Every theme park has two lives. There’s the one guests see, with castles, coasters, and parades. And there’s the one that shows up in spreadsheets, where attendance counts show which parks lead the world and which operators are growing.Credit: Sarah Larson, Inside the MagicEach year, the Themed Entertainment Association (TEA) publishes its Global Experience Index, described in the report as the industry’s primary annual attendance study. The 2025 edition has a flat headline and several stories underneath it. We’ve attributed every figure to the report, flagged where the numbers don’t quite match, and labeled interpretation as interpretation. Here’s what it says.A Flat HeadlineCredit: Theme Park Tourist, FlickrAccording to the report, the top 25 parks globally combined for 245.4 million visits in 2025, down just 0.2% from 245.9 million in 2024. Our arithmetic agrees: about negative 0.2%.Disney’s Global NumbersCredit: Inside the MagicDisney Experiences retained its position as the world’s top theme park operator by a significant margin, drawing 146.9 million visitors across its global portfolio in 2025, a 1.1% increase from 145.2 million in 2024, the report says.It describes that total as nearly 2.5 times the attendance of Universal Destinations & Experiences, which it calls Disney’s nearest direct competitor. Dividing the report’s own figures, 146.9 million by Universal’s 62.1 million, gives about 2.4, so the “nearly 2.5” may be rounding or a different basis. The report doesn’t say.The Worldwide Top 25Credit: Sarah Larson, Inside the MagicMagic Kingdom at Walt Disney World held the global number one position with 17.8 million visits, essentially flat with 2024’s 17,836,000. Disneyland in Anaheim ranked second with 17.4 million, up 0.4% from 17,337,000. The report’s other Disney placements:Tokyo Disneyland: fourth, 15.2 million (+0.6%)Shanghai Disneyland: fifth, just under 15 million (+2.0% from 14.7 million)Tokyo DisneySea: seventh, 12.6 million (+1.3%)EPCOT: eighth, 12.1 million (-0.2%)Disneyland Park, Paris: ninth, 10.8 million (+5.7% from 10.2 million)Disney’s Hollywood Studios: tenth, 10.3 million (-0.2%)Disney California Adventure: eleventh, 10.1 million (+0.4%)Disney’s Animal Kingdom: fifteenth, 8.8 million (-0.2%)Hong Kong Disneyland: seventeenth, 7.7 million (-3.0% from 7,936,000)Walt Disney Studios Park, Paris: nineteenth, 5.9 million (+5.7%)The report says the Tokyo parks are operated by Oriental Land Company under license, not directly by Disney. It attributes the Paris gains to a rebound from a 2024 disrupted by the Paris Olympics, which it says diverted some leisure travel.One count to note: the report says Disney occupies nine of the top 25 spots worldwide, yet its list above includes twelve Disney-branded parks. The report doesn’t explain the difference, so we aren’t claiming a number.Florida and California in DetailCredit: Sarah Larson, Inside the MagicIn North America, the report says Disney holds six of the top 10 spots on the continent’s list. The four Walt Disney World parks are listed at Magic Kingdom, 17,800,000; EPCOT, 12,109,000; Hollywood Studios, 10,312,000; and Animal Kingdom, 8,782,000, each at negative 0.2%.Two details don’t line up. The report calls the combined total approximately 48.9 million, but those four figures add up to about 49.0 million. And it describes the 0.2% decline as shared by three of the four parks, while its own list shows all four at negative 0.2%.The Disneyland Resort added 27.5 million, with Disneyland Park at 17,406,000 (+0.4%) and Disney California Adventure at 10,090,000 (+0.4%). Combined, the report puts Disney’s six North American parks at approximately 76.5 million visits, and says Florida’s nine-park market, which includes the Universal and SeaWorld parks, totaled 79.6 million, which it calls the largest theme park market on the planet.Revenue Over HeadcountCredit: DisneyThe report notes that Disney reported record operating income from its parks segment despite flat attendance. According to the coverage we’re drawing on, that reflects a strategy of driving revenue per guest, through premium experiences, food and beverage, resort stays, merchandise, and Disney Cruise Line expansion, rather than chasing higher gate counts. That’s the coverage’s interpretation.Universal’s Epic YearCredit: Erica Lauren, Inside the MagicThe biggest story in the report is Universal’s. On May 22, 2025, Universal Destinations & Experiences opened Universal Epic Universe at Universal Orlando Resort, which the report calls the first major new theme park built in Orlando in more than 25 years. Its five themed areas are Celestial Park, SUPER NINTENDO WORLD, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic, How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk, and Dark Universe.In roughly seven months of operation, Epic Universe recorded 4 million visits, thirteenth on the North American rankings. The index suggests it likely sets up “a list going forward where the top 10 North American theme parks are all owned by Universal or Disney.”The Legacy ParksUniversal Studios Florida recorded 9.3 million visits, down 2.1% from 9.5 million, and Universal Islands of Adventure 9.2 million, down 2.6% from 9.45 million. Adding Epic Universe’s 4 million, the report says Universal Orlando Resort’s attendance grew by approximately 3.5 million, and our arithmetic from those figures gives about 3.55 million.The report calls it a 4.3% overall increase for Central Florida’s leading parks, against a 1.8% rise in overall tourist arrivals that Visit Orlando reported for 2025. We couldn’t reproduce the 4.3% from the numbers given, so check that figure against the original report.Hollywood and the Global PictureUniversal Studios Hollywood fell 8.0%, from 8.7 million to 8.0 million, ninth on the North American list. The report attributes the drop directly to the aftermath of the Los Angeles wildfires.Universal Destinations & Experiences drew 62.1 million visitors globally, up 5.4% from 59 million, which the report calls the largest gain in the global top 10 and enough to pass Merlin Entertainments for third place among theme park groups. The report adds that Universal Studios Japan, operated by USJ Co. Ltd. and not part of Universal Destinations & Experiences, ranked third globally with 16.04 million, and Universal Studios Beijing twelfth with 9.8 million.The Water ParksDisney’s Typhoon Lagoon led North American water parks with approximately 1.762 million visitors, down 3.0% from 1.817 million, placing sixth globally. Universal Volcano Bay came in eighth worldwide with 1.6 million, also down 3.0%.Disney’s Blizzard Beach grew 50.5%, from 897,000 to 1.35 million. The report explains that Walt Disney World operated both water parks at once during the summer for the first time since 2019, after pandemic recovery years of alternating schedules.What Annual Totals Can’t Tell YouThese are yearly figures, and they don’t describe crowds on any particular day. A flat annual total says nothing about how busy a specific day will feel.Planning With the Numbers in MindFor a Florida trip, the report’s picture is of two large resorts: Walt Disney World with steady attendance, and Universal Orlando Resort with a new park. To split your time, check each resort’s current hours and offerings for your dates.Your TakeDo these numbers match what you’ve seen in the parks? Tell us in the comments whether you’re planning more time at Universal after Epic Universe, or staying loyal to Disney, and we’ll keep following the data.The post Worldwide Theme Park Battle Threatens Disney’s Longtime Reign appeared first on Inside the Magic.