Economics

2009THEMEINDEX p2

IN A CHALLENGING YEAR,RESILIENCE AND REPOSITIONING
JUDITH RUBIN TEA PUBLICATIONS EDITOR

2009 saw a second consecutive yearof global economic turmoil adversely
impacting attendance in the themed
attraction industry. Nevertheless,despite the challenges presented by
the reduced consumer spending andbudgets, attraction operators managed
to weather the storm at a level equal orahead of many other industries.

CONTACTS
For information about TEA:
Judith Rubin, rubin.judith@gmail.com, +1 314 853 5210
Gene Jeffers, gene@teaconnect.org, +1 818 843 8497
TEAconnect.org
For information about AECOM Economics and to discuss the details of the Report:
John Robinett, Senior Vice President (USA), john.robinett@aecom.com +1 310 477 9585
Christian Aaen, Regional Director Asia (Hong Kong), christian.aaen@aecom.com +852 2236 3075
David Camp, Director (Europe/Africa/Middle East), david.camp@aecom.com +44 20 3009 2255
Lesley Morisetti, Director (Europe/Africa/Middle East), lesley.morisetti@aecom.com +44 20 3009 2231
Edward Shaw, Senior Associate (USA), edward.shaw@aecom.com +1 310 477 9585
aecom.com
aecom.com/economics“The international theme park andattractions industry is coming off achallenging year due to the global
economic recession,” said Themed
Entertainment Association (TEA)
president Steve Thorburn of Thorburn
Associates, in spring 2010. “The figures
within the 2009 TEA/AECOM Attraction
Attendance Report reflect that. But
they also reflect the resilience andcreativity of the industry and show
us the way to future growth. Under
the circumstances, in 2009 the majorparks did remarkably well. TEA andAECOM join forces each year to create
this report for the benefit of theindustry.”

In 2009, most of the top theme parks
and leisure destinations saw either
flat attendance or a decline. This wasdue in large part to reduced spending
and travel by consumers reacting to
the recession, along with the effectsof the H1N1 flu virus. “Most parks felt
the impact of the deepest recession
since the Great Depression,” said Ray
Braun, Senior Vice President, AECOM
and head of its Entertainment andRecreation Economics operation.
The strategies parks employed tosustain numbers and make the bestof a troubled situation underscore thebasic fundamentals of good businessin the visitor attractions industry:
reinvestment in the guest experience,creative targeted marketing andbuilding the relationship with thecustomer.

2009THEMEINDEX p3

REPOSITIONING FOR THE REGIONAL

AROUND THE WORLD, BETTER TIMES AHEAD

Destination parks rely on a combination of tourists
and locals, but in 2009 had fewer of the former
coming through the turnstiles: total visitation to
Orlando in 2009, for instance, was down 9 percent.
Destination parks endeavoured to maintain theirattendance totals at healthy levels via strategies
that put more emphasis on building relationships
with customers and less on revenue, offsetting thelower levels of tourism by encouraging regional
attendance and repeat visits through special
programs, passes and discounts.

Taken together, the numbers this year reflect anindustry that is stable at its core and well equipped
to survive, recover and continue its expansion
into new markets as the world economy recovers.
Surveying the globe, North America remains theepicenter of the amusement business with 12 of
the top-25 attended parks in the world. Shifting
east, although affected by the global downturn,Asia continues to be the foremost emerging market
and promises strong growth well into the future.
“China and key markets in Asia have a significant
development pipeline compared to anywhere elsein the world. The opening of Universal Studios
Singapore in the first quarter of 2010 marked
the beginning of the new decade where Asia will
dominate and remain the primary region for future
growth of the industry in terms of new development
potential,” said Christian Aaen, Regional Director of
AECOM’s Economics practice in Asia.

While destination parks are adversely impacted
by an economic downturn as discretionary
spending declines, lower cost regional parks
and attractions tend to benefit from those same
trends, as consumers shift to the less expensive
entertainment option. Other regional attractions
such as museums and zoos tend to fare better aswell during tighter economic periods.
In 2009, the top-25 global parks attracted slightly
below the 186 million visits in 2008. North Americanparks experienced a slight decline of just over
1 percent, buoyed in large part by the strong
performance of the Disney parks. In light of theoverall US economy’s decline of 2.5 percent basedon Real GDP Growth, the theme park industry faredquite well. In Europe and Asia, parks were slightly
down, while Mexico and Latin America overall
experienced an increase.

Once-high expectations for Dubai and the UAE havebeen curtailed, for the time being at least. “Ferrari
World in Abu Dhabi is on track to open in 2010 butthat seems destined to be the flag bearer for theregion for the next few years until the economic
situation stabilises,” said David Camp, Director of
AECOM’s Economics practice. In Europe, regionalparks maintained attendance with some exceptions.
“Overall, 2009 was another good year for Europe’s
theme parks,” reported Lesley Morisetti, Director of
AECOM’s Economics practice. Despite challenges,“there were signs of growth and development in the
Mexico/Latin America region, especially in Brazil,”said Edward Shaw, Senior Associate with AECOM’s
Economics practice.
This year’s attendance numbers show that parks
are weathering the recession and positioning
themselves for the recovery. “We expect next year
to show stronger figures with continued economic
recovery and pent-up demand,” says John Robinett,
Senior Vice President of AECOM’s Economics
practice.

2009THEMEINDEX p4

185.6 million
121.4 million

Total theme park attendance for top 25 worldwide parks, a decline of 0.2 percent from 2008.

Total visits to the top 20 parks in North America, a decline of 1.1 percent from 2008.
Since 2005, attendance to the top 20 parks in North America has grown by 2.8 percent.

