Walt Disney World Statistics (2026): Attendance, Size & Fun Facts
Updated September 15, 2026 · By Steve Griswold, co-owner of Pixie Vacations
Walt Disney World's four theme parks drew about 49.1 million visits in 2024, the latest year with independent park-by-park estimates1. The resort covers roughly 25,000 acres3, employs about 80,000 cast members5, and Magic Kingdom has been the world's most-visited theme park in every year of the data below.
Lisa and I are former Walt Disney World cast members, and we have planned Disney vacations for 16+ years. Reporters and travelers ask us for these numbers all the time, so every figure here links to its original source: TEA attendance reports, Disney's annual report to the SEC, Disney's own fact pages and local tourism agencies. When official sources disagree, we tell you.
Disney World by the Numbers
Key Takeaways
- Attendance is flat and below its peak: 49.1 million visits in 2024, up 0.7% from 2023 but about 16% below 2019's record 58.8 million1,2.
- Magic Kingdom is #1 in the world (17.8 million). EPCOT ranked #8, Hollywood Studios #9 and Animal Kingdom #151.
- Disney World draws about 2.6 times Universal Orlando's attendance (49.1 million vs. 18.95 million in 2024)1.
- It is huge: about 25,000 acres and 23,000 Disney-owned hotel rooms, plus 10 independent hotels with 7,000 more3.
- 2025 numbers aren't out yet. As of September 15, 2026, TEA has not published the report that will first include Universal's Epic Universe1.
Jump to: Attendance · Rankings · Size · Opening dates · Hotels · Employees · Transportation & dining · Park facts · Cite this page · FAQ
How Many People Visit Disney World Each Year?
Walt Disney World's four theme parks recorded about 49.1 million visits in 2024, according to the Themed Entertainment Association (TEA)1. That is roughly 134,000 park visits a day (our calculation). The record in this data is 58.8 million in 20192.
Disney does not publish park attendance, so TEA's annual report is the standard independent estimate1,2. The figures count visits, not unique people: a guest who visits four parks counts four times.
MK = Magic Kingdom · EP = EPCOT · HS = Hollywood Studios · AK = Animal Kingdom · swipe table sideways →
| Year | Magic KingdomMK | EPCOTEP | Hollywood StudiosHS | Animal KingdomAK | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 19,332,000 | 11,454,000 | 10,312,000 | 10,402,000 | 51,500,000 |
| 2015 | 20,492,000 | 11,798,000 | 10,828,000 | 10,922,000 | 54,040,000 |
| 2016 | 20,395,000 | 11,712,000 | 10,776,000 | 10,844,000 | 53,727,000 |
| 2017 | 20,450,000 | 12,200,000 | 10,722,000 | 12,500,000 | 55,872,000 |
| 2018 | 20,859,000 | 12,444,000 | 11,258,000 | 13,750,000 | 58,311,000 |
| 2019 | 20,963,000 | 12,444,000 | 11,483,000 | 13,888,000 | 58,778,000 |
| 2020 | 6,941,000 | 4,044,000 | 3,675,000 | 4,166,000 | 18,826,000 |
| 2021 | 12,691,000 | 7,752,000 | 8,589,000 | 7,194,000 | 36,226,000 |
| 2022 | 17,133,000 | 10,000,000 | 10,900,000 | 9,027,000 | 47,060,000 |
| 2023 | 17,720,000 | 11,980,000 | 10,300,000 | 8,770,000 | 48,770,000 |
| 2024 | 17,836,000 | 12,133,000 | 10,333,000 | 8,800,000 | 49,102,000 |
Sources: TEA/AECOM Theme Index 2014–20232; TEA Global Experience Index 20241. Excludes water parks and Disney Springs. In 2020 the parks closed in March; Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom reopened July 11 and EPCOT and Hollywood Studios July 152.
Is 2025 Disney World attendance available?
Not yet. The 2024 TEA report came out on October 23, 20251, and as of September 15, 2026 no 2025 edition has been published. If TEA keeps last year's timing, expect it in fall 2026; we will update this table the day it arrives. Orlando overall set a record in 2025 with 76.7 million visitors, up 1.8%12.
