Many established U.S. theme parks welcomed fewer visitors in 2025, according to the Themed Entertainment Association’s 2025 Global Experience Index, released October 27, 2026. SeaWorld Orlando, SeaWorld San Diego and Busch Gardens Tampa Bay were among the parks recording declines, during a year when international travel to the United States also fell.
The declines were widespread among familiar names, but the regional total rose. Universal Epic Universe’s first year helped push attendance at North America’s 20 leading parks up 1.5%, even as all seven established Orlando parks in the rankings lost visitors.
2025 theme park attendance: established parks lose ground
TEA estimates that North America’s 20 leading theme parks recorded 143.055 million visits in 2025, compared with 140.956 million in 2024, an increase of 1.5%. Universal Epic Universe, which opened in May 2025, contributed an estimated four million visits in its first partial year.
TEA’s October 27 announcement says Epic Universe helped lift combined attendance at Central Florida’s leading parks by 4.3%, even as established parks faced a different picture.
All seven established Orlando theme parks in the rankings lost attendance. Universal Studios Florida was down 2.1% and Islands of Adventure declined 2.6%. Walt Disney World’s four parks each recorded declines of about 0.2%. Universal Studios Hollywood fell 8%.
Several regional parks also lost ground. Cedar Point was down 7.5%, Kings Island declined 6.9% and Knott’s Berry Farm fell 4.2%. There were exceptions: Dollywood grew 8.1%, while Disneyland and Disney California Adventure each increased 0.4%.
Where SeaWorld and Busch Gardens ranked
Three United Parks & Resorts properties appeared in TEA’s North American top 20:
| North American rank | Park | Estimated 2025 visits | Change from 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | SeaWorld Orlando | 4.335 million | -0.3% |
| 12 | SeaWorld San Diego | 4.015 million | -0.2% |
| 14 | Busch Gardens Tampa Bay | 3.800 million | -4.4% |
SeaWorld Orlando’s estimate was slightly below 4.347 million in 2024. Busch Gardens Tampa Bay’s decline amounted to roughly 175,000 fewer visits. These are North American rankings, rather than worldwide positions.
At the operator level, TEA ranks United Parks & Resorts ninth worldwide, with 21.2 million visits, down 7.6% from 22.947 million in 2024. The operator total covers a broader portfolio than the three individual parks in the table.
International arrivals to the United States fell 5.5%
The OECD’s 2026 tourism review reports 68.3 million international tourist arrivals to the United States in 2025, down 5.5% from 2024. The National Travel and Tourism Office also uses 68.3 million as its actual 2025 baseline.
TEA’s regional analysis also identifies softer Canadian travel as a challenge, citing trade tensions and a weaker Canadian dollar. The national arrivals total covers travel throughout the United States, so it cannot be used to calculate attendance losses at individual parks.
The two reports document a difficult year for inbound U.S. tourism and falling attendance at many established parks. They do not establish how much of any park’s decline came from international travel.
Fewer visits do not tell the whole financial story
TEA notes that many operators are putting more emphasis on revenue from hotel stays, premium experiences, food and beverage, season passes and special events. Disney’s domestic parks, for example, had essentially flat attendance in 2025 while its Experiences segment reported record operating income.
For several Six Flags parks, the report identifies weather and operating schedules as factors affecting attendance. Prolonged rain, severe storms and extreme temperatures disrupted operations in some markets, while shorter schedules also weighed on results.
Epic Universe added millions of visits to the region in 2025. For the established parks, the results were more uneven, with attendance declines ranging from small changes at SeaWorld’s two ranked parks to a larger drop at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay.
Read more of our coverage of SeaWorld Orlando, SeaWorld San Diego and Busch Gardens Tampa Bay for developments at the three ranked United Parks properties.
Source: TEA Global Experience Index 2025, printed pages 31 and 23, with regional analysis on pages 27-30. Attendance estimates represent visits, not unique visitors.
