Disney, dethroned: Dubai takes the Magic Kingdom’s crown for the world’s most-visited theme park

Disney’s Magic Kingdom in Orlando has been dethroned as the world’s most-visited theme park by an attraction in Dubai named Global Village that started life as a small pop-up fair in a parking lot.

For more than two decades, the Magic Kingdom has held the title of the theme park with the highest annual attendance according to the Themed Entertainment Association (TEA).

Although this accolade is not in doubt, new analysis has revealed that the park isn’t the undisputed leader it was believed to be.

Disney comfortably has the highest combined attendance of any theme park operator.

Its 14 outposts in four countries welcomed a total of 145.2 million guests in 2024, according to the TEA’s latest data.

The jewel in its crown is the Magic Kingdom in Florida.

The latest TEA data shows that in 2024, the Magic Kingdom had an average of 48,732 visitors per day.

However, Global Village’s tally came to 49,505, as it attracted 10 million people in just 202 days (Global Village isn’t open during the brutal Dubai summer).

What’s more, Global Village’s typical hours are 38% shorter than those of the Magic Kingdom, so its attendance per hour is around 33% higher than its rival in Orlando.

Attendance at Disney is in decline Photo by Waleed Zein/Anadolu via Getty Images The Magic Kingdom has topped the TEA’s theme park attendance rankings since it began compiling them in 2006.

However, over that time, the park’s visitor numbers have only risen by 7.2% to 17.8 million annually.

Instead of trying to get more people through the gates, Disney’s strategy has been to get them to spend as much as possible.

It explains why attendance at Disney’s U.S. parks declined by 1% last year while spending per guest surged by 5%.

This hasn’t just been driven by increases in the price of food, drinks and merchandise but also park passes.