Disney World Fizzles On Fourth of July with Low Attendance and Lackluster Celebration
This year, almost no Americans celebrated the Fourth of July at Disney World. According to BlogMickey.com, there were several indications that the world’s premier theme park (nominally, anyway) had fewer guests than it has in years past and that it anticipated this downturn. Main Street is normally decorated with American Flag bunting, but this year, it was only Town Square that got all gussied up for Independence Day. The site has a series of comparison photos that show what Main Street looked like last year vs. this year. Additionally, Thrill Data has a graph showing the average wait times for rides throughout the day, which were significantly lower than normal:
WDW Pro has a video detailing the wait times per ride and the Fourth of July celebration in general, including the fireworks show being much shorter than usual:
This is embarrassing, although I suppose it’s to be expected. Classic Disney is one of the all-time great American brands, fueled by innovation, artistry, entrepreneurship, family, entertainment, and many other elements that would make it a terrific Independence Day destination, especially for families. But what have they got now? They have movies nobody wants to see, rides nobody wants to ride (when they run), and a general attitude that is off-putting to families, particularly the disturbing things they’re trying to foist on children. And what’s most amusing is that Disney saw this coming; they didn’t decorate much and cut down the fireworks show because they knew they wouldn’t have the crowds to justify them. They have no illusions about what they’ve become and what normal people think of it. And as WDW Pro points out, this is coming on the heels of Inside Out 2 being a massive success, with Deadpool & Wolverine on the way. People aren’t stupid; they know those movies are flukes, and the culture at Disney hasn’t changed. It’s sad to see a once-mighty American institution brought so low on the most American day of all, but as with all their misfortunes, Disney did this to themselves, and I don’t blame Americans for staying home to celebrate with friends, family, and Roland Emmerich movies.
For more on Disney World, Universal Studios, and other theme parks, check out the Park Hoppin’ YouTube channel, and see what they thought of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure right here.
