Economics

The Global Attractions Attendance Report
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Credits
TEA/AECOM 2010
Theme Index: The Global Attractions Attendance Report
Publisher: TEA (Themed Entertainment Association)
Executive Editor: Gene Jeffers
Research: Economics practice at AECOM
Editor: Judith Rubin
Contributors: David Camp, Kim Gram, Daniel Elsea© 2011 TEA/AECOM. All Rights Reserved.
Contacts
For information about TEA:
Judith Rubin, rubin.judith@gmail.com, 1 314 853 5210 tel
Gene Jeffers, gene@TEAConnect.org, 1 818 843 8497 tel
www.TEAconnect.org
For information about AECOM’s Economics team and the report:
John Robinett
Senior vice president
john.robinett@aecom.com
1 310 477 9585 tel

Chris Yoshii
Global director, Asia
chris.yoshii@aecom.com
852 2833 5580 tel

David Camp
Vice president, Europe/Africa/Middle East
david.camp@aecom.com
44 20 3009 2255 tel

Brian Sands, AICP
Vice president
brian.sands@aecom.com
1 202 448 1433 tel

www.aecom.com/economics
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Key figures, p6
Global snapshots, p8
Data, p20

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Key figures

18
A

A Total attendance for the top 25 parks worldwide, anincrease of 1.9 percent from 2009.
B Total attendance for the top 20 theme parks in North
America, an increase of 1.8 percent from 2009.
C Total attendance for the top 15 Asian theme parks,
up 7.3 percent from 2009.
D Total attendance for the top 20 European themeparks, a decrease of 1.8 percent from 2009.
E Total attendance for the top 20 worldwide
waterparks, an increase of 7.3 percent from2009. (Since 2006, total attendance for the top 20
worldwide waterparks has grown by 27.4 percent.)
F Total attendance for the top 20 waterparks in the
U.S., an increase of 2.9 percent from 2009.
G Total attendance for the top 10 theme parks in
Mexico and Latin America, up 8.2 percent from 2009.
(Since 2006, total attendance for the top 10 Mexicoand Latin America theme parks has grown by 20.5
percent.)p6

89.1m123.6m

B

C

83.3m
D

56.3m
E

22.2m
F

15.1m

G 13.3mp7

Global snapshots

Wizards andwaterparks help
beat the economic
doldrums.
U.S. markets approach pre-recession levels; Brazil leads Latin America“The 2010 TEA/AECOM Theme Index reveals an average attendance increaseof 1.8 percent in North American parks, with many sectors at or close to prerecession levels,” said John Robinett, senior vice president, Economics at
AECOM. “The major players saw mixed results, but the trend was generally
positive. Both Universal and Disney parks reaped the rewards of substantial
reinvestment with outstanding new attractions in Orlando and Los Angeles.
Orlando saw regional tourism grow by 10.5 percent and preliminary
estimates indicate 8 percent growth in Los Angeles. Both residents andtourists are coming back to the parks.”“The remarkable success of Universal Studios’ Wizarding World of Harry
Potter lifted attendance at Universal’s two parks in Orlando by more than 1.7
million visitors in 2010,” said Brian Sands, AICP, vice president, Economics
at AECOM. “Universal Studios Hollywood was also up significantly due
to the opening of King Kong 360 3-D. World of Color, at Disney California
Adventure, helped offset a mostly flat year for Disney parks. These are great
examples of how valuable strong content and excellent execution are for thethemed entertainment industry, in what remains a challenging economic
environment.”
In U.S. waterparks: “Attendance at the top five declined somewhat, but
overall attendance at the top 20 was up by nearly one million visitors,” said
Sands. “The largest portion of this increase was from the new Wet ‘n’ Wild in
Phoenix, Arizona, opened for its first full year in 2010.”
South of the U.S. border: “The addition of Parque Mundo Aventura in
Bogotá, Colombia, to the reporting list increased visitation by nearly one
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Global snapshots
Wizards and water parks

million for the top 10 theme parks in Mexico-Latin America,” said Sands.
“However, Hopi Hari in São Paulo, Brazil, had the biggest increase amongparks reporting in previous years, with close to 500,000 additional visitors —driven by a combination of the opening of several major new rides plus verystrong economic growth in Brazil, where the size and income of the middle
class continues to increase.”
Recovery in Europe is gradual but steady, and in the Middle East, uneven“Despite the recession, European theme parks turned in a pretty strong
performance in regard to attendance,” said David Camp, vice president for
Economics at AECOM in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. “In most cases,
after a bumper 2009, parks in Europe saw slight declines, so that the totals
for 2008 and 2010 were about the same. Some are up from 2009, some aredown, and some stayed the same, but the down ones are not hugely down.
Bad weather at the start of the season hit the German and Dutch parks, andif you start a few points down, it can be hard to catch up.”Camp continued, “Overall, people are still nervous and the economy ispretty mixed. Germany is probably doing the best and the U.K. is still in thedoldrums. Greece, Spain and Italy are in decline. We expect another year or
two of hurt and mixed results. Looking at the current season in the U.K., thefirst few weeks have been fabulous, with lovely weather, but it can all be
wiped out with a lot of rain at the beginning of summer. The 2012 Olympic
Games in London will have a positive impact.”
The Middle East has lost its industry boom status but there are somebright spots. “Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, the world’s largest indoor theme
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Global snapshots
Wizards and water parks

