World's 25 most popular amusement parks
Katia Hetter, CNN • Updated 4th July 2017
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(CNN) — The house that Walt Disney built has won the title of world's most popular amusement park.
The Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World in Florida welcomed more than 20 million visitors in 2016, a 0.5% decrease over 2015, according to a June report.
There were more than 233 million visits to the top 25 theme and amusement parks worldwide, down 1.1% from 2015, according to the Themed Entertainment Association/AECOM 11th annual global attractions attendance report.
The theme park index ranks the 25 most-visited amusement and theme parks around the world, using attendance figures gathered by AECOM, a global consulting firm.
"Following record-setting numbers in 2015, attendance results in 2016 were more modest but still reflective of a healthy, growing industry," said John Robinett, AECOM's senior vice president, Economics/Americas, in a statement.
"The major theme park operators continued their positive performance, and most markets saw slow, steady growth, while weather, tourism and political issues contributed to minor declines in others."
While the top 25 parks saw a slight decrease in attendance, the top 10 parks measured a 4.3% increase, from 420 million to 438 million visitors.
Mickey Mouse outperforms them all
Once again, Disney dominated the rankings.
Disney parks in the United States and Japan held seven of the top 10 spots and 12 of the top 25 spots. Universal Studios came in second place with three parks in the top 10 and four in the top 25 list.
"Disney parks are the most popular theme parks in the world given our focus on exceeding expectations, which includes managing attendance to ensure a great experience for all guests," said Lisa Haines, spokesperson for Walt Disney Parks and Resorts.
While Disney saw some declines in attendance, Disney officials attribute it to a variable pricing structure that actually theme park unit profits increase.
The top 20 North American theme/amusement parks reported 148 million visits last year, up 5.9% from 2015, while the top 20 Asian theme/amusement parks reported 127.3 million visits last year, down 2.8% from 2015. There were 60.5 million visits to parks in Europe, the Middle East and Africa last year, down 1.1% from 2015.
The top 20 museums, which are ranked separately, reached a record-setting 108 million attendees this year.
World's most popular amusement and theme parks
1. Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World, Lake Buena Vista, Florida, US
2. Disneyland, Anaheim, California, US
3. Tokyo Disneyland, Tokyo, Japan
4. Universal Studios Japan, Osaka, Japan
5. Tokyo Disney Sea, Tokyo, Japan
6. Epcot at Walt Disney World, Lake Buena Vista, Florida, US
7. Disney's Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World, Lake Buena Vista, Florida
8. Disney's Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World, Lake Buena Vista, Florida, US
9. Universal Studios at Universal Orlando, Florida, US
10. Islands of Adventure at Universal Orlando, Florida, US
11. Disney's California Adventure, Anaheim, California, US
12. Chimelong Ocean Kingdom, Hengqin, China
13. Disneyland Park at Disneyland Paris, Marne-la-Vallee, France
14. Lotte World, Seoul, South Korea
15. Universal Studios Hollywood, Universal City, California, US
16. Everland, Gyeonggi-Do, South Korea
17. Hong Kong Disneyland, Hong Kong
18. Ocean Park, Hong Kong
19. Nagashima Spa Land, Kuwana, Japan
20. Europa-Park, Rust, Germany
21. Shanghai Disneyland, Shanghai, China
22. Walt Disney Studios Park at Disneyland Paris, France
23. Efteling, Kaatsheuvel, The Netherlands
24. Tivoli Gardens, Copenhagen, Denmark
25. SeaWorld Florida, Orlando, Florida, US
