ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Disney parks in North America had slight attendance declines last year due to increased ticket prices, while Harry Potter rides helped Universal show strong increases in visitors.
A new report released this week by the Themed Entertainment Association and the firm AECOM says Disney's domestic parks declined by about 1 percent. Despite the declines, revenue was up about 5 percent due to increased guest spending.
Attendance at Universal parks in the United States was up almost 7.5 percent thanks to the Harry Potter rides as well as a new Walking Dead attraction at its California park. Six Flags parks had a 4 percent increase in attendance, and Cedar Fair parks were up 2.7 percent in visitors.
The report was based on 2016 park attendance and therefore did not take into account the popularity of Universal's new Volcano Bay water park or the recently opened Pandora: World of Avatar addition to Disney's Animal Kingdom park.
(Photo by David Roark)