AP Business Writer May Anderson
NEW YORK (AP) – Trade disputes that include global economic powers such as the US and China are even felt clearly in local places, such as the amusement park in your area.
Families alking at the cost of summer vacation at big amusement parks like Disney World prefer to travel to local parks that are normally within driving distance, so expensive flights are not needed. However, if tariffs lead to economic uncertainty, they may just be at home.
For park owners, customs duties can cause them to submit to additional costs their customers may not consider. Some of the vehicles are made of imported steel, which is currently subject to customs duties. After shooting basketball into the hoop, do those prizes and toy people win? They usually come from China, which is subject to different tariffs.
However, so far this year, there have been no disappointment.
“We had a good crowd, but everyone seems excited to be here,” said Brian Hartley, vice president of Castaway Cove, Playland in Ocean City, New Jersey. “As long as the weather is nice, they’re ready to get off.”
On Friday, June 6th, 2025, I am enjoying the Castaway Cove Amusement Park in Playland in Ocean City, New Jersey.
Toy Prize Bags (AP Photo/Mingson Lau) at the Castaway Cove Amusement Park Storage Facility in Playland, Ocean City, New Jersey, on Friday, June 6th, 2025
On Friday, June 6th, 2025, you will be lined up for tickets at Playland’s Castaway Cove Amusement Park in Ocean City, New Jersey.
Rubber duck (AP Photo/Mingson Lau) on Friday, June 6, 2025 at Castaway Cove Amusement Park in Playland in Ocean City, New Jersey
Brian Hartley, Vice President of Castaway Cove, Playland, will browse the storage facility at Playland’s Castaway Cove Amusement Park in Ocean City, New Jersey on Friday, June 6, 2025.
Playland’s Castaway Cove Booth Operator Ja’vira Blake will restock his prizes at Playland’s Castaway Cove Amusement Park in Ocean City, New Jersey on Friday, June 6, 2025.
Park visitor Chris Del Bolero plays a water gun game at Castaway Cove Amusement Park in Playland in Ocean City, New Jersey on Friday, June 6, 2025 (AP Photo/Mingson Lau)
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On Friday, June 6th, 2025, I am enjoying the Castaway Cove Amusement Park in Playland in Ocean City, New Jersey.
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That applies to Chris del Borello at the park who visited Custaway Cove on a lively Friday night with a group of 10 families, including his four children.
“We come here every year and we have so much fun that we make memories every summer,” he said.
Just as leisure travel is expected to return to pre-pandemic levels, tariffs are looming involving the summer tourism industry. The American Travel Association expects Americans to travel 1.96 billion times this year, up 2% from 1.92 billion people last year. Travel expenses are also expected to increase by 2% from the previous year.
Tariff Pressure
As park operators prepared for the summer travel season, President Donald Trump deployed repeated tariffs on US trading partners that made planning difficult. For example, additional tariffs on goods made in China began at 10% in February, rose to 20% in March, swelled to 145% in April, and fell to 30% in May. On Wednesday, the Trump administration brought that number to 55%.
Hartley said he ordered stuffed toy-like items for the game from China to beat the tariffs and benefited from the cuts announced in May.
“We’ve loaded, and we’re tripping things at this point,” he said. “We tried to buy as much as possible because we were ready for the season, because a little of that would make the final difference at the end of the day,” he said.
In particular, the park has added two new rides this year, but parts have been delivered in the fall.
Not all parks were lucky. In Adventureland in Farmingdale, New York, steel structures for new rides, wave twisters, and Chinese-made gaming prizes like gorgeous toys and basketball were affected by customs fees, said manager Janine Gentile.
“We ordered them a few months ago before the duties were in place, but they usually arrived for delivery at this time of year. “We had to pay an additional fee for these duties to get our products.”
So far, the park has absorbed costs. The operator has decided to raise ticket prices this year. But that could change next year.
“If we can do this for Long Island and our guests (rather than raising prices), I feel like we’ll do it where we can afford it this season, at least,” Gentil said.
Economic uncertainty
Aside from tariffs, economic uncertainty is the biggest challenge for recreational parks this season.
Dollywood, Pigaon Forge, Tennessee, is co-owned by country legends Dolly Parton and Hershend Family Entertainment, and opened a week later in March due to economic concerns, said Pete Owens of Communications. However, attendance at the park surrounded by Great Smoky Mountains has so far increased by 4% from last year. Participants are spending, but looking for deals.
Promotions that give discount tickets to civil servants have proven popular. Owens said he watched customers buy tickets for family members approaching a real visit, not days or weeks ago. Some will wait until they are in Great Smoky Mountain to buy.
“I think they’re all still very closely looking at whether there’s a valued pricing and what opportunities there are,” he said.
The same applies to Silver Dollar City near Branson, Missouri, a western-themed park of the 1880s. This draws visitors from what President Brad Thomas calls the “American Heartland.”
“What those families tend to say when they visit us is that they want their families to run away despite a lot of concern in all their lives.
He said that families who come to the park this year are sticking to the plan.
“They carved money to spend the day with us, and carved their days with us,” he said. “They planned that into a budget.”
Back at Castaway Cove, Hartley said he is concerned about the mood of consumers as economic uncertainty persists while the season is on track. It could affect your travel plans later in the summer.
“For those who haven’t booked a holiday yet… that may have an impact. Will they come here on the weekend? Would they not? Will they come for two days instead of four or five?” he said. “I don’t think people know what the future holds.”
Original issue: June 18, 2025, 2:31pm EDT