57.3 million

Attendance for the top 20 European parks, level with 2008 numbers.
Total attendance for top 20 parks has grown by 7.3 percent since 2005.

65.5 million

Total visits to the top 10 Asian parks down 3.5 percent from 2008.
For the new top 15 Asian parks, total attendance was 77.6 million in 2009, a decline of 2.9 percent compared to 2008.

12.3 million
20.7 million

Attendance to top 10 parks in Mexico and Latin America up 1.3 percent from 2008.

Top 20 worldwide waterparks attendance in 2009 –an increase of 2.1 percent from 2008.

(All figures are for calendar year 2009 unless otherwise indicated.)

12.8 million
Total visitation to top 15 waterparks in US,
a growth of 3.0 percent from 2008 and 11.6 percent from 2005.

2009THEMEINDEX p5

REGIONAL OBSERVATIONS:AECOM PRINCIPALS WEIGH IN
NORTH AMERICA“Most parks felt the impact of the deepest recession
since the Great Depression. The notable exception
was the biggest operator, Disney, which held its own in
Florida and was up significantly in California. Disney
successfully marketed special programs to its resident
market base at substantial discounts.”
Ray Braun,
Senior Vice President, AECOM Economics“The brunt of the North American recession was felt
in this year’s numbers. The two major markets, Los
Angeles and Orlando, suffered from weak tourism andboth saw single and sometimes double digit declines intheir major parks – the exception being Disney whichcountered the trend through aggressive discounting
and marketing. We expect next year to show stronger
figures with continued economic recovery and pent-up
demand.”John Robinett,
Senior Vice President, AECOM Economics
EUROPE“With consumers around the world cutting back, anumber of European countries have seen increases indomestic tourism, or “staycations” at the expense ofoverseas trips. This has benefited many of the large
regional parks, particularly in the UK and Germany, but
has proven challenging for some destination parks.
Some of the more tourist-oriented parks such as Port
Aventura suffered as holiday makers tightened theirbelts, and Tivoli was hit by the Climate Conference
taking place in Copenhagen during its Christmas
season, but overall 2009 was another good year for
Europe’s theme parks.”
Lesley Morisetti,
Director, AECOM Economics
MIDDLE EAST
“And what of the much-hyped Middle East theme parkmarket? The multitude of grand plans for Dubai andother parts of the region have fallen foul of the global
recession and Dubai’s over-exuberance. Ferrari WorldCHRISTIAN AAENREGIONAL DIRECTOR (ASIA), AECOM ECONOMICS

in Abu Dhabi is on track to open in 2010 but that seems
destined to be the flag bearer for the region for the next
few years until the economic situation stabilises.”
David Camp,
Director, AECOM Economics

and an increase in events/shows. Management of mostwaterparks maintain a positive outlook for 2010 as the
economy recovers and new attractions will be added”
Janice Li,
Senior Associate, AECOM Economics

MEXICO/LATIN AMERICA“Attractions throughout Latin America and Mexico were
adversely impacted by the recession and the outbreakof the H1N1 virus – particularly in Mexico. However,despite those challenges, there were signs of growthand development in the region, especially in Brazil.
Revenues and profit margins tightened throughout
Mexico and Latin America as discounting andpromotional programs were aggressively implemented
in order to maintain attendance.”
Edward Shaw,
Senior Associate, AECOM Economics

ASIA“Parks in Asia also felt the impact of the global
recession with attendance declines at many majorparks.”Ray Braun,
Senior Vice President, AECOM Economics

WATERPARKS“Similar to the rest of the global attractions market,
waterparks in the U.S. employed significant customer
loyalty programs in 2009 in order to maintain visitationfrom 2008. Parks such as Schlitterbahn in New
Braunfels, Texas, and Adventure Island in Tampa,
Florida, showed growth in attendance. The two Disneywaterparks in Orlando also maintained their numbers
from 2008 by offering resident-targeted packages andoptions.”
Edward Shaw,
Senior Associate, AECOM Economics“As expected, most of the major waterparks in Asia
were impacted by H1N1 flu and the worldwide financial
crisis, with several parks experiencing significant
drops in attendance. Despite the challenging operating
environment, key parks including Chimelong Water
Park (China), Wet ‘N Wild Water World (Australia) andOcean World (South Korea) managed to grow attendance
between 4 and 12.5 percent. In particular, Chimelong
Water Park continued its strong performance as
the most attended waterpark in Asia with effective
marketing to local and regional market, promotions

2009THEMEINDEX p6“Most operators in Asia were cautiously optimistic forthe 2009 season, and that caution was justified. The
season turned out to be challenging due to the global
financial crisis, outbreak of H1N1 and poor weather
conditions in some markets in Asia.”
Christian Aaen,
Regional Director, AECOM Economics“Still, new parks opened in China and key markets in
Asia have a significant development pipeline compared
to anywhere else in the world. The opening of Universal
Studios Singapore in the first quarter of 2010 marked
the beginning of the new decade where Asia will
dominate and remain the primary region for future
growth of the industry in terms of new development
potential.”
Christian Aaen,
Regional Director, AECOM Economics“With key fundamentals in place such as the growing
middle class and incomes in Asia, as well as demandfor entertainment and leisure time, this is the perfectproduct for tourism and economic development. We
expect Asia to fast track the growth curve and theme
park product development lifecycle in this new decadewith increasing visits per capita and worldwide market
share.”
Christian Aaen,
Regional Director, AECOM Economics

