Walt Disney is ranked among the highest recreational companies in the world. We all grew up watching Kim Possible, Wizards of Waverly Place, Hannah Montana, and even the Suite Life on Deck. Other than producing great television and movies, the Walt Disney Company also owns a theme park that receives several visitors each day.

Precisely, about 35,000 guests visit Walt Disney World per day on average, touring the four theme parks: Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom, and Epcot.

Keep reading as we explore how much Disney World makes in a single day, bringing to light thoroughly researched and unbiased results. With decades of news reporting and journalism in the bag, they bring you the facts about US Disney’s total attendance and daily cost of maintenance.

How much money does Disney World make?

Data from Statista revealed how much Disney has made from the 1st quarter of 2010 to Q3 of 2024. They conclude that these go from just less than one billion to more than five billion dollars in revenue. These figures come in when things are bad.

These figures go as high as 91 billion dollars during good fiscal years.

“We’re off to a very strong start in fiscal 2022, with outstanding earnings per share increases, record revenue and operating results at our domestic parks and resorts, the successful launch of a new franchise with Encanto, and a significant increase in total subscriptions across our streaming portfolio to 196.4 million, including 11.8 million Disney+ subscribers added in the first quarter,” said Bob Chapek, Chief Executive Officer, The Walt Disney Company.

An excellent performance on the financial front carries all of Disney’s investments, from the output of the Walt Disney World Resort to its streaming services.

Below is a rundown of how much the company makes annually, and daily. 

Per Year

The pandemic made a rare instance for Walt Disney World and Disneyland, as it had to shut down operations for a number of weeks. Other instances that caused a great economic impact for the company included Hurricane Floyd in 1999 and 9/11.

With Disney revenue statistics taken into perspective, herein is the annual revenue amount brought in by Disney parks and resorts:

●      2021: $12.92 billion

●      2013: $14.087 billion

●      2014: $15.099 billion

●      2015: $16.1 billion

●      2016: $16.974 billion

●      2017: $18.415 billion

●      2018: $20.296 billion

●      2019: $26.225 billion

●      2020: $16.502 billion

Per Day: Revenue of Disney World daily

The revenues taken in by Disney World on a day-to-day basis are nothing short of amazing. Day in and out, it makes an average of $35.938 million through its revenues due to ticket sales within its parks and visitor on-site expenditure, along with other revenue sources.

These are car-parking fees for the sales of merchandise and seasonal events. Experts estimated it attracts 60,000 visitors daily in the year 2023.

This is easiest said when considering iconic theme parks such as the Magic Kingdom, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Each arm contributes handsomely to this figure, while the Magic Kingdom is believed to rake in $13 million daily.

Walt Disney World Resort has continued to provide people with thrilling rides and other unique experiences. It, therefore, deserves to retain prestige among most-visited theme parks worldwide.

Understanding Disney’s Revenue Streams

Disney World makes most of its revenue from:

Ticket Sales

Admission fees represent one of the main streams of income that are coming in day in and day out. An average ticket will cost something like $160 to $175.

Merchandise and Food

The money that it makes off of the sale of merchandise and foodstuffs creates millions of dollars in revenue created within the park itself. Each meal is between $19 to $93.

Special Events

Seasonal attractions and unique experiences boost the incoming revenues each day.

Parking Fees

These range between $30 and $55, hence tend to be a big determiner of the park’s overall revenue.

How much does it cost to maintain Disney World?

In reality, Maintaining Walt Disney World Resort requires an overwhelming amount of money and operational involvement.

Operating these iconic theme parks, water parks, and other establishments in this sprawling resort reaches an average cost of almost $1.5 million a day. Expenses can range from payroll for employees to utilities, maintenance, and entertainment.

The major areas of Disney World’s expenses include:

Payroll

Disney employs tens of thousands of cast members. Pay starts at $9 to $20 an hour, with bonuses and benefits such as health insurance and retirement plans.

With more than 77,000 cast members, Walt Disney World forms one of the largest single-site employers globally. This is what brings together the magic for visitors to come.

