Disney’s theme parks revenue holds steady, despite national economic concerns

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Despite worries about people cutting back on spending and rising gas prices, Walt Disney’s theme parks and cruise line are continuing to perform well.

The Walt Disney Company’s experiences division, which includes theme parks and other entertainment venues, brought in $9.5 billion in revenue during the last three months. This is a 7% increase compared to the same period last year.

Revenue increased thanks to guests spending more at Disney’s U.S. parks and resorts – income rose 6% to $6.9 billion – and because Disney’s cruise line was able to accommodate more passengers with the addition of two new ships. Overall, operating income for this part of the business increased by 5% to $2.6 billion in the quarter ending March 28.

Disney’s theme parks were being closely watched because of national concerns about increasing prices for things like gas and everyday goods, fueled by the conflict with Iran. Experts questioned whether people would cut back on vacations due to the higher costs of getting there.

While attendance at Disney’s U.S. parks dipped slightly (down 1%) from the previous year, the company believes they are recovering from a slowdown in international tourism. Disney had shifted its marketing to focus on attracting more local visitors, which they say is now starting to pay off.

Company leaders recently mentioned that second-quarter results might be lower than expected due to a decrease in the number of international tourists visiting the U.S.

Despite economic concerns globally, Disney executives Josh D’Amaro and Hugh Johnston expressed optimism in a recent letter to shareholders. They noted strong current demand and anticipate an increase in domestic park attendance for the third quarter of the fiscal year.

As a movie lover, I was really happy to see the latest earnings report! The entertainment side of things is clearly doing incredibly well – they brought in a whopping $11.7 billion, which is a full 10% more than they made this time last year. That’s fantastic news for fans like me, hopefully meaning more great movies and shows are on the way.

Disney’s growth was largely fueled by its streaming services, Disney+ and Hulu, which brought in almost $5.5 billion in revenue – a 13% increase from the previous year. This was due to more subscribers paying higher fees and increased advertising income. As a result, operating income for the streaming business soared by 88% to $582 million.

Disney’s movie business performed well this quarter, boosted by popular films like “Avatar: Fire and Ash” from 20th Century Studios, the animated sequel “Zootopia 2,” and Pixar’s “Hoppers.”

The company announced total revenue of $25.2 billion, which is 7% higher than last year. Pre-tax income increased by 9% to $3.4 billion compared to the same time in 2025, and operating income grew by 4% to $4.6 billion. Excluding some one-time items, earnings per share were $1.57, up from $1.45 the previous year.

Disney’s sports channels, including ESPN, generated $4.6 billion in revenue, up 2% from the same time last year. However, operating income decreased by 5% to $652 million, which Disney explained was due to increased costs for sports broadcasting rights and the lack of revenue from UFC pay-per-view events compared to the previous year.

Disney sees artificial intelligence as a significant opportunity for the future. They believe it could improve many areas of their business, including how content is made, how they earn revenue, how efficiently their teams work, and the experiences they offer to customers and guests, as well as their overall operations.

D’Amaro and Johnston emphasized in their letter to shareholders that they’re dedicated to using AI responsibly, ensuring it supports human creativity, respects the rights of content creators, and protects intellectual property.

Following OpenAI’s decision to pause access to its video-generating AI, Sora – a tool Disney was considering investing in – Disney leaders D’Amaro and Johnston stated the company will still look for ways to partner with OpenAI and other AI businesses.

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2026-05-06 14:01