Something unusual is happening in Orlando.
Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando Resort sit only miles apart and compete for many of the same tourists. Yet executives from their parent companies are describing noticeably different attendance trends in 2026.
Disney says its domestic theme parks performed better than anticipated over the summer. Comcast, on the other hand, acknowledges that Universal Orlando has encountered softer attendance.
It’s a surprising development considering Epic Universe opened in May 2025 and completely changed Universal’s footprint in Central Florida.
Disney gets an unexpected attendance boost
That performance apparently exceeded expectations inside the company.
Disney Chief Financial Officer Hugh Johnston addressed the situation during the Goldman Sachs Communacopia + Technology Conference.
“There was a belief going into Q3 earnings that, in fact, we were going to be challenged in Orlando,” Johnston said. “And in fact, the numbers were quite the opposite. They were rather strong. And that’s a lot about our (intellectual property).”
The numbers don’t provide an individual attendance percentage specifically for Walt Disney World, since the reported 3% combines Disney’s domestic parks. Still, Disney has characterized Walt Disney World’s performance as particularly strong.
At the same time, Universal is facing a different situation.
Universal says Orlando has softened
Comcast Chief Financial Officer Jason Armstrong acknowledged that Orlando began showing signs of weakness during June.
“What we started to see in June was softness in Orlando,” Armstrong said. “That’s the reason we drifted a little bit in the second quarter in terms of performance.”
More importantly, the issue hasn’t simply disappeared.
“We’re continuing to see softness in that market,” Armstrong said.
He pointed toward broader economic pressures, including airfare and gas prices, as factors affecting Orlando tourism.
That might sound concerning after Comcast made an enormous investment in Epic Universe, but executives aren’t blaming the new theme park.
Quite the opposite.
Comcast remains confident in Epic Universe
Armstrong said Epic Universe “sort of lifted all of Orlando” when it debuted in May 2025.
He also directly addressed whether Comcast still believes building the park was the correct decision.
“The answer is absolutely yes,” Armstrong said.
Universal’s longer-term numbers help explain that confidence.
“In the Orlando market versus two years ago, we are up materially in every metric,” Armstrong said. “So that’s attendance, that’s per caps, an overall financial performance, and we’re rating really well in guest satisfaction.”
That’s an important piece of the story.
Universal may be experiencing a slowdown compared to more recent performance, but Comcast says its Orlando operation remains considerably stronger than it was two years ago.
Still, the immediate contrast with Disney is difficult to ignore.
Disney entered the quarter expecting potential challenges and instead reported stronger attendance. Universal entered its second year with Epic Universe and is acknowledging continued softness.
Both companies remain heavily invested in Orlando, and neither appears concerned about its long-term future.
But in 2026, America’s two biggest theme park competitors are seeing the Orlando market from very different perspectives.
