Tag: Disneyland Resort

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2024 Theme Park Attendance Tells a Story of Post-Pandemic Stabilization and Big Bets on the Future…

It’s one of the most anticipated data drops in all of theme park nerd-dom… Every year, the Themed Entertainment Association (TEA) partners with a consulting firm called AECOM to compile an annual report on the ups and downs of theme parks, waterparks, museums, and other “thematic” experiences from the year prior. (Supporting Members of Park Lore can read our broad strokes summary of industry trends gleaned from 2022 and 2023 in dedicated Extra Features!)

Though renamed from its previous title (the Theme Index Report) this year’s 2024 Global Experience Index continues to be an annual publication of note for theme park fans in particular, and – as always – is worth an in-depth read. It’s filled with the highs and lows, global contexts, and stories that permeated theme park news in the year prior. But most importantly… it also contains a ranking and roll-up of the year’s theme park attendance.

To be clear, most theme park operators do not disclose their parks’ attendance, and even if they speak in broad generalities, totals, or percentages at investor calls, they almost never divulge specific attendance figures for specific parks… However, it’s known that many operators do work with AECOM to come up with fairly accurate figures since it’s in the best interest of their share price, financial disclosures, and year-upon-year narratives that their attendance be discussed vaguely, but honestly.

As far as industry observers are concerned, TEA / AECOM’s October report is as good as a lock on last year’s attendance numbers, providing (as always) a captivating quantitative estimate that offers some compelling trends and talking points to the community… This year, the global rankings of the top eight parks are unchanged from 2023, with only slight increases at each:

  1. Magic Kingdom (17.8 million, +.7%)
  2. Disneyland Park (17.3 million, +.5%)
  3. Universal Studios Japan (16 million, no change)
  4. Tokyo Disneyland (15.1 million, +2.6%)
  5. Shanghai Disneyland (14.7 million, +5%)
  6. Chimelong Ocean Kingdom (12.6 million, +.9%)
  7. Tokyo DisneySea (12.6 million, +2.9%)
  8. EPCOT (12.1 million, +1.3%)

It’s not really a surprise that the ranking of these eight is unchanged from 2023. These parks are highly stable, built-out destinations. (There are obviously two exceptions. Chimelong Ocean Kingdom is a relatively new park buoyed by the same kind of growing middle class in China that spurred Shanghai Disneyland and Universal Studios Beijing; EPCOT has been in the “top eight” for two straight years, but will inevitably rejoin the continuous rotation of Disney World’s auxiliary parks soon enough.)

Image: Universal

Meanwhile, some parks shuffle their ranking for the next batch of the top 15…

9. Disney’s Hollywood Studios (10.3 million, +.3%) (up from spot 10 in 2023)
10. Disneyland Paris (10.2 million, –1.8%) (down from spot 9 in 2023)
11. Disney California Adventure (10 million, +.5%) (up from spot 12 in 2023)
12. Universal Studios Beijing (9.7 million, +8.6%) (up from spot 15 in 2023)
13. Universal Studios Florida (9.5 million, –2.6%) (no ranking change)
14. Universal Islands of Adventure (9.45 million, –5.5%) (down from spot 11 in 2023)
15. Disney’s Animal Kingdom (8.8 million, +.3%) (up from spot 16 in 2023)

Which brings us to some big picture takeaways that these numbers suggest…

1. Universal Orlando hopes this is the darkness before the dawn

Image: Universal

Fans of the underdog story had a lot of excitement this time two years ago when the big news in the 2022 rankings was the jaw-dropping suggestion that Universal Orlando might have done the impossible and used the pandemic as a one-shot to the moon. In 2022, Universal Islands of Adventure ranked as the fifth most-attended theme park on Earth, beating out EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom and essentially ranking among the vaunted “Castle Parks.” (Universal Studios Florida didn’t do much worse – it was seventh!)

