Disney Drops MAJOR Theme Park Attendance News

Disney has revealed some big news about the attendance at its theme parks.

Disney held its earnings call and released its earnings report for the first quarter of fiscal year 2026 on February 2nd, 2026. From updates about ESPN to the latest Disney+ news, we got a bunch of new information. Disney also shared some interesting details about its theme parks and just how they’re doing. Are crowds going up? Or are crowds declining at the parks? Let’s get into the news right now!

During the earnings call for the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2025, Disney shared that while operating income for the Domestic Parks had increased, attendance at Disney’s domestic theme parks had DECREASED by 1%.

But theme park admissions as a whole increased 5% year over year, and there was a 4% increase in per-capita ticket revenue. So how did things go during Q1 of Fiscal Year 2026?

During the first quarter of fiscal year 2026, Disney reported record quarterly revenue of $10.0 billion and segment operating income of $3.3 billion.

The Domestic Parks & Experiences operating income growth for the quarter was 8%, with attendance at the domestic parks up 1% in the quarter. Per capita spending was up 4% in the domestic parks.

The modest segment operating income growth was due to a combination of factors, including international visitation headwinds at the domestic parks, pre-launch costs for the new Disney Adventure cruise ship, and pre-opening costs for World of Frozen at Disneyland Paris.

Domestic parks generated approximately $6.9 billion in revenue, while international parks accounted for around $1.7 billion. Consumer products make up the final $1.3 billion of the overall $10 billion in revenue for the quarter. There was high single-digit growth in segment operating income compared to fiscal 2025, with the majority of the growth occurring in the second half of the year.

The higher volumes are attributed to increased passenger cruise days, attendance, and occupied room nights. Additional passenger cruises are reflected in the launches of the Disney Treasure and Disney Destiny. The increase in attendance benefited from the comparison to the adverse impact of Hurricane Miltion in the prior-year quarter.

CEO Bob Iger said, “We are pleased with the start to our fiscal year, and our achievements reflect the tremendous progress we’ve made. We delivered strong box office performance in calendar year 2025 with billion-dollar hits like ‘Zootopia 2’ and ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’, franchises that generate value across many of our businesses. As we continue to manage our company for the future, I am incredibly proud of all that we’ve accomplished over the past three years.”

How might crowds change at Disney’s theme parks around the world in the future? That remains to be seen. But there are definitely a LOT of projects that could draw visitors to Disney’s parks — like the expansions planned for Disney World, Avatar-themed land for Disneyland Resort, and the whole new theme park planned for Abu Dhabi. 

We’ll definitely be watching for ALL the latest updates to see what else Disney has planned for its theme parks, cruise line, and beyond.

If you’re looking for a travel agent to help with your vacation, we recommend our friends at Mouse Fan Travel. They’re experts in the field with over 20 years of vacation planning experience, and they can help take a bunch of the stress out of the entire booking process for you!

Stay tuned for more Disney news!

What do you think about these updates? Do you feel like you’ve experienced more or less intense crowds in the parks lately? Tell us in the comments!

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