Japan dominates list of world’s most popular theme parks

BASED on a new report compiling the world’s most popular theme parks in 2015, Japan proved to be a strong force as the only Asian nation on the list, taking up three spots in the top ten alone.

Tokyo Disneyland is followed by Universal Studios in Osaka and Tokyo Disney Sea in fourth and fifth places respectively, with the former clocking an impressive 18 percent jump from the year before.

According to the index compiled by AECOM, Universal Studios, both in Osaka and in Florida, recorded the highest surges from the year before. The latter is predicted to pull in even more fans this year, partly owing to its new The Walking Dead attraction.

The U.S. dominated much of the top ten with Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World in Florida clinching the top spot, recording an attendance of 20.5 million in 2015.

China, however, scaled the top 25 with three entries including Chimelong Ocean Kingdom snagging the 13th spot, Hangzhou Songcheng Park at number 17, and Songcheng Lijiang Romance Park rounding up the top 25.

On the whole, the top 20 Asian theme parks reported 131 million visits last year, up 6.9 percent from the year before.

Here’s the top ten list:

1. Magic Kingdom Park @ Walt Disney World, Florida, U.S.
2. Disneyland, California, U.S.
3. Tokyo Disneyland, Tokyo, Japan
4. Universal Studios, Osaka, Japan
5. Tokyo Disney Sea, Tokyo, Japan
6. Epcot Theme Park @ Walt Disney World, Florida, U.S.
7. Disney’s Animal Kingdom @ Walt Disney World, Florida, U.S.
8. Disney’s Hollywood Studios @ Walt Disney World, Florida, U.S.
9. Disneyland Park @ Disneyland Paris, Paris, France
10. Universal Studios @ Universal Orlando, Florida, U.S.

In other news, China’s richest man Wang Jianlin unveiled the new Wanda City in Nanchang, an entertainment complex set to rival the newly launched Shanghai Disneyland.

Wanda City in China opens to visitors. Pic: AP

Wanda City is a giant indoor space that features an indoor ocean park, a film park, a children’s zone, a dining district, and a shopping precinct.

In an interview with CCTV, the Chinese billionaire said that Disneyland was an “invasion of foreign culture”, adding that the “craze for Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck was over”.

Wanda is slated to open an additional six parks in China in the next three years.

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Source: travelwireasia.com