Disney water park attendance
Typhoon Lagoon had about 1.82 million visits in 2024, the most of any North American water park, and Blizzard Beach about 897,0001. Since 2020 Disney has often run just one water park at a time, which explains the swings.
| Year | Typhoon LagoonTyphoon | Blizzard BeachBlizzard |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 2,185,000 | 2,007,000 |
| 2015 | 2,294,000 | 2,107,000 |
| 2016 | 2,277,000 | 2,091,000 |
| 2017 | 2,163,000 | 1,945,000 |
| 2018 | 2,271,000 | 2,003,000 |
| 2019 | 2,248,000 | 1,983,000 |
| 2020 | Closed | 316,000 |
| 2021 | Closed | 1,201,000 |
| 2022 | 1,915,000 | 101,000 |
| 2023 | 1,898,000 | 910,000 |
| 2024 | 1,817,000 | 897,000 |
Blizzard Beach's 2023 figure comes from the 2024 report1. TEA expects Blizzard Beach attendance to "grow considerably" in 2025 because both parks operated in spring and summer1.
Which Disney World Park Is the Most Visited?
Magic Kingdom is the most-visited park at Disney World and on Earth, with about 17.8 million visits in 2024, or about 48,700 a day (our calculation)1. EPCOT was second, then Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom.
Quoting a daily average? The familiar "57,000 a day at Magic Kingdom" matches 2019 attendance. The 2024 figure is closer to 48,700.
| Year | #1 | #2 | #3 | #4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Magic Kingdom | EPCOT | Animal Kingdom | Hollywood Studios |
| 2015 | Magic Kingdom | EPCOT | Animal Kingdom | Hollywood Studios |
| 2016 | Magic Kingdom | EPCOT | Animal Kingdom | Hollywood Studios |
| 2017 | Magic Kingdom | Animal Kingdom | EPCOT | Hollywood Studios |
| 2018 | Magic Kingdom | Animal Kingdom | EPCOT | Hollywood Studios |
| 2019 | Magic Kingdom | Animal Kingdom | EPCOT | Hollywood Studios |
| 2020 | Magic Kingdom | Animal Kingdom | EPCOT | Hollywood Studios |
| 2021 | Magic Kingdom | Hollywood Studios | EPCOT | Animal Kingdom |
| 2022 | Magic Kingdom | Hollywood Studios | EPCOT | Animal Kingdom |
| 2023 | Magic Kingdom | EPCOT | Hollywood Studios | Animal Kingdom |
| 2024 | Magic Kingdom | EPCOT | Hollywood Studios | Animal Kingdom |
Derived from the attendance table1,2. Versus 2019, every park was still lower in 2024: Magic Kingdom −14.9%, EPCOT −2.5%, Hollywood Studios −10.0%, Animal Kingdom −36.6% (our calculations).
How do Disney World's parks rank worldwide?
All four Walt Disney World parks were in the world's top 15 in 2024, and Disney Experiences was the biggest operator with 145.2 million visits worldwide, versus 59.0 million for Universal1. In North America they ranked #1, #3, #4 and #81.
| Rank | Theme park | 2024 visits |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Magic Kingdom | 17,836,000 |
| 2 | Disneyland (California) | 17,337,000 |
| 3 | Universal Studios Japan | 16,000,000 |
| 4 | Tokyo Disneyland | 15,104,000 |
| 5 | Shanghai Disneyland | 14,700,000 |
| 6 | Chimelong Ocean Kingdom (China) | 12,628,000 |
| 7 | Tokyo DisneySea | 12,441,000 |
| 8 | EPCOT | 12,133,000 |
| 9 | Disney's Hollywood Studios | 10,333,000 |
| 10 | Disneyland Park (Paris) | 10,214,000 |
| 15 | Disney's Animal Kingdom | 8,800,000 |
Disney World vs. Universal Orlando vs. SeaWorld
Disney World's parks drew about 2.6 times Universal Orlando's attendance and 11 times SeaWorld Orlando's in 2024 (our calculations)1. Disney has four theme parks; Universal had two in 2024. Epic Universe opened May 22, 2025, adding 750 acres1; its first estimate will be in TEA's 2025 report.
