Disney is officially responding to growing questions about how Universal’s new Epic Universe theme park could impact Walt Disney World attendance.
During Disney’s Q2 fiscal year 2026 earnings call, Disney executives addressed concerns surrounding both the opening of Universal Epic Universe and the recent slowdown in international visitation to Walt Disney World Resort.
According to Disney, the company expects both challenges to become less impactful in the coming quarters. Disney Chief Financial Officer Hugh Johnston specifically referred to both issues as temporary “headwinds” during the earnings discussion.
“We expect international visitation and Epic-related headwinds to ease in the coming quarters as we begin to lap both of those impacts,” Johnston said during the call.
Disney also revealed that domestic theme park attendance declined by 1% during the second quarter of fiscal year 2026. However, Johnston noted that if international visitation numbers were excluded, domestic attendance at Disney’s U.S. parks would have actually increased during the quarter.
Despite the attendance slowdown, Disney’s Experiences division still reported 7% revenue growth during the quarter. Johnston explained that operating income was impacted primarily by pre-opening costs connected to major upcoming projects, including World of Frozen and Disney Adventure.
Johnston also emphasized that Disney continues focusing heavily on long-term global expansion efforts rather than reacting solely to short-term domestic attendance fluctuations.
During the call, Disney pointed toward future growth initiatives, including the expansion of Disney Cruise Line, which is expected to grow from eight ships to 13 ships by 2031.
According to Disney, overall global guest numbers (including domestic and international theme park attendance along with Disney Cruise Line passenger days) still increased by more than 2% during the quarter.
Executives also shared optimism about the second half of 2026, stating that forward bookings for Walt Disney World vacations and other Disney experiences remain “very encouraging” heading into the rest of the year.
The comments come as Universal Orlando Resort prepares for the continued expansion and operation of Universal Epic Universe, the company’s newest theme park, which has intensified competition in Central Florida’s tourism market. Industry analysts previously estimated that Epic Universe could potentially pull some vacation traffic away from Walt Disney World during its opening years.
Even with the increased competition, Disney executives appeared confident that Walt Disney World demand and international tourism trends will stabilize moving forward.
We’ll continue following the latest Walt Disney World updates, Epic Universe developments, Disney earnings news, attendance trends, and Central Florida theme park updates, so be sure to check back soon for even more news.
Leave a Reply