Disney’s Domestic Resorts: A $67 Billion Economic Powerhouse
In an effort to quantify their economic influence, Disney has unveiled a comprehensive study illustrating the significant impact of its Florida and California resorts on the U.S. economy. Conducted by Tourism Economics, the findings reveal that Disney’s two domestic theme parks generate an impressive nationwide economic impact of nearly $67 billion.
The Key Findings of the Study
Michael Mariano, head of economic development at Tourism Economics, emphasized the importance of Disney’s resorts as “key economic engines not only in their respective regional economies but also in the nationwide economy.” The analysis marks the first time the total economic impact from both resorts has been combined to showcase Disney’s overarching influence.
Breaking Down the Economic Impact
Mariano and his team focused on Disneyland Resort in Southern California for fiscal year 2023 and Walt Disney World Resort in Florida for fiscal year 2022. Both studies utilized a similar methodology, which included three essential components:
- Direct Impacts: This encompasses all economic activities directly linked to Disney visitors, including on-site sales, transportation expenses, and spending at nearby restaurants and hotels.
- Indirect Impacts: These refer to the supply-side effects, meaning the goods and services that Disney procures from local providers.
- Induced Impacts: This aspect involves the spending of wages and salaries by Disney and tourism-related employees within the regional economy.
According to this methodology, Disneyland generated a total economic impact of $16.1 billion in Southern California for the 2023 fiscal year. To put this into perspective, this figure is nearly equivalent to what American consumers spent on pizza delivery in 2024.
Job Creation and Tax Revenue
Disneyland directly and indirectly supports over 102,000 jobs in the region, with approximately 75% of these being in Orange County. As the largest employer in the county, Disneyland employs around 36,000 cast members and contributes an impressive $2.6 billion in total tax revenues.
Turning to Florida, Disney World reported a substantial economic impact of $40.3 billion for the fiscal year 2022, supporting approximately 263,000 jobs in the state.
Broader National Impact
Beyond regional impacts, the study found that the two resorts generated an additional $10.2 billion in economic activity across the rest of the United States, which includes purchases made by both resorts from various suppliers and vendors.
When combined with regional figures, the total economic impact attributed to both resorts reaches nearly $67 billion. Mariano noted that this astonishing figure is nearly equivalent to what U.S. consumers spent on holidays like Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, and Halloween combined in 2024.
Support for Small Businesses
Throughout the country, Disney’s operations support approximately 403,000 jobs across a diverse array of industries and businesses, prominently benefiting “thousands of small businesses.” This expansive economic footprint underscores the vital role that Disney’s domestic resorts play in not just local economies but also nationwide.
This detailed study not only sheds light on Disney’s economic contribution but also emphasizes the broad-chain effects on employment and revenue generation across various sectors, showcasing the substantial influence of the entertainment giant on the U.S. economy.
Note: This article has been corrected to reflect that Michael Mariano and his team focused on fiscal year 2023 in their analysis of Disneyland’s impact on Southern California’s economy.
