Disney Dominates as Theme Park Attendance Stabilizes: TEA’s Global Experience Index 2024. The Themed Entertainment Association (TEA) has released its annual attendance report, now titled the Global Experience Index, revealing that The Walt Disney Company remains the undisputed global leader in the theme park industry.
According to the 2024 Global Experience Index, Disney’s Magic Kingdom Park at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida holds the title of the #1 Most Visited Theme Park Worldwide and in North America for the 19th consecutive year, drawing an estimated 17.8 million visitors.
The report, which tracks attendance at the world’s leading theme parks, water parks, and museums, shows an industry settling into a post-pandemic normal, with operators shifting focus toward revenue optimization over sheer volume.
Disney’s Global Dominance – Disney’s portfolio of parks showcased remarkable strength across the globe, capturing the vast majority of the top attendance spots:
- Global Parks: Disney claims 8 of the Top 10 Most Visited Theme Parks Worldwide.
- North America: The company secured the Top 5 Most Visited Theme Parks in North America.
- Magic Kingdom Park (Walt Disney World Resort) and Disneyland Park (California) retain the #1 and #2 Most Visited Theme Parks Worldwide and in North America, respectively.
- Asia-Pacific: Shanghai Disneyland had a record year and remains the #1 park in China, ranking #5 Worldwide. Hong Kong Disneyland also set a new attendance record.
- EMEA: Disneyland Park at Disneyland Paris remains the #1 Most Visited Theme Park in EMEA (Europe, Middle East, and Africa).
- Water Parks: Typhoon Lagoon at Walt Disney World Resort remains the #1 Waterpark in North America.
North American Market Stabilizes as Revenue Jumps – Globally, attendance at the top 25 theme parks saw a modest increase of 2.4% from 2023. However, North American parks were relatively flat, showing a minor decline of 0.3%. The TEA suggests this trend indicates a market stabilization following the post-pandemic boom, with companies prioritizing higher per-capita guest spending.
The U.S. continues to drive the North American market, with Florida maintaining its status as the nation’s theme park hub, logging 76.4 million visitors across eight parks. California followed with 47.9 million guests across six parks.
While Magic Kingdom led the global chart with 17.8 million visitors, the report noted a slight attendance softening for the Orlando parks toward the end of the year, primarily attributed to hurricane impacts.
Overall, the 2024 Global Experience Index underscores a mature theme park industry characterized by sustained high performance from established brands like Disney and a strategic focus on maximizing revenue from a more stable attendance base.