park, opened in October,” said Camp. “But aside from that, theme parkdevelopment in the Middle East is largely dormant. Waterparks are adifferent story; they’re a natural leisure solution for a region with baking hot
weather. Aquaventure and Wild Wadi, both in Dubai, both made the Top 20
Worldwide Waterparks list this year.”
Asia bounces back; Chinese tourism drives development; Jakarta emerges“The recession appears to be officially over in Asia,” reported Chris Yoshii,
global director, Economics. “2010 was a solid bounceback from ’09, with
China and South Korea exhibiting the strongest growth. Thanks to theeconomy rebounding and a surge of visitors from mainland China, fueledby a change in tourist visa policies, Asian theme parks had a strong year in2010. Korean theme parks saw an increase of more than 10 percent due tothe influx of Chinese tourists; parks in other Asian countries benefited aswell. China’s growing prosperity is driving a lot of theme park development in
Asia.”
Disney parks in Asia prospered in 2010. “The attendance increase at Disneyparks in Japan and Hong Kong (800,000 and 600,000 respectively) canbe attributed to three things: increased tourism from China, aggressive
marketing and new attractions,” said Yoshii. “Hong Kong Disney added
the Autotopia ride and Stitch Encounter and is continuing with additional
investment/expansion plans adding three new lands in as many years.”
In China itself, the six-month Shanghai 2010 World Expo, which closed in
October, was the largest world fair in history, in physical size as well as
attendance. The successful mega-event drew significant internationalp10

Global snapshots
Wizards and water parks

participation, attracted 73 million visits and was the catalyst for major
infrastructure improvements: subways, highways, airport expansion andnew high speed trains. “It was a huge investment and not many cities in
the world could have done it,” observed Yoshii. Commercial/residential
redevelopment of the expo site is underway; some of the attractions arestill open, including the exhibition center, sports arena and China Pavilion,
reportedly still drawing some 10,000 people a day.
Also in Shanghai, groundbreaking has taken place for the new Disney park.
“Design work is moving forward very quickly,” said Yoshii, “and the hotels arealso starting major construction this year. With the opening targeted for theend of 2016, it will be a very aggressive construction schedule. The project iscreating a lot of excitement and interest. Whenever these big park operatorscome into a market, it stirs interest in theme parks, and a lot of developers
are now looking at projects in various cities. The growth of the middle classin Asia is phenomenal and will drive huge investments in theme parks in the
coming decade.”
Ocean Park Hong Kong posted a record year in terms of attendance: 5.1
million visits. “Ocean Park is implementing an eight-year reinvestment plan,rebuilding and expanding the park section by section,” said Yoshii. “They’readding new rides and shows, and a lot of capacity. The new Aqua City area
offers a fantastic aquarium experience and nighttime spectacular that haveextended the average length of stay by 30 minutes.”
Universal Studios Singapore (USS), which held its grand opening in May
2011, tallied more than two million visits during its nine-month soft-open
period in 2010. USS is part of Resorts World Sentosa. “The resort businessmodel is drawing a lot of interest as a way of cross-subsidizing the expense
p11

Global snapshots
Wizards and water parksof a theme park with a casino,” noted Yoshii.
Waterparks in Asia also did well. In South Korea, Caribbean Bay at Everland
posted a very good 2010 with a 20 percent uptick in attendance. “Jakarta
is emerging as a new market, with a lot of interest in waterparks as well astheme parks and indoor attractions,” said Yoshii, citing redevelopment of
Jaya Ancol, home to Dunia Fantasi theme park and Atlantis waterpark.
It’s not all blockbuster news in Asia however, while the big name parks
drew healthy visitor numbers, for the most part smaller regional parks still
experienced some decline, such as the parks in Japan where the economy isgenerally flat. Visitation totals for 2011 will likely suffer at the Tokyo Disneyparks, which closed for one month due to the earthquake and subsequentdisruptions in Fukushima. “It will take some time before people in Japan
start seeking recreation again; they are still limiting their discretionary
spending very much. Tourism in general will be affected as well,” said Yoshii.

