When theme-park fan Kelly Morgan, of Cheshunt, took her family to Orlando last week, she was resigned to a week of long queues or expensive fast passes.

What she found was a town that was “weirdly empty”, with waiting times for attractions measured in minutes rather than hours. “I’ve never seen Orlando so uncrowded,” she said. “We waited about 10 minutes to ride the Incredible Hulk at Universal’s Islands of Adventure, and just walked onto The Simpsons Ride.”

Visitor numbers for American theme parks and other popular attractions have plummeted this summer as rising fuel costs and the credit crunch have persuaded unprecedented numbers of families in the USA to abandon summer travel plans in favour of “staycations”.

“It is a really tough summer,” said Steven Goodwin, of Myrtle Beach’s Hard Rock Park. “People are cutting their vacations from seven days to five days to three days, spending less money.” The hard-pressed parks have responded by increasing entry fees.

Last week, Disney upped its one-day ticket price by £2 to £39 - a rise matched a day later by Universal. British visitors aren’t complaining. The Allen family, from Hertfordshire, on their second visit to Orlando, say the falling demand is saving them money. “Last time we came, we had to buy fast passes, which cost about £120 every couple of days for the five of us,” said Russell Allen. “This time, there’s been no need - it’s empty.”

Bargain packages are also up for grabs: Virgin Holidays (0871 222 5825, www.virginholidays.co.uk ) is offering a week in Orlando, departing on September 2 and staying at the Howard Johnson Maingate, for £700, including scheduled flights from Gatwick, but those willing to take a charter flight can save even more. Travel City Direct (0871 9112576, www.travelcitydirect. com ) has a fortnight in the Disney All Star resort, including flights with XL and car hire, for only £439.

Bad news: winter seat scramble

Disney might be cheap now, but, come Christmas, you could have trouble getting there. Travellers face a winter of discontent as the world’s airlines wipe 60m seats from the schedules in a desperate attempt to survive what analysts are describing as “the most widespread crisis to hit the aviation industry in recent memory”.

One in three of the cancelled flights will be in the USA, but the aviation analyst OAG warns that flights to Asian destinations such as Hong Kong, Bangkok and Shanghai will also be hit. From October, 275 airports worldwide will cease to have any scheduled flights. Cathay Pacific, which last week announced losses of £43m, has warned that the airline industry “will not survive in its current form” if oil prices continue to rise.

British Airways and Ryanair are among dozens of carriers slashing schedules and cancelling departures as record fuel prices wipe millions from balance sheets. The consequence for passengers is fewer flights to fewer destinations at higher prices.

The aviation consultant Jason Greenbaum says that, in spite of falling demand, reduced seat availability “inevitably means higher fares”. Those planning to fly next year should book now with established airlines, he adds.

Those planning mid-term ski breaks this winter face a double whammy: not only is there reduced capacity on flights, but, for the first time, most schools will break up on the same day. “Half term has traditionally been staggered over two weeks, but next year most state schools are breaking up on the same week, effectively doubling demand for ski flights,” says Betony Garner, of the Ski Club of Great Britain. “There are still some flights available, but they’re selling fast, and you’ll be paying a lot more than you’d expect.”

No news? £2 a night holidays

Autumn breaks in the Med from only £2 a night are not a sign that the travel trade is in trouble, insists the tour operator Thomson. The accommodation-only deals, available for studio and one-bed self-catering apartments in Greece or Turkey, start at just £14 for a week in October. Alternatively, a week in Minorca will cost just £28 - but Thomson says that, far from being the opening shots in a holiday price war, the offers are merely “targeted marketing initiatives to promote small pockets of availability”.

By cutting capacity and refusing to discount in the face of falling demand, tour operators have ensured that bargains are few and far between. Ian Hailes, from Cosmos, said prices were up by about 10% on 2007, and research by The Sunday Times has found that the price of a late departure is, on average, £75 higher than last year.

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