Reference & Bibliography

Resources, Glossary
& Methodology

Data sources, operator profiles, key terminology, and notes on analytical methodology.

Primary Data Sources

Data Source

AECOM Global Theme Index 2023

The annual industry benchmark report tracking attendance at the world's most-visited theme parks and attractions. Published jointly with TEA (Themed Entertainment Association).

aecom.com →
Data Source

Themed Entertainment Association (TEA)

Industry association representing creators, developers, and producers of themed experiences. Co-publishes the Global Attractions Attendance Report annually.

teaconnect.org →
Background

Forbes — Disney Theme Park Revenue Analysis

Financial reporting on Disney Parks, Experiences and Products segment, providing revenue context for the attendance data analyzed in this report.

forbes.com →
Background

Statista — Global Theme Park Market

Aggregated industry statistics and market sizing for the global attractions sector, used to provide broader market context beyond the Top 25 dataset.

statista.com →
Analysis Reference

Bloomberg Intelligence — Leisure Industry Reports

Sector analysis of theme park operators including competitive positioning, pricing trends, and capital expenditure strategies.

bloomberg.com →
Design Tool

IDSN 530 Course Materials

Web design principles, data visualization guidelines, and interactive design frameworks from the USC Annenberg IYA program, applied throughout this mini-site.

Internal Resource

Key Operator Profiles

Disney
The Walt Disney Company

Global media conglomerate operating 12 theme park resorts worldwide. Parks segment generated $32.5B revenue in FY2023.

Universal
Universal Destinations & Experiences

NBCUniversal/Comcast division. Operates 9 parks globally with Epic Universe (Orlando) opening in 2025.

Chimelong
Chimelong Group

China's largest private tourism enterprise. Operates resort complexes in Guangzhou and Zhuhai.

Fantawild
Fantawild Holdings

Chinese cultural theme park developer with 40+ parks nationwide. Focus on Chinese history and mythology IP.

Glossary of Terms

Click any term to expand its definition.

Attendance (k)
Total physical turnstile entries recorded at a park during the calendar year. Expressed in thousands (k), so "17,720k" equals 17.72 million visitors. Industry standard metric defined and audited by AECOM.
Brand Concentration
An economic measure of the degree to which market share is held by a small number of dominant operators. High concentration (like theme parks) implies significant barriers to entry and reduced competitive pressure for incumbents.
IP (Intellectual Property) Moat
A strategic competitive advantage derived from exclusive legal ownership of culture-defining characters, stories, and franchises. Disney's ownership of Marvel, Star Wars, and Pixar constitutes one of the most powerful IP moats in global entertainment.
YoY Change (Year-over-Year)
The percentage difference in attendance between the current year (2023) and the preceding year (2022). Formula: ((2023 visitors − 2022 visitors) / 2022 visitors) × 100%. Negative values indicate attendance decline.
Market Share
An operator's attendance as a percentage of the total combined attendance across all Top 25 parks. Calculated by dividing an operator's total park visitors by the sum of all 25 parks' visitors.
Asia-Pacific (APAC)
Geographic region encompassing East Asia (China, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong), Southeast Asia, South Asia, and Oceania. In this dataset, APAC includes parks in China (mainland + HK), Japan, and South Korea.
Post-COVID Base Effect
A statistical phenomenon where an abnormally low baseline year (e.g., 2022, during COVID restrictions) produces artificially high YoY growth rates in the recovery year (2023). Shanghai Disneyland's +164.2% is partly a base-effect artifact.
Two-Firm Dominance
An industrial organization concept describing markets where two firms collectively control an outsized majority of market share. Disney and Universal's combined 71.3% share qualifies the theme park industry as a two-firm dominant market.
Capital Expenditure (CapEx)
Investment funds used by operators to build new attractions, expand infrastructure, or acquire new parks. Disney spent approximately $5.6B in Parks CapEx in FY2023, maintaining its competitive lead through continuous reinvestment.
Themed Entertainment Association (TEA)
The global professional trade organization for the themed entertainment industry. Co-publishes the annual AECOM/TEA Global Attractions Attendance Report that serves as the primary data source for this analysis.

Methodology Notes

Data Source: All attendance figures derive from the 2023 AECOM Global Theme Index / TEA Attractions Attendance Report. AECOM collects figures through operator-reported data and proprietary estimation models where operator disclosure is incomplete.

Scope: Analysis is limited to the Top 25 most-visited parks globally. This excludes hundreds of mid-tier parks and water parks tracked separately by AECOM. Market share percentages reflect share of the Top 25 cohort only, not total global market.

YoY Comparisons: 2022 data represents a partial-recovery year, particularly for Asian parks still under pandemic restrictions. Readers should interpret YoY growth for APAC parks with reference to this suppressed baseline.

AI Disclosure: Visual design layout and CSS optimization were assisted by AI tools. All data entry, analysis, and written interpretation represent original student work per IDSN 530 course guidelines.