| Orlando resort | 2019 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walt Disney World (4 parks) | 58,778,000 | 49,102,000 | −16.5% |
| Universal Orlando (2 parks) | 21,297,000 | 18,950,000 | −11.0% |
| SeaWorld Orlando | 4,640,000 | 4,347,000 | −6.3% |
| Epic Universe (opened May 22, 2025) | — | — | Not yet reported |
Theme parks only1,2. Comparing crowds? See our Universal Orlando crowd calendar.
How Big Is Disney World?
Walt Disney World covers approximately 25,000 acres, about 39 square miles, according to Disney's 2025 annual report3. Disney calls it "nearly twice the size of the island of Manhattan"6, and it is about 45 times the size of Disneyland Resort3.
Official measurements differ. The Central Florida Tourism Oversight District says 38.5 square miles7; Disney's economic impact page says "47-square miles"6; D23 says Walt and Roy Disney assembled 27,500 acres8. The "27,258 acres" figure common online did not appear in any official source we reviewed.
| Place | Size | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Walt Disney World Resort | About 25,000 acres | Disney annual report3 |
| Central Florida Tourism Oversight District | 38.5 square miles | CFTOD7 |
| Land originally assembled by Walt and Roy Disney | 27,500 acres | D238 |
| Disneyland Resort (California) | About 550 acres | Disney annual report3 |
| Disneyland Paris site | 5,200 acres | Disney annual report3 |
| Universal Epic Universe | 750 acres | TEA1 |
| Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground | 750 acres | Disney10 |
| ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex | About 230 acres | Disney annual report3 |
| Disney Springs | About 120 acres | Disney annual report3 |
| Blizzard Beach / Typhoon Lagoon | 66 / 56 acres | D239 |
Disney does not publish current acreage for each park. D23 lists Animal Kingdom "at 500 acres"9. Commonly repeated figures are 107 acres for Magic Kingdom, 300 to 305 for EPCOT, 135 to 154 for Hollywood Studios and 580 for Animal Kingdom, but we could not confirm them with a primary source. See how it fits together on our Disney World map.
When Did Disney World Open?
Walt Disney World opened on October 1, 1971, with Magic Kingdom and two hotels8. The grand opening celebration followed on October 259. Walt Disney announced the project on November 15, 1965 but died in 1966; his brother Roy O. Disney saw it through8.
| Park, resort or attraction | Opened |
|---|---|
| Magic Kingdom, Contemporary and Polynesian resorts, monorail | Oct. 1, 1971 |
| Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground | Nov. 19, 1971 |
| Lake Buena Vista Village (now Disney Springs) | March 22, 1975 |
| EPCOT (as EPCOT Center) | Oct. 1, 1982 |
| Grand Floridian Resort & Spa | June 28, 1988 |
| Caribbean Beach Resort | Oct. 1, 1988 |
| Hollywood Studios (as Disney-MGM Studios) | May 1, 1989 |
| Typhoon Lagoon | June 1, 1989 |
| Yacht Club / Beach Club | Nov. 5 / Nov. 19, 1990 |
| All-Star Sports Resort | April 29, 1994 |
| Wilderness Lodge | May 28, 1994 |
| Blizzard Beach | April 1, 1995 |
| BoardWalk | July 1, 1996 |
| Coronado Springs Resort | Aug. 1, 1997 |
| Animal Kingdom | April 22, 1998 |
| Animal Kingdom Lodge | April 16, 2001 |
| Pop Century Resort | Dec. 14, 2003 |
| Art of Animation Resort | May 31, 2012 |
| Downtown Disney renamed Disney Springs | Sept. 29, 2015 |
| Disney Skyliner | Sept. 29, 2019 |
| Riviera Resort | Dec. 16, 2019 |
Dates from D23's Disney A to Z8,9.
