Theme Park Industry Facts & Figures

The phenomenon of the theme park industry is considered an American invention, but has found roots worldwide. The marvel began with the Cyclone

roller coaster once housed at Coney Island in New York City. However, the oldest continually operating amusement park in America is Lake Compounce in Connecticut.

The number one reason people visit and revisit amusement and theme parks is the rides. At present, there are over 1,300 roller coasters in the U.S., the fastest/tallest being Kingda Ka at Six Flags Great Adventure® in New Jersey. Surprisingly, the most popular amusement park ride is the Tilt-a-Whirl and the most popular game (if the park has a midway) is Whac-a-Mole. 49% of adult visitors come to the parks for the rides, 15% come for the shows, 12% prefer the special events and festivals, 6% seek the characters, and 6% come for the midway games, (IAAPA, 2004).

As of today, there are more than 600 amusement and theme parks in the U.S., and 300 in Europe. The Magic Kingdom® at Walt Disney World® in Orlando, FL is the most visited theme park in the world. Outside the U.S., Tokyo Disneyland holds the record.

In 2005, amusement and theme parks generated over $11.2 billion in revenue, vs. $5.7 billion in 1990. Park attendance has also risen from 253 million to over 335 million. With the exception of only two years, the amusement and theme park industry has increased exponentially every year for the past two decades. Likewise, the parks employ over 600,000 full-time and seasonal employees.

Currently, 28% of Americans say they have visited an amusement or theme park within the past year, and an additional 50% are actively planning their visits within the calendar year. Of those that have visited a park this year, 82% plan to return. The majority of people prefer visiting theme and amusements parks in the non-summer seasons, but still 46% of attendees are clocked between the months of June and August, while 21% come in spring and 18% visit in the fall. Also of interest, 73% of park visitors stayed for 1-3 days in an on-property or nearby hotel or motel, and 26% stayed for four or more days, (IAAPA, 2004).

Looking at the future, it’s projected that the theme park market in Asia will grow at a faster rate than that in the United States, and generate $8.1 billion in revenue by 2009, (IAAPA, 2004). In Europe and the USA, a predicted 5% increase is expected. With all this projected growth, parks both nationally and internationally will be increasing their labor force, which is good news to those seeking a theme park employment experience.

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