Animal Kingdom

Walt Disney World Popularity Plummets by Over 26% in Last 5 Years, According to Forbes — Data Shows Growing Interest for Dollywood

Walt Disney World Popularity Plummets by Over 26% in Last 5 Years, According to Forbes — Data Shows Growing Interest for Dollywood

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.

Disney World Announces Another Lightning Lane Price Increase Despite Record-Low Park Attendance

Disney World Announces Another Lightning Lane Price Increase Despite Record-Low Park Attendance

On October 8, 2025, Walt Disney World announced a record-setting price increase for its “skip-the-line” service, Lightning Lane.

While price hikes are nothing new at Disney—especially at the start of the company’s fiscal year—this round of increases comes at a time when attendance across the Florida parks has dropped to some of the lowest levels in years.

The new pricing takes effect on October 29, 2025, raising costs by up to $6 per person per park for Lightning Lane Multi Passes, and between $1 and $3 per person for Single Pass selections. Notably, last year the New Lightning Lane system replaced “Genie+”, which in 2021 replaced the pre-lockdown FastPass+, a complimentary perk included with every ticket and annual pass.

PHOTOS: Disney’s Animal Kingdom Vanishes Behind Construction Walls

PHOTOS: Disney’s Animal Kingdom Vanishes Behind Construction Walls

Do you enjoy construction walls? Did you love the “Wallcot” era at EPCOT from 2020 to 2024? If so, Animal Kingdom is the place for you right now! However, if you prefer having access to a full park when you pay full price, you may want to avoid Animal Kingdom for the time being as roughly one-fifth of the park is currently behind construction walls or barriers of some kind.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios Adds New Construction Walls as 3/4 Disney World Parks Close Off Large Sections Behind Barriers

Disney’s Hollywood Studios Adds New Construction Walls as 3/4 Disney World Parks Close Off Large Sections Behind Barriers

Walt Disney World has a massive construction wall problem, with large sections of the park under maintenance or construction. This has closed off large sections of three out of the four Walt Disney World parks. Most recently, additional construction walls have popped up in Disney’s Hollywood Studios.