According to a new Forbes analysis by Caroline Reid, Walt Disney World theme parks have seen a staggering 26% drop in popularity over the last five years — a trend that raises serious questions about the health of Disney’s once-unbeatable parks division.
Holy Cow. This is how much Disney has lost to Universal. The graph shows the volume of online searches for the Magic Kingdom (BLUE) compared to Universal Studios Florida (RED) over the past 5 years. It’s damning. Read the background in our Forbes feature👇https://t.co/YyRBAdfa4e pic.twitter.com/zkxabDUi6B
— Movieconomics (@movieconomics) October 21, 2025
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While global tourism has rebounded in the post-lockdown era, the data shows the opposite for Disney. Walt Disney World in Florida has seen double-digit declines in popularity since 2019, with the House of Mouse slipping far faster than its rivals at Universal Orlando and Dollywood in Tennessee.
A Park-By-Park Breakdown That Should Worry Disney Executives
When you drill down into the numbers, the picture gets even bleaker.
Spaceship Earth in Walt Disney World at night – Photo Credit: That Park Place
At Walt Disney World, the most visited theme park on Earth — Magic Kingdom — has fallen by 21%. EPCOT, which recently completed a years-long overhaul, is down a more modest 4.2%. Hollywood Studios, home to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and Toy Story Land, has dropped a shocking 43%. And Animal Kingdom, once praised for its immersive world-building, has seen a collapse of 52%.
These declines come at a time when analysts expected pent-up post-lockdown demand to drive massive surges in attendance. Instead, Disney’s numbers reveal a prolonged cooling of public enthusiasm.
Guests Aren’t Buying the “Magic” Anymore
For decades, Disney’s theme parks were recession-proof — families saved for years to experience the magic. But in recent years, the company’s aggressive pricing, paid skip-the-line systems, and shifting cultural messaging may have alienated many longtime visitors.
Empty Main Street USA and Cinderella Castle hub on Labor Day 2025 Magic Kingdom Disney World – Photo Credit: That Park Place
The introduction of Genie+ and Lightning Lane, which replaced the free FastPass system, drew criticism as fans found themselves paying extra to experience what was once included. Add to that a series of high-profile controversies around the company’s political stances, and the result is an erosion of goodwill that no fireworks show can fix.
Even as CEO Bob Iger promised renewed focus on the parks, Forbes’s numbers paint a very different picture — one of dwindling popularity and uneven recovery. Disney has maintained record-high ticket prices even as wait times shrink and crowd levels visibly drop across the resort. Of course, the ticket price explosion is helping to keep the parks financially stable, even as fewer guests attend.
Universal’s Gains Tell a Different Story
Meanwhile, Universal’s Florida parks are weathering the storm with minimal damage — and in some cases, none at all. Universal Studios Orlando saw only a 2.5% dip in popularity, and Islands of Adventure held perfectly steady with a 0% decline.
Universal Experiences CEO Mark Woodbury and Mario/Donkey Kong Creator Shigeru Miyamoto in Super Nintendo World at Epic Universe – Photo Credit: NBC Universal
And now, Universal’s new Epic Universe park — which opened in March 2025 — stands poised to flip the script entirely. Early attendance reports show strong numbers, and analysts already expect the park to drive record tourism to Central Florida, much of it siphoned directly from Walt Disney World.
Dollywood Rises as Disney’s Decline Deepens
While Disney’s parks are losing momentum, one Tennessee destination is quietly becoming the new American success story in theme park tourism: Dollywood.
Dolly Parton rides through the streets of Dollywood to celebrate the park’s 40th anniversary – Photo Credit: That Park Place
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According to Google Trends data, public interest in Dollywood has skyrocketed since 2020 — climbing from a baseline of 32 to 93, a 191% increase in just five years. In the same period, Walt Disney World searches have steadily declined, reflecting the same cooling trend outlined in Forbes’s attendance analysis.
It’s a stunning reversal. Once considered a regional attraction, Dollywood is now regularly outperforming Disney World in online interest — a clear indicator of where families are choosing to spend their time and money. Dolly Parton’s namesake park has leaned into affordability, family-friendly values, and hospitality, all while Disney doubled down on price hikes and upcharges.
Dollywood vs Disney World on Google Trends from 2020 to 2025 – Google Trends
Dollywood’s model—emphasizing heart over hype—seems to be paying off. While Disney trims entertainment offerings and raises ticket costs, Dollywood continues adding new attractions like Big Bear Mountain and the HeartSong Lodge, expanding without alienating its core audience.
The Changing Theme Park Landscape
For years, Disney executives treated Universal as a secondary player and Dollywood like a non-entity — competitors, yes, but not a true rival to the Disney empire. That’s no longer true. Universal’s strategy of investing heavily in immersive, IP-driven lands — from Super Nintendo World to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter — has turned it into a genuine destination brand. Meanwhile, Dollywood’s embrace of hospitality and family friendly values has led to a massive spike in its online popularity.
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter Diagon Alley decorated for Christmas at Universal Orlando – NBC Universal
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By contrast, Disney has been slower to debut large-scale new attractions, focusing instead on incremental updates and retheming existing rides. Even diehard fans have started to voice frustration online about a lack of originality and an overreliance on intellectual property that doesn’t resonate with families the way Pirates of the Caribbean or Haunted Mansion once did.
The Bottom Line
A 26% drop in popularity isn’t a blip — it’s a red flag. Forbes’s findings suggest that Disney’s U.S. parks are losing the trust and excitement of everyday guests, even as Universal and Dollywood continue to build momentum.
The past five years have been brutal for @WaltDisneyWorld overall. The volume of searches for the resort have decreased by 26% since the start of 2020. Read all about it here 👇https://t.co/YyRBAdfa4e pic.twitter.com/S57BlVv9My
— Movieconomics (@movieconomics) October 21, 2025
If trends continue, Universal Orlando could become America’s top tourism destination by the end of the decade with Dollywood coming into its own as a contender. For Disney, a company that once defined family entertainment, that would be an unthinkable reversal of fortune.
The numbers don’t lie — and the crowds aren’t searching for Disney Magic like they used to.
What do you think about this dip in Disney World popularity? Sound off in the comments and let us know!
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Hopefully, this disqualifies Josh D’amero from CEO contention. This guy is just squeezing the stones looking for dollars, and those stones will dry up sooner rather than later considering the lack of interesting Disney… anything. Films, TV, or Movies.
Since they clearly have gotten rid of most of the creative people and engineers, they’ll have to go back to the well of old IPs, not bastardize them, and make them popular for the new generation. Then build quality, non-DEI infused rides and attractions.
And stop raising prices and nickel and diming people for every damn thing.
[…] For decades, Walt Disney World was the undisputed king of theme parks — the gold standard for family vacations and American entertainment. But according to new data highlighted by Forbes’s Caroline Reid, that era is over. In the last five years, Walt Disney World has seen a collapse in popularity of over 26%, with some individual parks plunging by half. Meanwhile, Universal Orlando and even Tennessee’s Dollywood are holding strong — or in Dollywood’s case, exploding in growth. […]
They destroyed the “Magic” by hiring DEI muggles, and going woke. No right-minded parent would trust their kids to be exposed to Disney’s trans propaganda, and anti-white agenda.