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It seems that every article you see about Walt Disney World or the Walt Disney Company is about controversy. On the one hand, you see reports about Disney’s ongoing feud with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, and on the other, you see people complaining about Disney having gone “woke.”
Credit: Disney
Related: Disney is Accused of Being Woke. What Does That Mean?
As it turns out, Walt Disney World fans don’t care about that; they just want to go to the Parks. The numbers are in, and Disney World is nearly back to its pre-Covd level of popularity.
According to Fortune, 74 million visitors came to the Orlando, Florida area last year, just under the pre-pandemic levels.
Casandra Matej, president and CEO of Visit Orlando told Fortune:
This past year proved to be a key recovery timeframe for Orlando’s tourism industry, with a lot of pent-up demand from our top U.S. and international markets.
With many trips canceled in 2020 due to the Pandemic, Walt Disney World has seen an incredible increase in Guests over the past two years. This past year saw a 25 percent increase in Guests over 2021, and Disney is expecting to maintain, if not exceed, that level for 2023.
Credit: Disney
The increase in Disney Theme Park Guests has increased revenues across the Disney Company. During his first earnings call since his return as CEO in February, Bob Iger announced that Disney Parks, Experiences, and Products saw an operating income of 3.1 billion in the first quarter of the 2023 fiscal year. That was a 25 percent increase over the previous year.
During the earnings call for the first quarter of 2023 last week, Iger announced that Disney Parks, Experiences, and Products saw a 20 percent increase in profits to $2.2 billion. Disney stock plummeted after the earnings call despite the Parks Division doing so well. Iger delivered some bad news about Disney’s streaming services and its loss of four million subscribers.
Disney does not release totals for individuals Parks, but the company has seen an increase in attendance and revenue across all its Parks worldwide. Disneyland Paris, the only Park that releases its revenues, reported a record $2.2 billion profit.
Crowds at EPCOT, Walt Disney World / Credit: TK Bosacki/ Disney Fanatic
Related: Disney Dining Plan is RETURNING!
Walt Disney World will only continue to get more popular in the coming months with the announcement that the Parks would start selling annual passes again and the return of the Disney Dining Plan in 2024.
So, just when you thought you could find a quiet time to go to Disney World, you may not be alone. There may be a long wait for Space Mountain at the Magic Kingdom or meeting your favorite Disney characters at Animal Kingdom. So, get your dining reservation, Disney Genie, and lightning lane passes for your favorite ride and enjoy visiting Disney World again. A Disney vacation may be the best thing to help you forget all Disney’s troubles in the news.
We will continue to update this story at Disney Fanatic.
