According to yesterday's Hollywood Reporter,

#1 Magic Kingdom WDW = 14 million annual visitors (Down 5%)
#2 Disneyland = 12.7 million annual visitors (Up 3% since 2001)
#3 EPCOT WDW = 8.2 million annual visitors (Down 8%)
#4 Disney's Animal Kingdom =7.3 million visitors (Down 6%)
#5 Universal Studios Orlando = 6.8 million (Down 6%)
#6 Universal Islands of Adventure = 6 million (Up 10%)
#7 Universal Studios Hollywood = 5.2 million (Up 10%)
#8 Seaworld Florida = 5 million visitors (down slightly)
#9 Disney's California Adventure 4.7 million visitors (Down 6%)

As you can see ol' Universal Studios Hollywood with no roller coaster and no new rides still brings in more visitors than DCA.

Source: Amusement Business, The Hollywood Reporter

Interesting.

Thanks. Very interesting indeed. What about Disney/MGM?

Let me post a corrected version, that includes the MGM studios, these are the Amusement Business numbers release late December, 2002.

1. Magic Kingdom, 14 million, down 5%

2. Disneyland, 12.7 million, UP 3%

3. Epcot, 8.3 million, down 8%

4. MGM Studios, 8 million, down 4%

5. Animal Kingdom, 7.3 million, down 6%

6. Universal Studios Florida, 6.9 million, down 6%

7. Islands of Adventure, 6.1 million, UP 10%

8. Universal Studios Hollywood, 5.2 million, UP 10%

9. Sea World Orlando, 5 million, down 2%

10. California Adventure, 4.7 million, down 6%

Other local parks -

Sea World San Diego, 4 million, down 2%

Knott's Berry Farm, 3.6 million, UP 2 %

San Diego Zoo, 3.5 million, flat

Six Flags Magic Mountain, 3.2 million, flat

San Diego Wild Animal Park, 1.7 million, flat

LegoLand, 1.3 million, down 4%
(but interesting to note, since they decided to close two days a week during the off-season, their daily attendance went up 15%)

well with a one day admission giving you almost the whole year free, who would not take advantage of the offer.

Didn't they say that they admssion numbers were up but the revenues were way way way down.

Well, Universal's revenue was down in the Theme Park division, but mainly due to less attendance at Universal Studios Japan... Let's look at the Fourth Quarter report from Vivendi Universal

Vivendi Universal Reports Revenues for 2002 and Fourth Quarter 2002 (http://cbs.marketwatch.com/tools/quotes/newsarticle.asp?siteid=mktw&sid=404469&guid=%7B8695861C%2D375D%2D4F86%2DA625%2DB740D40703 DA%7D) - 2/10/03

Parks & Resorts and Spencer Gifts decreased by 6%. Lower management fees from theme park joint ventures, and lower holiday sales at Spencer Gifts offset increased domestic theme park attendance.

It is also interesting to note what was said in regards to the Buy a day, get a year free promotion....

SeaWorld and Legoland faring OK amid slump (http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/business/20030111-9999_1b11theme.html) - San Diego Union-Tribune, 1/11/03

SeaWorld rolled out an aggressive discount program two years ago called the Fun Card, and it paid off. The park is continuing the program this year. From January through April, people who buy an admission ticket – $44.95 for adults, $34.95 for kids – get a Fun Card, which allows unlimited free return visits for the rest of the year.
Theme parks benefit from these discount programs because once people get in the gates, they buy meals and gifts. Industry experts say theme parks have been investing to improve their dining and shopping venues in hopes of boosting in-park sales.
When Fun Card holders return to SeaWorld, for example, they perceive that they're getting free admission, said spokesman Bob Tucker. So they're willing to spend more inside the park.
"Most people don't pay the full gate price anyway," Tucker said. "For people who are not Fun Card customers, they find a local coupon for $4 or $5 off admission and use that."
Revenue at SeaWorld, owned by Anheuser Busch Entertainment, was up last year, but Tucker declined to say how much.

I wonder why Hollywood Reporter would have different numbers.
I also wondered why they didn't list Disney MGM studios.

Seems like the press don't believe it exists...

Well, without past numbers to compare to, I don't know if the gap has closed significantly and I should be worried, but it's still nice to see the top 5 spots are all Disney property! And Disney's total domestic attendance was TRIPLE Universals across all the parks. I suppose I knew that Disney, despite it's continuing slump, is still the king, but it's good to see it in print.

BTW, what about the overseas parks? Anyone have numbers on those?

Originally posted by Ghoulish Delight


BTW, what about the overseas parks? Anyone have numbers on those? [/B]

I would be interested in knowing what Knott's sold for when it went was sold a few years back.

I would like to know how much it would have cost Disney to buy Knott's and build a monorail down the 5 to Buena Park vs. the cost of building the parking garage and DCA.