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Global snapshots

In the face of economic andpolitical challenge,a resilient industry producessome of its finest work.
2010 was beset with obstacles for the themed entertainment industry. In
addition to continued economic and political challenges, the year also saw
its share of natural disasters. But, 2010 also stands as a year in which theindustry unveiled some of its very finest, mature work.
As pointed out in last year’s edition of this report, the 2009 TEA/AECOM
Theme Index, “Repositioning for the Regional,” the recession caused people
to cut back on travel and leisure spending — a phenomenon that boosted
regional attractions yet challenged destination theme parks. 2009 was theyear of the staycation; but, in 2010, destination parks began their recovery
by giving visitors some compelling reasons to return in the form of stellar
new attractions.
“Reinvestment fuels attendance growth and the resurgence of major parks
in 2010 demonstrates that,” said Camp. “But it’s not just ‘reinvestment’— it’s reinvestment in quality family rides and shows. Looking at the best
projects of 2010, we can see that the business of themed entertainment has
stayed in touch with the fundamentals of creating a quality product to drawa family market.”“Our industry has produced some of the best work in its history, during someof the worst economic times we’ve had,” said Robinett. “It shows that thisindustry has leaders — global leaders — building on the hope of the future,
not just focused on the troubles of the present.”
Here’s a short list of world-class projects that opened in 2010 and have beensuccessful in terms of creativity, design, execution and guest appeal:

p13Global snapshots
A resilient industry

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter (Universal Studios Orlando)
One of the most anticipated attractions in the history of themed
entertainment, Universal Studios’ The Wizarding World of Harry Potter
successfully met the expectations of a very demanding audience. Universal
pulled out all the stops in creating this tour de force immersive guest
experience, right down to the taste of the Butterbeer. The Wizarding Worldof Harry Potter was honored with a record four Thea Awards for Outstanding
Achievement by the Themed Entertainment Association.
World of Color (Disney California Adventure)
Five years in the making, the 26-minute show takes its name from the 1960s
television series “Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color.” This nighttime
fountain spectacular is a visual and technical marvel, and an important
focal point in the reimagining of Disney California Adventure theme park. It
was honored with a Thea Award for Outstanding Achievement by the Themed
Entertainment Association. World of Color helped recapture destination
park visitors in the wake of the recession and revive Disney’s attendance
totals for 2010.
Universal Studios Singapore
This boutique-sized theme park shares territory with a casino, hotels andother visitor attractions at Resorts World Sentosa. Its lengthy soft-opening
period (more than a year) enabled operators to fine-tune while building acustomer base, and the mix of attractions helps offset the longer return on
investment period of a theme park.
Shanghai Expo 2010
Sometimes referred to as “China’s coming out party,” the Shanghai expo
was an outstanding example of how even today a world’s fair can have
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Global snapshots
A resilient industry

contemporary relevance. This colossal, six-month mega-event was a vehicle
for international and trade relations and a laboratory for entertainment
design and technology with many outstanding pavilions. (See Yoshii’s
observations in “Asia Bounces Back,” pp10-12.)
Ferrari World Abu Dhabi
Developer Aldar Properties PJSC succeeded in creating a landmark licensed
attraction and the world’s largest indoor theme park. Ferrari World bears
watching as a new kind of corporate branding venture. This ambitious
undertaking was of the few Mideast themed entertainment projects toactually reach opening day.

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Global snapshots

Doing what it takes with today’s
global resources to fit the
project to the market.

In today’s global market, the basics of project development remain thesame, but attention to detail is vital. “Whether the project is in yournative country, or a continent away, it is imperative to be up to date on the
demographics of your target market, what appeals to them and how tocommunicate with them,” said Robinett. “Do your research and use all thetools available.”
Knowing one’s market includes getting to know its business culture, Camp
pointed out. “Study successful recent projects and the paths they took.
What were the planning and approvals processes, public/private sector
relationships, timeframes, budgets, financing and the local construction
environments, among others?” With specific infrastructure needs, climate
factors can be as important as cultural ones. “The roof of [Abu Dhabi] Ferrari
World cost $1.2 billion,” said Camp. “It is probably the largest roof in theworld.”
Mobility
Global availability and mobility of resources affects how project teams cometogether and what they bring to the job. “Increasingly, in the creation ofthemed entertainment products, we’re seeing labor, expertise, capital andmanagement flow freely around the world,” said Brian Sands. “People dodrawings in China for delivery in Los Angeles the next morning; expatriates
move around to work in India, Latin America and Eastern Europe. The
industry’s managers, operations people, planners, architects, designers andengineers are circling the globe.”p16

