{"id":260776,"date":"2026-05-06T16:02:08","date_gmt":"2026-05-06T16:02:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/260776\/"},"modified":"2026-05-06T16:02:08","modified_gmt":"2026-05-06T16:02:08","slug":"disney-expects-effects-of-epic-universe-limited-international-visits-to-ease","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/260776\/","title":{"rendered":"Disney Expects Effects of Epic Universe & Limited International Visits to Ease"},"content":{"rendered":"

Though theme park attendance was down in Q2 FY26, Disney remains unconcerned<\/a> about impacts from Universal Epic Universe on Walt Disney World.<\/p>\n

Walt Disney World, Epic Universe, and International Visitation\"Ornate,<\/a><\/p>\n

In answer to a question about U.S. park trends on the Q2 earnings call, Disney\u2019s chief financial officer Hugh Johnston addressed Epic Universe-related headwinds and the slow in international travelers to domestic parks.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe expect international visitation and Epic-related headwinds to ease in the coming quarters as we begin to lap both of those impacts,\u201d Johnston said.<\/p>\n

Disney\u2019s domestic theme park attendance was down<\/a> 1% in Q2 but Johnston noted that if international visitation was excluded from the numbers, domestic park attendance would have grown.<\/p>\n

\u201cDespite this, our revenue growth for the quarter was 7% in Experiences,\u201d Johnston explained, \u201cand the lack of flowthrough to operating income this quarter was driven primarily by pre-opening costs for World of Frozen and Disney Adventure, which we won\u2019t be incurring, obviously, in the second half of the year.\u201d<\/p>\n

Johnston continued, \u201cWe recognize that domestic attendance is an important metric for investors, and we\u2019re focused on it as well. However, as you know, we\u2019re investing to grow our global footprint.\u201d He cited plans to expand Disney Cruise Line from eight ships to 13 by 2031.<\/p>\n

Global guests \u2014\u00a0aggregating domestic and international park attendance, along with passenger cruise days \u2014\u00a0grew more than 2% in Q2.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe good news is, as we look forward, we expect growth to improve in the back half, and our forward bookings are very encouraging as we look to the rest of the year,\u201d Johnston concluded.<\/p>\n

For the latest Disney Parks news and info, follow WDW News Today<\/a> on\u00a0Twitter<\/a>,\u00a0Facebook<\/a>, and\u00a0Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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