Here is a segment from a May 10 Orlando Sentinel article covering the decline:
Chief Executive Officer Bob Iger told analysts the company was focusing on raising revenue even at the expense of attendance increases.
"We like the steps we've taken in terms of pricing," he said. "We've taken a number of steps … to essentially grow revenue, in some cases actually at the expense of some attendance."
Iger said the company is "changing our pricing approach, sometimes in part to moderate attendance so the park experience is a little bit better, but all designed with the effect of essentially raising revenue."
In February, Disney put into effect variable pricing that spikes ticket costs at the busiest times of year. Last year Disney changed its annual-pass system in an attempt to shift demand and implemented big price increases.
Still, Disney from mid-March to April 1 lifted blackout dates on special Florida-resident three- and four-day tickets. Some analysts saw that as a sign Disney was trying to boost attendance that had fallen short of projections.
"Price increases could be a contributing factor to the attendance decline, but that is not necessarily a negative for Disney so long as the hotels remain substantially full," Pacific Asset Management analyst Bob Boyd said in an email.