Disneyland Paris Loses 288,000 Visitors. California Could Be Next
**Disneyland Paris Attendance Drops: How the Olympics Cast a Shadow—and What It Means for California**
Visitor numbers to Disneyland Paris fell by 288,000 to 15.8 million last year, marking its lowest attendance since 2012. According to new data, the driving force behind the decline could also affect Disneyland in California in years to come.
Disney does not break out individual attendance figures for its 12 theme parks worldwide, but data from the Themed Entertainment Association (TEA) reveals that Disneyland Paris and Walt Disney Studios Park were the only ones in Disney’s portfolio to experience a drop last year. The two parks saw a combined 1.8% decrease in visitors, with 186,000 fewer people attending the flagship Disneyland Park and 102,000 fewer at the Studios park.
Ironically, last year should have been a fairytale for Disneyland Paris with the launch of its groundbreaking Disney Electrical Sky Parade nighttime show. Using drones to recreate the iconic Main Street Electrical Parade floats in mid-air, the spectacle was met with rave reviews—but it was not enough to boost attendance, which dropped to 10.2 million.
Despite the decrease, Disneyland Paris remained the most-visited theme park in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA). However, Germany’s Europa-Park, second on the list, saw attendance surge 3.3% to 6.2 million—mirroring the overall trend for the EMEA region, where visitor numbers to the top 20 parks rose 3.3% to 68.5 million.
The Walt Disney Studios Park saw its attendance slip to 5.6 million, making it the fourth most-visited park in the EMEA region, down one place from the previous year. There is hope for the Studios park, which is undergoing a $2.3 billion (€2 billion) expansion. Over the past 15 years, attendance there has more than doubled, while Disneyland Park attendance has declined 19.8% due to a lack of new rides built from scratch.
Surprisingly, the attendance downturn was not simply due to a lack of new attractions. The TEA report points to the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics as a key factor, stating, “Both Disneyland Park and second-gate Walt Disney Studios Park saw a 1.8% decline in attendance. The parks were impacted by the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics, which raised hotel rates and shifted visitor attention during the peak summer months.” This aligns with Disney’s own third quarter earnings guidance for 2024, which noted “impacts at Disneyland Paris from a reduction in normal consumer travel due to the Olympics.”
Disneyland Paris declined to comment, but financial statements from parent company Euro Disney Associes confirm that “the 2024 Paris Olympics had a negative impact on theme park attendance during the period of the Games, which ran from July 26 to August 11.” Disney CEO Bob Iger acknowledged, “Disneyland Paris has obviously felt some challenge due to the Olympics. Not a surprise, but something that happens.”
It may seem counterintuitive for the Olympics—a global sporting event—to cause a crash in tourism at such a major attraction, but experts say it’s predictable. Soaring accommodation costs and huge crowds during the Games often deter visitors, resulting in declining tourism for host cities. Andrew Zimbalist, professor of economics at Smith College and a global expert on Olympic finance, explains that most hosts see a downturn in general tourism during the Olympics. Corinne Menegaux, director of the Paris tourist office, adds that Game-goers typically stick close to Olympic venues rather than exploring local attractions.
Political turmoil and security concerns also kept potential visitors away, as the Paris region recorded 68 million hotel nights in 2024—a 4% decline from 2023. According to Choose Paris Region, a governmental agency promoting the capital, this was “mainly due to the Olympic Games, which altered seasonal flows.”
The situation may not bode well for Disneyland and its neighbor, Disney California Adventure, with the 2028 Olympic Games set to take place in nearby Los Angeles. Disneyland, the world’s second-most-visited theme park with 17.3 million visitors last year, and California Adventure with 10 million, could be at risk.
The threat is not theoretical. When the Games were last held in LA in 1984, attendance at local theme parks including Disneyland, Knott’s Berry Farm, Six Flags Magic Mountain, and Universal Studios reportedly dropped 30–50%. “We’ve never had a worse summer,” said Herb Steinberg, then vice president of MCA Recreation Services (Universal Studios owner). “We’re down 30%. Unfortunately, the Games have destroyed the tourist business.” Disneyland spokesman Bob Roth added, “Business is remarkably slow. People can walk into our most popular rides. In past summers they had to wait as long as an hour.”
However, the stage may not be set for another attendance plunge in California. The Olympics were not the sole reason for the decline at Disneyland Paris—as every other major theme park in France saw an increase last year, including Parc Astérix (up 1% to 2.8 million visitors), and Puy Du Fou (up 12%).
Disneyland Paris faces additional criticism for its steep prices. The cheapest two-star on-site hotel for the rest of 2025 costs a whopping $522.48 for one night for two people—including two days of park tickets. With costs that high, boosting attendance may be no easy feat.
**Conclusion**
The Paris Olympics cast a long shadow over Disneyland Paris, affecting attendance despite innovative attractions. With the upcoming Los Angeles Games in 2028, the world’s second-busiest Disneyland could face similar challenges. As history shows, the intersection of major sporting events, high prices, and shifting tourism patterns can put theme park attendance in sharp decline—leaving Disney magic with even more hurdles to overcome.
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