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America’s Theme Parks Carry Momentum Into Summer
Industry leader Disney saw attendance grow 3 percent last year
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With Memorial Day right around the corner, it’s a good time to check in with U.S. theme parks, which dominated the top 10 by attendance in North America in 2017. Industry leader Walt Disney Co.’s Animal Kingdom resort in the Orlando area saw attendance jump 15.3 percent thanks to the new “Pandora -- The World of Avatar” land. Results at the company’s other parks in Florida -- crimped in some cases by Hurricane Irma -- were not as strong, with the flagship Magic Kingdom essentially flat at 20.5 million visitors and a decline of 0.5 percent at its Hollywood Studios to 10.7 million visitors. Overall, attendance at Disney parks grew 3 percent last year.