Four of the biggest amusement park chains have been gradually losing purchase consideration favor with their customers who are parents over the past two years.
Examining consumer data from the past three Memorial Day weekends, Disneyland/DisneyWorld, Six Flags, and Sea World all lost three or four percentage points in purchase consideration from its own customers who are parents. In a competitive, mostly seasonal industry, a few percentage points with this demo is definitely concerning.
For example, two years ago, 49% of parent customers of either of the two Disney parks would consider buying tickets there the next time they went to an amusement park. As of this past Memorial Day, that percentage shrunk to 46%.
However, Universal Theme Parks’ numbers are dwindling at an even sharper rate. Universal dropped from 47% in 2015, when they were on par with Disneyland/DisneyWorld, to a current score of 37%, on the same tier as Six Flags. Universal just opened its Volcano Bay water park, which may turn things around.
Parents may be balking at the annual price increases for the entrance fees at the amusement parks. For example, Disney hiked the admission to its parks by 1.9% to 4.9% this past February, making the cost of a regular ticket to Disney’s Magic Kingdom rise to $115 from $110.
Another reason for the downward trend may be the competition for vacation dollars, such as family cruises, water parks, and beaches.
Purchase Consideration: Sea World, Disneyland/ Disney World, Six Flages, Universal Studios