Global snapshots
Doing what it takes

Flexible pricing opportunities
A flexible pricing structure facilitated by Internet ticketing can yieldboth profits and crowd regulation, giving operators the ability to respondquickly to the market. And by coordinating with customer relations tools,
they can gain more precise knowledge of guests’ needs on which to basepersonalized service and special offers. “Parks can now drive volume in amanner similar to airline ticket pricing,” observed Camp. “They can modify
pricing on short notice if a park is getting full. In summer peaks, if you push
price 10 percent and lose 5 percent of people you can make more money— and the guests will be happier because they aren’t overcrowded.” Online
ticketing also facilitates up-selling via such items as “fast passes” and meal
deals. “It could be that the combination of credit card payment and Internet
encourages people to spend more — they don’t feel the out-of-pocket
expense as much,” said Camp.
Disaster preparedness and Tokyo Disney’s example“We are all proud of the wholehearted, unhesitating actions of the Tokyo
Disney parks following the earthquake in Fukushima. They fed and sheltered
the multitude of guests who had been stranded there, and in so doing they
underscored the bond that exists between an attraction venue and its
community,” said Yoshii.
“Tokyo Disney set an example,” said Robinett, “and that example has
raised the question of whether theme parks might embrace this role
more fully from the start — be designed in a way that incorporates theirpotential function as shelters within their safety and disaster preparedness
programs.”
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Data

TEA-AECOM summary of 2010 data
Data keys
Top 25 amusement parks/theme parks worldwide
Top 20 amusement parks/theme parks in North America
Top 20 amusement parks/theme parks in Europe
Top 15 amusement parks/theme parks in Asia-Pacific
Top 10 amusement parks/theme parks in Mexico-Latin America
Fastest growing amusement parks/theme parks in 2010
Top 10 theme park chains worldwide
Top 20 waterparks worldwide
Top 20 waterparks in the United States

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p22
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p26
p28
p30
p31
p32
p34
p35

Charting global trends
2010 Theme Map

p36
p38

Methodology + evaluation

p40

p20

Data key: amusement parks/theme parks
ColorsMagenta
Positive growth from 2009-2010

OrangeNegative growth from 2009-2010

Grey
No change in growth from 2009-2010

Scale

5

2m

1 million

500k

10

3m

4m

5m Visitors

2cm

mm

Data key: water parks
ColorsBlue
Positive growth from 2009-2010

Light blue
Negative growth from 2009-2010

Grey
No change in growth from 2009-2010

Scale

5

500k

1 million

10

2cm

2m

3m Visitors

mm

p21

Top 25 amusement parks/theme parks worldwide
5m

1m

10m

10,825,000
10,500,000
9,686,000
9,603,000
8,160,000
6,884,000
6,278,000
5,949,000
5,925,000
5,551,000
5,200,000
5,100,000
5,100,000
5,040,000
4,500,000
4,465,000
4,250,000
4,200,000
4,023,000
4,000,000
3,800,000
p22

Percent changes for 2010 for certain parks are based on adjusted/updated figures for 2009, thus not directly comparable to published TEA/AECOM lis

15m

16,972,000
15,980,000
14,452,000
12,663,000

st for 2009/08.

-1.5%

MAGIC KINGDOM at Walt Disney World,
Lake Buena Vista, FL, U.S.A

0.5%

DISNEYLAND,
Anaheim, CA, U.S.A.

5.9%

TOKYO DISNEYLAND,Tokyo, Japan

5.5%

TOKYO DISNEYSEA,Tokyo, Japan-1.5%

EPCOT at Walt Disney World,
Lake Buena Vista, FL, U.S.A.

-2.6%

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

1.0%

DISNEY’S ANIMAL KINGDOM at Walt
Disney World, Lake Buena Vista, FL, U.S.A.

-1.0%

DISNEY’S HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS at Walt
Disney World, Lake Buena Vista, FL, U.S.A.

2.0%

UNIVERSAL STUDIOS JAPAN,
Osaka, Japan

11.6%

EVERLAND,
Gyeonggi-Do, South Korea

3.0%

DISNEY CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE,
Anaheim, CA, U.S.A.

30.2%

ISLANDS OF ADVENTURE
at Universal Orlando, FL, U.S.A.

6.1%

UNIVERSAL STUDIOS
at Universal Orlando, FL, U.S.A.

22.4%

LOTTE WORLD,
Seoul, South Korea

13.0%

HONG KONG DISNEYLAND,
Hong Kong S.A.R.

-12.1%SEAWORLD FLORIDA,
Orlando, FL, U.S.A.

6.3%

OCEAN PARK,HONG KONG S.A.R.

26.0%

UNIVERSAL STUDIOS HOLLYWOOD,
Universal City, CA, U.S.A.

