Attendance at theme parks increases, reversing 2 years of decline

[NemoRocks78]

DCA, often considered the embarrassment of Disney parks is only 0.6 million behind IOA, considered Universal's best park and easily the best competition for a Disney branded park.

That's true, but we have to take into account that DCA is a walk away from the second-most visited theme park in North America AND the entire DLR has been bombarded with all kinds of discounts, something Universal Orlando has not done.

 

[CTXRover]

^^Actually, I THINK (I could be wrong) that its quite the opposite. Since Matt Oiumet took over DLR, they did NOT offer the usual summer promotions for DL that had become the staple under the Harriss era. In contrast, Universal Orlando has run countless promotions from stay 4 days and get theme parks tickets free to buy 5 (or 7?) days for the price of 2, etc. DCA still is underperforming, no doubt about that, especially when its a stone-throw away from the original DL...but's it also has recieved some of the worst Word of mouth from any park (some deserved, some of it not)

 

[Lynx04]

OMG!! MK is the most visited theme park of 2004!!! Amazing! :sohappy:

Hasn't MK been the most visited park in the world for the past 15 years or longer?

 

[peter11435]

Hasn't MK been the most visited park in the world for the past 15 years or longer?

No, actually Tokyo Disneyland has held the title for many of those years.

 

[Lynx04]

No, actually Tokyo Disneyland has held the title for many of those years.

Thanks for the correction!!!!


I agree that I think MGM is the park in need of the most help. Like I stated at the end of this post (http://forums.wdwmagic.com/showthread.php?t=48227) related to "which park needs the most help". How long can MGM coast on the popularity of RnR and ToT, the park needs some ne "E" power.

As far as Universal, I think what they need is additional resorts to hold traveling guest. The biggest problem with them is not mostly their parks, but I think it is the cost it is to stay at there properity. From what I hear, the resorts are generally always packed, but the parks are still never really crowded. This is an indication that more rooms are needed to keep guests on site. Also, if Universal adds another resort then the price per room would drop at the less expensive resorts on properity. Right now their cheapest resort is close to $150 a night. Why would someone pay to stay their when they could stay at a Disney Mod resort for about the same price, if not less. I think with the addition of a resort more guest can stay on site for cheaper which leads to higher attendence.

Any Thoughts?

 

[speck76]

Thanks for the correction!!!!


I agree that I think MGM is the park in need of the most help. Like I stated at the end of this post (http://forums.wdwmagic.com/showthread.php?t=48227) related to "which park needs the most help". How long can MGM coast on the popularity of RnR and ToT, the park needs some ne "E" power.

As far as Universal, I think what they need is additional resorts to hold traveling guest. The biggest problem with them is not mostly their parks, but I think it is the cost it is to stay at there properity. From what I hear, the resorts are generally always packed, but the parks are still never really crowded. This is an indication that more rooms are needed to keep guests on site. Also, if Universal adds another resort then the price per room would drop at the less expensive resorts on properity. Right now their cheapest resort is close to $150 a night. Why would someone pay to stay their when they could stay at a Disney Mod resort for about the same price, if not less. I think with the addition of a resort more guest can stay on site for cheaper which leads to higher attendence.

Any Thoughts?

Both Royal Pacific and Portofino play in the convention market, and that accounts for some occupancy. On top of that, they only have about 2500 hotel rooms on property, and each park can hold 50,000+

 

[NemoRocks78]

Right now their cheapest resort is close to $150 a night

RPR usually runs in the $100-$120 range, about the same price of a moderate resort at WDW.

I think a value resort and another moderate would really help them in the long run....

 

[Lynx04]

Both Royal Pacific and Portofino play in the convention market, and that accounts for some occupancy. On top of that, they only have about 2500 hotel rooms on property, and each park can hold 50,000+

Compare that to Disney's 35,000+ Rooms.


If each disney park can hold 50,000+ (I don't know the exact figure, so if anyone else has the info please correct me.)

35,000/200,000 = .175 or 17.5%

2500/100,000 = .025 or 2.5%

 

[speck76]

Compare that to Disney's 35,000+ Rooms.