Opening day and early milestones
How Many Hotels and Rooms Does Disney World Have?
Disney owns and operates about 23,000 hotel rooms and 3,900 vacation club units at Walt Disney World, and 10 independent hotels on the property add about 7,000 rooms3. Disney markets "more than 25 unique Disney Resort hotels"10; its annual report counts 18 because it groups connected hotels and villas3.
A 2025 Disney Parks Blog post cites "nearly 29,000 resort rooms"4, more than the annual report's totals, so we lead with the SEC filing.
| Lodging (as of Sept. 27, 2025) | Count |
|---|---|
| Disney-owned hotel and vacation club properties | 18 |
| Hotel rooms | About 23,000 |
| Disney Vacation Club units | About 3,900 |
| Fort Wilderness campsites | About 800 |
| Independent hotels on Disney land | 10 (about 7,000 rooms) |
| Resort meeting space | 500,000 sq. ft. |
| Tier | Disney Resort hotels | Count |
|---|---|---|
| Value | All-Star Movies, All-Star Music, All-Star Sports, Pop Century, Art of Animation | 5 |
| Moderate | Caribbean Beach, Coronado Springs, Port Orleans French Quarter, Port Orleans Riverside | 4 |
| Deluxe | Animal Kingdom Lodge, Beach Club, BoardWalk Inn, Contemporary, Grand Floridian, Polynesian Village, Wilderness Lodge, Yacht Club | 8 |
| Deluxe Villas (DVC) | Bay Lake Tower, Villas at Grand Floridian, Polynesian Villas & Bungalows, Boulder Ridge, Copper Creek, Beach Club Villas, BoardWalk Villas, Riviera, Animal Kingdom Villas, Old Key West, Saratoga Springs, Cabins at Fort Wilderness | 12 |
| Campground | Fort Wilderness | 1 |
Tiers from our Walt Disney World hotels guide18, names from Disney's fact sheet10. Disney does not publish rooms by tier. Disney Lakeshore Lodge (about 430 vacation club units) is projected for 20273.
Superlatives: Stormalong Bay at the Yacht and Beach Club holds 750,000 gallons10, and Art of Animation's Big Blue Pool (310,000 gallons) is the resort's largest hotel pool4. Budget-minded? Read why Value resorts can be a smart choice.
How Many People Work at Disney World?
About 80,000 cast members work at Walt Disney World, which Disney calls the largest single-site employer in the United States4,5. The widely quoted 77,000 is an older figure.
- 263,000 direct and indirect Florida jobs (1 in 32) were tied to Disney in fiscal 2022, including 82,000 direct jobs, per an Oxford Economics study6.
- 231,000 people worked for The Walt Disney Company worldwide at the end of fiscal 20253.
- Nearly 45,000 Disney World workers were covered by the 2023 union contract that raised starting pay to $18 an hour by year-end17.
- The resort reportedly opened with about 5,500 cast members in 1971; we found no primary source.
Disney World Transportation, Dining and Behind-the-Scenes Numbers
Disney World offers four free ways to get around: buses, monorail, boats and the Disney Skyliner4. Here are the operating numbers Disney has published.
Transportation
- 400+ buses carry 65 million guests a year on 10,000+ trips a day, covering 24 million miles annually4.
- Each monorail train holds about 300 guests4.
- The Skyliner opened September 29, 20199 and passed 1 million miles, linking two parks and four resorts4. See our Disney Skyliner guide.
- The district maintains 134 miles of roads and 67 miles of waterways and serves 250,000 daily guests7.
Flying in? Here's how to get from Orlando airport to Disney World.
Dining and shopping
- Disney Springs: 150+ venues, 60+ dining experiences and seven James Beard Award-winning chefs11. Our Disney Springs restaurant picks.
- World of Disney: about 38,000 square feet3, the world's largest Disney merchandise collection11.
- Guests eat 3.7 million Mickey Premium Bars a year4.
- Walt Disney World is often said to have more than 300 places to eat; Disney publishes no official count. Budgeting? See Disney World food costs.
