Disney says it is ‘performing significantly better than our competition’ at theme parks

After reporting another record quarter for its Experiences segment, Disney says its theme parks are outperforming rivals despite ongoing economic uncertainty and softer international travel.

During Wednesday’s third-quarter fiscal 2026 earnings call, Disney CEO Josh D’Amaro said the company’s parks are “performing significantly better than our competition,” pointing to growth in attendance, guest spending, and operating income while defending Disney’s recent promotional offers as a targeted strategy.

Disney points to strong domestic parks performance

“There was a fair amount of speculation about the domestic parks,” D’Amaro said. “Clearly they were strong.”

Disney reported 3% growth in domestic theme park attendance during the quarter, while domestic per capita guest spending increased 4%. Globally, guest growth reached 4%, helping Disney Experiences deliver another record quarter.

D’Amaro also highlighted continued momentum from Walt Disney World, expansion across Disney Cruise Line, and the successful debut of World of Frozen at Disneyland Paris as examples of the segment’s strength.

Towards the end of the call, when asked whether Disney’s strong domestic parks performance reflected easy year-over-year comparisons following the opening of Universal’s Epic Universe or underlying growth, Disney executives said they remain confident in the strength of the business. During Wednesday’s third-quarter fiscal 2026 earnings call, CFO Hugh Johnston said the company “was not too worried” about Epic Universe and credited Disney’s own initiatives for driving higher domestic attendance and guest spending.

Disney says promotions are driving incremental visits

D’Amaro also addressed questions about the company’s recent ticket promotions, including offers aimed at Southern California residents.

He said Disney’s promotions are designed to reach specific audiences, such as local residents and guests seeking more flexibility, rather than lowering prices broadly to increase attendance.

“We are not discounting our way to growth,” D’Amaro said.

Instead, he credited Disney’s evolving commercial strategy and more sophisticated pricing tools with helping drive incremental visitation while maintaining higher guest spending. He added that stronger attendance from local residents helped offset continued softness in international visitation, which has begun to moderate.

Investment strategy continues

D’Amaro said Disney continues to invest in long-term growth across its Experiences business, citing projects including Villains Land at Magic Kingdom, the Avengers Campus expansion at Disney California Adventure, and the continued expansion of Disney Cruise Line.

The company expects those investments, combined with a strategy focused on balancing attendance and guest spending, to support continued growth through the remainder of the fiscal year.

Although D’Amaro did not identify specific competitors, his comments came after Comcast reported softer attendance trends at its theme parks and United Parks & Resorts reported a decline in attendance during its most recent quarterly earnings, and Universal reported softening attendance at its parks.

With domestic attendance and guest spending both increasing, Disney is positioning its parks business as continuing to gain momentum even as the broader travel market and competing operators face a more challenging environment.