Walt Disney World Q3 2026: Domestic Park Attendance Grows 3%

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Walt Disney Company headquarters in Burbank

Walt Disney World had a standout quarter, and the numbers back it up. Disney’s fiscal third quarter 2026 results show the Experiences segment — theme parks, resorts, and Disney Cruise Line — posting double-digit revenue growth for the quarter ended June 27, 2026.

The Walt Disney World Q3 2026 results include domestic park attendance up 3% and Experiences revenue of $9.97 billion, up 10% year over year.

Here’s the full breakdown, with a close look at what happened at the parks.

Quick Summary

  • Experiences revenue: $9.97 billion, up 10% from $9.09 billion
  • Experiences operating income: $3.02 billion, up 20% from $2.52 billion
  • Domestic park attendance grew 3%; per capita spending grew 4%
  • Global guests, combining attendance and cruise passenger days, grew 4%
  • Domestic Parks & Experiences revenue was $7.12 billion, up 11%
  • A roughly $100 million tariff refund added about four points to operating income growth

Walt Disney World and the Experiences Segment

Disney called out Walt Disney World specifically as having a standout quarter, pointing to healthy attendance from domestic tourists and annual passholders, plus summer promotions and new experiences.

Across the Experiences segment:

  • Total revenue: $9.97 billion, up 10% from $9.09 billion a year ago
  • Operating income: $3.02 billion, up 20% from $2.52 billion
  • Domestic parks and experiences revenue grew 11%
  • Global guests (park attendance plus cruise passenger days) grew 4%
  • Domestic park attendance grew 3%
  • Per capita spending at domestic parks grew 4%

Where the Revenue Came From

Theme park admissions revenue rose 9%, made up of a 5% lift from higher average ticket prices and a 3% increase from more visitors.

That split is the most informative number in the release. More than half the admissions growth came from price rather than volume.

Resorts and vacations revenue jumped 17%, driven mostly by more cruise days (10%), plus higher hotel rates (2%) and more occupied room nights (2%).

Merchandise, food, and beverage revenue at the parks grew 7%, split between more volume (4%) and higher guest spending (3%).

Domestic vs. International

  • Domestic Parks & Experiences revenue: $7.12 billion, up 11% year over year
  • International parks: $1.79 billion, up 6%
  • Domestic segment operating income: up 27% to $2.09 billion
  • International operating income: down 13% to $369 million

The international decline is the soft spot. Disney has separately acknowledged a weaker consumer at Shanghai Disneyland and Hong Kong Disneyland in Q3, a trend continuing into Q4.

The Tariff Refund Caveat

Disney flagged a roughly $100 million tariff refund this quarter, which added about four points to the Experiences segment’s operating income growth.

The company said this had no effect on segment revenue, and it doesn’t expect future tariff refunds to be significant.

That’s an important asterisk. Operating income grew 20% — but roughly four points of that came from a one-time refund rather than operations. The underlying operational growth is closer to 16%.

Read the operating income number with that adjustment in mind. It’s still strong. It’s just not quite 20% of real business improvement.

The Experiences segment’s operating margin for the nine months through June 27 sat at about 30%.

Disney Cruise Line Growth

This was the first full quarter with two new ships — the Disney Destiny and Disney Adventure — in service.

Together, they added roughly 50% more stateroom capacity compared to the same quarter last year. Disney said occupancy and forward bookings on the new ships remain strong.

That 50% capacity increase largely explains the 17% jump in resorts and vacations revenue. Cruise days grew 10%, and it’s hard to grow cruise revenue without hulls in the water.

More ships are planned:

  • Disney Believe — late 2027
  • “Ship 11” — 2029
  • An Oriental Land Company ship — 2029
  • “Ship 12” — late 2029
  • “Ship 13” — late 2030

Five additional ships across four years is an aggressive expansion, and it signals where Disney sees the highest-return capital in the Experiences segment.

New Attractions and What’s Next

Disney rolled out its first-ever “day-and-date” attraction update, retheming Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge with Mandalorian elements, simultaneously at Disneyland and Walt Disney World.

Simultaneous coast-to-coast attraction updates are a new operational capability, and it’s worth noting as a template Disney may use again.

The earnings release also previewed upcoming additions:

For Walt Disney World:

  • A Villains-themed area
  • A Monsters, Inc. area
  • A Tropical Americas area
  • A Cars-themed area

Elsewhere:

  • Disneyland Resort — a Coco-themed attraction, an Avengers Campus expansion, and a planned Avatar experience
  • Disneyland Paris — a Lion King-themed area
  • Hong Kong Disneyland — additional development

What It Means for Guests

Strong results generally mean continued investment, and the project list above supports that.

But the composition of the growth is worth understanding. Admissions revenue grew 9%, and 5 points of that came from ticket prices. Per capita spending grew 4%.

Translation: Disney is earning more per guest, not just hosting more guests. Attendance grew 3% while revenue grew considerably faster.

For anyone planning a trip, that’s the number that matters more than the headline. Prices are doing more work than crowds.

The Bottom Line

Walt Disney World Q3 2026 results show Experiences revenue at $9.97 billion, up 10%, with operating income of $3.02 billion, up 20% — though roughly four points of that came from a one-time $100 million tariff refund.

Domestic park attendance grew 3%, per capita spending grew 4%, and admissions revenue rose 9% with most of the lift coming from higher ticket prices.

Disney Cruise Line added 50% more stateroom capacity with the Destiny and Adventure, and five more ships are planned through 2030.


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Meet the Author: Nate Bishop

I’m a die-hard Disney fan with 38 years of visits under my belt, having stepped into Disney World 120+ times. Proud to be a Disney Annual Passholder, a Vacation Club member since ’92, a Castaway Club Member, and a runDisney enthusiast. Oh, and I’ve graduated from the Disney College of Knowledge. Need Disney insights or planning tips? I’m your guy!

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