Utilities and Infrastructure

Operating Disney’s parks and experiences requires a lot of power-estimated 1.2 billion kilowatt-hours a year-from natural gas mixed with solar.

Other major investments involve water management. There is reclaimed water in irrigation of plants and efficient fixtures to minimize the creation of waste in Disney World. It involves recycling and composting as one of the modes while managing waste within the parks to keep its operations sustainable.

Facilities and Maintenance

Disney maintenance includes daily inspection, cleaning, and repair. Hundreds of custodial cast members keep the place clean, while technicians and engineers keep some of those exciting rides and attractions like Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and Cinderella Castle in prime condition.

Entertainment and Experiences

Live performances, parades, and character meet-and-greets are cornerstones of the Disney experience. Much of the operating costs are costume and performer salary, construction of sets. Disney World continuously takes care of ride maintenance, safety checks, and operational enhancements.

Beyond family entertainment, movies and its theme park, Disney has also dived a bit into the gambling industry. Its subsidiary ESPN is currently in partnership with PENN Entertainment, operating casinos and sportsbooks across North America, offering gambling enthusiasts a chance to try their luck.

However, it is not at all necessary to visit physical casinos at the moment. Today, there are platforms that accept $10 deposits. Agreed, a small amount to get you started. Casinos with a $10 minimum deposit help players with limited bankrolls enjoy games with high RTPs, jackpots and impressive online bonuses.

Technology and Security

Disney World has invested in sophisticated technologies, from a ticketing system, mobile app, to IT infrastructures for management purposes, including security meant for protecting guests. Innovations are now required for handling millions of visitors annually.

Sustainability Initiatives

Some of the efforts that form part of Disney’s investment in caring for the environment include renewable energy projects, efficient means of transportation such as buses and monorails, and an efficient waste management system. These initiatives target operational efficiency in concert with environmental stewardship.

Factors Affecting the Daily Revenue Stream of Disney

The financial success of Disney emanates from the many different ways of gathering revenue:

Variability in Attendance

Since the average attendance is 58 million visitors yearly, this figure directly impacts the revenue received via ticket sales and other purchases made within the premises.

Visitor Spending

The more merch, food, and specialty experiences the visitor spends on, the higher the daily income.

Economic Conditions

These are external factors related to either inflation or decline that may affect the attendance and revenues daily.

Seasonal Events

Special offers boost ticket and merchandise sales on seasonal events all through the year.

Future Investments and Growth Plans

“As I look back to two years since my return, I couldn’t be more proud of the progress that we have made from emerging through a time of tremendous difficulty and disruption to being so well-positioned for growth,” CEO Bob Iger told analysts recently. “We put in place targeted strategies to drive growth across our businesses and our solid results this quarter are a clear indication they’ve been successful,” he said.

“We’ve had a very strong start to the fiscal year, with a significant rise in earnings per share, record revenue and operating income at our domestic parks and resorts, the launch of a new franchise with Encanto, and a significant increase in total subscriptions across our streaming portfolio to 196.4 million, including 11.8 million Disney+ subscribers added in the first quarter,” said Bob Chapek, former Chief Executive Officer, The Walt Disney Company.

It plans to invest 70 percent of its $60 billion budget in its parks and experiences over the next decade.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much money does Disney World make per year?

Annual revenues from Disney World run into billions, with a contribution of $28.71 billion to the revenues of the parks and experiences segment in 2022.

How many visitors does Disney World get daily?

It is estimated that Disney World receives 35,000 visitors daily and over 20 million annually in its parks. US Disney parks make more than 50% of the total attendance; hence, they are very popular compared to international parks.

How does Disney World compare to Disneyland?

While Disneyland is also capable of boasting a very sizable following, the Walt Disney World Resort did far and away better in area, revenue, and attendance, therefore being generally a more major player regarding the success of Disney as a whole. 

It plans to invest 70 percent of its $60 billion budget in its parks and experiences over the next decade.