TEA ERA 3/26/07 4:21 PM Page XIV
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TOP 10 THEMED ATTRACTION CHAINS WORLDWIDE (2006)
not have theme parks) but that
deserve notice for significant num-
1. WALT DISNEY ATTRACTIONS
bers are Ripley’s Entertainment (13
Estimated 2006 Attendance: 112.5 million
- BLIZZARD BEACH at Walt Disney World, Lake Buena Vista, Florida
million annual visitors) and Palace
- DISNEY-MGM STUDIOS at Walt Disney World, Lake Buena Vista, Florida
Entertainment (10 million). [Others
- DISNEY'S ANIMAL KINGDOM at Walt Disney World, Lake Buena Vista, Florida
- DISNEY'S CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE, Anaheim, California
are listed in the Notes: Selected
- DISNEYLAND, Anaheim, Florida
Parks.]
- DISNEYLAND PARIS, Marne-La-Vallee, France
- WALT DISNEY STUDIOS PARK, Marne-La-Vallee, France
- EPCOT at Walt Disney World, Lake Buena Vista, Florida
The Consolidation/
- MAGIC KINGDOM at Walt Disney World, Lake Buena Vista, Florida
- HONG KONG DISNEYLAND, Hong Kong, China
Investment Cycle
- TOKYO DISNEYLAND, Tokyo, Japan
- TOKYO DISNEY SEA, Tokyo, Japan
The real dynamism in the Euro parks
- TYPHOON LAGOON at Walt Disney World, Lake Buena Vista, Florida
scene is behind-the-scenes invest-
ment and consolidation, where the
2. SIX FLAGS INC.
potential exists for significant profits
Estimated 2006 Attendance: 28.0 million
in a relatively short period. “Ulti-
- AMERICAN ADVENTURE, Marietta, Georgia
- ENCHANTED VILLAGE, Federal Way, Washington
mately, park ownership is a long-term
- FRONTIER CITY, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
investment business,” says Camp.
- LAKE GEORGE, Lake George, New York (Formerly Great Escape)
- LARONDE, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
“When the market matures, we’ll see
- SIX FLAGS AMERICA, Largo, Maryland
parks in the hands of institutions’
- SIX FLAGS DARIEN LAKE, Darien Lake, New York
- SIX FLAGS ELITCH GARDENS, Denver, Colorado
pension funds, or as publicly held
- SIX FLAGS FIESTA TEXAS, San Antonio, Texas
companies. But in Europe you can
- SIX FLAGS GREAT ADVENTURE, Jackson, New Jersey
- SIX FLAGS GREAT AMERICA, Gurnee, Illinois
buy underperforming parks at a good
- SIX FLAGS HURRICANE HARBOR, Valencia, California
price now.” Entire chains have been
- SIX FLAGS HURRICANE HARBOR, Jackson, New Jersey
- SIX FLAGS HURRICANE HARBOR, Arlington, Texas
changing hands, but some of the
- SIX FLAGS KENTUCKY KINGDOM, Louisville, Kentucky
current opportunity also has to do
- SIX FLAGS MAGIC MOUNTAIN, Valencia, California
- SIX FLAGS MARINE WORLD, Vallejo, California
with small, family-owned parks begun
- SIX FLAGS MEXICO, Mexico City, Mexico
in the 1970s or ‘80s. The original
- SIX FLAGS NEW ENGLAND, Agawam, Massachusetts
- SIX FLAGS OVER GEORGIA, Atlanta, Georgia
owner retires and the family puts the
- SIX FLAGS OVER TEXAS, Arlington, Texas
property on the market. Private
- SIX FLAGS SPLASHTOWN, Houston, Texas
- SIX FLAGS ST. LOUIS, St. Louis, Missouri
equity investors active in European
- SIX FLAGS WHITE WATER, Marietta, Georgia
parks acquisitions include Hermes,
- SIX FLAGS WILD SAFARI ANIMAL PARK, Jackson, New Jersey
- WATERWORLD USA, Sacramento, California
Palomon, Dubai International Capital
- WATERWORLD USA, Concord, California
(DIC), Advent, Blackstone and CDA/
- WHITE WATER BAY, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
- WYANDOT LAKE, Powell, Ohio
Grevin, among others. Chains that
have recently changed ownership
3. UNIVERSAL STUDIOS RECREATION GROUP
include Six Flags Europe, the Tus-
Estimated 2006 Attendance: 25.8 million
sauds Group, StarParks, Legoland
- UNIVERSAL STUDIOS at Universal Orlando, Orlando, Florida
- UNIVERSAL STUDIOS HOLLYWOOD, Universal City, California
Parks and Parques Reunidos. - UNIVERSAL STUDIOS JAPAN, Osaka, Japan
- ISLANDS OF ADVENTURE at Universal Orlando, Orlando, Florida
- WET 'N WILD, Orlando, Florida
The current popularity of European
parks with investors is a benefit to the
4. CEDAR FAIR ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY (CEDAR AND PARAMOUNT)
industry as a whole, bringing in Estimated 2006 Attendance: 24.7 million
capital that stimulates business, fuels
- CEDAR POINT, Sandusky, Ohio
- DORNEY PARK/WILDWATER KINGDOM, Allentown, Pennsylvania
creativity and fosters innovation. It is
- KNOTT'S BERRY FARM, Buena Park, California
also a boon for the park-going public
- CAMP SNOOPY at Mall of America, Bloomington, Minnesota
- MICHIGAN'S ADVENTURE, Muskegon, Michigan
who flock in to enjoy the improve-
- VALLEYFAIR, Shakopee, Minnesota
ments, facelifts, new rides and
- GEAUGA LAKE & WILDWATER KINGDOM, Aurora, Ohio
- WORLDS OF FUN, Kansas City, Missouri
attractions. A number of these
- 5 Cedar Fair Water Parks
investors are also active in other
- PARAMOUNT'S CANADA'S WONDERLAND, Maple, Ontario, Canada
- PARAMOUNT'S CAROWINDS, Charlotte, North Carolina
regions—for instance, Blackstone, a
- PARAMOUNT'S GREAT AMERICA, Santa Clara, California
key private equity player in theme
- PARAMOUNT'S KINGS DOMINION, Doswell, Virginia
- PARAMOUNT'S KINGS ISLAND, Kings Island, Ohio
parks, owns Merlin Entertainments,
which owns 70% of Legoland parks
and gets credit for the Pirate Shores
expansion that has returned so well in
the California property. Merlin
operates a large number of indoor
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