When Disneyland reopens on April 30, a little bit of magic will be reignited in the hearts of little kids and big kids alike. But, the iconic theme park’s reopening will also bring a boost in traffic to the surrounding area’s short-term rental industry, according to Airbnb listings data from short-term rental pricing company Beyond Pricing.
Even before Disney officially announced a reopening date, Airbnb bookings in Orange County — particularly in Yorba Linda, Santa Ana, the City of Orange and Buena Park — saw an uptick just after Disney CEO Bob Chapek made an announcement on March 9 that the park might open by the end of April.
On March 8, there were about 130 reservations in the area, and by March 9, that number went up to about 200. For reference, there are roughly 2,000 Airbnbs within about a 2-mile radius of Disneyland.
Disney then made the official announcement on March 17 that the park would reopen on April 30. That day, reservations for the area’s Airbnbs surged 73 percent from the day before as Disney dreamers sought to lock in their travel plans quickly.
Credit: Beyond Pricing
“While we expect the travel industry to have stops and starts in 2021, with different geographies and sectors of the industry reacting, adapting and recovering at different paces, we see a steady, upward trend in travel and spending moving forward,” Beyond Pricing CEO Julie Brinkman said in a statement emailed to Inman. “In conclusion, we are overall optimistic about the future and growth of the travel industry in general and the short-term rental market in specific.”
