The latest attendance figures indicate that the theme park industry is still grappling with the aftershocks of the pandemic. Last week, The Themed Entertainment Association (TEA) and AECOM released the 2023 Theme Index report, a widely respected benchmark for attendance at the world’s leading theme and amusement parks.
Disney, as expected, continues to dominate the industry. However, the more compelling narrative emerges when comparing the 2023 numbers with those from 2019, the last year before the pandemic disrupted the global economy.
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Parks had boasted about significant attendance gains as they reopened post-lockdown. Despite this, several parks faltered in 2023, with most of America’s top parks still falling short of their 2019 attendance figures. The pace of recovery across parks has been inconsistent.
Southern California’s Strong Comeback
Among the top 20 parks in North America, five have either matched or exceeded their 2019 attendance levels. Notably, four of these are in Southern California, led by Universal Studios Hollywood. The park set an all-time attendance record, thanks to the introduction of Super Nintendo World last year. Disney California Adventure, SeaWorld San Diego, and Knott’s Berry Farm have also returned to their pre-pandemic attendance numbers.
Conversely, the five parks that have experienced the steepest decline in visitors since 2019 are predominantly located in Central Florida. Disney’s Animal Kingdom has suffered the most, losing over five million visitors in the past four years, a drop of about 37% from its 2019 attendance.
Interestingly, Disneyland also appears among the bottom five for attendance declines in the TEA/AECOM report, highlighting that this is not solely a Florida versus California issue. A significant portion of Disneyland’s 8% decline since 2019 could be attributed to restrictions on visits by annual passholders, including the park’s post-pandemic reservation policy. This policy shift has likely contributed to the rise in attendance at Disney California Adventure.
The Role of New Attractions in Attendance Recovery
Beyond Disney California Adventure, Walt Disney World’s EPCOT saw Disney’s next-best performance, buoyed by the successful launch of Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, the park’s first roller coaster. Universal’s Islands of Adventure in Orlando briefly exceeded its 2019 attendance in 2022, thanks to the Jurassic World VelociCoaster, before seeing a decline last year.
Corporate parent Comcast’s financial reports suggest that both Universal Orlando parks experienced further declines in 2024. This downturn is attributed to fans postponing their visits in anticipation of the new Universal Epic Universe theme park, set to open next year.
The TEA/AECOM report underscores the importance of new attractions in driving theme park attendance. The pandemic, however, disrupted the development of new attractions, with many projects slated for 2023 and 2024 either canceled or delayed.
This makes the upcoming launch of Epic Universe and Disney’s announcements at D23 critical. If parks hope to restore the pre-pandemic trend of regular visits, they must consistently deliver new and exciting attractions to keep fans returning.