Report: Disney’s Magic Kingdom tops 2019 worldwide theme park attendance

Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom remained the most-visited theme park in the world in 2019, according to the annual attendance report compiled by TEA/AECOM on Thursday. The attraction drew 20.96 million visitors last year, representing an increase of 0.5% from 2018, the report says.

That allowed Magic Kingdom to outpace Disneyland, its sister park in Anaheim, Calif., which had a flat year with 18.67 million visitors in 2019, the report compiled by the Themed Entertainment Association and AECOM said.

Disney World’s other theme parks were third, fourth and fifth in the national rankings with small or no gains from the year before. Disney’s Animal Kingdom recorded 13.89 million visitors (up 1%); Epcot had 12.44 million (no change); and Disney’s Hollywood Studios greeted 11.48 million, up 2%, according to the report. Next on the national list were Universal Studios Florida with 10.92 million visitors, an increase of 2%, and Universal’s Islands of

Adventure with 10.38 million people. IOA’s gain of 6% was the largest both in Central Florida and among the 20 largest attractions in the nation. SeaWorld Orlando finished 10th on the 2019 list with 4.64 million visitors, an increase of 1%.

Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach were the biggest-drawing water parks in the nation, according to the report, despite a dip of 1% at each attraction. Typhoon Lagoon had 2.25 million visitors, while Blizzard Beach greeted 1.98 million.

Universal’s Volcano Bay made gains of 5% over 2018, notching a total of 1.81 million. Aquatica, SeaWorld’s water park, had 1.53 million visitors, a decrease of 1.5%.

The most-attended water park in the world was Chimelong of China, which had 3.01 million visitors, a 10% increase, according to the report.

The association pointed to the additions of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disney’s Hollywood Studios; Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure roller coaster at Islands of Adventure; and Sesame Street Land at SeaWorld Orlando as attendance boosters.