Last year’s attendance estimates, meanwhile, suggested that the boon was short-lived. Both Universal Orlando parks were estimated to have lost attendance to the tune of 9% in 2023, falling to 11th and 13th in the ranks, respectively. Obviously, that’s a devastating blow for parks that had otherwise tracked upward trajectory for years and even seemed to have come out the other side of the pandemic right back on track and even stronger than before – something no Walt Disney World park even approached.

According to 2024 estimates, that slide continues, with Islands shedding 5.5% from its attendance year-over-year, and Universal Studios Florida decreasing by 2.6%. Those are better losses than the massive drop-off in 2023, but still worrying for a resort whose substantial investment and pervasive internal narrative over the last few years has been predicated entirely upon the presumption that Universal finally had the gravity to change tourism in Central Florida.

Obviously, Universal’s explanation here would be that 2024 was a year of guests delaying vacations in anticipation of the crescendo of that growth spurt: the 2025 opening of Universal Epic Universe. But very much like Ant-Man: Quantumania, these results have to have even the most resilient Comcast executive wondering if their inherited theme park division has the limitless potential and infallible trjactory that made a third theme park seem so obvious a few years ago… Speaking of which…

2. Speculation around Epic Universe’s impact is beginning…

Image: bioreconstruct, Twitter

It’s worth remembering that Epic Universe didn’t open until May 2025, meaning that we wouldn’t expect to see any data from or impact of the new park’s attendance until the next edition of the TEA / AECOM Experience Index is published in fall 2026… But even that will only represent a year with six operating months for Epic Universe (and artificially limited by excluding “Park Hopping” and Annual Passholders, at that), so don’t expect Epic to debut anywhere within the top 15 next year.

Frankly, it won’t be until late 2027 (when TEA / AECOM publishes 2026 data) that we begin to get a complete picture of Epic Universe’s affect on Central Florida. As to what that effect will be? On one end of the spectrum, Universal would very much like if Epic Universe would be the project bright and loud enough to finally establish Universal Orlando into a self-contained, “bubbled,” multi-day resort destination. In Universal’s dream scenario, a family would land in MCO without Disney World being on their itinerary at all, hunkering down at a Universal hotel with a Park-to-Park ticket, resulting in all three of Universal’s theme parks seeing continued growth in attendance.

Image: Universal

On the other hand, Disney is probably crossing their fingers that Epic’s effect will be what some industry observers have warned about since the park’s announcement: that it’ll “cannibalize” the resort’s other two parks. That would mean that rather than adding a day to their overall vacation to visit Epic Universe, guests would simply replace an existing day – probably a visit to Universal Studios Florida. That would be trouble indeed, resulting in Universal attracting no more guests overall; just spreading them more thinly across three parks instead of two. Gulp. No wonder earth is already moving on major projects for both Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure…

By the way, even if the latter scenario comes to pass, the 2024 data suggests that Disney isn’t exactly in the clear… If guests do end up replacing a day to visit Epic Universe, it could very well be a Disney park that drops off the itinerary… It looks likely that one Disney Park will fall out of the top fifteen entirely, and data reveals that rumors of flatlining attendance may be more than myth… Read on…

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Landlines: A Timeline of Disney and Universal Parks’ Evolutions As Told By The “Lands” They Contain

Telling the story of Disney and Universal’s theme parks isn’t easy. Some of these are parks have lifetimes now measured in decades, generations, or human lifespans. Like people, their stories are full of growth, change, “phases,” mistakes, reversals, triumphs – and often, core pieces of their identities that tend to stick around for their whole lives even as they change and arrange around them.

Over the years, I’ve tried to create unusual new “lenses” to see these parks – from the “personalities” told by their pathways to their ride count relationships; diagrams of how their ride lineups compare to unexpected timelines; leaps into “armchair Imagineered” futures, to hand-illustrated layouts of their rides. Each only captures a small piece of the real story of how these parks evolve over their lifetimes. Today, I want to introduce another.