-2.6%

WALT DISNEY STUDIOS at Disneyland
Paris, Marne-la-Vallee, France-5.0%

NAGASHIMA SPA LAND,
Kuwana, Japan

0.0%

EUROPA PARK,
Rust, Germany

2.4%

BUSCH GARDENS TAMPA BAY,
Tampa, FL, U.S.A.

-6.0%

YOKOHAMA HAKKEIJIMA SEA PARADISE,
Yokohama, Japan

0.0%

DE EFTELING,
Kaatsheuvel, the Netherlands-9.5%

SEAWORLD CALIFORNIA,San Diego, CA, U.S.A.
p23

Top 20 amusement parks/theme parks in North America

5m

1m

10m

10,825,000
9,686,000
9,603,000
6,278,000
5,949,000
5,925,000
5,100,000
5,040,000
4,200,000
3,800,000
3,600,000
3,380,000
3,112,000
3,051,000
2,891,000
2,800,000
2,700,000
2,700,000
p24

Percent changes for 2010 for certain parks are based on adjusted/updated figures for 2009, thus not directly comparable to published TEA/AECOM lis

st for 2009/08.

15m

16,972,000
15,980,000-1.5%

MAGIC KINGDOM at Walt Disney World,
Lake Buena Vista, FL, U.S.A

0.5%

DISNEYLAND,
Anaheim, CA, U.S.A.

-1.5%

EPCOT at Walt Disney World,
Lake Buena Vista, FL, U.S.A.

1.0%

DISNEY’S ANIMAL KINGDOM at Walt
Disney World, Lake Buena Vista, FL, U.S.A.

-1.0%

DISNEY’S HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS at Walt
Disney World, Lake Buena Vista, FL, U.S.A.

3.0%

DISNEY CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE,
Anaheim, CA, U.S.A.

30.2%

ISLANDS OF ADVENTURE
at Universal Orlando, FL, U.S.A.

6.1%

UNIVERSAL STUDIOS
at Universal Orlando, FL, U.S.A.

-12.1%SEAWORLD FLORIDA,
Orlando, FL, U.S.A.

26.0%

UNIVERSAL STUDIOS HOLLYWOOD,
Universal City, CA, U.S.A.

2.4%

BUSCH GARDENS TAMPA BAY,
Tampa, FL, U.S.A.

-9.5%

SEAWORLD CALIFORNIA,San Diego, CA, U.S.A.

8.0%

KNOTT’S BERRY FARM,
Buena Park, CA, U.S.A.

7.0%

CANADA’S WONDERLAND,
Maple, ON, Canada

3.7%

KINGS ISLAND,
Kings Island, OH, U.S.A.

3.7%

CEDAR POINT,
Sandusky, OH, U.S.A.

3.0%

HERSHEY PARK,
Hershey, PA, U.S.A.

-3.4%

BUSCH GARDENS,
Williamsburg, VA, U.S.A.

2.5%

SIX FLAGS GREAT ADVENTURE,
Jackson, NJ, U.S.A.

10.2%

SIX FLAGS GREAT AMERICA,
Gurnee, IL, U.S.A.
p25

Top 20 amusement parks/theme parks in Europe

5m

1m

10m

10,500,000
4,500,000
4,250,000
4,000,000
3,696,000
3,050,000
2,900,000
2,800,000
2,750,000
1,900,000
1,850,000
1,850,000
1,825,000
1,663,000
1,650,000
1,505,000
1,464,000
1,400,000
1,350,000
1,347,000
p26

Percent changes for 2010 for certain parks are based on adjusted/updated figures for 2009, thus not directly comparable to published TEA/AECOM lis

st for 2009/08.

15m

-2.6%

DISNEYLAND PARK AT Disneyland Paris
Marne-la-Vallee, France-2.6%

WALT DISNEY STUDIOS AT Disneyland
Paris, Marne-la-Vallee, France

0.0%

EUROPA PARK,
Rust, Germany

0.0%

DE EFTELING,
Kaatsheuvel, the Netherlands-4.5%

TIVOLI GARDENS,
Copenhagen, Denmark

1.7%

PORT AVENTURA,
Salou, Spain-7.9%

LISEBERG,
Gothenberg, Sweden-3.4%

GARDALAND,
Castelnuovo del Garda, Italy

3.8%

ALTON TOWERS,
Staffordshire, U.K.

0.0%

LEGOLAND WINDSOR,
Windsor, U.K.

3.4%

THORPE PARK,
Chertsey, U.K.

-5.1%

PHANTASIALAND,
Brühl, Germany

7.4%

FUTUROSCOPE,
Jaunay-Clan, France-8.6%

PARC ASTERIX,
Plailly, France

0.0%

LEGOLAND BILLUND,
Billund, Denmark-7.3%

MIRABILANDIA,
Savio, Italy-6.9%

SLAGHAREN,
Hardenberg, the Netherlands-1.3%

FLAMINGOLAND,
Malton, U.K.

