By Tracy Kahner
@Blooloop Facts, a Twitter feed that has run on the Blooloop News page for the last year, highlights key statistics and information relating to theme parks, amusement parks, waterparks, zoos, aquariums, museums, planetariums, waterparks, FECs and other visitor attractions as well as other data relevant to the Tourism and Visitor Attractions Industry.
Related: Blooloop News / The Major New Theme Park Rides for 2011 / Amusement Park Chains, 2010: A Guide to Who Owns What
Each Blooloop Fact is typically a key abstract taken from an article that appeared as Blooloop News or has been taken from an annual report or other such document. In the majority of cases a source has been listed, or a link to the article has been provided.
Here are a few of the Blooloop Facts listed in March and April, 2011:
Theme Parks / Amusement Parks
March 1st – Worlds of Fun, located in Missouri, is situated on approximately 350 acres of which 250 acres have been developed and 100 acres remain available for future expansion or other uses. Source: Cedar Fair LP, 10-K
March 5th – Disneyland® Paris invests 4.16% of annual payroll in training. Source: Euro Disney S.C.A.
March 8th – The first phase of Shanghai Disneyland is expected to attract 7.3 million visitors a year when it opens in 2015.
March 10th – Q-bot – True Virtual Queuing is generally aimed at 15 to 20 percent of park guests. Source: Lo-Q
March 10th – Group sales represented approximately 28% of aggregate attendance in the 2010 season at our parks. Source: Six Flags, 10-K
March 12th – HK Disneyland has one of the lowest staff turnover rates in the industry – it loses about 16% of permanent staff/year.
April 1st – Combined attendance at Tokyo Disneyland & Tokyo DisneySea during the fiscal year 2010 amounted to 25, 366, 000 persons.
April 2nd – Tivoli, FY 2010: Attendance figures: 3, 696, 000 visitors compared to 3, 868, 000 last year.
April 8th – Europa-Park, Season 2010 – Average age of visitor: approx 28 years; Average duration of stay: 8.3 hrs; Repeat visitors: 80%. Source: Europa-Park.
April 14th – Disney generates 1 in 50 jobs and 2.5% Florida's GDP, according to a study commissioned by the resort.
April 14th – Europa-Park, Season 2010 – Visitors who stay several days: 26% and Families: 70%. Source: Europa-Park
April 26th – Tivoli Facts — Most Popular Ride: The Roller Coaster 1.6 M Visitor Rides & Season Passes Sold: 275, 279. Source: Tivoli Annual Report, 2010
April 26th – Future plans for Tivoli include: Tivoli must set up business in even more areas of the leisure industry. Source: Tivoli Annual Report, 2010
Museums, Zoos and Aquariums
March 14th – The industry norm is for museum attendance to taper off until by year 3 it’s 60 to 65% of year 1, Bob Rogers says.
March 14th – Lincoln Presidential Museum Attendance: '05 (opened mid-April): 488, 968: '06: 508, 442; '07: 424, 472; '08: 350, 551; '09: 410, 825; 10: 311, 837
April 5th – Nearly Half of US Museums Offer Mobile Information Access to Visitors
April 19th – Pt. Defiance Zoo & Aquarium Membership Statistics, 2010: Member Families: 17, 214; Member Visits: 222, 721; Visits per Member H/hold: 3.70
April 19th – The Zoo’s total attendance is limited due to the number of parking spaces. An assessment of potential options to service the increased parking demands will be required. Source: Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium Strategic Plan 2011-2016
April 21st – Discovery Museum Science & Space Center in northeast Sacramento becomes the Powerhouse Science Center when it moves in 2013.
Visitor Attractions and Miscellaneous
March 9th – Last year, 518, 940 people visited Graceland, a 4.4 percent drop from 542, 728 in 2009.
April 13th – Edinburgh Castle is #1 (1, 210, 248) & Edinburgh Zoo #2 (547, 364) in the Top 10 Paid Admission Attractions in Scotland.
April 22nd – For Millennials, learning is not a passive activity – it is participatory, immersive, and fun. Anything short of this is simply not relevant. Source: "Meet the Millennials: Insights for Destinations", PGAV Destinations
Images:
Walt Disney: kind courtesy Disney