I call these diagrams LANDLINES – timelines of the lands that have come and gone from each of these parks. My hope is that these “zoomed out” views of the spaces inside of these parks will provide yet another lens to tell their stories; ways for even us diehard fans to somehow see the parks a little differently. I hope you enjoy.

This in-depth article is just one entry in Park Lore’s one-of-a-kind Special Features collection, where we explore the threads that connect between rides, parks, and pop culture! From Imagineering’s secret Society of Explorers and Adventurers, to the history of Chuck E. Cheese; from Disney and Universal’s AVENGERS: “Custody War” to the two-part tale of animation’s rebirth in the generation-defining ’90s Disney Renaissance!

Special Features are typically available exclusively for those who support this evolving theme park history project with a monthly Membership. It’s been unlocked for a limited time, but if you enjoy what you read, consider becoming a Park Lore Member for as little as $2 / month!

Continue reading “Landlines: A Timeline of Disney and Universal Parks’ Evolutions As Told By The “Lands” They Contain”
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With Avatar en Route, Is It Time to Rename ‘Disney California Adventure’? Here’s Our Controversial Take…

By now, you know the story. In 2001 – the waning years of exiting CEO Michael Eisner at the height of his cost-cutting, budget-slashing era – Disneyland’s long-time dream of gaining a second theme park became real in the form of a nightmare. Disney’s California Adventure was a mistake from the start. A self-referential, comical park designed with a “tongue-in-cheek attitude” and an “MTV” flair, Disney’s post-modern spoof of the Golden State had practically no rides, no Disney characters, and barely anything for families. “Too much California, not enough Disney,” the park languished for years.

In 2007, then-new CEO Bob Iger announced a never-before-imagined solution: a five-year, billion dollar reimagining that would gift the park with new rides, new lands, a new spirit, and a new name… kinda. Removing the possessive s, Disney California Adventure was officially re-dedicated in June 2012 – the start of what fans call the “DCA 2.0” era. Buena Vista Street, Hollywood Land, Grizzly Peak, Paradise Pier, Cars Land… California Adventure was a park of beautiful environments rooted in the diverse settings and historic time periods that make California what it is.

Now, of course, the rides added inside those beautiful, historic, Californian lands happened to be exclusively based on Disney and Pixar films – Monsters Inc., Toy Story, The Little Mermaid, Cars, etc. But hey, who could complain in a park that included a 1920s Los Angeles, a 1950s redwood national park, a 1900s seaside boardwalk, and more? Despite its cartoon inhabitants, “DCA 2.0” was definitely a California Adventure… with a Disney twist.

Image: Disney / Marvel

But the story didn’t end there… Nearly as quickly as they’d cut the ribbon on a reborn California Adventure, Imagineers were sent back to the drawing board to… well… to seemingly undo all the work they just did. A second wave of change axed California from Soarin’ Over California; transformed the Hollywood Tower Hotel into a warehouse-prison-power-plant populated by Marvel superheroes; saw Pixar characters sweep through the park’s boardwalk, and produced a modern Avengers Campus recruitment center bringing Spider-Man, Doctor Strange, and the Scarlet Witch to the Golden State.

Fans maintained that if you squint, Avengers Campus kinda-sorta makes sense as a sort of creative embodiment of California’s technological Silicon Valley – with its “reclaimed” warehouses turned into a sleek recruitment center of grad students, whiz kids, and 21st century hero tech showcases.

Image: Disney / Pixar

And when, at the 2024 D23 Expo, Disney announced a Coco dark ride for the park (likely joining the lineup of Pixar Pier), it, too, made enough sense that you could say, sure… Even though Pixar’s Coco takes place in Mexico, Mexican culture is Californian culture, and a celebration of Día de los Muertos is “close enough” to make sense. (And besides, who could argue against the park getting something it desperately needs to elevate to “Disneyland” caliber – a beautiful, high capacity boat ride?)

