2012 Themed Entertainment Association park attendance figures show increase over 2011

The Empress Lilly

The Empress Lilly

Well-Known Member
ParentsOf4 said:
Is the source of these data consistent?

If you've used multiple sources, then it's possible the data simply shows the arbitrary nature of unofficial estimates when multiple sources are used.

I've been trying to dig up some official numbers but so far have only been able to find numbers through the mid 1980s.
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Wish I could say I did all the work, but I I just got the whole thing of that blog. The name is on the graph. I didn't further track down their sources.
 
danlb_2000

danlb_2000

Premium Member
The Empress Lilly said:
Yes, that is the most striking event of the entire graph! What on earth happened there?

UNI opened in 1990. MGM in 1989. Still, their taking away visitors seems to fall way short as an explanation. They would have had an impact, decrease attendance at MK and EPCOT, but this large? And with such peculiar timing from 91 to 92? Besides, the addition of both parks to the Orlando roster would've increased total visitors too.

Maybe a different way of counting visitors? Perhaps park hoppers were previously counted twice, and from 1991 only at the first park? DL and Tokyo were still single park resorts, so their numbers would remain unaffected.
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I would have to agree that it's probably some sort of counting anomoly, especially since DHS showed an increase over the same period.
 
PhotoDave219

PhotoDave219

Well-Known Member
ParentsOf4 said:
Is the source of these data consistent?

If you've used multiple sources, then it's possible the data simply shows the arbitrary nature of unofficial estimates when multiple sources are used.

I've been trying to dig up some official numbers but so far have only been able to find numbers through the mid 1980s.
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I cant find much from the 80s. Whee'd you find it?
 
ParentsOf4

ParentsOf4

Well-Known Member
PhotoDave219 said:
I cant find much from the 80s. Where'd you find it?
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The following is what I've found from the annual reports (except where noted), when Walt Disney Productions actually published numbers:

- 1972: 10,713,000
- 1973: 11,593,000
- 1974: 10,834,000
- 1975: 12,515,000
- 1976: 13,100,000**
- 1977: 13,100,000**
- 1978: 14,100,000**
- 1979: 13,792,000
- 1980: 13,783,000
- 1981: 13,221,000
- 1982: 12,560,000
- 1983: 22,712,000
- 1984: 21,120,000*
- 1985: 21,750,000*
- 1986: 23,900,000**

* - Note: Attendance per following article:

http://articles.orlandosentinel.com...1_walt-disney-disney-productions-disney-world

** - Note: Attendance per following article:

http://articles.orlandosentinel.com...180065_1_walt-disney-magic-kingdom-attendance

The first article states Eisner and Wells stopped reporting official attendance in 1985.

Disney's fiscal year runs from October 1 to September 30, so the 1972 number includes attendance from the opening of the Magic Kingdom on October 1, 1971. Epcot opened on October 3, 1982 so its first year of operation is fully reflected in the 1983 attendance figure.

UPDATED: Missing years added per second note.
 
PhotoDave219

PhotoDave219

Well-Known Member
ParentsOf4 said:
The following is what I've found so far from the annual reports, when Walt Disney Productions actually published numbers:

- 1972: 10,713,000
- 1973: 11,593,000
- 1974: 10,834,000
- 1975: 12,515,000

- 1979: 13,792,000
- 1980: 13,783,000
- 1981: 13,221,000
- 1982: 12,560,000
- 1983: 22,712,000
- 1984: 21,120,000*
- 1985: 21,750,000*

* - Note the 1984 & 1985 numbers are from the following article:

http://articles.orlandosentinel.com...1_walt-disney-disney-productions-disney-world

This 1986 article states it was Eisner and Wells that stopped reporting official numbers in 1985.

Seems obvious to me people delayed 1981/1982 vacations until after the opening of Epcot.
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Okay, yeah I found a different Orlando Sentinel Article that fills in those years in the 70s.

http://articles.orlandosentinel.com...180065_1_walt-disney-magic-kingdom-attendance

I think 87-91 are the years I dont have ... I know there are others interested in the historical data.
 
ParentsOf4

ParentsOf4

Well-Known Member
RSoxNo1 said:
Yeah, I've gotta question the 91-92 #s, that doesn't make a lot of sense.
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Note the source for the graph states:
These Disney attendance figures of 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 & 2011 were collated from random sources all over the internet however many probably came from Amusement Business (no longer around) and www.teaconnect.org
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I don't particularly trust "random sources". Since Disney hasn't published official numbers since 1984, anything after that is, at best, a guess based on guidance Disney provides in its annual reports and quarterly reviews.

Even TEA's most recent numbers for WDW (2.2% increase) seem to be based on Orlando tourism as a whole which, probably not coincidentally, also was up 2.2%. I looked at WDW's quarterly reviews and came up with a number that was less than half TEA's estimate. See:

http://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/...-show-increase-over-2011.866141/#post-5523497

I have some faith in TEA's numbers. They probably represent the best data publically available.

For something based on "random sources", well, it makes for a pretty graph but I wouldn't try to overanalyze it for any particular trends.
 
The Empress Lilly

The Empress Lilly

Well-Known Member
Annual_Disneyland_Park_Attendance.png

But where oh where is the MK? I know it exists, I've seen it, once upon a time...
 
S

stlphil

Well-Known Member
ParentsOf4 said:
...
I have some faith in TEA's numbers. They probably represent the best data publically available...
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From everything I have read it is true that TEAs numbers are "probably" the best available, but that doesn't necessarily mean that they are very good. Several things this year just seem odd, such as the WDW numbers for 3 parks "magically" being the exact same as the bump in Orlando tourism, with no discrimination between parks.

My skepticism really isn't based on what I wanted or expected to see, or other biases or fanboi hopes. The best example comes from the ultimate insider himself. Bob Iger stated that DCA and Disneyland are pulling 45% and 55% of DLR attendance respectively. I don't think there is any way to reconcile that statement with the TEA numbers, no matter what set of assumptions you make.

This is not really a knock on TEA. It is relatively easy to predict the absolute value of large numbers with reasonable errors. But when you are looking at small differences in large numbers (such as with year-over-year attendance), small error bars in the absolute numbers can easily be larger than the differences you are trying to estimate. We are trying to use the year-to-year deltas to look for trends, and I think pushing the numbers way past the limits of their veracity.

Of course, it is still fun trying.
 

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