Magic Kingdom Most Visited Theme Park Worldwide!
Despite a pandemic that closed Walt Disney World from mid-March – mid-July 2020, Magic Kingdom still ranks as America’s most visited theme park last year!
The “Global Attractions Attendance Report”, released collaboratively by Themed Entertainment Association and AECOM, reports on attendance at the world’s top 25 theme parks. While the annual report usually ranks the parks by number, the 2020 version reports the 2020 statistical attendance change from the previous year, 2019.
Overall
It’s no shock that attendance for worldwide theme parks dropped 67.2% across the board in 2020, according to the report. Worldwide park closures as well as varied travel restrictions lasting anywhere from a few months to over a year created a “patchwork of performance worldwide in 2020,” according to John Robinett, AECOM economics senior vice president. Combine that with theme parks’ different regulating agencies and limited staff, operating days and varied views on capacity and the 2020 comparison study is truly all over the map without proverbial apples to compare to proverbial apples.
Next year’s report will rank the parks once again as “global health conditions stabilize.”
Top 10 2020
Using the attendance numbers in the report, Disney’s Magic Kingdom sits in the top spot with just under 7 million visitors in 2020, a 67% decrease from the record breaking near 21 million of 2019.
Coming up behind –
- Shanghai Disneyland (↓50.9%)
- Universal Studios Japan
- Chimelong Ocean Kingdom
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom
- Tokyo Disneyland
- Universal Studios Orlando (↓ 62.5%)
- Epcot
- Universal’s Islands of Adventure (↓ 61.4%)
- OCT Happy Valley (Beijing)
Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Disneyland were both left out of the top 10. That’s much more surprising for Hollywood Studios than for Disneyland, which was closed from mid-March through the remainder of 2020, highlighting the range of variables considered in the report.
The calendar has been a factor in terms of when a region was hardest-hit by infection relative to operating season,” Marina Hoffman, senior analyst, wrote in the report.
Additional Methodology
Theme park operating companies do not actually report specific attendance figures. The annual Global Attendance Report is compiled based on statistics that ARE given by the parks, plus financial reports, historical trends, investments, tourism reports, and statistical estimates. This years AECOM also
conducted analysis retarding park operating days, regulatory agency operating guidelines, visitor participation trends, and local market considerations to help inform park estimates,” the report says.
Excluded
Water parks were not included in the attendance report but the top attendance in the U.S. for 2020 was Universal’s Volcano Bay and SeaWorld Orlando’s Aquatica. Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon is the typical leader of this pack but the park has been was only open for the first few days of 2020 before closing for routine maintenance in January and never reopening once the pandemic closure began in March.
Thermas dos Laranjais in Brazil raked in the most visitor in 2020 at 922,500, still a 50% decline than the year before.
Industry Outlook
In general, the theme park industry is considering 2021 a “bounce-back year,” according to AECOM. The first in what is expected to be a three-year long recovery cycle.
As anyone who has tried to plan a Disney vacation for Fall 2021 will tell you, the Walt Disney World “bounce-back” is alive and well with rooms booked up for months and crowds not shy about celebrating the park’s 50th Anniversary. Things may look a little different, but they also look much the same. One thing is for sure, the future is bright at Walt Disney World!
Want to Join The World’s Most Magical Celebration?
Halloween and Christmas are both coming fast but the 50th Anniversary party already started! The celebration kicked off October 1 but it lasts a whopping 18 months! As an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner with MickeyTravels I would love to help you plan a trip to celebrate. I can help every step of the way, from date selection to airport transportation, and all the special extras. Let’s create an itinerary that gives you and your loved ones magical memories for years to come. All of my planning services are 100% FREE with no hidden catch! Follow my Facebook page, or email me at andra@MickeyTravels.com. I’d love to help you celebrate 50 years of Disney Magic!