Okay, okay, so it’s impossible to deny that the park once lambasted for being “too much California, not enough Disney” had definitely swung to the opposite extreme. Like all Disney Parks, California Adventure hasn’t had a ride greenlit in the last two decades that hasn’t been connected to a high-earning Disney IP. And even if that didn’t look likely to change, at least Imagineers seemed to be trying to maybe make these properties make sense in the context of the park’s waning allegiance to historic California. Until…

Image: Disney / 20th Century / Lightstorm

There’s no question that California Adventure was a main focus of the 2024 D23 Expo. In the same multi-hour presentation that announced two new rides for Avengers Campus and the Coco boat ride, we learned the inevitable: the long-promised Avatar-themed land en route to the Disneyland Resort would land at – where else? – California Adventure.

Of course, it makes sense. The only other option at Disney’s West Coast resort – Disneyland Park – is a park already stuffed with E-Ticket rides, with very little room for expansion, and already home to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. Even after decades of focused expansion, California Adventure needs more to do – and frankly, something headlining and defining. In an IP-focused Walt Disney Company, a new, exclusive iteration of Pandora fits the bill. California Adventure’s Pandora will be anchored by an epic, technological boat ride through the beauty and trials of Pandora’s aquatic environments.

But now more than ever, the question must be asked: should California Adventure change its name? We’ll dig into our (controversial) opinion on the next page…

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Universal’s Momentum Stalls, EPCOT Rebuilds, and Other Surprising Findings from 2023 Theme Park Attendance

It’s one of the most anticipated data drops in all of theme park nerd-dom… Every year, the Themed Entertainment Association (TEA) partners with a consulting firm called AECOM to compile an annual report on the ups and downs of theme parks, waterparks, museums, and other “thematic” experiences from the year prior. (If you haven’t yet, check out our coverage of the significant takeaways from the 2022 Report here.)

This year’s result – the 2023 Global Attractions Attendance Report – is a fascinating document that theme park fans should dive into in depth. It’s filled with the highs and lows, global contexts, and stories that permeated theme park news in the year prior. But most importantly… it also contains a ranking and roll-up of the year’s theme park attendance.

Stories in the Extra Features and Special Features collections of Park Lore are all about connections – they’re the threads that interlace between the Lost Legends, Declassified Disasters, Modern Marvels, and Possibilitylands you’ll find in our Main Collections. In other words, these features are for people who really want to dig deep.



This article and hundreds more are available for Gold and Platinum Members who help support this ad-free, clickbait-free, quality-over-quantity collection with a monthly membership. Park Lore Members can access more than a hundred Member-exclusive articles, unlock rare concept art and construction photos in every story, stream audio across the site, tune into podcast exclusives, and receive an annual member card and merch in the mail!

If you choose to join Park Lore’s community of Gold and Platinum Members, you’ll instantly unlock this story (and of course, a lot more). You can learn more about joining and supporting Park Lore (and browse all the available Extras and Special Features) in the “Memberships & Perks” menu above. If you can’t afford a Pass, please contact us; we’ll make some magic happen.


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Infinity War or Multiverse? Which of the Floated Avengers E-Tickets for California Adventure Would YOU Greenlight?

It probably won’t surprise you that with over $40 billion in revenue, the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is the eighth highest grossing media franchise of all time. Across more than two dozen films, the ever-expanding (though decidedly slowing) pop culture juggernaut of Marvel super heroes is defined by its interconnectedness… and specifically, the landmark, anchor, nexus event crossover films of the Avengers, which have netted nearly $8 billion alone… with at least one more entry (Secret Wars) due for a 2026 release.

That makes it seem strange that when Disney California Adventure’s Avengers Campus opened in 2021, it was without an equally ambitious, epic, culminating, crossover ride themed to the larger Avengers and their franchise-defining fights against apocalyptic threats, instead containing just a Guardians of the Galaxy thrill ride and a Spider-Man family ride. Of course, two distinctly unique Avengers E-Tickets have been announced for this land, though no more than one of them is still in production. Which would you like to ride?

