From 2015 to 2016, Disney theme park attendance at 13 of its 14 parks declined, according to a report put together by the Themed Entertainment Association and Aecom. According to the New York Times, industry analysts attribute this to Disney's overall increase in park prices, as well as higher "peak" day pricing, which were meant to help with overcrowding in some of its parks.
Though overall Disney park attendance rose by 1.8% (from 137,902,000 to 140,403,000 attendees), that growth can perhaps come from the lone park whose attendance increased: Shanghai Disneyland, which had just opened for a year, adding 5,600,000 new attendees off the bat.
Out of Disney's parks, Disneyland Paris's parks suffered the biggest decreases in attendance; -14.2% at the Disneyland Park and -1.6% at the Walt Disney Studios Park, which the Times attributes to larger fears of terrorism across Europe.
In a statement, Disney (which does not release public attendance reports) responded to the report by claiming that many of its parks are undergoing renovations, which might also negatively affect attendance: "We are investing behind the wealth of great franchises we have in order to deliver magical experiences that exceed our guests' expectations."
But while attendance fell, profits during that same time did not. The park portion of the Walt Disney Company had an operating income of $3.3 billion in 2016, which the Times reports is a 9% increase from the year before; again, an increase that could be attributed to the new pricing systems. So while fewer folks are going to the parks, those attending, no matter if they're coming in on a peak holiday, are perhaps having a better experience than in the years before.
