Disney World has been a sea of construction over the last year, and there really is no end in sight. There are tons of projects in development, like Villains Land, Piston Peak, Pueblo Esperanza, and more. While some have said that 2026 is the year to skip the parks, Disney is sharing that they’re just as busy as ever.

Cinderella Castle

Disney CFO Hugh Johnston recently appeared at the 2026 MoffettNathanson Media, Internet & Communications Conference, where he discussed the future of Disney, expansions, and the theme parks’ capacity. Spoiler alert: the guests are still filling the parks and prices aren’t dropping any time soon.

According to CFO Hugh Johnston, the Disney theme parks are packed these days. During the conference, Johnston touched on a multitude of topics, including Disney’s long-term growth and its commitment to consistent performance. During the panel, a question was asked about the balance between attendance growth and capacity of the parks, specifically Disneyland and Disney World. They also touched on the balance between attendance growth and pricing in the future.

©Disney

Johnston started by sharing that it won’t be one or the other over the next several years, but they’re going to be focusing on growing both attendance and pricing. He said, “Necessarily, it needs to be both.” He continued to touch on the reality of having “a big fixed asset” by saying they use “promotional activities to make sure we’re filling the parks every day.”

EPCOT Crowds in May 2026

He also shared that the “capacity utilization on these parks is really, really high, almost all the time.” He attributed the high capacity to the different discounts and promotions they use throughout the year. Johnston continued to share, “Without expansion, we don’t necessarily have the ability to grow attendance massively because it’s already filled up.” 

Rope Drop Crowds

So what does that mean for us on our vacations? The crowds aren’t dying down any time soon. He did say that they could “jam more people into the parks,” but that choice would lead to guest dissatisfaction, which would then be bad for the brand. He shared that adding capacity to the parks, it creates more opportunities.

Magic Kingdom lines in April 2026

He made sure to confirm that it doesn’t mean production is slowing down. He did say that when they put in a new attraction, they see a clear surge in demand for it, and that leads to filling up ride capacity and then the theme parks “really, really quickly without having to discount.”

Crowds for the reopening of Big Thunder Mountain

Sadly for us, he also confirmed that opportunities like new ride openings “actually offers some ability to charge more because essentially, you’re offering something new that wasn’t there before.” So no, prices won’t be going down any time soon. Not that this is a huge shock or anything, especially with all of the new attractions and lands they are currently developing.

Wait times for Big Thunder Mountain

Johnston continued to share that they have the ability to grow attendance as they expand capacity. He said, “I would expect to see both pricing and attendance growth over any 3- or 4-year time frame.” While these comments might be newer, the sentiment isn’t. Disney has been open about a drop in attendance, but a growth in guest spending more than in the past. In 2022, they even confirmed guests were spending 40% more than they were in 2019.

Disneyland Crowds

Despite the high capacity, Disney recently reported a 1% drop in attendance numbers during the second quarter of 2026. They also confirmed that spending per capita was up 5%. That means there are technically fewer guests, but they’re all paying more.

Morning crowds at EPCOT

Disney has continued to justify price increases thanks to all of their new additions to the parks, which are part of a previously announced $60 billion expansion.  At Disney World alone, they’re working on a Villains land in Magic Kingdom, a Cars-themed space in Magic Kingdom, a Monsters, Inc. space in Hollywood Studios, Pueblo Esperanza in Animal Kingdom, a brand-new hotel, and much more.

Piston Peak Construction

These new attractions, rides, and more don’t necessarily mean that Disney is going to start “jamming” more people into the parks in the immediate future. What we can anticipate is higher prices for the same number of people. As previously stated, Johnston confirmed they will be focusing on both attendance and pricing over the next few years, so don’t hold your breath for price drops and empty theme parks any time soon.

Construction Walls in Hollywood Studios

We’re eager to see exactly how these huge expansions to the parks will impact crowds, pricing, satisfaction, and more. Be sure to keep following DisneyFoodBlog for more Disney news, updates, stories, and more.

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