Behind the scenes
- 100 million+ pounds of linen are laundered a year4.
- PhotoPass photographers capture 350,000+ smiles a day4.
- 5,000+ animals eat about 10,000 pounds of food a day4.
- Solar can supply up to 100% of daytime power on sunny days13.
- $1.236 billion in state and local taxes paid and collected in fiscal 20245.
- Up to $17 billion in planned investment over 10 to 20 years, including a potential fifth theme park15.
Disney World Park-by-Park Quick Facts
Magic Kingdom
- Opened: Oct. 1, 19719
- 2024 visits: 17,836,000 (#1 worldwide)1
- Themed areas: 63
- Cinderella Castle: 189 feet; the railroad's four steam trains date to 1916–19284
- Plan with our Magic Kingdom rides guide
EPCOT
- Opened: Oct. 1, 1982, as EPCOT Center; cost about $1 billion9
- 2024 visits: 12,133,000 (#8 worldwide), up 1.3%, the biggest gain among Disney World parks1
- Country pavilions: 113; see our guide to the countries in EPCOT
- Spaceship Earth: 180 feet, 11,324 triangle tiles; World Showcase Lagoon covers 40 acres4
Disney's Hollywood Studios
- Opened: May 1, 1989, as Disney-MGM Studios; renamed Jan. 7, 20089
- 2024 visits: 10,333,000 (#9 worldwide)1
- Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge: 14 acres, the largest single-themed expansion in a Disney park4
- Tower of Terror: 199 feet4
Disney's Animal Kingdom
- Opened: April 22, 1998 (Earth Day)4
- 2024 visits: 8,800,000 (#15 worldwide)1
- Tree of Life: 145 feet, 337 carved animals3,4
- Animals: 300+ species, per Disney's 2025 annual report3; a 2023 Disney post said nearly 2,000 animals from 200+ species14
- Kilimanjaro Safaris: 110 acres4; DinoLand U.S.A. becomes Tropical Americas in 20273
- New this year: Animal Kingdom in 2026 and all new 2026 attractions
What These Numbers Mean for Your Trip
Pixie Tip: Plan around the busy weeks, not the average
About 134,000 park visits a day is only an average. Our forecast shows the week after Christmas 2026 as the busiest of the next 12 months and early September as the lightest. Compare dates on our Disney World crowd calendar and best and worst days by park.
Pixie Tip: Respect the size
25,000 acres means resort-to-park trips take time. Check where a hotel sits on our Disney World map before you book; monorail, Skyliner or walking access saves a lot of time over a week.
Pixie Tip: Choose your season wisely
Magic Kingdom is the busiest park on Earth, so timing matters most there. Our guide to the best time to visit Disney World weighs crowds, weather and prices, and our rope drop guide helps any day.
Pixie Tip: Let us do the math for free
With 25+ Disney Resort hotels and four parks, it is easy to overpay. As an EarMarked Authorized Disney Vacation Planner with 1,195+ verified client reviews (5.0 average), our planning costs $0. Get a free Disney World quote or call 678-815-1584.
Cite This Page
You are welcome to use any statistic on this page in articles, research and presentations. Please credit and link to us:
Source: Pixie Vacations, Walt Disney World Statistics (updated September 2026), https://pixievacations.com/walt-disney-world-statistics/
Journalists and researchers: Need a number checked, a custom cut of the data or an expert quote? Contact Steve Griswold, co-owner of Pixie Vacations and a former Walt Disney World cast member, at steve@pixievacations.com or 678-815-1584. Pixie Vacations has been featured by NBC 11Alive, CNN, Parade and Travel Weekly. We update this page whenever new official figures are released.
Sources
Attendance figures are independent estimates published by the Themed Entertainment Association; Disney does not release official attendance for individual parks. "Our calculation" means Pixie Vacations derived the figure from the cited data.
