What Are Disney’s Biggest Theme Park Problems Now?

Okay, the early results are in for the updated Lightning Lane system, and they’re decidedly positive.

Even the usual batch of Disney cynics admit that Disney appears to have addressed one of its most glaring issues.

Guests have regained control of the booking system, allowing them to plan an itinerary rather than hope and pray at 7 a.m.

So, with Lightning Lane addressed, it’s time to move on to the next thing.

What are Disney’s biggest theme park problems?

The Epic Universe Threat

Some would argue this is a short-term concern. The belief is that Epic Universe should cool down considerably once the hype ends.

Past a certain point, the new Universal Studios gate will be the latest theme park in Orlando, but newness gradually wears off.

Still, Disney executives understandably worry about some aspects of Epic Universe.

Specifically, the biggest threat is to Disney’s hotel occupancy rates.

Currently, Disney rarely shares hotel nights with Universal Studios.

Even if guests take a split vacation, they typically drive to Epic Universe in the morning rather than stay at a Universal Studios hotel.

Guests make that decision because Universal’s hotels simply aren’t on a par with Disney.

However, the Epic Universe hotels appear better, and Universal has introduced a kind of poison pill for guests.

To spend one day at Epic Universe, you must purchase tickets for three days at Universal Orlando Resort.

When you’re spending that long at the parks, you might as well book a split stay between Universal and Disney, right?

Obviously, we’re only talking about a few thousand guests each night who will stay at Universal due to the convenience.

Still, those numbers add up, and that’s before we factor in the media aspect.

For the body of 2025, headlines will indicate that Universal Studios is a more significant threat to Disney than ever.

Factually, Universal is more of a challenger brand, a distant second with an Orlando theme park that wouldn’t even exist without Disney World.

Even so, the media will post thousands of those stories, placing Disney on defense throughout the year. It’s a problem.

The question becomes how temporary the problem is.

An Empty Pipeline

Here’s something to consider about Walt Disney World.

The four Orlando theme parks opened new attractions yearly from 2016 through last month.

During 2016 and 2024, Disney technically didn’t offer anything new, though.

Instead, Frozen Ever After and Tiana’s Bayou Adventure replaced Maelstrom and Splash Mountain.

We’ll witness something similar in 2025, when Test Track 3.0 debuts, and the same logic should apply in 2026 as well.

That’s when estimates suggest the DinoLand U.S.A. transition to the Tropical Americas will (mostly) finish.

While those attractions will be “new” in theory, we don’t know yet whether anything will be wholly original.

For example, the Indiana Jones attraction will almost assuredly use the DINOSAUR ride system.

At this point, we don’t know of any entirely original attractions coming to Walt Disney World.

Thankfully, that statement should change in two weeks when the 2024 D23 Expo occurs, but the cupboard is currently bare.

The combination of the arrival of Epic Universe and a paucity of new construction at Disney World frustrates fans.

In sports terms, Disney really needs to win the press conference at D23.

Fans want to hear about new rides, preferably ones debuting within the next three years.

Heat

Here’s an issue that starts as early as late March and continues as late as October.

The reality is that Central Florida temperatures have increased by several degrees over the past decade.

How big a deal is that? It depends on the date, but the extreme heat can cause problems.

Not coincidentally, some recent Disney rumors hint at indoor experiences receiving stronger consideration.

I’m firmly in the camp that Disney should prioritize indoor attractions.

Despite the jokes I make, Orlando’s heat is rarely oppressive.

However, more than 100,000 people visit Walt Disney World daily. So, congestion is an issue management must solve.

At Disney’s Animal Kingdom, all the walking leads to hotter temperatures.

Conversely, Disney’s Hollywood Studios suffers from congestion at places like Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.

Both situations make guests feel hotter and less comfortable.

Since the problem seemingly grows worse each year, this issue will become more pressing over time.

If D23 includes several indoor attraction announcements, you shouldn’t be surprised.

Conversely, if Disney mainly sticks to the outdoors, you should wonder whether that’s wise.

Price Complaints

Yeah, I hear you, and I get it.

Everything costs more now than it did five years ago. I even touched on this during the latest Disney Headlines.

Disney made several deals a few years ago that now seem like they’re shortchanging Cast Members due to hyperinflation.

How does Disney solve that problem? Thankfully, the company did the right thing by reaching a new agreement.

As I indicated the other day, Disney will likely pay for the increased labor costs by modestly raising some Disneyland prices.

This cycle is eternal with Disney theme parks, but the Bob Chapek era changed the tenor of the conversation.

People really hated that guy, and his compulsion to raise prices made him an easy target.

Since Bob Iger’s return, the issue hasn’t been as pronounced, yet most of Chapek’s price increases remain.

Fans dislike that they’re paying more for the same experiences, and it has eroded some trust.

Most fans would still agree that Disney theme park vacations provide more value than any other family trip.

Still, Disney needs to keep its prices in check for a while. Otherwise, the fan rage will arise once again.

Transportation

Disney officials are acutely aware that the bus system needs improvement.

I harp on the system’s imperfections because I’m frustrated by how little it has improved over the past decade.

We live in a world where my phone can tell me the nearest bathroom at Disney and give me directions to anywhere in this place.

Despite this fact, the arrival and departure times of Disney buses remain a mystery for most guests.

You’ll just sit there (or stand) in the parking lot, awaiting a bus.

While you do this, 52 other buses will pull in and out, none of which are going to your destination. It’s maddening.

Meanwhile, the boats provide a lovely respite and some peaceful tranquility.

Alas, Disney cannot add boat transportation everywhere due to the layout of the various theme parks and other Disney landmarks.

As for Disney’s most iconic form of transportation, the monorail industry may have suffered an extinction-level event during the pandemic.

Even if Disney wanted to expand the system – they don’t because it’s cost-prohibitive – putting new tracks and trams in place would prove nearly impossible.

Finally, I have it on good authority that the plans for the Disney Skyliner called for quick expansion once the new system established proof of concept.

Alas, we’re nearly five years into the monorail era, yet Disney officials haven’t made a peep about adding more stations.

I’m hopeful the topic of Skyliner expansion will come up during the D23 Expo, but I’m not holding my breath.

Right now, Disney’s transportation system needs reinvigoration, but the company’s capital expenditures sound like they’ll be directed elsewhere.

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