Disney Draws Record Traffic

ORLANDO (Orlando Sentinel) – Walt Disney Co., the world's largest theme-park operator, set a holiday-season attendance record at its Walt Disney World resort in Florida. "Parks had a great holiday season," Chief Financial Officer Thomas Staggs, 45, said Tuesday at a Citigroup media conference in Phoenix. In attendance, "we actually set a record at Walt Disney World." A marketing campaign to promote the 50th anniversary of Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif., boosted attendance throughout Disney's parks and resorts unit, Staggs said. Walt Disney World overcame disruptions and closures caused by hurricanes. "We really had a nice end to the quarter," Staggs said. "We had a little bit of a slow start due to the hurricanes." Staggs didn't disclose attendance figures or first-quarter sales at the parks and resorts division, which had revenue of $9.02 billion in the fiscal year ended Oct. 1. Crowds were so heavy at Disney World the week after Christmas that the Magic Kingdom parking lot was closed briefly one day as it reached capacity in the early afternoon. Overall, 2005 was a strong year for attendance at Disney World's four theme parks, with the Magic Kingdom coming in again as the most-visited park in North America and the world. More than 16 million people visited the park, a 6.5 percent increase, according to figures from Amusement Business, a trade publication.