The Walt Disney Company exemplifies the concept of corporate juggernaut. During fiscal 2013, their business revenue exceeded $45 billion. A whopping $14.1 billion of that, almost a third, was earned at the various theme parks. The plentiful Disney parks around the world are such strong financial performers that over 20 percent of the company’s $10.7 billion in net profits in fiscal 2013 were grossed at the Happiest Places on Earth.
Now, you probably don’t care much about the economic data, a subject that most people find slightly less exciting than an insurance seminar. Still, a number of amazing Disney facts and figures exist that are easily put into perspective. Let’s take a look inside the data and point out some of the most relevant comparisons for the economics of Disney. The sense of scale for a lot of the company’s theme park tourism might just blow your mind. Here are six amazing comparisons for Disney’s park statistics.
1. The green initiative
No, I’m not talking about their clean energy plans, although the company is planning some excellent steps in this regard. Instead, let’s prove that it’s all about the Benjamins. $14.1 billion is a very large number, but understanding exactly how big is tricky. I mean, I could say that it’s seven Los Angeles Clippers purchases; that sounds a bit trite, though.
Since Disney’s originals are in cinema, let’s think about that amount of revenue in movie terms. The Harry Potter franchise currently holds the throne as the most popular movie series of all-time, usurping the previous record holder, James Bond. The eight Harry Potter movies have earned global box office in the amount of $7.7 billion while the 23 Bond films thus far have grossed $6.2 billion. So, the Disney theme parks earned more in 2013 alone than the 31 movies comprising the two most popular franchises ever have earned in combination.
Putting the situation another way, the 14 movies comprising the Pixar library have earned $8.5 billion worldwide. If we add Disney’s other prized film franchise in the 2000s, Star Wars, that’s another $4.5 billion, which is still $1.1 billion short of what a Disney theme park grosses annually these days. Even if we toss in The Lion King’s billion dollars in grosses during two different releases, it’s still not enough. I have now mentioned four of the signature cinematic franchises in Hollywood, yet all the Disney amusement parks dwarf them in revenue. Just spin that over in your head for a moment.
2. Warm bodies
No, I’m not talking about the highly underrated 2013 zombie flick, although you should totally watch that. Instead, I’m referencing the swarming mass of humanity that invades the various Disney properties each year. The numbers here are staggering.
132.5 million people visited Disney theme parks in fiscal 2013. How many people is that? Well, there are only a dozen countries in the world with populations in excess of 100 million. And if all the people who enjoyed a trip to the happiest place on Earth in fiscal 2013 suddenly became citizens of a country we’ll call Epcot, it would be a huge force in the United Nations. To wit, Epcot would claim more citizens than Japan and only a few million less than Russia, making it the 10th largest country in the world…and the national flag would presumably include dozens of Hidden Mickeys.
3. State of affairs
Roughly 18.6 million people visited Magic Kingdom in 2013, making it the most trafficked theme park in the world. To appreciate how many people we are discussing, consider the United States of America. Only four of these states claim populations larger than Magic Kingdom had in attendance in 2013.
When fiscal 2014 numbers are announced later this year, Disney may reasonably expect to approach or possibly even match the current population of the state of New York, 19.7 million. After all, the company increased 6 percent from 2012 to 2013, and that is the precise amount of growth required to expand attendance from 18.6 million to 19.7 million. Some analysts have projected 20 million in attendance for the park for fiscal 2014. If those estimates prove accurate, Magic Kingdom would have the equivalent of the third largest population of any American state. Its 2013 numbers are enough to make it the fifth largest state, beating the current fifth place entrant, Illinois, by almost six million. Are you starting to appreciate the scale of Disney’s attendance?
4. Second place is the first loser
How large is the gap between Disney theme parks and the second largest amusement conglomerate? First of all, it may surprise you to learn that Universal Studios is not second. Their 36.4 million annual guests are roughly the equivalent of Magic Kingdom and the original Disneyland in Anaheim (34.8 million in combined visits.) Merlin Entertainments, the pride of England, has cleverly capitalized upon the popularity of Legoland and various sea-life themed attractions to create a juggernaut.
As I blow your mind by stating that their empire claimed 59.8 million visits in 2013, I can add something that will familiarize you with the company. Merlin Entertainments also owns the world-famous London Eye. Now that you have marveled at the breadth of their relatively unheralded success, consider the disparity between Merlin and Disney. The cavernous gap is 72.7 million, meaning that Disney attracts more than twice as many guests as their closest competitor. Putting this in different terms, a gulf the size of the entire population of France (plus six million more people) exists between Disney and the second most popular amusement park operator. Theme parks are considered an oligopoly, but describing them as a monopoly is almost justifiable.
5. French economics
No, I’m not naming classes you tried to skip in high school. Instead, I’d like to focus on the impact of Disney on a new economy. Since China, the most recent market, is a bit more guarded with their numbers, let’s examine Disneyland Paris, which we all reflexively call Euro Disney.
I’m confident you’ve heard all the data about what a failure (or at least mixed bag) this amusement park has been since its inception. I don’t want to say that such statements are misleading, but I do feel strongly that they ignore an important underlying reality about Disney’s economic impact on the area. In 1992, the company introduced their latest theme park just outside Paris. It was famously hailed as a cultural Chernobyl, which is not exactly a warm welcome.
What has Disney done for France? In the most recent research study on the company’s financial impact on the country, Disney lists 14,244 cast members on the payroll. Yes, some of those are temporary employees, yet the economic impact is huge. Those Disney magic makers earned over 590 million euros, the equivalent of roughly $642 million in American dollars. When you hear about job creators, this is the pertinent data. Disney provides viable employment opportunities for almost 15,000 French residents annually.
The company’s impact reaches far beyond such modest revenue totals, though. The same study determined that Disney delivered 50 billion euros worth of economic impact to France over the two decades since its inception, an average of 2.5 billion per year. How big a ripple does this have upon French tourism? Research indicates that an almost incomprehensible 6.2 percent of ALL French tourism from foreign travelers is due to the presence of Euro Disney. It may be a cultural Chernobyl to some, but to consumers, it’s a great place to spend a vacation.
6. Silly stats
Here are a couple of final trivia notes about Disney’s Walt Disney World. The longest ride at the amusement park, presuming that we don’t consider Ellen’s Energy Adventure as a ride (and we shouldn’t), is the Walt Disney Railroad. It has a duration of 20 minutes, the equivalent of a half of college basketball. The shortest ride at Walt Disney World is The Barnstormer, which ends after only 63 seconds. In fact, The Barnstormer is so short that since the average person reads 275 words per minute, it took you over four times as long to read this article than it would have to ride it.