Stories in the Extra Features and Special Features collections of Park Lore are all about connections – they’re the threads that interlace between the Lost Legends, Declassified Disasters, Modern Marvels, and Possibilitylands you’ll find in our Main Collections. In other words, these features are for people who really want to dig deep.



This article and hundreds more are available for Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum Members who help support this ad-free, clickbait-free, quality-over-quantity collection with a monthly membership. Park Lore Members can access more than a hundred Member-exclusive articles, unlock rare concept art and construction photos in every story, stream audio across the site, tune into podcast exclusives, and receive an annual member card and merch in the mail!

If you choose to join Park Lore’s community of Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum Members, you’ll instantly unlock this story (and of course, a lot more). You can learn more about joining and supporting Park Lore (and browse all the available Extras and Special Features) in the “Memberships & Perks” menu above. If you can’t afford a Pass, please contact us; we’ll make some magic happen.


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Park Paths: The Histories and Personalities of Disney & Universal Theme Parks As Seen from a New Perspective

“Here you leave today and enter the worlds of yesterday, tomorrow, and fantasy.” Since 1955, those words have welcomed guests into Disneyland, and their spirit pervades Disney theme parks across the globe. Filled with artistry, history, and memories, each of them is, in some ways, alive, with its own unique personality.

At Park Lore, I’ve been working on a very, very niche personal art project that I’m excited to finally share: a look at the histories and personalities of the theme parks we love… as told by their pathways. Made possible by the support of Park Lore members, each of the hand-drawn illustrations you’ll find below is part mathematical model, part artistic abstraction; colorful lines that would be meaningless to most, but that can be mapped with memories for some! I sure hope they connect with you and inspire you to see each park’s story in a new light…

Continue reading “Park Paths: The Histories and Personalities of Disney & Universal Theme Parks As Seen from a New Perspective”
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The 25 Most Incredible Theme Park Animatronics on Earth

It wasn’t too long ago that a theme park attraction was lifeless without Audio-Animatronics. In fact, the number and complexity of these robotic animated figures was often proportional to a ride’s budget and success! Put simply: if you wanted to blow audiences away, animatronics figures were the way to do it.

Continue reading “The 25 Most Incredible Theme Park Animatronics on Earth”
This content is available exclusively to members of Brian's Patreon at $6 or more.
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The Tipsiest Place on Earth: The “Tradition” of Walt’s Dry Disneyland & How Alcohol Leaked into the Magic Kingdoms

“I am a big believer in tradition,” Disney’s then-CEO Bob Iger told The Hollywood Reporter in 2018. “This just seemed like one of those traditions that if we changed it the empire wasn’t going to crumble.”

As with most of Disney’s most controversial changes, it was a subtly worded post on the Disney Parks Blog that made the announcement: when Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge opened at Disneyland Park in May 2019, one of its in-universe food and drink stops adding to its “Living Land” status would be Oga’s Cantina – an alien-run watering hole servicing pilots, bounty hunters, smugglers, and galactic travelers with “choices for kids and libations for adults.”

Fans knew exactly what that meant. For the first time in its sixty-year history, alcohol would be available to the public at Disneyland. True to form, that ruffled a few fans’ feathers. Of course, the ban on booze at Disneyland and its “castle park” siblings isn’t quite as cut and “dry” as generalizations would have you believe… And the story of drinking at Disney Parks is far from finished… Let’s dive in…

This in-depth article is just one entry in Park Lore’s one-of-a-kind Special Features collection, where we explore the threads that connect between rides, parks, and pop culture! From Imagineering’s secret Society of Explorers and Adventurers, to the history of Chuck E. Cheese; from Disney and Universal’s AVENGERS: “Custody War” to the two-part tale of animation’s rebirth in the generation-defining ’90s Disney Renaissance!