As noted in the 2008 TEA/ERA Attraction
Attendance Report most operators in Asia werecautiously optimistic for 2009. The 2009 season
turned out to be a challenging year for mostmarkets in Asia, from Japan to Korea and China. Tenout of the top 15 parks in Asia were down, ranging
from less than one percent to almost 12 percent
decline.
CHINA: DRIVING GROWTH
The industry is moving to Asia. At AECOM, we reallyview Asia and in particular China as the major
growth region now and in the future. Overall the
total attendance for the Asian Top 15 for 2009 was
77.6 million, down from just under 80 million in2008. The Asian market fell by an average 2.9 to 3.5
percent in 2009 among the top 10-15 theme parks,
due to the global financial slowdown and recession,outbreak of H1N1 and poor weather conditions insome markets. However, a number of new parks areplanned in the region and so the expectation is that
Asia will rebound quickly and continue as the main
growth engine for the industry led by China.
Among the Asian countries, China presents thegreatest opportunities for emerging middle classproducts such as theme parks and attractions.
Beijing and Shanghai in particular as well asSouthern China represent key strategic markets
for future branded destination theme parkdevelopment based on the scale of the resident
and tourist markets. We believe China over time
can support multiple theme park destination
developments.
GROWTH HOT SPOTS
There are a number of growth “hot spots” in theregion: Tianjin, Chengdu and Southern China(Guangzhou/Shenzhen) in addition to Beijing andShanghai. After more than a decade of talks andnegotiations, Shanghai has finally secured theMainland’s first Disneyland with expected opening
in 2014/15. On top of that, Shanghai is hosting what
is likely to be the largest world’s fair in history:
Expo 2010 Shanghai will open in May 2010 with an
expected 70+ million visitors over the six months ofoperations.
Universal is looking at several cities as possible
park sites in China and Asia as well as otherinternational operators including LEGOLAND, Village
Roadshow and more.
Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Macau and Hong Kong arepoised for growth, as well as Chengdu, “Gateway
to the Panda,” and in particular Hainan Island, a
top vacation destination that has a tropical feel,something like a combination of Hawaii and central
Florida, with potential for multiple major attractions
as a destination resort market. In Hainan, AECOM iscurrently working on a project for China Aerospace- a unique, space theme park attraction and future
tourism development - scheduled to open in 2013 or2014.
Macau is a special case due to its many casinos.
Developers in Macau have been expanding
aggressively during the past five years, working to
add other kinds of leisure and culture attractions todiversify the mix of offerings.

2009THEMEINDEX p7

Ocean Park, a well-established amusement parkin Hong Kong, is in the process of implementing
a US$712 million redevelopment master plan,
expected to be completed by 2012. This will enlarge
the park by 12-15 acres and double the number of
attractions and rides.
The OCT Holding, developer of the Happy Valley
regional theme parks in China, plans to expand thebrand with other projects. OCT is one of the mostactive and experienced developers in China, withparks in Beijing, Shanghai and Chengdu. OCT islooking at expansion in second-tier cities in China,
such as Wuhan. OCT is also opening new tourism
products such as OCT East Resort in Shenzhen.
Guangzhou is home to Chimelong Group, a trio of
successful safari, amusement and water parks,
including the highest attended water park in China- a true destination resort with a 1,200-room hotel
and convention and meeting facilities, themed but
not quite to the extent of properties in Orlando.
The Chimelong Group is also currently looking at
developing “Zhuhai Ocean World” destination theme
park in Hengqin Island just opposite Macau.

MORE ASIAN MARKETS: REGIONAL SNAPSHOTS
Singapore
The island nation is a hot spot because of the
newly developed Integrated Resorts. Examples are
Marina Bay and Sands Resort (MBS), as well as
Genting’s Resorts World on Sentosa Island (RWS).
The Universal Studios theme park just had its
soft opening in March 2010, and will have phased
opening of a new Maritime Museum, and a unique“aquatic immersive attraction.” Those projects will
be a major boost to Singapore. They will broaden themarket, bring in families, and boost tourism arrivals
significantly.
Malaysia
The Southern Malaysian - Iskandar Region isalmost three times the size of Singapore. The
Legoland Malaysia Resort is scheduled for a late2012 opening, with a hotel and adjacent large-scale
mixed-use project including a shopping center. The
companies behind that development are Iskandar
Investments and Khazanah Nasional (via its Themed
Attractions and Resorts) – two key driving forcesin the fast developing Malaysian tourism industry.
In Kuala Lumpur, there are several projects in earlyplanning, related to cultural tourism with very
interesting potential. This also includes Malaysia’s
first KidZania attraction in 2012.
South Korea
Several major internationally branded theme park
projects have been proposed and are currently
under consideration in and around the Seoul capitalregion, including Universal Studios Korea. KidZania
is continuing its expansion in Asia and recently
opened at Lotte World in February 2010.
Japan
HIT Entertainments recently opened its first
prototype indoor children’s attraction at a regionalmall in a suburb of Tokyo. Earlier in the year,
KidZania opened its second location in Koshien(Osaka) which is performing very strongly. Thereis very strong potential in the branded indoor

2009THEMEINDEX p8

children’s attraction market in Asia, and several
consumer brand and entertainment firms are
currently looking actively at this market.
Indochina
Vietnam has been growing quite fast, with a focus
on Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City as well as selected
coastal areas for resort development and golf. The
focus is on mixed-use, because income is more
moderate than other parts of the region, but it willcatch up with other areas over time.
India
In the short to medium term, India is more focusedon retail development and indoor attractions. Major
themed attractions and destinations may comealong eventually, as infrastructure and income
levels increase, but at this stage India significantly
trails China.
ThailandNew developments are currently in the pipeline
for Bangkok including a Madame Tussauds
attraction as part of the Siam Paragon Group’s
shopping complex in central Bangkok as well as
a new KidZania attraction. The rest of Thailand ismore on the resort side. Thailand has been up anddown, based on the geo-political environment,
but is coming back and attracting developers andinvestors.

