Rival Universal Studios saw 51 million visitors in 2019, but also has far fewer locations. Merlin runs Legoland, Madame Tussauds and a handful of regional parks.

That's more than double what the second-highest, Merlin Entertainment, saw in 2019.

Its theme parks around the world attracted around 156 million visitors, the highest of any theme park group that year. In 2019, its parks, experiences and consumer products division accounted for 37% of the company's $69.6 billion in total revenue. After all, new rides can get folks to walk through the gate, but their experience is what convinces them to return.ĭisney has a long history of profitability at its parks prior to the coronavirus pandemic. In private meetings with reporters, the prototype takes the form of a young Groot, barely 3 feet tall, waddling and cooing like a toddler, uttering only three words: 'I am Groot.'Īs guest expectations rise, Disney's Imagineers must continue to push the boundaries of technology and imagination. Announced earlier this year, the project seeks to do the opposite of Project Exo. Donning a Spider-Man suit, this technical marvel can be seen doing acrobatics 60 feet in the air above the rooftop of the WEB building at Disneyland's Avengers Campus.Īnd then there is Project Kiwi. More recently, Disney's Imagineers have designed a robot that can swing and flip through the air called Stuntronics.

Iconic rides like It's a Small World and Pirates of the Caribbean as well as attractions like the Hall of Presidents and the Enchanted Tiki Room were cutting edge when they opened and continue to draw parkgoers.ĭisney parks have use thousands of animatronics, most of which are stationary. Innovation like this has been a part of the DNA of Disney's parks, dating as far back as the 1960s with Walt Disney's audio-animatronics, Evans said.

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