- Themed Entertainment Association, TEA Global Experience Index 2024 (released Oct. 23, 2025); press release: teaconnect.org
- TEA/AECOM, Theme Index and Museum Index reports, 2014–2023 editions (report archive)
- The Walt Disney Company, Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended Sept. 27, 2025 (filed Nov. 13, 2025)
- Disney Parks Blog, "Disney World Facts to Quiz Your Friends On" (March 27, 2025)
- Disney Experiences, "Disney in Florida" company highlights
- Disney Experiences, "Walt Disney World Economic Impact" (Oxford Economics study, fiscal 2022)
- Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, "About CFTOD"
- D23, Disney A to Z: "Walt Disney World Resort"
- D23, Disney A to Z entries for individual parks, hotels and transportation (for example, Magic Kingdom Park, Disney-MGM Studios, Blizzard Beach, Disney Skyliner); Disney-MGM Studios; Animal Kingdom; Typhoon Lagoon; Blizzard Beach; Disney Skyliner; Monorail; Walt Disney World Resort Opens; 50 Years of the Vacation Kingdom
- Walt Disney World Press Room, "Disney Resorts Collection Fact Sheet" (July 15, 2024)
- Walt Disney World Press Room, "Disney Springs Fact Sheet" (June 4, 2025)
- Visit Orlando, "Orlando Welcomed Record 76.7 Million Visitors in 2025" (May 7, 2026)
- Disney Parks Blog, "Your Next Disney Day Might Be Powered by the Sun" (April 21, 2026)
- Disney Parks Blog, "The Legacy of Disney's Animal Kingdom 25 Years Later" (April 22, 2023)
- ABC News / Good Morning America, "Disney set to invest $17B in Florida parks following approval of development agreement" (June 5, 2024)
- WDW News Today, "Timekeeping: Walt Disney World's Opening, October 1 – December 31, 1971" (October 2020)
- Florida Politics, "Disney World union workers approve contract setting 'a new standard for the tourism industry'" (2023)
- Pixie Vacations, "The Ultimate Walt Disney World Hotels Guide"
More planning resources: Is the Disney Park Hopper worth it? · How to become a Disney travel agent
Frequently Asked Questions
How many people visit Disney World per day?
In 2024, Walt Disney World's four theme parks averaged about 134,000 visits per day, and Magic Kingdom averaged about 48,700 (our calculations from TEA's 2024 estimates of 49.1 million and 17.8 million annual visits). Actual daily crowds vary widely by season, and a single guest visiting several parks is counted more than once.
What is the most visited Disney World park?
Magic Kingdom, with about 17.8 million visits in 2024. It is also the most-visited theme park in the world. EPCOT ranked second at Disney World (12.1 million), followed by Hollywood Studios (10.3 million) and Animal Kingdom (8.8 million).
Is Disney World bigger than Manhattan?
Yes. Disney's annual report puts Walt Disney World at about 25,000 acres, or about 39 square miles, and Disney describes the resort as nearly twice the size of the island of Manhattan. Other official sources measure it differently, from 38.5 to 47 square miles.
How many hotels are at Disney World?
Disney markets more than 25 Disney Resort hotels. In its 2025 annual report, Disney counts 18 owned and operated hotel and vacation club properties with about 23,000 rooms and 3,900 vacation club units, plus 10 independently operated hotels with about 7,000 rooms.
How many employees does Disney World have?
About 80,000 cast members, according to Disney, which calls Walt Disney World the largest single-site employer in the United States. The Walt Disney Company employed about 231,000 people worldwide at the end of fiscal 2025.
When will Disney World's 2025 attendance numbers be released?
As of September 15, 2026, the Themed Entertainment Association had not yet published its 2025 report. The 2024 edition was released on October 23, 2025. We will update this page as soon as the new figures are out.
Did Epic Universe hurt Disney World attendance?
There is no independent data yet. Epic Universe opened on May 22, 2025, and TEA's first estimates for it will be in the 2025 report. Neither Disney nor Universal publishes official park-by-park attendance. Orlando overall set a record with 76.7 million visitors in 2025.
How much did it cost to build Disney World?
About $400 million, according to D23, Disney's official fan club. The resort opened on October 1, 1971, and adult general admission was $3.50, not including ride tickets.