Disney World to cut hours after seeing fewer visitors than expected

Walt Disney World is scaling back operating hours at its theme parks after the company recently reported a significant drop in park revenue amid the novel coronavirus pandemic.

According to The Washington Post, the company was initially operating with reduced hours at its Florida resort — which houses Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom, Magic Kingdom Park and Epcot — when it reopened earlier this year amid the pandemic.

However, the company will reportedly be shaving between one to two hours off each of the parks’ daily schedules starting this coming Labor Day. The new schedule is expected to last until the end of October, The Hollywood Reporter also reported. 

The news comes several days after the company released its earnings report for its third fiscal quarter, which ended in late June.

The company, which closed its theme parks temporarily earlier this year to help curb the spread of the disease, said in the report that revenue from its parks segment decreased by 85 percent for the quarter. 

The company said in the report that segment was its most affected by the novel coronavirus pandemic and estimated “the total net adverse impact of COVID-19 on segment operating income in the quarter was approximately $3.5 billion.”

According to the Post, the earnings report also comes after the corporation saw lower-than-expected attendance at its parks during the pandemic.