Attraction operators continued to weather
the economic storm at a level equal orahead of many industries in 2009. The top
25 global parks attracted slightly below the
186 million visits in 2008.

2009THEMEINDEX p9

MAGIC KINGDOM
at Walt Disney World
Lake Buena Vista, FL, USA
17,233,000

DISNEYLAND
Anaheim, CA, USA
15,900,000

TOKYO DISNEYLANDTokyo, Japan
13,646,000

DISNEYLAND PARK
at Disneyland Paris
Marne-la-Vallee, France
12,740,000

TOKYO DISNEY SEATokyo, Japan
12,004,000

EPCOT
at Walt Disney World
Lake Buena Vista, FL, USA
10,990,000

DISNEY’S HOLLYWOOD STUDIOSat Walt Disney World
Lake Buena Vista, FL, USA
9,700,000

DISNEY’S ANIMAL KINGDOM
at Walt Disney World
Lake Buena Vista, FL, USA
9,590,000

2009THEMEINDEX p10

UNIVERSALSTUDIOSJAPAN
Osaka, Japan
8,000,000

EVERLAND
Gyeonggi-Do,
South Korea
6,169,000

DISNEY’SCALIFORNIAADVENTURE
Anaheim, CA, USA
6,095,000

SEAWORLDFLORIDA
Orlando, FL, USA
5,800,000

UNIVERSALSTUDIOSat Universal
OrlandoOrlando, FL, USA
5,530,000

OCEAN PARK
Hong Kong
4,800,000

NAGASHIMA
SPA LAND
Kuwana, Japan
4,700,000

HONG KONGDISNEYLAND
Hong Kong
4,600,000

ISLANDS OFADVENTURE
YOKOHAMA
at Universal
HAKKEJIMA
OrlandoSEA PARADISE
Orlando, FL, USA Yokohama, Japan
4,627,000
4,500,000

UNIVERSALSTUDIOSHOLLYWOOD
Universal City,
CA, USA
4,308,000

LOTTE
WORLD
Seoul,South Korea
4,261,000

EUROPA
PARK
Rust,
Germany
4,250,000

SEA WORLDCALIFORNIASan Diego,
CA, USA
4,200,000

BUSCH
GARDENS
Tampa Bay,
FL, USA
4,100,000

DE EFTELING
Kaatsheuvel,
Netherlands
4,000,000

TIVOLIGARDENS
Copenhagen,Denmark
3,870,000

2009THEMEINDEX p11

2009THEMEINDEX p12

KINGDOM at Walt Disney World
1 MAGIC
Lake Buena Vista, FL, USA

17,233,000 visitors

 1.0%PARK
14 OCEAN
Hong Kong

4,800,000 visitors

2 DISNEYLAND
Anaheim, CA, USA

15,900,000 visitors

 8.0%

SPA LAND
15 NAGASHIMA
Kuwana, Japan

4,700,000 visitors

 4.6%
 1.1%DISNEYLAND
3 TOKYOTokyo, Japan

13,646,000 visitors

OF ADVENTURE at Universal Orlando
16 ISLANDS
Orlando, FL, USA

PARK at Disneyland Paris
4 DISNEYLAND
Marne-la-Vallee, France

12,740,000 visitors

 4.5%
 0.4%

4,627,000 visitors
4,600,000 visitors

 11.3%
 2.0%DISNEY SEA
5 TOKYOTokyo, Japan

12,004,000 visitors

4,500,000 visitors

at Walt Disney World
6 EPCOT
Lake Buena Vista, FL, USA

10,990,000 visitors

 4.0%
 0.5%HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS at Walt Disney World
7 DISNEY’S
Lake Buena Vista, FL, USA

9,700,000 visitors

ANIMAL KINGDOM at Walt Disney World
8 DISNEY’S
Lake Buena Vista, FL, USA
STUDIOS JAPAN
9 UNIVERSALOsaka, Japan

17 Hong Kong
HAKKEIJIMA SPA PARADISE
18 YOKOHAMA
Yokohama, Japan
HONG KONG DISNEYLANDSTUDIOS HOLLYWOOD
19 UNIVERSAL
Universal City, CA, USA

4,308,000 visitors

 1.0%

WORLD
20 LOTTE
Seoul, South Korea

4,261,000 visitors

 0.7%
 6.0%
 0.6%

9,590,000 visitors

 0.5%

PARK
21 EUROPA
Rust, Germany

4,250,000 visitors

 6.3%

8,000,000 visitors

 3.6%CALIFORNIA
22 SEAWORLDSan Diego, CA, USA

4,200,000 visitors

GARDENS TAMPA BAY
23 BUSCH
Tampa Bay, FL, USA

4,100,000 visitors

EFTELING
24 DE
Kaatsheuvel, Netherlands

4,000,000 visitors

 12.6%
 12.3%
 25.0%3,870,000 visitors

 2.6%

10 EVERLAND
Gyeonggi-Do, South Korea

6,169,000 visitors

CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE
11 DISNEY’S
Anaheim, CA, USA

6,050,000 visitors

 6.5%
 9.5%FLORIDA
12 SEAWORLD
Orlando, FL, USA

5,800,000 visitors

 6.8%GARDENS
25 TIVOLI
Copenhagen, Denmark

13

5,530,000

 10.0%Note: Attendance figures are estimates, based on company information, annual reports, published information and from reliable TEA/AECOM industry and tourism sources.
Percent changes for 2009 for certain parks are based on adjusted/updated figures for 2008, thus not directly comparable to published TEA/AECOM list for 2008/07.
Source: TEA / AECOM