If each disney park can hold 50,000+ (I don't know the exact figure, so if anyone else has the info please correct me.)

35,000/200,000 = .175 or 17.5%

2500/100,000 = .025 or 2.5%

DAK and MGM can not....Epcot and MK can...

 

[Lynx04]

DAK and MGM can not....Epcot and MK can...

Thanks speck, I didn't think MGM or AK could hold that many guests. AK has the potential being the largest capacity being the largest in size, but that is topic for a different thread.

If that is the case then the % is even higher. Even at the % I posted above it still underscores the need for Universal to build at least 2 more resorts. If you think about it Universal can only accomadate 2.5% of their guests.

Universal doesn't have the luxury that DLR has with day visitors, they have to build rooms to compete in price and capacity.

 

[speck76]

Thanks speck, I didn't think MGM or AK could hold that many guests. AK has the potential being the largest capacity being the largest in size, but that is topic for a different thread.

If that is the case then the % is even higher. Even at the % I posted above it still underscores the need for Universal to build at least 2 more resorts. If you think about it Universal can only accomadate 2.5% of their guests.

Universal doesn't have the luxury that DLR has with day visitors, they have to build rooms to compete in price and capacity.

Universal does not own or operate the on-property hotels....they really don't need anymore. The density of hotel rooms near Universal is much greater than on WDW property......there are about 60,000 hotel rooms within 5 miles of Universal, and many are higher quality. This is not really the case in LBV.

 

[TowerOfTerror]

SignOnSanDiego.com > News > Business -- Attendance at theme parks increases, reversing 2 years of decline
Best-attended parks in North America


ORLANDO, Fla. – Here is a list of the top 25 best-attended North American amusement parks in 2004, their attendance and the percentage change from last year.

1. Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World in Orlando, 15.1 million, 8 percent increase

2. Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif., 13.3 million, 5 percent increase

3. Epcot at Walt Disney World in Orlando, 9.4 million, 9 percent increase

4. Disney MGM Studios at Walt Disney World in Orlando, 8.2 million, 5 percent increase

5. Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World in Orlando, 7.8 million, 7 percent increase

6. Universal Studios in Orlando, 6.7 million, 14 percent increase

7. Islands of Adventures in Orlando, 6.3 million, 13 percent increase

8. Disney's California Adventure, 5.6 million, 6 percent increase

9. SeaWorld Orlando, 5.6 million, 4 percent increase

10. Universal Studios Hollywood, 5 million, 8 percent increase

11. Adventuredome, Las Vegas, 4.4 million, 2 percent increase

12. Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, 4.1 million, 5 percent decrease

13. SeaWorld San Diego, 4 million, flat

14. Knott's Berry Farm, Buena Park, Calif., 3.5 million, 3 percent increase

15. Paramount's Kings Island, Kings Island, Ohio, 3.5 million, 7 percent increase

16. Paramount Canada's Wonderland, Maple, Ontario, 3.4 million, 30 percent increase

17. Cedar Point, Sandusky, Ohio, 3.1 million, 4 percent decrease

18. Morey's Piers, Wildwood, N.J., 3.1 million, 4 percent decrease

19. Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, 3 million flat

20. Six Flags Great Adventure, Jackson, N.J., 2.8 million, flat

21. Six Flags Magic Mountain, Valencia, Calif., 2.7 million, 2 percent decrease

22. Camp Snoopy, Bloomington, Minn., 2.5 million, 5 percent increase

23. Hersheypark, Hershey, Pa., 2.5 million, 2 percent decrease

24. Busch Gardens Williamsburg, Williamsburg, Va., 2.4 million, flat

25. Six Flags Great America, Gurnee, Ill., 2.3 million, flat

Source: Amusement Business and Economics Research Associates

 

[CTXRover]

^^Thanks for the great list!!


As a side note, we've been through this already, but just to reiterate...Percentage changes are of little use this year, imo, as a reworking of the research methods employed by Amusement Business caused some pretty drastic changes in a few park's estimates for 2003 that significantly differ from the trend AB had portrayed for those parks for many years while having little effect on other parks. The Universal parks were among those that showed such drastic changes in their 2003 numbers, which they specifically mention.

