Universal Theme Parks See Dip in Attendance Due to High Travel Costs

By Jordan-Paige Sudduth Leave a Comment

The high cost of travel has started to affect theme park attendance at Universal Orlando, and it’s important to keep an eye on these trends to see how it may affect other theme parks in the area or your travel plans.

Universal Orlando

What does this exactly mean for your upcoming trip? Let’s break it all down.

According to Deadline, Comcast, the company that owns Universal, has confirmed that its second quarter numbers showed softening attendance trends in Orlando. This is a trend that co-CEO Mike Cavanagh said has continued into the third quarter and is “driven by some weakness in consumer sentiment and higher travel costs.” It was highlighted, though, that these trends are temporary and are not at all a permanent change in the outlook.

Epic Universe

When speaking to analysts on a recent call, Cavanaugh continued by saying, “We continue to see continued consumer appeal and satisfaction, and all the things we look at, as it relates to the excitement people have about our parks.” These comments come as Brent crude prices just pushed past $100 per barrel for the first time in months, squeezing an already-tight oil market, which has been making travel more expensive overall.

Islands of Adventure

Universal Executives on the call did highlight that they’re very happy with Epic Universe, the newest park, but Cavanaugh warned that this drop is hitting Orlando as a whole, not just Universal Orlando parks. Over at Universal Studios Hollywood, CFO Jason Armstrong noted that “results improved as we began to lap the initial pressure we experienced last year,” but confirmed that they’re not expecting to see a real improvement until the new Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift coaster opens later this year. Meanwhile, Universal Studios Osaka is still seeing issues due to the China-related travel restrictions to Japan, though foreign ministers of both countries met to talk at a regional conference this week for the first time since the argument that started the fallout in November 2025.

Universal

We’ll continue to keep you updated on all the latest Universal news, so be sure to stay tuned to DFB.

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