOneWithTheTriplets]

Arrived Friday, first park day Saturday, and I've been pleasantly surprised by the crowds considering this is the lead in to a holiday week. We've had great luck with LLMP availability, coupled with shorter morning lines where we were able to hit a few more things that I anticipated before waits started to build.

Saw HEA on 29th and was able to walk right into the hub about 30 minutes before for prime viewing next to partners with space to breath. CM who was supposed to stand people up and push us in didn't really bother, so we all actually had some space and my kids and I saw more of the lower projections than we've ever managed to before because no one was directly in front.

There are definitely some large teen tour groups, so if you happen to be where they want to go, it's suddenly going to feel much more crowded.

 

[TOBS2010]

I too have been watching wait times recently and am shocked at how low they are especially for a holiday week. Curious to see what they will be like this weekend even.

 

[WLSILVERCREEKSPRINGS]

They wouldn't be offering all of the specials deals if they were filling up most of the rooms and parks. Pricing has likely affected many families and not just Disney, everyday life necessities have become so much more expensive that there is less disposable income for vacations and especially more costly destinations. We go to the beach for a third of the cost of our Disney trips.

 

[lowlight]

It’s heat and cash money. People are Broke with a capital B.

 

[GatorChris]

1. Heat - My wife and I went in 2002 for our honeymoon and said we'd never come back during summer. Too crowded with too much heat. We're going back end of July but that's because we have our airfare paid for the whole family for a conference.

2. Cost - This should be #1. Disney has outpaced inflation for decades by a lot. And now we don't get free FP??? So, you pay all that and watch as others who are willing to spend an extra $100+ for their family each day stream past you. Big fat fail.

3. Money - I feel like the blue-state exodus to the red states is causing a huge economic disaster for those who live there as their home prices skyrocket but wages don't and can't. The 20- and 30-somethings that typically fill WDW and DL are now spending way more on housing that they ever have before. Living in California, let me apologize for that. I wish they would've stayed as much as you!

4. Universal - With just their two parks and water park, the last two times I came to Orlando I preferred to spend time there. It's what Disney used to be 15 years ago. And now with a new park, why spend so much more for Disney?

5. Disney - They just can't seem to stay out of their own way. Lots of refurbs that have happened. Parades that should've stated months ago won't start til the end of summer. Taking out Muppets, RoA, no Big Thunder, etc. And then their battle with the governor made a lot of folks sick on the brand.

Add it all up and you've got a relative loss. They're still making oodles of cash. They just don't need Scrooge's money bin this year.

 

[CalSea12]

I dunno... there are not any discounts for the end of the year. I wonder if summer is slow because of the new parade or everyone is coming for the Halloween/Christmas holidays... otherwise why are they not releasing discounts? Although, I am surprised there is only one sold out day for the MNSSHP.

 

[Newsies]

I've been to Epcot a couple of times in the last few weeks and it felt very slow to me. The fact that there's not a festival going on right now is probably part of it.

This is why I loved our Epcot days so much when the family and I primarily traveled to WDW in July... we would be walking through World Showcase at noon and sometimes have to walk to a different pavilion before we saw another guest

 

[Minnie1222]

We had an extremely similar discussion last year on a thread called "Thoughts on why crowds are lower this summer so far??". That thread also began in June, and abruptly ended in August after the earning reports showed that attendance was about the same as the year before.

 

[Minnie1222]

Universal - And now with a new park, why spend so much more for Disney?

Have you been to Epic Universe? All I can say is it makes Disney look like a bargain. The express pass was $300/person and it excluded three rides, with two of them being the headliners. If you want to ride them all without waiting hours, you have an option to pay $650/person for the group tour or thousands for the private tour (it was $10000 for the grand opening weekend, by the way).

5. Disney - And then their battle with the governor made a lot of folks sick on the brand.

What are you talking about? Disney made more money during the battle.

 

[MyNewAP]

1. Heat - My wife and I went in 2002 for our honeymoon and said we'd never come back during summer. Too crowded with too much heat. We're going back end of July but that's because we have our airfare paid for the whole family for a conference.

2. Cost - This should be #1. Disney has outpaced inflation for decades by a lot. And now we don't get free FP??? So, you pay all that and watch as others who are willing to spend an extra $100+ for their family each day stream past you. Big fat fail.

3. Money - I feel like the blue-state exodus to the red states is causing a huge economic disaster for those who live there as their home prices skyrocket but wages don't and can't. The 20- and 30-somethings that typically fill WDW and DL are now spending way more on housing that they ever have before. Living in California, let me apologize for that. I wish they would've stayed as much as you!

4. Universal - With just their two parks and water park, the last two times I came to Orlando I preferred to spend time there. It's what Disney used to be 15 years ago. And now with a new park, why spend so much more for Disney?

5. Disney - They just can't seem to stay out of their own way. Lots of refurbs that have happened. Parades that should've stated months ago won't start til the end of summer. Taking out Muppets, RoA, no Big Thunder, etc. And then their battle with the governor made a lot of folks sick on the brand.

Add it all up and you've got a relative loss. They're still making oodles of cash. They just don't need Scrooge's money bin this year.

How do you bring politics into two of five answers on a question about theme park attendance?

 

[lowlight]

How do you bring politics into two of five answers on a question about theme park attendance?

My man’s been waiting since June 16th for this exact moment. Well done.

 

[princesslover]

We just got back from DL, LA area, and Vegas and crowds in all 3 places were super low for summer. We've traveled to all in past summers and crowds were noticeably lower. I think less people are traveling in general but especially in summer when prices and temperatures are high.

I thought prices were lower in the summer in Disney?

 

[kylenne]

As pp said summer has been trending down for a while. I am at MK right now as I write this post and waits are silly low for this time of morning. Waited 20 minutes for Jungle Cruise just now at 9:45a. Pirates and Mansion both walk ons.

 

[Dakota731]

US tourism is being hit hard.

Not at Epic Universe lol. And not true in reality - In fact, Deloitte data released on May 20 shows a 5% increase in Americans planning to take leisure trips this summer. AAA forecasts a record-breaking 72.2 million people will travel at least 50 miles from home this July 4 week.
Maybe people just are not going to WDW. We did a national parks trip and everywhere was packed!

 

[tom1944]

Not at Epic Universe lol. And not true in reality - In fact, Deloitte data released on May 20 shows a 5% increase in Americans planning to take leisure trips this summer. AAA forecasts a record-breaking 72.2 million people will travel at least 50 miles from home this July 4 week.
Maybe people just are not going to WDW. We did a national parks trip and everywhere was packed!

This is the data I read-

In May 2025, U.S. tourism is facing significant challenges, with international visitor spending projected to decline by $8.5 billion, while domestic travel shows signs of recovery.

What surprised me about the international travel being down so significantly was that the dollar is the weakest it has been in 40 years to foreign currency would make their US trip less expensive

 

[chicagodisneyguy]

I think as more and more adult only groups go to WDW, the heat is a factor. We're adults only most of the time and don't have that limitations of only visiting during summer when kids are off. Hence why fall has become a "frenzy".

Second I think is cost. Disney is as expensive as ever. I could see families or groups who have gone several times in the last few years skipping it this year.

Third I think is the decline of foreign visitors. I don't think that phenomenon will last. But it could be a factor this year.

Whatever the reason is ...I hope it continues at least thru this weekend. Flying in today for a 3 day last minute trip and my first summer trip in 30 years when my parents were footing the bill (man I miss those days lol)

 

[hardcorestitch]

or is DW park attendance down? I've been checking weekend line wait times for several weekends at different times of the day and wait times seem less than years past. Why/

Two words: Epic Universe…