The World's Major Theme Park Brands

There are two things to look at when we look at the world’s major theme parks. The first is that the vast majority are all based in the USA.

However the second is that they are planning the majority of their new theme parks in Asia, which makes sense due to the vast number of porential customers and also the rise in the standard of living in these nations.

It is interesting that South America still doesn’t have a major theme park from one of these 4 main players.... yet. I am sure it won’t be long before Brazil will get one.

Disney	Universal	Six Flags	Sea World
Disneyland, Hollywood, USA Disney California Adventure Park, Hollywood, USA Magic Kingdom, Orlando, USA Epcot, Orlando, USA Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Orlando, USA Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Orlando, USA Disney’s Blizzard Beach, Orlando, USA Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon, Orlando, USA Tokyo Disneyland, Tokyo, Japan Tokyo, Disney Sea, Tokyo, Japan Eurodisney Disneyland Park, Paris, France Eurodisney Walt Disney Studios Park, Paris, France Hong Kong Disneyland	Universal Studios, Hollywood, USA City Walk, Hollywood, USA Universal Studios, Orlando, USA City Walk, Orlando, USA Islands of Adventure, Orlando, USA Wet ‘n’ Wild, Orlando, USA Universal Studios, Osaka, Japan City Walk, Osaka, Japan Universal Studios, Sentosa, Singapore	La Ronde, Montreal, Canada Great Escape, Queensbury, New York, USA Six Flags America, Mitchellville, Maryland, USA Six Flags, Discovery Kingdom, Velljo, California, USA Six Flags Fiesta, San Antonio, Texas, USA Six Flags Great Adventure, Jackson, New Jersey, USA Six Flags Great America, Gurnee, Illinois, USA Six Flags Magic Mountain, Valencia, California, USA Six Flags Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico Six Flags New England, Agawam, Massachusetts, USA Six Flags Over Georgia, Austell, Georgia, USA Six Flags Over Texas, Arlington, Texas, USA Six Flags St Louis, Eureka, Missouri, USA	SeaWorld, San Diego, USA SeaWorld, San Antonio, USA SeaWorld, Orlando, USA
Planned Disney	Planned Universal	Planned Six Flags	Planned Sea World
Shanghai Disneyland, Shanghai, China	Hwaseong, South Korea Dubai, UAE Beijing, China Moscow, Russia India Manila, Philippines		SeaWorld, Dubai, UAE

Tibetan Theme Park

In August this year it was announced that $4.7 billion was to be spent on a theme park in Tibet!

The planned theme park is being used first of all for a movie based on a Princess Wencheng who married a Tibet King. The 2,000 acre theme park is to be located just outside the Tibetan capital of Lhasa.

Tibet is home to Mount Everest and the area of the Himalaya is called “The Roof of the World”. Apparently there are also plans for themed villages, including one that will represent Alpine Switzerland!

Completion is hoped by 2017. Critics have called it the ‘Disneyfication of Tibet’, but the planners say it aims to alleviate some of the tourist burden placed on Lhasa. And perhaps if employment goes up and more money is brought to Tibet, the locals may soften their desire for independence. They hope to double the current 8.5 million tourists who visit Tibet to around 15 million, which could equate to $1.5 billion a year in tourism.

Other critics say that local Tibetan culture is at stake and may not be celebrated in the theme park. There are also worries how a city like Lhasa which has around 500,000 people could cope with the extra millions.

It looks like a story set to run and run.