Earlier this month, Themed Entertainment Association and AECOM Economics & Advisory released their annual Theme Index Report, showcasing global attractions’ estimated attendance for 2023. Industry insiders rely on this report to assess how theme parks across the United States and worldwide perform in a given year.
The report uses actual and estimated figures; not all theme parks release attendance numbers. Not a huge surprise, the Walt Disney Company’s theme parks attract more visitors than their competitors. Disney saw gains in several parks. EPCOT saw an increase in attendance of nearly 20%. Disney California Adventure also performed well above average, with attendance figures up 11%.
However, the report shows “somewhat stagnant” attendance for North American theme parks overall in 2023, with a region-wide average of 3% growth from 2022.
In numerous instances, the theme parks that opened new rides and attractions in 2023 saw a boost in attendance. Others with rides and parks opening in the future saw either slower growth or a marked decline in attendance as families wait to visit once the offerings come online.
Experts summarize this year’s report as a mixed bag of anticipated performance from industry leaders and surprises.
Regional Parks Among Top Performers
Theme parks nationwide welcomed millions of visitors in 2023, with most visited properties within the major markets of Central Florida and Southern California — and some well outside.
The list represents 2023’s top 19 theme parks by attendance:
Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World, Lake Buena Vista, Florida: 17.72 millionDisneyland Park at Disneyland Resort, Anaheim, California: 17.25 millionEPCOT at Walt Disney World, Lake Buena Vista, Florida: 11.98 millionDisney’s Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World, Lake Buena Vista, Florida: 10.3 millionUniversal Islands of Adventure at Universal Orlando Resort, Orlando, Florida: 10 millionDisney California Adventure at Disneyland Resort, Anaheim, California: 10 millionUniversal Studios Florida at Universal Orlando Resort, Orlando, Florida: 9.75 millionUniversal Studios Hollywood, Universal City, California: 9.66 millionDisney’s Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World, Lake Buena Vista, Florida: 8.77 millionSeaWorld Orlando, Orlando, Florida: 4.342 millionKnott’s Berry Farm, Buena Park, California: 4.228 millionCedar Point, Sandusky, Ohio: 4.05 millionBusch Gardens Tampa Bay, Tampa, Florida: 4 millionSeaWorld San Diego, San Diego, California: 3.99 millionKings Island, Kings Island, Ohio: 3.448 millionSix Flags Magic Mountain, Valencia, California: 3.4 millionHersheypark, Hershey, Pennsylvania: 3.321 millionSix Flags Great America, Gurnee, Illinois: 3 millionSix Flags Great Adventure & Safari, Jackson, New Jersey: 2.5 million
Gavin Doyle, founder of Mickey Visit and best-selling author of Disneyland Secrets, points to the recent Cedar Fair and Six Flags merger as evidence of smaller regional parks’ strong performance.
“The combined company creates a third major player in North America. Regional demand still exists as people flock to the latest coasters and offers that may be closer to home than the bigger players in Orlando and California,” he shares.
While smaller regional parks attract millions annually, numbers jump drastically for industry leaders Disney and Universal.
Disney Parks Reign Supreme
Walt Disney World and Disneyland represent two of the most highly-attended destinations globally. In 2023, Magic Kingdom in Orlando, Florida, comfortably held onto its position as the most-visited theme park worldwide, with an estimated 17.7 million visitors.
Disney’s dominance continued portfolio-wide, with the House of Mouse representing six of North America’s top 10 most-visited parks and eight of the top 10 parks worldwide.
Last year, Disney held the top three spots in the U.S. Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California, ranked No. 2 behind Magic Kingdom with an estimated 17.2 million visitors. Walt Disney World’s EPCOT was No. 3 with just under 12 million.
Experts like Gavin Doyle expected a strong performance from Disney. He admits, “I’m not surprised to see the Disney Parks continue to dominate the top 10 parks by attendance.”
Doyle highlights one key to Disney’s consistent popularity. “Leading into 2023, Disney continued to invest in new rides and attractions on both coasts across their parks.” Last year’s investments included opening the thrill ride TRON Lightcycle/Run in Magic Kingdom and the family-friendly Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway at Disneyland Park.
Looking ahead, Disney aims to hold onto its top spot. At the recent D23 Disney Fan Event in Anaheim, California, Disney Experiences Chairman Josh D’Amaro announced new lands and more than one dozen new rides at its parks worldwide. However, Disney will contend with its largest competitor, Universal, in the coming years.
Universal Orlando Sees Significant Dip
If travel experts noticed any surprises in 2023’s Theme Index Report, it was Universal’s theme parks’ estimated attendance. Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure attendance dropped roughly 10% from 2022.
Doyle notes, “The decrease in Universal Orlando attendance is likely driven by the lack of new offerings at the resort as the parent company focuses its investments on Epic Universe.”
Universal Orlando’s fourth park opens in 2025, bringing new rides, dining, shopping, and hotel accommodations to the resort.
Doyle predicts the opening of Epic Universe will greatly benefit Universal Orlando, but it will take time to see its full impact on attendance figures. “Up until then, we expect continued lower Universal Orlando attendance.”
The Theme Index Report’s analysis predicts a shake-up in Orlando with Epic Universe. Discussing the expansion, Francisco Refuerzo, Senior Analyst with AECOM Economics + Advisory, writes, “Universal’s big investment in Epic Universe, scheduled to open in 2025, will create major buzz for the market.”
Conversely, attendance at Universal Studios Hollywood in Universal City, California, impressively jumped 15% from 2022 to 2023 — or about 9.6 million visitors.
For Doyle, Universal Studios Hollywood’s strong performance is a precursor to potential attendance at Universal Orlando’s Epic Universe. In February 2023, Universal Studios Hollywood opened a new land based on Super Nintendo game characters. Doyle shares, “The increase in crowds at Universal Studios Hollywood captures the demand” for this new land, which will appear in 2025 as part of Epic Universe.
Even with clear evidence for heightened interest in Universal Studios Hollywood, Doyle still notices a shared sense of surprise concerning its strong attendance figures for 2023. “It is amazing that they have nearly reached the same level of crowds as one of the two Universal Orlando theme parks,” says Doyle. The Hollywood park’s 9.66 million guests nearly outnumbered Universal Studios Florida’s 9.75 million visitors in 2023.
