News - Southern California theme parks are experiencing a decline in visitors despite the overall global growth in the industry.

In 2025, Southern California's most popular theme parks experienced a notable decrease in attendance, down 1.9%, which equated to 919,000 fewer visitors. Among the hardest hit was Universal Studios Hollywood, which lost 700,000 attendees, marking the most significant drop among major parks in the area. Disneyland and Disney California Adventure managed to maintain nearly stable attendance figures, indicating resilience amid a broader decline. According to the Themed Entertainment Association's Global Experience Index, released on October 27, the downturn was most pronounced at Universal and Knott's Berry Farm, the latter of which also experienced roughly a 4% drop in visitors. Despite this, SeaWorld San Diego saw minimal impact, down just 0.2%. Meanwhile, Disneyland and Disney California Adventure each saw slight gains of 0.4% in attendance, contrasting sharply with wider regional trends. This regional dip is stark when compared to the industry's peak years. Southern California theme park attendance was 7.8% lower than the all-time high, falling from 51 million to 47 million visitors. Several parks, including Disney California Adventure and Knott's Berry Farm, had previously achieved record highs post-pandemic but have since struggled to maintain those numbers due to a combination of extreme weather, wildfires, and reduced Canadian tourism amid trade tensions. Interestingly, while Southern California struggled, global theme park attendance was on the rise. The worldwide attendance increased by 2.8% to 545.5 million in 2025, with significant growth in regions such as Central Florida, where attendance rose by 4.3%. Notably, Universal's global numbers increased substantially driven by attractions like the new Epic Universe park in Florida. Despite regional challenges, Disney's financial performance remained strong. The company's experience division, expanded into parks and cruises worldwide, enjoyed a 10% revenue bump to nearly $10 billion in the fiscal quarter ending June 27. This growth continued despite an international travel decline to the U.S. by 6% overall, showcasing Disney's dynamic strategy of leveraging spending per visitor and reduced crowd numbers to sustain revenue.