Two recent surveys show that Zika fears are beginning to affect future plans to visit Walt Disney World.
The surveys by CivicScience show that nearly half the people polled have either canceled or decided not to book a vacation to Disney World because of concerns about the Zika virus.
The first survey included 2,592 respondents and the second survey was nearly double that, however almost 85 percent of those polled were not planning a Disney World vacation anyway.
Investment firm BTIG included the survey in a recent note to investors, adding that they are “growing increasingly concerned with Orlando travel trends.”
While there has not been a locally transmitted Zika case in Orlando, Disney, Universal and SeaWorld have all begun handing out mosquito repellent.
Disney says that they have seen no impact on future bookings due to Zika.
Despite Disney’s claims, there has clearly been a slowdown due to other factors, such as the slowdown in the Brazilian economy and the Pluse nightclub shooting.
BTIG analyst Rich Greenfield adds that, although Disney World vacations are sometimes planned so far in advance it’s hard to determine the impact, the affect of Zika is something that Disney should be talking about.
Source: Orlando Sentinel
