Crowds grow at Universal's Islands
By Robert Johnson
December 21, 2002
ORLANDO (Orlando Sentinel) -- Universal Orlando's Islands of Adventure turned in the best attendance gain for Central Florida theme parks in 2002, with an estimated 10 percent increase to 6.1 million visitors, according to a trade magazine.
For Walt Disney World's four Orlando parks, which registered declines in annual numbers, the report confirmed the slump that Walt Disney Co. Chairman Michael Eisner has been decrying for months.
Magic Kingdom, the nation's busiest theme park, saw attendance drop 5 percent, one percentage point more than in 2001, but it still drew 14.7 million people to rank No. 1. All the Disney World parks continued to be ranked among Amusement Business' top five, as they were last year, according to the report to be released Monday.
That helped Disney World spokesman Bill Warren look on the bright side. "While we didn't provide these numbers, it's always nice to be recognized as having the top five theme parks in the U.S. by an established publication."
He would not comment directly on the reported declines. The theme parks historically don't release attendance figures, citing competitive reasons, and they don't confirm or deny the calculations by Amusement Business.
The other Disney World parks also declined: No. 3 Epcot fell 8 percent to 8.3 million; No. 4 MGM-Studios dropped 4 percent to 8 million and No.5 Animal Kingdom slumped 6 percent to 7.3 million. None of their rankings changed from last year.
At the No. 2 park, Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif., attendance rose 3 percent to 12.7 million.
Leslie Goodman, a spokeswoman for Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Worldwide, said attendance is looking up.
"We've had a strong holiday performance so far," Goodman said. "What we are seeing is a strengthening of bookings for the Christmas holiday."
Although it's too soon to predict when a full recovery will occur given uncertainties in the economy and the weakness in international travel, Goodman said Disney is expecting continued improvement in attendance at both Disneyland and California Adventure next year.
Universal Studios in Orlando maintained its No. 6 ranking, although attendance was off 6 percent to 6.9 million, Amusement Business found.
Universal's Islands of Adventure held on to the No. 7 slot and posted a 10 percent gain to 6.1 million in a turnaround from 2001, when attendance fell 8 percent. Amusement Business credited the improvement to the relocation of Halloween Horror Nights to Islands from Universal Studios.
But there was another reason for the success of Islands, said Peter Stapp, a theme park consultant and former Universal Studios executive. "A lot of people wait a bit to attend a hot new theme park, and maybe a lot of them came this year thinking the novelty has finally worn off at Islands [which opened in 1999] and the lines wouldn't be so long now."
SeaWorld held on to the No. 9 slot, with attendance flat at 5 million.
By Robert Johnson
December 21, 2002
ORLANDO (Orlando Sentinel) -- Universal Orlando's Islands of Adventure turned in the best attendance gain for Central Florida theme parks in 2002, with an estimated 10 percent increase to 6.1 million visitors, according to a trade magazine.
For Walt Disney World's four Orlando parks, which registered declines in annual numbers, the report confirmed the slump that Walt Disney Co. Chairman Michael Eisner has been decrying for months.
Magic Kingdom, the nation's busiest theme park, saw attendance drop 5 percent, one percentage point more than in 2001, but it still drew 14.7 million people to rank No. 1. All the Disney World parks continued to be ranked among Amusement Business' top five, as they were last year, according to the report to be released Monday.
That helped Disney World spokesman Bill Warren look on the bright side. "While we didn't provide these numbers, it's always nice to be recognized as having the top five theme parks in the U.S. by an established publication."
He would not comment directly on the reported declines. The theme parks historically don't release attendance figures, citing competitive reasons, and they don't confirm or deny the calculations by Amusement Business.
The other Disney World parks also declined: No. 3 Epcot fell 8 percent to 8.3 million; No. 4 MGM-Studios dropped 4 percent to 8 million and No.5 Animal Kingdom slumped 6 percent to 7.3 million. None of their rankings changed from last year.
At the No. 2 park, Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif., attendance rose 3 percent to 12.7 million.
Leslie Goodman, a spokeswoman for Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Worldwide, said attendance is looking up.
"We've had a strong holiday performance so far," Goodman said. "What we are seeing is a strengthening of bookings for the Christmas holiday."
Although it's too soon to predict when a full recovery will occur given uncertainties in the economy and the weakness in international travel, Goodman said Disney is expecting continued improvement in attendance at both Disneyland and California Adventure next year.
Universal Studios in Orlando maintained its No. 6 ranking, although attendance was off 6 percent to 6.9 million, Amusement Business found.
Universal's Islands of Adventure held on to the No. 7 slot and posted a 10 percent gain to 6.1 million in a turnaround from 2001, when attendance fell 8 percent. Amusement Business credited the improvement to the relocation of Halloween Horror Nights to Islands from Universal Studios.
But there was another reason for the success of Islands, said Peter Stapp, a theme park consultant and former Universal Studios executive. "A lot of people wait a bit to attend a hot new theme park, and maybe a lot of them came this year thinking the novelty has finally worn off at Islands [which opened in 1999] and the lines wouldn't be so long now."
SeaWorld held on to the No. 9 slot, with attendance flat at 5 million.