UNIVERSAL STUDIOS at Universal Orlando
Orlando, FL, USA

visitors

2009THEMEINDEX p13

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2009THEMEINDEX p14

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2009THEMEINDEX p15

2009THEMEINDEX p16

LAGOON at Walt Disney World
1 TYPHOON
Orlando, FL, USA

2,059,000 visitors

0%

PARK
14 BEACH
Fortaleza, Brazil

683,000 visitors

 29.4%BEACH at Walt Disney World
2 BLIZZARD
Orlando, FL, USA

1,891,000 visitors

WADI
15 WILD
Dubai, UAE

677,000 visitors

WATER PARK
3 CHIMELONG
Guangzhou, China

1,800,000 visitors

0% 12.5%ISLAND
16 ADVENTURE
Tampa, FL, USA

600,000 visitors

 17.9% 9.3%

4 AQUATICA
Orlando, FL, USA

1,600,000 visitors

 6.8%SPA CASTLE
17 DEOKSAN
Chungcheongnam-Do, South Korea

555,000 visitors

BAY at Everland Resort
5 CARIBBEAN
Gyeonggi-Do, South Korea

1,450,000 visitors

530,000 visitorsWORLD
6 OCEAN
Gangwon-Do, South Korea

1,310,000 visitors

 3.3%
 4.0%

18 SCHLITTERBAHN
Galveston, TX, USA
WATERPIA
19 SEORAK
Gangwon-Do, South Korea

525,000 visitors‘N WILD
7 WET
Orlando, FL, USA

1,235,000 visitors

HILLS WATER WORLD
20 HYLAND
Denver, CO, USA

515,000 visitors‘N WILD WATER WORLD
8 WET
Gold Coast, Australia

1,095,000 visitors

 5.0%
 6.8%

920,000 visitors

 1.9%LAGOON
10 SUNWAY
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

907,000 visitors

11 SCHLITTERBAHN
New Braunfels, TX, USA

900,000 visitors

 17.5%
 2.0%WATER ADVENTURE (Taman Impian Jaya Ancol)
12 ATLANTIS
Jakarta, Indonesia

720,000 visitors

COUNTRY USA
13 WATER
Williamsburg, VA, USA

700,000 visitors

9 SUMMERLANDTokyo, Japan 10.0% 2.2%

 7.5%
 5.0%
 16.0% 3.4%

Note: Attendance figures are estimates, based on company information, annual reports, published information and from reliable TEA/AECOM industry and tourism sources.
Percent changes for 2009 for certain parks are based on adjusted/updated figures for 2008, thus not directly comparable to published TEA/AECOM list for 2008/07.
Source: TEA / AECOM

2009THEMEINDEX p17

2009THEMEINDEX p18

Aspro Group
8.2 million visitors

Walt Disney Attractions
119.1 million visitors

Merlin Entertainments Group38.5 million visitors

Parques Reunidos
24.8 million visitors

Six Flags, Inc.
23.8 million visitors

Universal Studios
Recreation Group23.7 million visitors

Busch Entertainment
23.5 million visitors

Cedar Fair
OCT Parks China
Entertainment Co.
15.8 million visitors
21.1 million visitors

Compaigne des Alpes(Grevin)10.0 million visitors

2009THEMEINDEX p20

GLOBAL ATTENDANCE TRENDS

TOP THEME PARKS AND WATERPARKS

2005

2005-2009

2006

2007

140M

VISITORS

120M

VISITORS

100M

VISITORS

80M

VISITORS

60M

VISITORS

40M

VISITORS

20M

VISITORS

TOP 20NORTH AMERICAN
PARKS

TOP 20EUROPEAN
PARKS

TOP 10

ASIAN
PARKS

TOP 10LATIN AMERICAN
PARKS

TOP 15

U.S. WATERPARKS

TOP 20

GLOBAL WATERPARKS

2008

2009

2009THEMEINDEX p21

In 2009, North American parks experienced
a slight decline of just over 1 percent,bouyed in large part by the strong
performance of the Disney parks. In
Europe and Asia, parks were slightly down,
while Mexico and Latin America overall
experienced an increase.

NEARLY 120 MILLIONPEOPLE VISITED WALTDISNEY PARKS IN
THE UNITED STATES,FRANCE, JAPAN AND
HONG KONG.

2009THEMEINDEX p24

North America: Top 20 Parks
1. Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World, Lake Buena Vista, FL, USA
2. Disneyland, Anaheim, CA, USA
3. Epcot at Walt Disney World, Lake Buena Vista, FL, USA
4. Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Lake Buena Vista, FL, USA
5. Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Lake Buena Vista, FL, USA
6. Disney’s California Adventure, Anaheim, CA, USA
7. Seaworld Florida, Orlando, FL, USA
8. Universal Studios at Universal Orlando, Orlando, FL, USA
9. Islands of Adventure at Universal Orlando, Orlando, FL, USA
10. Universal Studios Hollywood, Universal City, CA, USA
11. Seaworld California, San Diego, CA, USA
12. Busch Gardens, Tampa Bay, FL, USA
13. Knott’s Berry Farm, Buena Park, CA, USA
14. Canada’s Wonderland, Maple, ON, Canada
15. Kings Island, Kings Island, OH, USA
16. Cedar Point, Sandusky, OH, USA
17. Busch Gardens Europe, Williamsburg, VA, USA
18. Hershey Park, Hershey, PA, USA
19. Six Flags Great Adventure, Jackson, NJ, USA
20. Six Flags Magic Mountain, Valencia, CA, USA
20. Six Flags Great America, Gurnee, IL, USA
SCALE
Total visitors per year
15m

