Disney Parks fans can’t seem to agree whether Magic Kingdom Park, EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park are more or less crowded than they used to be. Interestingly, though, many agree on one thing: the crowd levels at Walt Disney World Resort are what the internet has dubbed a “recession indicator.”
Earlier this year, J.P. Morgan raised the likelihood that the U.S. would see a recession by the end of 2025 to 60% due to tariffs and economic policies enacted by President Donald Trump. Through economic de-escalation negotiations, the probability has fallen to 40%, but looming price hikes and tax increases have many Americans concerned about their financial futures.
Are the Central Florida Disney parks Empty?
Some Walt Disney World Resort locals argue that even though the parks are still crowded, they’re far less busy than during summers past. In a recent Reddit discussion started by u/goldtank123, Disney Parks fans discussed whether the current crowd levels compare to the state of the Central Florida theme parks in the wake of the 2008 economic recession.
“Last week, including Memorial Day weekend, I waited 60 minutes for Tron and GotG but like 10-30 minutes for everything else,” u/FavoredKaveman wrote. “I never needed to use mobile ordering. I got a decent spot for MK fireworks without camping out an hour early.”
“You can even see by restaurant reservations and wait times even today that it’s not as crazy as it usually has been,” u/jkman61494 agreed.
Many Disney Parks fans said the current crowd levels aren’t nearly as low as during the 2008-2010 recession, but argued that discounts prove Walt Disney World Resort is concerned about attendance.
“The crowds have been very low this year,” said u/Kenway. “Probably still up compared to 2008…but not recovered to 2019 levels…Disney has offered like 7 or 8 different types of discounts for this summer/fall. It’s clear crowds are down.”
“The numbers were coming in weak so they incentivized the heck out of this summer,” u/simplequestions2make replied.
Are More People Going to Disney World Because They’ve Resigned Themselves to a Recession?
Some guests disagreed that Walt Disney World Resort isn’t crowded, but contended that the busy theme parks are actually a sign of a looming recession. Whether taking advantage of several discounts or going into credit card debt, many Disney Parks fans say that families have resigned themselves to financial difficulties and decided to prioritize making memories.
“So many families charge the entire trip on credit and choose to worry about it later,” u/HolyHendrix commented. “I believe there’s a bleak resignation that has set in with Americans that will actually lead to increased consumer discretionary spending.”
“People are living beyond their means,” u/jsal1001 echoed.
Some Disney Parks fans shared their own perspectives on spending money on a vacation over other high-priced purchases.
“Median house price in my town is $650k. MEDIAN,” u/HarryHatesSalmon wrote. “I’ll never be able to retire, or buy a house for myself and my son. I think a lot of us just figure F it at this point, we may as well enjoy life now because there’s no point in saving $10k in the bank when you need a million to get anything done. So we go to the parks to forget about it for a bit.”
“I think it’s full BECAUSE of the recession,” said u/jkman61494. “I know personally we got massive discounts for going later this month. As in less money to get a suite at art if animation than staying offsite. Even AKL was basically higher tier offsite hotel. And then the ticket discounts as well. Had no intention to go but the price drops priced us IN to going.”
Others theorized that many people planned their trips last year before the economy started trending downward.
“The economy is still in its decline,” u/Mychael612 argued. “And for at least Disney World, most of those people had their trips planned before the economy started going down. Give it until this time next year and you may start seeing attendance drops.”
“The downturn in attendance likely won’t happen until the recession can be felt more immediately,” u/ShelShock77 added. “There are probably still families actively planning and saving for their trips in the hope they can take them before the economy stalls out.”
It remains to be seen whether the possible recession will impact Walt Disney World Resort crowd levels in the future. Stay tuned to Disney Dining for updates on construction, discounts, and other developments around the Disney parks!
Are Magic Kingdom Park, EPCOT, Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park, and Disney’s Hollywood Studios more or less crowded than usual? Share your opinion with Disney Dining in the comments!
