Low Crowds at Disney? What Does the Data Say?

In this podcast, I read three quotes which share two things in common. First, they speak of low attendance in the park and how empty things are. Second, they were all written in 2024. I could share with you several statements like these that emphasize how empty the parks are. To many it sounds like statements heard these last couple of months around both Disneyland and Walt Disney World. But statements like these are actually from 2024. Were they true? Well, the TEA (Themed Entertainment Association) shared their annual Global Experience Index for 2024. We’ll look at what it has to say, particularly as we study the Disney and Universal parks in both Florida and California. The findings may not only surprise you, but they are probably an indication of the kinds of numbers we’re experiencing here. To that end, we’ll talk about what Disney is doing about attendance to include new announcements Disney has made for America’s 250th Anniversary.

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The following is an outline of what is presented in this podcast:

Overall 2024 Summary:

Here’s a summary of what TEA had to say:

The global attractions landscape saw a return to stable growth in 2024, as travel and tourism patterns leveled out to roughly pre-pandemic numbers. The combined attendance of the top 25 theme parks globally grew 2.4% in 2024 to almost 246 million. In general, the leading parks in the mature markets of the U.S., Japan, and western Europe saw flat to modest changes in attendance, while the leading internationally branded parks in China saw notable continued growth and registered record years.

“The world’s top water parks collectively saw less than 1% increase in attendance, though individual results varied widely by region, largely impacted by local market conditions such as weather and tourism.”

How Legit are These Numbers?

Mark Twain was considered to have once said there are lies, dammed lies and statistics. And then we have the TEA numbers.

• Why should parks share their numbers?
• Do some operators exaggerate in order to look more successful?

Global Look at The Numbers

TEA Global Experience Index, gives us a look at attendance

• Top 10 Amusement Park Operators with 3.3% growth across all
• 549 million across top 10 amusement park operators
• Disney Experiences has moved up 1.2% to 145,196
• Fantawild and Merlin Groups follow
• Universal Destinations & Experiences is 4th with 58 million, down slightly .7%
• Six Flags, which merged last year with Cedar Fair was 5th at 50 million
• Six Flags and Universal or Merlin & Universal together wouldn’t come close to Disney

• Top 25 Amusement Activity Worldwide
  • Florida Parks #1/China 2nd
  • Brazil/Africa/Middle East Not Listed
  • Florida does 76.4 with 8 parks
  • California does 47.9 with 6 parks

• Top 20 Water Parks Worldwide
  • Chimelong 2.8
  • AquaAdventureWorld 2.0
  • Disney’s Typhoon–Top US 1.8
  • Volcano Bay 1.6
  • Aquatica 1.4
  • Blizzard Not Listed
  • Worldwide 4.9 in Florida/Brazil 4.4

Focus on Disney & Universal in Florida & California

What TEA said about Disney

“Disney parks maintained their market-leading position despite increased competition, with domestic theme parks contributing 76.5 million in total attendance in 2024, a 0.6% increase over 2023. On the financial side, the growth driver came from a 5% increase in per-capita ticket revenue. EPCOT saw the largest attendance increase (1.3%) across the Disney parks, the result of a multi-year transformation of the park that culminated with the new CommuniCore Hall and Plaza opening in June 2024. The area is the park’s dedicated festival hub, creating a centralized space for the park’s seasonal programming and providing both refreshing indoor relief and outdoor entertainment.”

What TEA said about Universal

Universal Epic Universe neared completion in 2024, building anticipation for the park’s opening on May 22, 2025. This massive investment is doubling Universal Orlando’s size by adding 750 acres and five themed worlds, transforming Universal from a multi-day destination into a full week-long vacation experience. In 2024, however, Universal’s North American parks all lost attendance with both parks in Orlando dropping more than 2.5%, and Universal Studios Hollywood declining nearly 10%. On the financial side, Universal theme parks experienced an approximate 4% decline in revenue from 2023. This decrease was primarily attributable to lower park attendance and the adverse impact of foreign currency fluctuations. Universal is also investing in products outside of their traditional theme parks. Universal Kids Resort will open in Frisco, Texas, in 2026 and Universal Horror Unleashed, a year-round indoor haunted attraction, opened in Las Vegas at AREA15 in August 2025. A second location has also been announced for Chicago. With another Universal theme park planned for the U.K., Universal is diversifying its portfolio geographically as well as with new entertainment concepts.

New Announcements Moving Forward

Disney has made several nods to new attractions and offerings for next year–especially for Walt Disney World

• Disney’s Animal Kingdom–Opening Zootopia Zoogether next month
• Disney’s Hollywood Studios
  • Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring the Muppets
  • Millennium Falcon with Mandalorian and Grogu
  • Magic of Disney Animation
• Magic Kingdom
  • Revised
  • Revised Carousel of Progress
• Epcot
  • Frozen Ever After Animatronic Improvements
  • Soarin’ Over America

Disney Celebrates America–From Veteran’s Day 2025 to July 4th, 2026

Want to visit Disney?

Hopefully this podcast has made you realize you need help and support in planning your next trip to Disney. David and Leah with Zanolla Travel know Disney in ways few do and they can make your next trip on land or sea an exciting one–or at least less stressful! Be sure to contact them as you explore your next vacation, whether it is a Disney theme park vacation, a cruise, or an Adventure by Disney. There is no charge to utilize their services, but it will save you enormous time getting all the details right, and with their insight you can be assured you’re going to experience the best trip possible. Contact them today!

David & Leah Zanolla

ZanollaTravel.com
Owner/Agents

Books From Your Host at Disney Insights

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My newest book, A Century of Powerful Disney Insights, Volume I 1923-1973, The Walt & Roy Disney Years is available! 

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Also, for those examining other business benchmarks beyond Disney, check out Lead with Your Customer: Transform Culture and Brand Into World-Class Excellence.

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