by Donald Wood
Last updated: 9:10 AM ET, Wed August 5, 2026
Visiting theme parks is a big part of summer travel for many
Americans, but the state of the industry varies by company, due in part to
higher fuel costs and waning consumer confidence.
According to The
New York Times, Comcast co-chief executive officer Michael Cavanagh said
during a recent earnings call that the company’s Universal theme parks experienced
a five percent quarterly decline in overall profit.
Despite the opening of the new Epic Universe park in Florida
last year, Cavanagh blames the quarterly decline on higher fuel costs, pricier
airline tickets, and “an overall demand drop that’s hitting Orlando broadly.”
“We fully expect that once economic conditions and consumer
demand stabilizes for us that we’ll be getting that attendance back and
thrilling our fans,” Cavanaugh said. “We’re proud of the product.”
While Universal’s parks are down, The Walt Disney Company reported
a different perspective during its latest earnings report. Company officials revealed
that attendance at Disney’s parks in Florida and California climbed three
percent, with Disney World in Orlando boasting a “standout quarter, with
healthy core attendance increases from domestic tourists and annual pass
holders.”
Disney chief financial officer Hugh Johnston even went as
far as saying, “Obviously, we’re gaining share,” likely inferring that the
company was luring potential Universal visitors to its theme parks.
Johnston revealed that Disney’s domestic parks and cruise
business generated $7.12 billion in revenue during the quarter that ended on
June 27, according to The New York Times, an 11 percent increase compared with
a year earlier.
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