Theme parks are more than just places for leisure and tourism. They are a kind of thermometer of society and a reflection of its health, as was seen from 2020 onwards with the ill-fated pandemic. For the same reason, attendance figures are, more than data, the scale of that thermometer. In 2019, more than 500 million people somewhere in the world passed through the ticket offices of theme and amusement parks. However, the forced closure in 2020 caused attendance figures to plummet to unprecedented levels, with an estimated 60-70% reduction in most markets. Today, as theme park attendance figures recover, or approach those of that historic 2019, the global map of presential entertainment once again has names of its own:
The world’s leading theme parks
Walt Disney World in Florida, USA, remains the Mecca of family entertainment, with attendance in 2023 exceeding 17 million visitors. Just behind it is Disneyland in California, also in the United States, whose Cinderella Castle also welcomed just over 17 million people. But the phenomenon transcends borders: Tokyo Disneyland, with almost 13 million visitors a year, proves that the Disney model is perfectly suited to diverse cultures, in this case Japanese. Universal Studios in Osaka, also in Japan, which welcomed 16 million people in 2023, is surprising with its sustained growth thanks to its commitment to film franchises – what is known in the industry as “intellectual property” – converted into immersive experiences.
The rise of Asia: new theme parks that change the rules
China is writing its own fairy tale in the leisure, tourism and entertainment industry, now when it comes to theme and amusement parks: Chimelong Ocean Kingdom in Zhuhai not only surpasses 12.5 million visitors, but reinvents the idea of the conventional theme park: part giant aquarium, part safari, part world-record attractions park. Its success lies in offering the impossible under one roof, combined in a totum revolutum of education and adrenaline production like no one has ever seen before.
Meanwhile, Everland in South Korea – owned by Samsung – proves that technology applied well can create unbreakable loyalties. Its hybrid rides, where virtual reality meets physical motion, have turned the park into a laboratory of constant innovation.
Reinvention, in other words, reinvestment, as a strategy
Never take the public for granted, this is the idea that seems to be behind the multi-billion dollar reinvestment figures of some of the corporations that own the theme parks and attractions mentioned above. Indeed, Disney announced in September 2023 that over the next 10 years it would invest €55 billion in its theme park division, a figure that represents a capital increase of almost double what it previously allocated to its theme parks, a line of business that has certainly attracted sizeable capital. In any case, in the Experiences division alone, Disney Corporation invested €3.4 billion in 2024. In 2023, by the way, Shanghai Disney unveiled its seventh themed area, Zootopia Land, in what was a technological gamble with state-of-the-art animatronics.
For its part, the multinational Universal seems to be betting heavily on intellectual property, with investments in blockbusters such as Harry Potter and Jurassic Park, with the idea of transforming them into multi-sensory experiences. In fact, these days in March 2024 the opening of Epic Universe is announced for May, a theme park that has meant an investment of €5.5 billion for the corporation, with 5 “mind-blowing worlds”, among which visitors will find experiences in “The Wizarding World of Harry Potter” or Jurassic Park. The press points precisely to Epic Universe as direct competition to Walt Disney World. But to know the outcome of this battle of giants, we will have to wait for the 2025 attendance figures for theme parks and attractions.
Sources: Statista, Walt Disney Company, Blog Mickey, Fast Company, Disney Parks Blog, Universal Orlando.
Images: Walt Disney World, Universal Studios, Chimelong Ocean Kingdom.
