Disney remains dominate theme park company in the world

Walt Disney Attractions remains the most dominate theme park company worldwide now taking the top nine spots of the most attended theme parks around the world.

All Disney parks saw a 4.8 percent increase in theme park attendance worldwide in 2013 with 132.5 million. The closest company is Merlin Entertainment with 59.8 million attendance. Merlin owns various theme parks in Europe and LegoLand, according to the 2013 Theme Park Index published by the Themed Entertainment Association.

"We’ve seen healthy growth this year, with the major theme park operator
s posting 5.4 percent growth overall, and the top 25 theme parks growing at a similar rate of 4.3 percent. This is exceptional performance, particularly in view of the modest growth of major North American and European markets," according to the report.

A global rise in the importance of leisure is a driving influence in economies. " In the U.S., the leisure industry is now the number two producer of jobs in the private sector after health care. In China, India, and increasingly in Latin America, this industry is growing at a rapid rate as middle class markets emerge," the report states.