ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Walt Disney World has released their third quarter earnings and they show revenue is up, but attendance numbers for the local theme parks are down for the summer.
Across the board, the attractions have become a lot more expensive for international tourists to visit central Florida.
But that could mean some good deals for Florida residents.
Last week, SeaWorld released its numbers, and the park was down nearly half a million guests from earlier in the year.
Many of those were international travelers.
"We've been predicting since last year we would see some slowing in the international market, particularly with Brazil,” said George Aguel of Visit Orlando.
There are other deterrents though--guest ticket prices are at an all-time high.
According to financial website The Motley Fool, Disney day-of tickets for instance are some 18 percent higher than they were this time last year.
That's because with the new tiered ticket system, people are paying more to go during peak times.
But locals may finally start to benefit.
Universal Studios for instance lifted blackout dates and Disney offered Florida residents discounts earlier than ever.
And because of the slower summer, tourism officials expect bigger lures for guests within 300-miles of the parks.
"As we enter this time of the year, during the summer, the theme parks and everyone put more into discounts and deals, especially with Florida residents,” said Aguel.
SeaWorld recently extended an on-line ticket deal to $69 through September.
Disney is offering a fifth day free.
Universal is knocking $30 off the gate price.
As for the big picture, the parks continue to re-invest in themselves.
This summer's new rides include Kong, The Hulk roller coaster reopening and Epcot's Frozen ride, which are all smaller fare, compared to what's coming with Star Wars, Toy Story, and Universal's new un-named theme park.
Cox Media Group