The apparent double digit growth for 2004 is simply a byproduct of new research methodologies that seemed to drop the 2003 estimates for the Universal Orlando parks from 6.9 for USF and 6.1 for IOA down to all-time lows of 5.9 and 5.5, which then artificially make it look like they had double percentage increases for 2004. Since I very much doubt UO's attendance for both parks were at all-time lows in 2003 (as they would have had to be to create the apparent double digit growth for 2004 and also have attendance figures in the 6.3 and 6.7 range for 2004), my best guess is UO had higher attendance in 2003 than the "new" research methodologies created (, in other words, above the 5.5 and 5.9 figures mentioned above) and UO really probably saw a 6-7% growth like the rest of Orlando parks did.

 

[longfamily]

I'm just glad to see that more people are attending Epcot these days. There have been multiple debates in various threads about the death of EPCOT and I suppose that is safe to say that the tides have turned for this park. With Soarin' being built, I hope that the attendance continues to rise. Perhaps people finally view this park as something more than just "boring" because it is educational.

As a side note, I was trying to figure out how much Disney would gross a year based on attendance (only figuring in ticket sales) and WOW! I'm definately in the wronge business

 

[DisneyFan 2000]

Funny how some parks opened some monster coasters and attendance only declined... That show that theming rules!!!!!!!!
Now, if Disney could get Disneyland Paris back on track 2005 would be the perfect year for Disney in the theme park industry.

 

[Lynx04]

Universal does not own or operate the on-property hotels....they really don't need anymore. The density of hotel rooms near Universal is much greater than on WDW property......there are about 60,000 hotel rooms within 5 miles of Universal, and many are higher quality. This is not really the case in LBV.

There are a bunch of hotels that sit right of of Disney's property as well, no? Wouldn't most guest prefer to stary at on on-site hotel if they could afford it? Also, the other hotels service other facilities such as the convention center, Sea World, Downtown Orlando. If a guest stays on-site at Universal there is a higher chance that they will spend most of their time on-site. They could might go to Citywalk instead of downtown Orlando. Universal may not own the properity, but I am sure they collect some type of royalities for the Resorts and shops residing on their properity. If you were to boost the room capacity at Universal by another 2500 their is a better chance that high % of that number even if 80% filled would be spending their money on their properity

 

[speck76]

There are a bunch of hotels that sit right of of Disney's property as well, no? Wouldn't most guest prefer to stary at on on-site hotel if they could afford it? Also, the other hotels service other facilities such as the convention center, Sea World, Downtown Orlando. If a guest stays on-site at Universal there is a higher chance that they will spend most of their time on-site. They could might go to Citywalk instead of downtown Orlando. Universal may not own the properity, but I am sure they collect some type of royalities for the Resorts and shops residing on their properity. If you were to boost the room capacity at Universal by another 2500 their is a better chance that high % of that number even if 80% filled would be spending their money on their properity

I don't think so.....the average stay of a guest in Orlando exceeds the average days a guest attends the Universal attractions. (3.5 vs 1.8). Building more hotels on property are not going to keep people at Universal any longer....on top of that, the hotel market in Orlando is quite saturated at the moment.....notice how NOTHING is under construction.....except 1 1400 room resort that does not open until 2007.

 

[Pumbas Nakasak]

I don't think so.....the average stay of a guest in Orlando exceeds the average days a guest attends the Universal attractions. (3.5 vs 1.8). Building more hotels on property are not going to keep people at Universal any longer....on top of that, the hotel market in Orlando is quite saturated at the moment.....notice how NOTHING is under construction.....except 1 1400 room resort that does not open until 2007.

Even with discounts Lowes hotels are still a little more expensive than Disney, they are however IMHO on a par in terms of facilities comfort and quality of staff. I have changed my hotel habits to allow me to use Universals express pass for hotel guests, if this were to go so would I.

I still think as a visitor who comes purely for the parks Disney needs to keep investing to keep me returning, the other Florida attractions are doing more and more to draw me there, they are less expensive to get in, and have been developing some great attractions. Disney has spent, Im just not sure if it has spent well.