Couldn't they have added the Electrical Parade, Soarin' and Screamin' to Knott's and made a lot of people a lot happier?

The imagineers were said to have called DCA the "Universal Berry Farm" when given their design mandate anyway.

I'm not a Knott's fan at all but you have to admit it's better than DCA. At least there's a lot more to do there. It's better themed.

Originally posted by CaliforniaAdventurer

I'm not a Knott's fan at all but you have to admit it's better than DCA. At least there's a lot more to do there. It's better themed.

I disagree. I am a total Disney Loyalist.

Give DCA a chance to develop. You guys are so harsh when you compare DCA to Knotts or Disneyland. It will eventually become almost as good as Disneyland. Just why are you comparing a 2 year old park to 50+ year old parks that have had tons of time to develop. Frankly im surprised that WDW's Magic Kingdom surpassed Disneyland. I guess they just have more room there for guests.

Originally posted by Darkbeer
California Adventure, 4.7 million, down 6%

Six Flags Magic Mountain, 3.2 million, flat What I find even more interesting is that DCA did better than MM. It just seems to me that a park with more thrills would do better.

Originally posted by Bill Catherall
What I find even more interesting is that DCA did better than MM. It just seems to me that a park with more thrills would do better.

Thrills or not, it seems to me that a park open 7 days a week would do better than one sometimes only open 2 days a week.

Originally posted by MickeyD
Thrills or not, it seems to me that a park open 7 days a week would do better than one sometimes only open 2 days a week.

What is open only 2 days a week?

Originally posted by Disneyfreak
Frankly im surprised that WDW's Magic Kingdom surpassed Disneyland. I guess they just have more room there for guests. WDW MK has, almost from day one, brought in more people than DL. The reasons are many. It's a larger property and an hold more. With the ammount of Disney own property that goes along with it, it is highly profitable to Disney and therefore it is advertised heavier across the country/world. It more accessible to more people (there are many many many metropolitan cities that are a short weekend trip away from Orlando, not so for Anaheim). Looking at just those factors, it's no surprise at all that Florida has a bigger draw.

Originally posted by rexfarms
What is open only 2 days a week? During off season, Magic Mountain shuts down during weekdays.

Originally posted by Ghoulish Delight
During off season, Magic Mountain shuts down during weekdays.

Of course off season. I feel dumb.

Originally posted by Bill Catherall
What I find even more interesting is that DCA did better than MM. It just seems to me that a park with more thrills would do better.

That surprised me too, it must be the fact that DCA is open 7 days a week, in all seasons, vs. MM's off-season closures.

I don't have a SFMM calender for 2002, but they offer 250 operating days in 2003.

That give an average daily attendance of 12,800 for SFMM

And DCA ends up with 12,877 a day (on average).

So basically, these parks are about equally crowded when they are open.

Ohhhh... See I thought MM was open 7 days/week year round. I guess that would make a difference, eh? :o

The crowd levels are worlds apart at DCA and MM. While DCA is very consistent - low crowds during the week - busier weekends (but nothing crazy) - MM has extremely crowded summer weekends resulting in insanely long lines.

Originally posted by Darkbeer
Let me post a corrected version, that includes the MGM studios, these are the Amusement Business numbers release late December, 2002.

1. Magic Kingdom, 14 million, down 5%

2. Disneyland, 12.7 million, UP 3%

3. Epcot, 8.3 million, down 8%

4. MGM Studios, 8 million, down 4%

5. Animal Kingdom, 7.3 million, down 6%

6. Universal Studios Florida, 6.9 million, down 6%

7. Islands of Adventure, 6.1 million, UP 10%

8. Universal Studios Hollywood, 5.2 million, UP 10%

9. Sea World Orlando, 5 million, down 2%

10. California Adventure, 4.7 million, down 6%

Other local parks -

Sea World San Diego, 4 million, down 2%

Knott's Berry Farm, 3.6 million, UP 2 %

San Diego Zoo, 3.5 million, flat

Six Flags Magic Mountain, 3.2 million, flat

San Diego Wild Animal Park, 1.7 million, flat

LegoLand, 1.3 million, down 4%
(but interesting to note, since they decided to close two days a week during the off-season, their daily attendance went up 15%)

Here is an interesting tidbit, from the Las Vegas Advisor's April 2003 issue.

http://www.lasvegasadvisor.com/

Circus Circus’ Adventuredome amusement park logged the largest percentage gain in attendance of all major North American amusement parks in 2002. Its 4.5 million attendees, a 21% increase over 2001, ranked Adventuredome 11th nationwide and 19th worldwide. Adventuredome is the largest indoor amusement park in the U.S., with the world’s only indoor double-loop corkscrew roller coaster, and now boasts 24 rides, most of them for small children.