-3.6%

HEIDE PARK,
Soltau, Germany-10.2%

PARQUE DE ATRACCIONES,
Madrid, Spain
p27

Top 15 amusement parks/theme parks in Asia-Pacific

5m

1m

10m

8,160,000
6,884,000
5,551,000
5,200,000
5,100,000
4,465,000
4,023,000
3,530,000
3,050,000
2,734,000
2,651,000
2,400,000
2,400,000
p28

Percent changes for 2010 for certain parks are based on adjusted/updated figures for 2009, thus not directly comparable to published TEA/AECOM lis

15m

14,452,000
12,663,000

st for 2009/08.

5.9%

TOKYO DISNEYLAND,Tokyo, Japan

5.5%

TOKYO DISNEYSEA,Tokyo, Japan

2.0%

UNIVERSAL STUDIOS JAPAN,
Osaka, Japan

11.6%

EVERLAND,
Gyeonggi-Do, South Korea

22.4%

LOTTE WORLD,
Seoul, South Korea

13.0%

HONG KONG DISNEYLAND,
Hong Kong S.A.R.

6.3%

OCEAN PARK,HONG KONG S.A.R.

-5.0%

NAGASHIMA SPA LAND,
Kuwana, Japan-6.0%

YOKOHAMA HAKKEIJIMA SEA PARADISE,
Yokohama, Japan

21.4%

OCT EAST,
Shenzhen, China

8.9%

HAPPY VALLEY,
Shenzhen, China

17.8%

HAPPY VALLEY,
Beijing, China

12.8%

WINDOW OF THE WORLD,
Shenzhen, China-4.0%

DUNIA FANTASI,
Jakarta, Indonesia

0.0%

CHIMELONG PARADISE,
Guangzhou, China
p29

Top 10 amusement parks/theme parks in Mexico-Latin America

1m

5m

2,000,000

2.0%

SIX FLAGS MEXICO,
Mexico City, Mexico

1,983,000

32.2%

HOPI HARI,
São Paulo, Brazil

0.0%

PLAYCENTER,
São Paulo, Brazil

5.0%

LA FERIA DE CHAPULTEPEC,
Mexico City, Mexico

1,166,000

6.0%

FANTASIALANDIA
Santiago, Chile

1,100,000

0.0%

PARQUE DE LA COSTA,
Tigre, Argentina

1,030,000

3.0%

BETO CARRERO WORLD,
Santa Catarina, Brazil

990,000-8.3%

PARQUE MUNDO AVENTURA,
Bogotá, Colombia

957,000-4.3%

EL SALITRE MAGICO,
Bogotá, Colombia

931,000-5.0%

PLAZA DE SESAMO,
Monterrey, Mexico

1,700,000
1,470,000

p30

Percent changes for 2010 for certain parks are based on adjusted/updated figures for 2009, thus not directly comparable topublished TEA/AECOM list for 2009/08.

Fastest growing amusement parks/theme parks in 2010

32.2%

30.2%

HOPI HARI,
São Paulo, Brazil

ISLANDS OF ADVENTURE
at Universal Orlando, FL, U.S.A.

26.0%

22.4%

UNIVERSAL STUDIOSHOLLYWOOD,
Universal City, CA, U.S.A.

LOTTE WORLD,
Seoul, South Korea

21.4%

17.8%

OCT EAST,
Shenzhen, China

HAPPY VALLEY,
Beijing, China

13.0%

12.8%

HONG KONG DISNEYLAND,
Hong Kong S.A.R.

WINDOW OF THE WORLD,
Shenzhen, China

11.6%

10.2%

EVERLAND,
Gyeonggi-Do, South Korea

SIX FLAGS GREAT AMERICA,
Gurnee, IL, U.S.A.

Percent changes for 2010 for certain parks are based on adjusted/updated figures for 2009, thus not directly comparable topublished TEA/AECOM list for 2009/08.

p31

Top 10 amusement park chains worldwide

1

WALT DISNEY ATTRACTIONS
Attendance: 120.6 million

1.3%

2

MERLIN ENTERTAINMENTS
GROUP
Attendance: 41.0 million

4

3

UNIVERSAL STUDIOS
RECREATION GROUP
Attendance: 26.3 million
p32

11.0%

6.5%

PARQUES REUNIDOS
Attendance: 25.8 million

4.0%

5

SIX FLAGS INC.
Attendance: 24.3 million

2.1%

6

CEDAR FAIRENTERTAINMENT COMPANY
Attendance: 22.8 million

7

BUSCH ENTERTAINMENT
Attendance: 22.4 million

4.9%

8

OCT PARKS CHINA
Attendance: 19.3 million

9

HERSCHEND ENTERTAINMENT
Attendance: 9.6 million

New
entry

8.1%

22.2%

10

COMPAIGNE DES ALPES(GREVIN)
Attendance: 9.0 million

Percent changes for 2010 for certain parks are based on adjusted/updated figures for 2009, thus not directly comparable topublished TEA/AECOM list for 2009/08.

