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Beyond the Turnstile, Why Attendance Is No Longer the Only Measure of Theme Park Success

For decades, annual attendance was the golden metric for theme park success. It was the number everyone chased—and the one industry watchers waited for to come out. Park reputations were built on rising turnstile counts. But as the amusement industry has matured and market operating conditions have evolved, it’s time to challenge that old annual evaluating attendance process. Attendance alone no longer portrays the full operating success story.

Historically, (when available) attendance figures have served as an accessible benchmark for comparing parks and measuring popularity. But today, many of these figures are based on estimates or inconsistent reporting methods (which need to be taken with a grain of salt), and which reduces their reliability. More importantly, raw attendance doesn’t always correlate with a facility’s financial health, guest satisfaction, or long-term growth. Over the last 20 years, we have seen how the Season Pass programs have cannibalized certain ticket segments, group sales, ala Carte sales, and promotions. They have skewed attendance and the internal per capita spend at both Destination parks and more so within the seasonal /regional parks where season pass sales tend to be their largest attendance by ticket type segment.

Universal is a prime example of focusing on Major ancillary spending to build the profit and loss statements. With their introduction of Epic Universe this May, it proves it isn’t just about adding rides and attractions, it’s about expanding hotel inventory, dining and retail, thereby increasing the number of days guests stay, encouraging more in-park and resort-wide spending. After years of Disney dominance, Universal clearly understands that growing length of stay and guest engagement is far more impactful than simply tracking foot traffic. The future is about extending the guests on site length of stay, capturing repeat visitors.

We are seeing smaller operators following suit. Holiday World in Santa Claus Indiana, long known for being the first theme park to offer free soft drinks and family-friendly pricing, recently entered the accommodations game with the purchases of Santa’s Cottages.

Similarly, Kemah Boardwalk in Texas, once primarily a dining and ride destination, is investing in a new Boardwalk Water Park to lengthen visitor dwell time and add new revenue channels. This type of expansion isn’t just about adding attractions—it’s about increasing per-guest economics.

We’re seeing this pattern expand across the industry. As we mature, we are seeing flat or even declining attendance can coexist with stronger revenues and profits when parks focus on increasing the per capita spend. Whether it’s the increasing skip the line passes, themed dining, special fringe season events, or the addition of immersive experiences, maximizing each visitors spend matters more than sheer volume count. Parks have told me, one well spending guest can be worth more than a busload of bargain ticket holders.

Guest satisfaction and lifetime value are also of rising importance, it’s brand building. A visitor who departs happy, is far more valuable than a one-time discount visitor.

At the same time, events like Halloween overlays, food festival additions, and after-hours parties are creating new high-profit margin opportunities without depending on higher daily attendance. These types of program improvements are expanding as we continue to mature.

Finally, operational efficiency and yield management are proving more important in revenue growth, than attendance growth in some case. Through dynamic pricing, digital queue systems, and improved A-I staffing strategies, many parks are clearly optimizing spending profitability, not just foot traffic volume.

I have stated many times, our industry is no longer in its rapid growth phase, as it relates to existing parks. In many regions, penetration rates have stabilized, and some are declining. Our focus has turned to, “making each visit count, not just counting more visits”. Today’s key performance indicators are per capita spend, resort expansion/conversion, increasing guest satisfaction. These are the metrics that our industry is focusing more on than ever before.

Attendance still is paramount, we must get them to the parks. But it’s just one chapter—not the whole book. As a consultant and operator, I know we must evolve our thinking. Because in the business of fun, success isn’t about how many came—it’s about what they did once they arrived, how long they stayed, and how deeply they engaged and spent!

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