Special Features are typically available exclusively for those who support this evolving theme park history project with a monthly Membership. It’s been unlocked for a limited time, but if you enjoy what you read, consider becoming a Park Lore Member for as little as $2 / month!

Stories in the Extra Features and Special Features collections of Park Lore are all about connections – they’re the threads that interlace between the Lost Legends, Declassified Disasters, Modern Marvels, and Possibilitylands you’ll find in our Main Collections. In other words, these features are for people who really want to dig deep.



This article and hundreds more are available for Gold and Platinum Members who help support this ad-free, clickbait-free, quality-over-quantity collection with a monthly membership. Park Lore Members can access more than a hundred Member-exclusive articles, unlock rare concept art and construction photos in every story, stream audio across the site, tune into podcast exclusives, and receive an annual member card and merch in the mail!

If you choose to join Park Lore’s community of Gold and Platinum Members, you’ll instantly unlock this story (and of course, a lot more). You can learn more about joining and supporting Park Lore (and browse all the available Extras and Special Features) in the “Memberships & Perks” menu above. If you can’t afford a Pass, please contact us; we’ll make some magic happen.


Log In or Join Now
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Beyond Galactic Starcruiser: 4 Blue Sky Ideas for Other Immersive, Multi-Day, “Living Theater” Experiences…

You’d have to be pretty off-the-theme-park-grid to have missed the ups and downs of Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser. Just about every moment of the Starcruiser’s 18-month life has been covered online, in equal parts adoration and mockery. And it’s easy to see why…

On one hand, Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser was the kind of ambitious, forward-thinking, risky, and industry-pivoting project we just haven’t seen from a play-it-safe Disney since California Adventure’s $1.2 billion reimagining kicked off. Despite the shorthand, calling the Galactic Starcruiser a hotel was like calling Disneyland a fair. Sure, it had beds, but guests aboard the “Halcyon” didn’t just sleep. They were part of a multi-day, fully-immersive, living theater experience that cast them as real denizens of the Star Wars universe who found themselves in an all-encompassing, unfolding story…

Stories in the Extra Features and Special Features collections of Park Lore are all about connections – they’re the threads that interlace between the Lost Legends, Declassified Disasters, Modern Marvels, and Possibilitylands you’ll find in our Main Collections. In other words, these features are for people who really want to dig deep.



This article and hundreds more are available for Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum Members who help support this ad-free, clickbait-free, quality-over-quantity collection with a monthly membership. Park Lore Members can access more than a hundred Member-exclusive articles, unlock rare concept art and construction photos in every story, stream audio across the site, tune into podcast exclusives, and receive an annual member card and merch in the mail!

If you choose to join Park Lore’s community of Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum Members, you’ll instantly unlock this story (and of course, a lot more). You can learn more about joining and supporting Park Lore (and browse all the available Extras and Special Features) in the “Memberships & Perks” menu above. If you can’t afford a Pass, please contact us; we’ll make some magic happen.


Log In or Join Now
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A Timeline of Disney Parks’ Annual Promotional Campaigns from the Millennium Celebration to “100 Years of Wonder”

No one knows how to throw a party quite like Disney.

That’s probably why, for the last quarter century, some of the most spectacular celebrations in the industry have actually been housed right in Disney’s theme parks. In fact, it’s something of an annual tradition for Disney to run year-long promotional campaigns centered on the Disney Parks, where grand decor, astounding entertainment, and special offerings abound.

When they’re done right, Disney Parks’ annual campaigns can leave the kinds of lasting memories that are cherished for generations. And sometimes, they don’t exactly live up to the hype… Today, we’re exploring Disney’s best (and sometimes, weirdest) campaigns from The Millennium Celebration to the World’s Most Magical Celebration and beyond…

Continue reading “A Timeline of Disney Parks’ Annual Promotional Campaigns from the Millennium Celebration to “100 Years of Wonder””
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