-9.1%
p33

Top 20 waterparks worldwide

1m

2m

-1.0%

TYPHOON LAGOON AT DISNEY WORLD,
Orlando, FL, U.S.A.

1,872,000-1.0%

BLIZZARD BEACH AT DISNEY WORLD,
Orlando, FL, U.S.A.

1,800,000

0.0%

CHIMELONG WATER PARK,
Guangzhou, China

1,736,000

19.7%

CARIBBEAN BAY AT EVERLAND RESORT,
Gyeonggi-do, Korea-6.3%

AQUATICA,
Orlando, FL, U.S.A.

5.0%

OCEAN WORLD,
Gangwon-do, Korea

1,223,000-1.0%

WET’N WILD,
Orlando, FL, U.S.A.

1,175,000

7.3%

WET’N WILD WATER WORLD,
Gold Coast, Australia

1,040,000

6.1%

AQUAVENTURE,
Dubai, U.A.E.

1,000,000

10.3%

SUNWAY LAGOON,
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

925,000

0.5%

SUMMERLAND,Tokyo, Japan

882,000-2.0%

SCHLITTERBAHN,
New Braunfels, TX, U.S.A.

850,000

18.1%

ATLANTIS WATER ADVENTURE (TAMANIMPIAN JAYA ANCOL), Jakarta, Indonesia

784,000

12.0%

WATER COUNTRY USA,
Williamsburg, VA, U.S.A.

739,000

8.2%

BEACH PARK,
Insano, Brazil

700,000

New entry

690,000

2.2%

WILD WADI,
Dubai, U.A.E.

637,000

30.0%

NOAH’S ARK,
Wisconsin Dells, WI, U.S.A.

626,000

4.3%

ADVENTURE ISLAND,
Tampa, FL, U.S.A.

583,000

5.0%

DEOKSAN SPA CASTLE,
Chungcheong, Korea

2,038,000

1,500,000
1,375,000

p34

OCEAN PARK WATER ADVENTURE,
Jakarta, Indonesia

Percent changes for 2010 for certain parks are based on adjusted/updated figures for 2009, thus not directly comparable topublished TEA/AECOM list for 2009/08.

Top 20 waterparks in the United States

1m

2m

-1.0%

TYPHOON LAGOON AT Disney World,
Orlando, FL, U.S.A.

-1.0%

BLIZZARD BEACH AT Disney World,
Orlando, FL, U.S.A.

-6.3%

AQUATICA,
Orlando, FL, U.S.A.

-1.0%

WET’N WILD,
Orlando, FL, U.S.A.

-2.0%

SCHLITTERBAHN,
New Braunfels, TX, U.S.A.

12.0%

WATER COUNTRY USA,
Williamsburg, VA, U.S.A.

637,000

30.0%

NOAH’S ARK,
Wisconsin Dells, WI, U.S.A.

626,000

4.3%

ADVENTURE ISLAND,
Tampa, FL, U.S.A.

545,000

5.8%

HYLAND HILLS WATER WORLD,
Denver, CO, U.S.A.

530,000

0.0%

SCHLITTERBAHN,
Galveston, TX, U.S.A.

510,000

13.3%

SPLISH-SPLASH,Riverhead, NY, U.S.A.

500,000

22.0%

SIX FLAGS WHITE WATER,
Marrietta, GA, U.S.A.

500,000

11.1%

SIX FLAGS HURRICANE HARBOR,
Arlington, TX, U.S.A.

466,000

0.0%

RAGING WATERS,San Dimas, CA, U.S.A.

450,000

36.4%

SIX FLAGS HURRICANE HARBOR,
Jackson, NJ , U.S.A.

425,000

New entry

410,000

12.0%

WET’N WILD EMERALD POINT,
Greensboro, NC, U.S.A.

400,000

14.3%

DOLLYWOOD’S SPLASH COUNTRY,
Pigeon Forge, TN, U.S.A.

387,000

3.2%

SOAK CITY CEDAR POINT,
Sandusky, OH, U.S.A.

368,000

5.1%

CAMELBEACH,
Tannersville, PA, U.S.A.

2,038,000
1,872,000
1,500,000
1,223,000
882,000
784,000

WET’N’WILD,
Phoenix, AZ, U.S.A.

