Though Disney’s theme parks around the world had to close for pretty lengthy periods of times in 2019, Disney’s theme parks have now generally been open for some time.
What will the future hold?
Over the past several months, we’ve seen days with very low crowds in the parks and days with BIG crowds. But, what does attendance look like right now in comparison to previous years? We just got an important update!
Today, Disney released its 4th Quarter report and held its quarterly earnings call, sharing some big updates about the company’s financial standing.
During the call, Christine McCarthy, Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of The Walt Disney Company, made several comments regarding attendance levels in the park. According to McCarthy, attendance trends continue to strengthen at Disney’s theme parks.
Crowds
McCarthy actually shared that attendance at Disney World is up double digits from the third quarter. McCarthy also shared that attendance is growing at Disneyland as well.
In terms of looking to the future, McCarthy shared that the “forward-looking pipeline remains strong.”
Crowds
When it comes to international attendance, McCarthy noted that they’re looking forward to the return of international visitors to the U.S. (which is now possible due to changes in travel restrictions). But, McCarthy noted that they don’t expect to see a significant recovery on this end until the end of 2022 (or near that time).
And it’s not just attendance that appears to be going up. According to both McCarthy and Disney CEO Bob Chapek, per capita guest spending in the parks is up 30% when compared to 2019 (a.k.a. pre-pandemic levels).
Crowds in Toy Story Land
So, it seems not only are more guests visiting the parks, but they’re also spending more. Between Genie+, new merchandise releases, new After Hours events, and more, there’s certainly plenty to spend money on when visiting Disney World; and there are lots of food, merchandise, and other experiences available at Disney’s theme parks around the world.
We’ll continue to keep an eye out for more details and news from Disney and we’ll let you know what we find.
Click here to see more about the earnings report.
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Have you visited a Disney theme park recently? Tell us in the comments.
The post NEWS: Attendance and Guest Spending INCREASED at Disney’s Theme Parks in 2021 first appeared on the disney food blog.