Wandering around Epcot, I can’t help but notice the dearth of non-English speaking park patrons. I’ve been here before, and in years past there’s always been quite a few foreign visitors, but this year seems to have a bumper-crop of international tourists.

I thought about this a while (while I was waiting for the family to get off the Mission:Space ride) and have a couple of ideas why Disney is the international destination of choice this year.

Be Our Guest, Be Our Guest, Be Our Guest

Disney has always been an international point of visitation for a number of years, and they have lots of rides and locations that denote different places throughout the world. Visiting a park that also has a little piece of your home country is a nice thing. They go a long way to internationalize the visit, with multi-cultural signs, park attendants that speak a number of languages, all the way down to ‘cast members’ (Disney’s name for employees) that list their country of origins on their name tags (I assume this isn’t an INS requirement, but a subtle reminder that Disney employs people from around the globe to be ambassadors to their public).

All in all, it’s provided a fertile visitation ground for out-of-country tourists to come and spend their money in (one of) the happiest places on earth. It certainly seems to be working.

It’s a Small World After All

Even with the high prices of fuel, the down economy, and most Americans taking Staycations instead of going on real vacations, Disney seems to have cashed in on the fact that the U.S. dollar is also in the doldrums against the world’s major currencies. That means it’s cheaper than ever for overseas visitors to come and get a good vacation at a veritable bargain vs. years past.

With the dollar at about $1.60 to the Euro, most European visitors are finding that a Disney vacation is a bargain this year. And the Disney company is loving it!

Wanderin’ Free – Wish I Could Be Part of That World

The final trick I figured out is that the Disney company has a world-class capability to make your stay enjoyable no matter what nationality or country of origin. The cast members go waaay out of their way to make everyone’s stay comfortable. The parks have almost all conveniences nearby and readily available (even if there are some lines for lunch or rentals). Transportation to/from the Disney hotels is fast and frequent, food is plentiful, even with a HORRENDOUS line at lunchtime, and all the small amenities that don’t seem important in other places are treated with an air of critical importance.

The park characters interact with the public constantly. Goofy, Mickey and Minnie, Donald and a lot of the other Disney characters constantly roam the park, talking and playing with the visitors. There’s a cornucopia of sights to see. The rides are designed to process a lot of visitors The Disney mystique captures people of all ages and cultures and makes you want to be a part of the play, even if it’s just for the day.

Have you had a good or bad experience on a Disney vacation? Let us know via a comment!