10m

5m

2m
1m

Latin America: Top 10 Parks
1. Six Flags Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico
2. Playcenter, São Paolo, Brazil
3. Hopi Hari, São Paolo, Brazil
4. La Feria de Chapultepec, Mexico City, Mexico
5. Fantasialandia, Santiago, Chile
5. Parque de la Costa, Tigre, Argentina
7. Beto Carrero World, Santa Catarina, Brazil
7. El Salitre Magico, Bogotá, Colombia
9. Plaza de Sesamo, Monterrey, Mexico
10. Kidzania, Mexico City, Mexico

Europe: Top 20 Parks
1. Disneyland Park at DIsneyland Paris, Marne-la-Vallee, France
2. Europa Park, Rust, Germany
3. De Efteling, Kaatsheuvel, Netherlands
4. Tivoli Gardens, Copenhagen, Denmark
5. Liseberg, Gothenburg, Sweden
6. Port Aventura, Salou, Spain
7. Gardaland, Castelnuovo del Garda, Italy
8. Walt Disney Studios Park at Disneyland Paris, Marne-la-Vallee, France
9. Alton Towers, Staffordshire, UK
10. Phantasialand, Brühl, Germany
11. Legoland Windsor, Windsor, UK
Asia-Pacific: Top 15 Parks
12. Thorpe Park, Chertsey, UK
1. Tokyo Disneyland, Tokyo, Japan
13. Parc Astérix, Plailly, France
2. Tokyo Disney Sea, Tokyo, Japan
14. Futuroscope, Poitiers, France
3. Universal Studios Japan, Osaka, Japan
15. Legoland Billund, Billund, Denmark
4. Everland, Gyeonggi-Do, South Korea
16. Mirabilandia, Savio, Italy
5. Ocean Park, Hong Kong
17. Parque de Atracciones, Madrid, Spain
6. Nagashima Spa Land, Kuwana, Japan
18. Heide Park, Soltau, Germany
7. Hong Kong Disneyland, Hong Kong
19. Duinrell/Attraktiepark, Wassenaar, Netherlands
8. Yokohama Hakkeijima Sea Paradise, Yokohama, Japan
20. Chessington World of Adventures, Chessington, UK
9. Lotte World, Seoul, South Korea
10. Happy Valley, Shenzhen, China
11. Window of the World, Shenzhen, China
11. Dunia Fantasi, Jakarta, Indonesia
13. Chimelong Paradise, Guangzhou, China
13. Happy Valley, Chengdu, China
15. Happy Valley, Beijing, China

2009THEMEINDEX p25

1 MAGIC KINGDOM at Walt Disney World Lake Buena Vista, FL, USA
2 DISNEYLAND Anaheim, CA, USA
3 EPCOT at Walt Disney World Lake Buena Vista, FL, USA
4 DISNEY’S HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS at Walt Disney World Lake Buena Vista, FL, USA
5 DISNEY’S ANIMAL KINGDOM at Walt Disney World Lake Buena Vista, FL, USA
6 DISNEY’S CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE Anaheim, CA, USA
7 SEAWORLD FLORIDA Orlando, FL, USA
8 UNIVERSAL STUDIOS at Universal Orlando Orlando, FL, USA
9 ISLANDS OF ADVENTURE at Universal Orlando Orlando, FL, USA
10 UNIVERSAL STUDIOS HOLLYWOOD Universal City, CA, USA
11 SEAWORLD CALIFORNIA San Diego, CA, USA
12 BUSCH GARDENS TAMPA BAY Tampa, FL, USA
13 KNOTT’S BERRY FARM Buena Park, CA, USA
14 CANADA’S WONDERLAND Maple, ON, Canada
15 KINGS ISLAND Kings Island, OH, USA
16 CEDAR POINT Sandusky, OH, USA
17 BUSCH GARDENS EUROPE Williamsburg, VA, USA
18 HERSHEY PARK Hershey, PA, USA
19 SIX FLAGS GREAT ADVENTURE Jackson, NJ, USA
20* SIX FLAGS MAGIC MOUNTAIN Valencia, CA, USA
20* SIX FLAGS GREAT AMERICA Gurnee, IL, USA

17,233,000 visitors

 1.0%

15,900,000 visitors

 8.0%

10,990,000 visitors

 0.5%

9,700,000 visitors

 1.0%

9,590,000 visitors

 0.5%

6,095,000 visitors

 9.5%

5,800,000 visitors
5,530,000 visitors

 6.8%
 10.0%4,627,000 visitors

 11.3%

4,308,000 visitors

 6.0%

4,200,000 visitors

 12.6%

4,100,000 visitors
3,333,000 visitors

 12.3%
 6.5%

3,160,000 visitors

 6.5%

3,000,000 visitors

 4.0%
 8.0%
 3.7%

2,942,000 visitors
2,900,000 visitors
2,634,000 visitors

 1.2%
 4.6%

2,500,000 visitors

 2.5%

2,500,000 visitors

 6.3%

2,807,000 visitors

Note: '*' indicates a tie. Attendance figures are estimates, based on company information, annual reports, published information and from reliable TEA/AECOM industry and tourism sources.
Percent changes for 2009 for certain parks are based on adjusted/updated figures for 2008, thus not directly comparable to published TEA/AECOM list for 2008/07. Source: TEA / AECOM

