Disney Banking on Halloween To Save Its Dwindling Attendance

It’s September now. Kids are heading back to school, and at the Walt Disney World Resort, they are picking up the pieces of a terrible summer.

A theme park walkway with visitors strolling under a sunny sky. Tall pine trees line both sides of the path, leading to a rugged mountainous structure in the background. Various people are scattered along the otherwise empty path, some pausing to look around or take photos. — Credit: @donaldo0609

Reports indicated that this summer, Walt Disney World and the Disneyland Resort were slow. In some cases, it was the slowest summer since before the Pandemic started.

While The Walt Disney Company does not release specifics about its theme park attendance, Disney CEO Bob Iger admitted that the company saw a “post-Covid” decline. But even that doesn’t tell the whole story.

According to The Thrill Data Blog, wait times, an indicator of crowds, were down at every Disney park. But it’s not just that they were down; it’s how far they fell.

disney-world-magic-kingdom-empty — Credit: @DrewDisneyDude

The data shows that wait times across the Walt Disney World Resort were down 24 percent from the pre-pandemic high of August 2019. Disney’s Animal Kingdom saw the lowest decline at 15 percent, while the Magic Kingdom saw the most significant fall at nearly 29 percent.

But that was August, and it’s September now. Like Starbucks and its pumpkin-spiced everything, Disney has a secret weapon to bring back the crowds: It’s Halloween time.

Disney hopes the Halloween and ensuing Christmas seasons will help prop up attendance for the rest of the year. But will it be enough?

Let’s examine what went wrong this summer and consider whether the Halloween season will be enough to save the Disney parks.

A majestic fairy tale castle with blue spires and golden accents stands against a bright blue sky with scattered clouds at the heart of Walt Disney World Resort. The central spire is particularly tall, adorned with a flag at its peak, while a prominent clock greets visitors above the entrance. — Credit: Brian McGowan on Unsplash

What Happened This Summer?

So, what went wrong this summer? There are several reasons why the Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort were empty this summer.

First and foremost, Disney had very little to offer guests this summer. Besides Tiana’s Bayou Adventure in the Magic Kingdom, there were no new attractions this year.

Many guests, especially those heading to Central Florida, have postponed their trips until 2025, when Universal Orlando Resort opens Epic Universe.

Sure, there were plenty of announcements at the D23 Expo, including a Disney Villain Land, but those projects are in the distant future.

A fantastical landscape featuring a castle amidst rocky terrain with vibrant, otherworldly colors. Glowing green crystals and pools of water are scattered throughout the rugged landscape, under a sky transitioning from dusk to night with shades of purple and pink. — Villains Land concept art. Credit: Disney

EPCOT did not even have a festival running this summer to attract locals to the park on weekends. Usually, Disney extends the Food and Wine Festival into the summer months to attract more diehards to the food, but this year, there was nothing.

Then there was the heat. Central Florida saw some of its hottest temperatures on record this summer, with an extended period in which the temperature felt well over 100 degrees.

Southern California also saw an extended period with temperatures in the 100s, and with that kind of heat, even the locals will stay home rather than spend the day at the Disney parks.

A stunning castle with blue and gold spires stands tall under a vibrant, orange sunset sky. The sun shines brightly, casting a warm glow over the scene. Trees and a neatly manicured garden frame the foreground, evoking a magical Disney-like charm. — Credit: Inside The Magic

Despite all that, there were still not as many guests heading to Disney World. But there’s also the reason the parks weren’t that crowded this summer. The reason that Disney CEO Bob Iger and the rest refuse to acknowledge: the cost.

Guests heading to a Disney theme park feel nickeled and dimed to death. They pay thousands of dollars for tickets and a room at a Disney Resort, and then there are the extras.

Guests are paying significantly more for extras like Lightning Lane passes, and the Walt Disney World Resort has taken away many of the free perks that once came with a Disney vacation. Gone are the freebies like Fast Pass, Magical Express, Extended Hours for all Disney Resort guests, and free MagicBands.

Magical Express Bus pulling up at the resort — Credit: Disney

The loss of all these free items for Disney World Resort guests starts to add up, and Disney fans have had enough.

The cost of a Disney vacation has priced out a large portion of Disney fans and is clearly starting to impact the size of the crowds. Families are being stretched thin, and something has to go. It appears that a Disney vacation may have been the first thing.

So, what can Disney do? Lower the cost of a vacation? Perhaps.

Instead, Disney is doing what has worked for them in the past, banking on Halloween and exclusive after-hours events to bring the crowds back.

Disneyland guests dressed in Halloween costumes at Oogie Boogie Bash — Credit: Disney

Halloween to the Rescue

Despite all the negative feelings that Disney fans may have about the parks or the company’s current management when it comes time to pay $200 for a ticket to Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party or the Oogie-Boogie Bash, they’re in.

Disney pushed up the start times for Mickeys Not So Scary Halloween Party this year into early August, and the Halloween party was completely sold out for the month and is nearly sold out through September.

Mickey Mouse dressed as a vampire in a black and purple striped suit with an orange cape, celebrating Halloween. The background features a brightly lit castle at night with blurred lights adding to the festive atmosphere. — Credit: Disney

Tracy Halas, creative director of Disney Live Entertainment, told Reuters:

We’ve seen from our guests in years past that there’s a demand for them to come and enjoy that season with us.

The Disneyland Halloween party sold out completely in only 11 days. For those on the West Coast, the Halloween season includes a Nightmare Before Christmas featuring a Jack Skellington overlay of the Haunted Mansion, which Disney World does not get for its version of the Haunted Mansion.

Disney learned that guests will come for the Disney World Halloween Party, and other theme parks are learning the same lessons. Universal Studios Orlando rolled out its Halloween Horror Nights this past weekend, not nearly as early as Disney, but still in August.

A group of people are screaming in delight as they pose for a selfie at Halloween Horror Nights in a haunted house. The setting is filled with eerie lights, creepy dolls, and costumed performers in suspenseful clown and circus-themed attire, intensifying the spooky atmosphere. — Credit: Universal Studios Japan

Six Flags and Cedar Fair are also jumping on the Halloween season, introducing new themed haunted houses for guests.

Edithann Ramey, chief marketing officer at Six Flags, told Reuters:

It’s become this time of the year that’s grown in explosive ways. It’s become a billion-dollar industry in the last five years.

So, with billions at stake, why not expand the Halloween season into August?

However, Disney parks will be disadvantaged, with other theme parks jumping into the Halloween scene. Other parks play to the scares of Halloween, while Disney’s Halloween decor trends more toward families.

Three classic Disney villains, Jafar, Cruella de Vil, and Maleficent, stand in front of a lit, eerie castle at night during a Disney Halloween Party. — Credit: Disney

While the Disney experience is quaint, Universal and Six Flags want to scare you to death. So, what’s Disney to do?

Don’t be surprised if Disney starts emphasizing frights with its Halloween celebration. Disney’s Hollywood Studios would be the perfect spot for something like that.

Like Disney tried with Jollywood Nights, Hollywood Studios can offer an adults-only experience that allows guests to bust out their Halloween costumes and get scared.

Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party parade with character in costumes on Main Street, U.S.A., at Disney World. — Credit: Disney

For Disney, this could be the ticket to save their attendance for the year, and with Christmas just around the corner, there’s another high-priced ticketed event for guests.

This doesn’t solve Disney’s pricing problem, but it doesn’t seem they were trying to solve that anyway.

What has your experience been at Disney, Universal, or Six Flags’ Halloween events?