Credit: Disney DiningIt’s been under four months since Donald Trump took office, and the effects of his policies and rhetoric are starting to be felt across Central Florida, especially at the Walt Disney World Resort and Universal Orlando Resort.
Weeks into his term, Trump threatened to turn Canada into the “51st state” and levied tariffs on goods coming from our neighbors to the north. Since then, Canadians have responded by canceling their Disney World and Universal trips.
Then Florida Governor Ron DeSantis jumped into the fray by threatening to levy taxes on “Canadians and Brazilians” who visited Florida rather than have a state property tax. That proposal was slightly derailed, but only for a short time.
Now, new numbers are starting to show how devastating these policies and rhetoric have been to Central Florida and American tourism.
According to Orlando Weekly, Central Florida saw a 3. 4 percent decline in Canadian tourists during the first four months of the year. Canadians represent the largest block of international tourists coming to the area, with 3.4 million visiting the state in 2024. The region also saw a one percent decline in international tourists coming to Central Florida.
Even more stark is the number of travelers coming to the United States by car and returning to Canada. Snowbirds will visit Florida after the holidays and return in April when the weather breaks up north. In April, there was a 35.2 percent drop in Canadians returning to their home country from America.
That much of a decline does not bode well for the beach towns and theme parks that rely on Canadian travelers for the summer. What’s worse is that upcoming flights from Canada have also seen a dramatic decline.
Canadian flights from the United States were down 19.2 percent in April over last year, and major air carriers have started using smaller planes and scheduling fewer routes to Central Florida from some of Canada’s largest cities.
When DeSantis’ office released these numbers last week, it dismissed the suggestion that either the governor or Trump’s rhetoric and policies had anything to do with the decline in Canadian travelers.
Most in Central Florida expect a bump in May with Epic Universe opening, but that increase should only be temporary as the shine wears off the new theme park.
For now, Canadians and some international travelers have decided to avoid Central Florida and punish Disney World and Universal Orlando for something they had nothing to do with. If this continues through the summer months, other destinations will start feeling the pinch from the loss of these lucrative travelers.
What do you think of Canadians staying home from Disney World this year? Let us know in the comments.