ORLANDO, FLORIDA — Disney World may be losing some of its magic touch.
The Most Magical Place on Earth is experiencing slower traffic this summer, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday.
Disney World’s July 4 weekend was one of the slowest in nearly a decade, according to data cited in the article.
“Disney executives have said they have expected weaker earnings from their U.S. parks this year. The Orlando-area resort is even offering hotel discounts around Christmas, typically a peak period,” story author Jacob Passy wrote.
“Travel advisors and industry analysts say the slowdown is the latest sign that Disney’s recent price hikes and changes to park operations have soured some families on visiting the Most Magical Place on Earth.”
Touring Plans – a company that tracks wait times at popular amusement parks across the country – reported that the average wait at Disney World’s top-earning Magic Kingdom park was down 31 minutes from 2022 and 47 minutes from 2019.
Touring Plans President Len Testa called the figures “unfathomable.”
“It’s something that nobody would have predicted,” Testa said.
MOUSE TRAP
Passy also referenced the “unique set of challenges” Disney is currently facing. Bad news has continued mounting since the company launched a polarizing campaign against Florida’s Parental Rights in Education Act aimed at curbing the sexualization of young children.
In May, Disney announced $659 million in streaming losses, following a colossal $1.1 billion during the prior quarter. Plans to develop a new, billion-dollar campus in Orlando also hit the chopping block due to poor financial performances.
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Days after the announcement, a viral video on social media revealed a cross-dressing male employee greeting young girls as they entered a dress store in Disneyland.
The ten-second clip racked up over 22 million views on Twitter, prompting a tidal wave of fury on social media and renewed calls to boycott the company.
Disney has a man in a dress working in the dress store for little girls at Disneyland. This is who Disney wants girls to see when they first walk in to pick out a dress. pic.twitter.com/Ta2dwyAaSa
— Jason Jones (@jonesville) May 30, 2023
Additionally, Disney announced last year it would cut 7,000 jobs by the end of the summer. This spring, the company announced it would lay off another 4,000 employees.