Percent changes for 2010 for certain parks are based on adjusted/updated figures for 2009, thus not directly comparable topublished TEA/AECOM list for 2009/08.

p35

Charting global trends
20m

Top-20 North American parksTop-20 European parksTop-10 Asian parksTop-10 Latin American parksTop-15 U.S. waterparksTop-20 worldwide waterparks

p36

40m

60m

80m

100m

120m

140m

2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
p37

2010 Theme Map

Malton, U.K.
Staffordshire, U.K.
San Diego, CA, U.S.A.
Maple, ON, Canada
Anaheim, Buena Park, CA, U.S.A.

Gurnee, IL, U.S.A.

Sandusky, OH, U.S.A.
King’s Island, OH, U.S.A.

Windsor/Chertsey, U.K.

Hershey, PA, U.S.A.
Jackson, NJ, U.S.A.

Madrid, Spain

Williamsburg, VA, U.S.A.
Salou, Spain
Orlando/Lake Buena Vista, FL, U.S.A.
Universal City, CA, U.S.A.
Tampa, FL, U.S.A.

Monterrey, Mexico
Mexico City, Mexico

Bogotá, Colombia

São Paulo, Brazil
Santa Catarina, Brazil
Santiago, Chile

p38

Tigre, Argentina

Colors:

MagentaOrangeGray

Positive growth

Negative growth

No change in growth# of visitors per park:

1m

5m

10m

15m

Hardenberg, the Netherlands
Kaatsheuvel, the Netherlands
Billund, Denmark
Gothenburg, Sweden
Copenhagen, Denmark
Soltau, Germany

Brühl, Germany
Rust, Germany

Tokyo/Yokohama, Japan
Seoul/Gyeonggi-Do, Korea

Castelnuovo del Garda, Italy
Savio, Italy

Beijing, China

Jaunay-Clan, France
Marne-La-Vallee/Plailly, France
Osaka/Kuwana, Japan
Guangzhou, China

Hong Kong SAR

Shenzhen, China

Jakarta, Indonesia

p39

Methodology + evaluation

Should yourproperty be included?

This is the fourth annual Theme Index collaboration between the Themed
Entertainment Association (TEA) and AECOM, although the study itself
has been in existence for much longer. It began as an attendance report ofmajor U.S. theme parks, produced by AECOM with now defunct Amusement
Business Magazine. Over the years, this study evolved to add waterpark
figures and address the international scope of the industry.
Inclusion in the annual Theme Index is now seen as a benchmark ofsuccess among operators. Every year, AECOM hears from parks desiring toshare their attendance increases and earn a place on the list. Operators
who believe their properties should be included in the Theme Index are
encouraged to contact the AECOM office in their region after studying thecriteria for consideration given below. The more feedback and information
we receive, the more accurate this report will become.
AECOM obtains the figures used to create the TEA/AECOM Theme Index
through a variety of sources, including statistics furnished directly by theoperators, historical numbers, financial reports, the investment banking
community and local tourism organizations, among others. The global
market is studied as a whole, and each of its four main regions is alsostudied separately: North America, Mexico/Latin America, Europe and Asia.
There is also a table of the top waterparks in the world, in the United States,and of the top global chain operators.
To be included in the study, a facility in general must be gated (entry ticket
required). North American parks must have annual visits above one million.
To be included on the top chains list, a chain operator must have themeparks in its portfolio. External and internal factors such as development,
pricing, customer service, weather, demographics, investment/expansion,
p40

Methodology + evaluation

attendance and other dynamics that affect the estimated numbers arenoted in comments within the charts.
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.

About the authors
The Economics practice at AECOM 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 made important contributions to some of theworld’s most innovative and successful projects.
AECOM is a global provider of professional technical and management support services to abroad range of markets, including transportation, facilities, environmental, energy, water andgovernment. With approximately 45,000 employees around the world, AECOM is a leader in allof the key markets that it serves. AECOM provides a blend of global reach, local knowledge,
innovation and technical excellence in delivering solutions that create, enhance and sustain theworld’s built, natural and social environments. A Fortune 500 company, AECOM serves clients inapproximately 125 countries and had revenue of $7.3 billion during the 12 months ended March
31, 2011. More information on AECOM and its services can be found at www.aecom.com.
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, fromarchitects to designers, technical specialists to master planners, scenic fabricators to artists,
and builders to feasibility analysts working in more than 680 firms in 39 different countries. TEA
presents the annual Thea Awards and the TEA Summit and hosts the annual SATE conferences(Story, Architecture, Technology, Experience). TEA also produces a variety of print and electronic
publications, including the TEA/AECOM Annual Theme Index, TEA Project Development
Guidelines, and TEA Annual & Directory. Visit www.TEAconnect.org.
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View the Theme Index online
aecom.com/themeindex

p44