Universal Orlando is recovering faster than Walt Disney World in terms of attendance, according to a new report by Deutsche Research analysts Bryan Kraft and Benjamin Soff.
Released Thursday, Kraft and Soff point out in their report that Universal, which reopened its theme parks in June (with reduced capacity), sees an “increase in admissions,” pointing to Saturdays where attendance has dropped 64% compared to crowds in 2019.
By comparison, Disney World, which reopened its parks in July (also at a reduced capacity), is operating 80% less than last year, according to Deutsche’s report.
“Given this continued improvement in Universal support and the decline in new daily instances of COVID-19 in Florida, Disney World will soon see some benefits as well,” the report said. “Right now, Epcot and Animal Kingdom outperform Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios.”
Disney and Universal closed all of their national parks in mid-March due to the pandemic. So far, only Florida’s destinations have reopened with new and strict fitness and protection measures. Disney recently announced that it would cut Disney World’s opening schedules, and CEO Bob Chapek noted in the last earnings call that attendance was lower than expected due to the accumulation of cancellations.
Recently, Florida opened a new coronavirus control center on the Walt Disney World property. The verification site is located in Osceola County, at the main Disney resort near Animal Kingdom.
As for California, Disneyland and Universal Studios Hollywood closed indefinitely. However, grocery shopping districts and restaurants in both destinations are open to the public.
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