"Is There a Recession?" Disney Park Turns Into Ghost Town After Two Decades

Since Disneyland Park first opened in 1955, The Walt Disney Company has added 11 more theme parks around the world—weathering decades of economic ups and downs along the way.

Now, as concerns about a possible U.S. recession gain momentum, much of the speculation has focused on how Disney’s domestic parks might be affected. But at the moment, guest attention is turning elsewhere after one visitor shared images revealing just how empty a park overseas has become.

Guests Question Emptiness of Disney Theme Park

X, formerly known as Twitter, user @MeganNyvold shared images from a visit to Hong Kong Disneyland, where she rode on an empty roller coaster and took pictures of relatively barren lands throughout the park.

“WHY AM I THE ONLY ONE IN DISNEYLAND IS THERE A RECESSION???” she wrote.

WHY AM I THE ONLY ONE IN DISNEYLAND IS THERE A RECESSION??? pic.twitter.com/1Wb55JvOky

— Megan Nyvold (@MeganNyvold) April 19, 2025

After being questioned by X users over whether she took the images at park open – when all Disney theme parks tend to be more quiet – she followed it up with another two images that showed the park looking equally quiet at night.

The guest also added that while the park did get slightly busier and that wait times were rarely over 10 minutes, except for character meet-and-greets, which were significantly more popular than rides (having visited the park on multiple occasions, we can confirm that this is often the case).

Why Is Hong Kong Disneyland So Empty?

Notably, Hong Kong Disneyland has always experienced slower attendance than most other Disney theme parks. With just the one theme park and three hotels at the resort, it ranked as the second-least visited park in 2023, with only Walt Disney Studios Park at Disneyland Park attracting fewer visitors (via Statista).

The park has historically struggled to turn a profit. In fact, in early 2025, it was reported that Hong Kong Disneyland had turned its first profit in nearly a decade, having spent several years struggling with the ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic (which saw the park closed and reopened several times) and a wave of political protests that kicked off in Hong Kong in 2019.

In recent years, the park has invested heavily in transforming itself into a must-visit destination for Disney fans. Among its most notable changes was replacing the original Sleeping Beauty Castle – modeled after Anaheim’s – with the unique Castle of Magical Dreams.

It has also introduced major additions like World of Frozen, the first in a global rollout of Frozen (2013)-themed lands, and partially reimagined Tomorrowland as Stark Expo, tying into the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

And the transformation isn’t over yet. As Hong Kong Disneyland gears up to celebrate its 20th anniversary, it’s launching “The Most Magical Party of All” this June. The event includes enhancements to its nighttime show—Momentous will become Momentous: Party in the Night Sky—alongside the debut of the Friendtastic! Parade and Disney Friends Live: Party at the Castle.

Looking ahead, the Marvel-themed Stark Expo area is also set to expand further with a new drop tower attraction inspired by Spider-Man. This is expected to open at the Disney park at some point in the coming years.

Have you ever visited Hong Kong Disneyland?