Disney World Attendance Is DOWN — But Execs Aren’t Worried

Disney held an earnings call and released its earnings report for the second quarter of fiscal year 2026 (Q2 FY 26) on May 6th, 2026. That report gave us some really interesting insight into what’s going on with the company.

One thing that stood out to us was the attendance numbers at Disney Parks around the world, and Disney’s outlook going forward. Disney is seriously focused on how great attendance is going to be, despite the numbers showing it is down. Let’s take a look!

First things first, let’s take a look at the attendance numbers for Disney Parks and Experiences for Q2 FY 2026. Domestic and international park attendance, along with passenger cruise days, grew 2% compared to the prior-year quarter. However, attendance at the domestic parks declined 1% when compared to the prior-year quarter, reflecting, in part, continued softness in international visitation.

Despite the attendance numbers being down 1% at the domestic parks, which are the Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World, Disney said, “We are encouraged by current demand and expect year-over-year attendance at our domestic parks in Q3 to show improvement compared to Q2 results.”

So why is this the case? Why is international attendance up, but domestic down? And, why is Disney optimistic about the future? Well, let’s look at international attendance first!

International Disney Parks have always had a draw to Disney fans around the world, and that got even more so this year with Disneyland Paris. In March of 2026, Disneyland Paris opened up its newly reimagined park, Disney Adventure World. This new park came with the highly anticipated World of Frozen.

Along with the new Frozen-inspired land, the park also has areas and attractions themed to Pixar and Tangled, with iconic movies like UP and The Lion King to come to the park soon. This was an exciting expansion, and one that we got the awesome chance to visit.

It wasn’t just international parks that helped with the increase in attendance; it was the Disney Cruise Line as well. March also saw the Disney Adventure set sail out of Singapore for the first time. We got to voyage on the new ship and explore its seven themed lands — it was truly magical. People want to try the new ship in Disney’s growing fleet, along with all the other ships!

So, now let’s talk about Disneyland and Disney World. What’s causing the attendance to drop? Well, it’s a few things. For starters, there is a draw for different Disney experiences internationally, especially the brand-new ones we just talked about.

Secondly, we can’t ignore that prices are continuing to go UP. That’s not to say Disney experiences aren’t expensive everywhere. However, people might think that spending money to travel to an international destination and do something super unique might be more worth it. Especially considering the state that Disney World is in right now (which we’ll get to).

That brings us to the last point, and it’s that Disneyland and Disney World aren’t in tip-top shape. There is a LOT of construction happening at the domestic parks, especially Disney World. Disney’s Animal Kingdom feels like a half-day park, and Disney’s Hollywood Studios isn’t in its hottest form either. However, that isn’t going to be the case forever…it just is right now.

So, why does Disney have optimism about attendance rising at the domestic parks? Well, like we just said, the state the parks are in won’t last forever! Sure, Hollywood Studios has lots of construction happening today, but on May 22nd, Smugglers Run will have a new mission featuring Mando and Grogu. On May 26th, Rock ‘n’ Rollercoaster will reopen as a new experience, starring The Muppets. On the same day, the park will get the newly reimagined Magic of Disney Animation courtyard, with tons of new experiences. Oh, and just you wait, because the same park is getting a Monsters Inc. Land eventually. They are working on it right now, and working fast.

Construction is happening at Animal Kingdom to bring the park a Tropical Americas themed land called Pueblo Esperanza. The land will bring new attractions, with Encanto and Indiana Jones being the headliners.

Magic Kingdom is getting its biggest expansion to date, as work on Piston Peak (a land themed to Cars) and Villains Land is underway. Not to mention the park finally has everything open now for the first time in forever. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin have both been reimagined in awesome new ways, and they’re officially ready for guests.

Even EPCOT is getting a new experience, with Soarin’ Across America, which debuts on May 26th. So there is lots to look forward to about Disney World. It’s safe to say that the company’s optimism about Disney World’s attendance going up is more than valid.

As for Disneyland, it’s kind of in the same boat. Smugglers Run at Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland Park, and Soarin’ at Disney California Adventure are both getting the same changes that are coming to WDW. New projects such as an Avatar Land and the MASSIVE Avengers Campus expansion, both at California Adventure, are also on the way!

Again, there’s just a lot to look forward to at the domestic parks, and attendance most likely will rise…and rise BIG! We’re always keeping an eye out for everything happening with Disney, and we’re here to update you on all these projects we talked about. Make sure to stay tuned to AllEars, so you won’t miss a thing!

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What are your thoughts on the attendance dropping at the domestic parks? Let us know in the comments!

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