Disney’s theme parks continue to be among the most visited parks in the world.
Magic Kingdom remains the No. 1 park globally with an estimated 17.7 million visitors in 2023, according the TEA/AECOM Theme and Museum Index.
The annual industry report released Thursday provides attendance estimates pulled from a number of sources such as financial reports and tourism agencies, as many theme park operators don’t publicly release their attendance numbers.
Rounding out the top five most-visited parks in the world are Disneyland in California with 17.2 million visitors, Universal Studios Japan with 16 million visitors, Tokyo Disneyland with 15.1 million visitors and Shanghai Disneyland with 14 million visitors.
EPCOT at Disney World had significant attendance gains last year with an estimated 12 million visitors—a nearly 20% increase from 2022.
Universal Orlando’s parks—Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure—each saw attendance drop by about 9% to an estimated 10 million and 9.8 million visitors, respectively.
Other Central Florida parks also had attendance declines. The report showed Disney’s Hollywood Studios with an estimated 10.3 million visitors, down 6% from the previous year. Disney’s Animal Kingdom dropped 2.8% to 8.7 million visitors. SeaWorld Orlando’s attendance fell 2.5% to an estimated 4.3 million visitors.
“Orlando remains a heavy hitter in the theme park world, with seven theme parks and three water parks making our list,” the report said. “But attendance in Orlando was down in 2023 and the cluster of parks there is not performing on par with other regions around the country.”
Both Disney and Comcast—Universal’s parent company—have reported slow attendance at their domestic parks this year, especially in the Orlando market.
Universal is slated to open Epic Universe—a brand new theme park with lands themed to Nintendo, Harry Potter, Universal classic monsters and “How to Train Your Dragon”—next year.
Meanwhile, Disney recently announced details about its plans to turbocharge its theme parks in the coming years, with Disney World getting a villains-themed land and “Cars” attractions at Magic Kingdom, a “Monsters Inc” land at Disney Hollywood Studios and a Tropical Americas land with “Encanto” and “Indiana Jones” attractions.
The full report can be read on the AECOM website.
