The best amusement parks, to attract more audiences, seek to increase creativity in designing the best amusement-park rides. It may have happened to you as well that, seeing a clip online of a new game device, you wanted to use that ride and experience its excitement. This fact reveals the quality of amusement parks for us. People's need for entertainment has led to such complexes, with vast scale, modern forms, and various themes, being built in the world's advanced countries under the title theme park or thematic park. As a result, considerable sums are exchanged every day in the world's famous theme parks. The high profit of these recreational complexes has caused amusement parks to be considered one of the most important tourism centers for every country. Centers that have great potential to generate economic income for every country.
The most famous theme parks in the world, in America
In 2021, the United States, by earning more than 12.37 billion dollars from its amusement park industry, was able to become one of the world's leading countries in the development and utilization of amusement parks and theme parks. Forecasts are that in 2023 this amount of revenue will increase to 16.78 billion dollars a year. America also takes first place among the world's countries in attracting audiences. 5 theme-park complexes in this country in 2021 were able to stand at the top of the table for attracting visitors among the world's most famous theme parks.
The world's most popular theme parks
We will now introduce and examine 6 examples of the world's best and most popular theme parks:
Magic Kingdom theme park|Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom
The world's most famous theme park, namely the Magic Kingdom theme park belonging to the Walt Disney company, opened in 1971 in Florida, America. This recreational complex has placed 40 tourist attractions on an area of more than 43 hectares. In 2019, by attracting 20.96 million people, it claimed the title of the world's most-visited amusement park and theme park for the thirteenth consecutive year. There are 8 separate sections with different structure and function in Florida's Disneyland park that have made it the world's largest Disneyland park: Main Street, U.S.A., Adventureland, Frontierland, New Orleans Square, Fantasyland, Tomorrowland, Mickey's Toontown, and Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge. Thus Disneyland is the world's most popular and largest thematic amusement park.
Universal Orlando theme park|Universal Orlando
The Universal Orlando theme park is Florida's second-largest recreational complex after Walt Disney park. This tourist site, which opened in 1999 under NBCUniversal, also has various sections for the recreation of tourists and visitors. Volcano Bay, Islands of Adventure, the Harry Potter land, the beach, the Universal CityWalk Orlando complex, Aventura Hotel, cafes, restaurants, and numerous game rides are among the sections of this American theme park. Universal Orlando's largest amusement park in 2021, by attracting 8.99 million visitors, was able to take third place among the world's most famous and most-visited theme parks.
Disneyland Paris, France|Disneyland Paris
The Disneyland Paris theme park, located 32 kilometers from the city center, began operation in 1992. France's Disneyland theme park claimed the title of the most-visited amusement park and theme park across Europe in 2021.
You can see the number of visitors and tourists to this recreational complex and tourist attraction between 2009 and 2021, on a scale of millions of people:
Two main parks, the Disneyland theme park, the Walt Disney Studios theme park, Disney Village, a golf course, shopping centers, hotels, and restaurants are among the various sections of this attractive recreational complex in France.
Four lands make up the 22.3-kilometer area of this famous Paris amusement park: Frontierland, Adventureland, Fantasyland, and Discoveryland.
An interesting point about Disneyland France is the possibility of using numerous games drawn from cartoon characters. For example, the Cinderella, Pinocchio, Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck games, and so on.
The use of cinematic elements is also seen in this world's most popular theme park. In 2002 the Walt Disney Studios park was added to this complex. So that audiences could, in this park's Cinémagique studio, put themselves in the place of cinematic and cartoon characters and, using special effects, be immersed in excitement.
Europa Park amusement park|Europa Park
One of the world's largest and best theme parks on the European continent is located in Germany. Germany's Europa Park, which for several years has carried the title of the most-visited place for Germans' recreation, began operation in 1975. Europa Park's area is more than 95 hectares. The second roller coaster (Silver Star) in Europe is located at the Europa Park amusement park in Germany. This largest theme park in Germany in 2019, by attracting 5.75 million visitors, was able to record a good figure for itself. With the COVID pandemic in 2020, it had 2.5 million visitors and then, with 20 percent growth, reached the figure of 3 million people in 2021. This figure placed Europa Park in Germany in nineteenth place on the table of the world's most-visited theme parks in 2021. Alongside the main park of this best German amusement park, several hotels and several recreational camps have also been established so that visitors can use them as well. This attractive and exciting theme park hosts several train devices, the oldest of which is the Alpenexpress mine train. It is worth noting that Europa Park in Germany changes its appearance from late November and becomes a place for winter recreation and New Year celebrations.
Tokyo Disneyland, Japan|Tokyo Disneyland
The first theme park built by the Disney company outside the United States of America was Tokyo Disneyland in 1983. There are seven lands in this 47-hectare complex, all drawn from American stories, characters, and fantasy films. Tokyo Disneyland theme park, by attracting 17.91 million people in 2019, took the title of the world's third theme park in audience attraction.
Figures show that the share of visitors under 18 at Tokyo Disneyland amusement park has exceeded 20 percent. Most visitors are also between 18 and 39 years old. Women also make up 70 to 80 percent of the audience of this best theme park in Japan. A noteworthy point for these Japanese tour attractions, despite their international fame, is the high presence of domestic visitors and the negligible share of international visitors. This theme park is Japan's most-visited and best theme park.
Shanghai Disneyland Park, China|Shanghai Disneyland Park
Shanghai Disneyland amusement park in China, located in the Pudong district, was prepared for construction in 2011 with investment by the Disney company and the Shendi company. After 5 years of continuous work, it finally opened in 2016. In the first half of 2016, it was able to attract 5 million visitors, a striking figure for Disneyland China. In 2021, it had 8.48 million visitors and was able to take sixth place in the table of the world's most popular and most-visited theme parks. Shanghai Disney theme park, alongside Hong Kong Disneyland and Hong Kong Ocean Park, is considered among China's top and best theme parks. Shanghai Disneyland currently has seven lands: Mickey Avenue, Gardens of Imagination, Fantasyland, Treasure Cove, Adventure Isle, Tomorrowland, and Toy Story Land. The area of Shanghai Disneyland in China is 116 hectares, and it has the world's tallest fairy-tale castle.
The need to entertain masses of people in advanced countries caused amusement parks to come into being in a larger and more modern form. Theme parks or thematic parks offer audiences a collection of various amusements alongside welfare amenities. The emergence of these entertainment complexes should be credited to the Walt Disney company. By examining the figures for the world's best theme parks, we find that Disneyland still leads in this field. By establishing these theme parks in America, Europe, and Southeast Asia, Walt Disney has captured a large market. In every advanced country, Disneyland theme parks enjoy very high popularity. In 2022 alone, this company was able to earn 28.71 billion dollars in economic revenue from its entertainment venues and theme parks.
Closing remarks
With the coronavirus pandemic, audience numbers at theme parks around the world declined to a large extent. But after the pandemic, the main market for theme parks went, in order, to America, Japan, and China. We are now also witnessing the growth and expansion of modern amusement parks and theme parks in advanced countries and developing countries. Because the high economic profit of these tourist attractions and entertainment complexes helps each country's economy a great deal.
Sources
www.statista.com
Global Attractions Attendance Report
www.disneyland.disney.go.com
www.disney.com
www.europapark.de
www.universalorlando.com
www.shanghaidisneyresort.com
www.tokyodisneyresort.jp
Machine-translated from Persian by Namafar; the Persian original is authoritative. Read the original in Persian