2009THEMEINDEX p26

1 DISNEYLAND PARK at Disneyland Paris Marne-la-Vallee, France
2 EUROPA PARK Rust, Germany
3 DE EFTELING Kaatsheuvel, Netherlands
4 TIVOLI GARDENS Copenhagen, Denmark
5 LISEBERG Gothenburg, Sweden
6 PORT AVENTURA Salou, Spain
7 GARDALAND Castelnuovo del Garda, Italy
8 WALT DISNEY STUDIOS PARK at Disneyland Paris Marne-la-Vallee, France
9 ALTON TOWERS Staffordshire, UK
10 PHANTASIALAND Brühl, Germany
11 LEGOLAND WINDSOR Windsor, UK
12 THORPE PARK Chertsey, UK
13 PARC ASTERIX Plailly, France
14 FUTUROSCOPE Potiers, France
15 LEGOLAND BILLUND Billund, Denmark
16 MIRABILANDIA Savio, Italy
17 PARQUE DE ATRACCIONES Madrid, Spain
18 HEIDE PARK Soltau, Germany
19 DUINRELL / ATTRAKTIEPARK Wassenaar, Netherlands
20 CHESSINGTON WORLD OF ADVENTURES Chessington, UK
1

1

2

3

12,740,000 visitors

 0.4%

4,250,000 visitors

 6.3%

4,000,000 visitors

 25.0%3,870,000 visitors

 2.6%
 3.3%

3,150,000 visitors
2,900,000 visitors

 9.1%
 4.0%

2,655,000 visitors

 1.6%

2,650,000 visitors

 5.0%

1,950,000 visitors

 2.6%

1,900,000 visitors

 5.0%

1,870,000 visitors

 10.0%1,820,000 visitors

 1.1%

1,700,000 visitors

 6.3%

1,650,000 visitors

0%

1,624,000 visitors

 1.5%

1,500,000 visitors

0%

1,400,000 visitors

 5.0%

1,349,000 visitors

 0.5%
n/a

3,000,000 visitors

1,300,000 visitors

1. Attendance for Tivoli and Liseberg includes Christmas market operations.					2. Attendance for Port Aventura is for theme park only (excluding waterpark - seperate ticket).
3. Attendance for Gardaland is for theme park only (excluding waterpark and Sea Life Centre - seperate tickets).		
4. Bakken (No. 8 in the 2008 list) in Copenhagen was not included this year as guests do not buy a ticket to enter the part (it is not gated).
Note: Attendance figures are estimates, based on company information, annual reports, published information and from reliable TEA/AECOM industry and tourism sources.
Percent changes for 2009 for certain parks are based on adjusted/updated figures for 2008, thus not directly comparable to published TEA/AECOM list for 2008/07. Source: TEA / AECOM

2009THEMEINDEX p27

1 TOKYO DISNEYLAND Tokyo, Japan
2 TOKYO DISNEY SEA Tokyo, Japan
3 UNIVERSAL STUDIOS JAPAN Osaka, Japan
4 EVERLAND Gyeonggi-Do, South Korea
5 OCEAN PARK Hong Kong
6 NAGASHIMA SPA LAND Kuwana, Japan
7 HONG KONG DISNEYLAND Hong Kong
8 YOKOHAMA HAKKEIJIMA SEA PARADISE Yokohama, Japan
9 LOTTE WORLD Seoul, South Korea
10 HAPPY VALLEY Shenzhen, China
11* WINDOW OF THE WORLD Shenzhen, China
11* DUNIA FANTASI Jakarta, Indonesia
13* CHIMELONG PARADISE Guangzhou, China
13* HAPPY VALLEY Chengdu, China
15 HAPPY VALLEY Beijing, China
1

213,646,000 visitors

 4.5%

12,004,000 visitors

 4.0%

8,000,000 visitors

 3.6%

6,169,000 visitors

 6.5%

4,800,000 visitors
4,700,000 visitors

 4.6%
 1.1%

4,600,000 visitors

 2.0%

4,500,000 visitors
4,261,000 visitors

 0.7%
 0.6%

2,800,000 visitors

 11.9%2,500,000 visitors

 4.9%

2,500,000 visitors
2,400,000 visitors

 3.8%
 7.7%

2,400,000 visitors

new park

2,350,000 visitors

 11.9%

1. Everland attendance does not include Caribbean Bay water park visitation.
2. Lotte World attendance only includes theme park.
Note: '*' indicates a tie. Attendance figures are estimates, based on company information, annual reports, published information and from reliable TEA/AECOM industry and tourism sources.
Percent changes for 2009 for certain parks are based on adjusted/updated figures for 2008, thus not directly comparable to published TEA/AECOM list for 2008/07. Source: TEA / AECOM

2009THEMEINDEX p28

1 SIX FLAGS MEXICO Mexico City, Mexico
2 PLAYCENTER São Paulo, Brazil
3 HOPI HARI São Paulo, Brazil
4 LA FERIA DE CHAPULTEPEC Mexico City, Mexico
5* FANTASIALANDIA Santiago, Chile
5* PARQUE DE LA COSTA Tigre, Argentina
7* BETO CARRERO WORLD Santa Catarina, Brazil
7* EL SALITRE MAGICO Bogotá, Colombia
9 PLAZA DE SESAMO Monterrey, Mexico
10 KIDZANIA Mexico City, Mexico

1,950,000 visitors
1,700,000 visitors

 3.5%
 6.3%

1,500,000 visitors

 2.9%

1,400,000 visitors
1,100,000 visitors

 5.0%
0%

1,100,000 visitors

 6.2%

1,000,000 visitors

n/a

1,000,000 visitors

 6.6%

970,000 visitors

 5.4%

601,000 visitors

 24.1%

Note: '*' indicates a tie. Attendance figures are estimates, based on company information, annual reports, published information and from reliable TEA/AECOM industry and tourism sources.
Percent changes for 2009 for certain parks are based on adjusted/updated figures for 2008, thus not directly comparable to published TEA/AECOM list for 2008/07. Source: TEA / AECOM

