Walt Disney World and Disneyland have seen significantly shorter wait times to get on rides — a sign that visitors are staying away this summer as the Mouse House struggles to attract guests apparently put off by the exorbitant ticket prices, according to a report.
Data from the analysis firm Touring Plans shows that smaller crowds have descended on The Walt Disney Company’s US-based theme parks as well as its competitors, according to The Wall Street Journal.
The thinning traffic is bad news for the entertainment giant, which is in the midst of a $5.5 billion cost-cutting spree that has resulted in layoffs across its divisions, including sports cable empire ESPN.
Touring Plans, which measures wait times through information posted by Disney parks on their mobile apps, compiled data comparing the average wait times for rides at the four Walt Disney World parks in Orlando, Fla.
In 2019, the average wait time to board a ride in the Magic Kingdom was 47 minutes.
The pandemic-hit 2022 saw the wait time shrink to 31 minutes. So far this year, the average wait time is 27 minutes.
Wait times for rides at EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom follow the same trajectory, according to Touring Plans.
Hollywood Studios, which features Disney’s Star Wars attractions, saw its third-slowest day of the past year on the Fourth of July, according to Touring Plans.
Jaime Brown, a Walt Disney World annual pass holder who lives in Celebration, Fla., told The Journal that she visited all four of the resort’s theme parks during the week of July 4.