2009THEMEINDEX p29

2009THEMEINDEX p30

ABOUT THIS STUDY

1 TYPHOON LAGOON at Walt Disney World Lake Buena Vista, FL
2 BLIZZARD BEACH at Walt Disney World Lake Buena Vista, FL
3 AQUATICA Orlando, FL
4 WET ‘N WILD Orlando, FL
5 SCHLITTERBAHN New Braunfels, TX
6 WATER COUNTRY USA Williamsburg, VA
7 ADVENTURE ISLAND Tampa, FL
8 SCHLITTERBAHN Galveston, TX
9 HYLAND HILLS WATER WORLD Denver, CO
10 SPLISH-SPLASH Riverhead, NY
11 NOAH’S ARK Wisconsin Dells, WI
12 RAGING WATERS San Dimas, CA
13* SIX FLAGS WHITE WATER Marietta, GA
13* SIX FLAGS HURRICANE HARBOR Arlington, TX
15 DOLLYWOOD’S SPLASH COUNTRY Pigeon Forge, TN
16 WET ‘N WILD EMERALD POINT Greensboro, NC
17 SOAK CITY CEDAR POINT Sandusky, OH
18 SIX FLAGS HURRICANE HARBOR Jackson, NJ
19 CAMELBEACH Tannersville, PA
20 ZOOMEZI BAY Powell, OH

2,059,000 visitors

0%

1,891,000 visitors

0%1,600,000 visitors

 6.8%

1,235,000 visitors

 5.0%
 2.0%

900,000 visitors
700,000 visitors
600,000 visitors

 2.2%
 9.3%

530,000 visitors

 5.0%

515,000 visitors

 3.4%

495,000 visitors

 1.0%

490,000 visitors

 8.1%

466,000 visitors
450,000 visitors

 3.1%
 8.2%

450,000 visitors

 1.1%

446,000 visitors
390,000 visitors

 2.0%
n/a

375,000 visitors

n/a360,000 visitors

n/a

350,000 visitors

n/a

325,000 visitorsn/aNote: '*' indicates a tie. Attendance figures are estimates, based on company information, annual reports, published information and from reliable TEA/AECOM industry and tourism sources.
Percent changes for 2009 for certain parks are based on adjusted/updated figures for 2008, thus not directly comparable to published TEA/AECOM list for 2008/07. Source: TEA / AECOM

The TEA/AECOM Attraction Attendance Report
identifies the top commercial theme parks
and waterparks around the world and reflects
their performance for the previous year. Global
attendance data are broken down by geographic
region, by chain and by type of venue. The report isa valuable business reference and resource for theindustry.
This vital report is issued annually and jointly
produced and distributed by the TEA (Themed
Entertainment Association) – the leadinginternational trade alliance for the creators ofcompelling experiences and places – and theEconomics practice at AECOM, formerly Economics
Research Associates (ERA) – the world leader
in economic consulting for the entertainment
and leisure industry. The Economics practice at
AECOM began producing the report in 2004 (as theAmusement Business-ERA Year End Attendance
Report), which became the TEA-ERA Year End
Attendance Report as of 2006, and is now produced
by TEA and AECOM.
AECOM obtains the figures used to create the
TEA/AECOM Attraction Attendance Reportthrough a variety of sources, including statistics
furnished directly by the operators, historicalnumbers, financial reports, the investment banking

Credits: TEA/AECOM Attraction Attendance Report for 2009
Publisher: TEA (Themed Entertainment Association)
Executive Editor: Gene Jeffers
Research: Economics practice at AECOM (formerly ERA)
Editor: Judith Rubin© 2010 TEA/AECOM. All Rights Reserved.

community and local tourism organizations, among
others. The global market is studied as a whole,and each of its four main regions is also studied
separately: North America, Mexico/Latin America,
Europe and Asia. There is also a table of the top
waterparks in the world and in the United States,and of the top global chain operators.
To be included in the study, a facility must be gated(entry ticket required). North American parks musthave annual visits above one million. To be included
on the top chains list, a chain operator must havetheme parks in its portfolio. Both external andinternal factors including development costs,
pricing, customer service, weather, demographics,
investment/expansion, and other dynamics impact
the estimated numbers.
TEA and AECOM express thanks to the numerous
park operators who graciously and generously
furnished attendance information, enabling thisreport to be as complete and accurate as possible.

Economics

The Economics practice at AECOM (formerly Economics Research Associates)is the world leader in real estate consulting services. It advises clients on
economic and financial planning issues for a myriad of commercial land uses,
including theme parks, hotels and resorts, sports venues and major events,
cultural facilities, tourism, complex mixed-use developments as well as
economic regeneration schemes. The Economics practice at AECOM has madeimportant contributions to some of the world’s most innovative and successfulprojects. AECOM (NYSE: ACM) is a global provider of professional technicaland management support services to a broad range of markets, includingtransportation, facilities, environmental, energy, water and government. A
Fortune 500 company, AECOM employs approximately 45,000 people and servesclients in more than 100 countries and had revenue of $6.1 billion during the
12-month period ended December 31, 2009. More information on AECOM andits services can be found at www.aecom.com.

Discover more
aecom.com/economics

The TEA (Themed Entertainment Association) is an international
nonprofit alliance founded in 1991 and based in Burbank, Calif.
TEA represents some 7,000 creative specialists, from architects
to designers, technical specialists to master planners, scenic
fabricators to artists, and builders to feasibility analysts working
in more than 600 firms in 39 different countries. TEA presents
the annual Thea Awards and the TEA Summit and hosts theannual SATE conferences (Story, Architecture, Technology,
Experience). TEA also produces a variety of print and electronic
publications, including the TEA/AECOM Global Attraction
Attendance Report, TEA Project Management Guidelines, andTEA Annual & Directory. Visit www.TEAconnect.org.