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ParkWord April 2012
During its one year of operation in 2000 – and for some time after – London’s Millennium Dome attracted many critics. Some of these, rightfully, criticised the government of the time for building a structure and only later deciding its content. Others balked at £800 million ($1.25bn/€950m) cost and “lack” of visitors. Sold for a knock-down price in 2005 to concert promoter AEG, the venue lost money and failed to meet the over ambitious 12.8 million attendance target. Nevertheless the Dome pulled in 6.5 million guests – in just 12 months – making it one of Europe’s busiest attractions after Disneyland Paris. Granted, it received a lot media attention (and all publicity is good
publicity, right?), but how many attractions do you know that can break even or attract those sorts of visitor numbers in their first year? In the hands of AEG, the Dome has flourished as live music venue the O2, while across the channel Disneyland Paris remains Europe’s most popular tourist attraction, celebrating its 20th anniversary this month. Yet even this has not escaped criticism since it opened its gates in Marne-la-Vallée outside Paris in April 1992.
The deal with the French government, and associated property developments around the park, was one area of particular consternation. Cultural differences were perhaps inevitable. When a second park, Walt Disney Studios, opened at Disneyland Paris
Resort in 2002, some noted that it was a rather lacklustre version of Disney MGM (now Hollywood) Studios in Florida. They were surely right, which is why hundreds of millions of euros worth of improvements have been made in recent years. Yet with over 10 million annual guests, and a further 4.5 million at the Studios park, Disneyland Paris is an attendance success story. Alas, 20 years after its debut, the park’s owner Euro Disney is still spectacularly in debt. Many industry experts attribute this to over construction, but as Walt Disney Studios proves, it’s also false economy to under invest. Nevertheless the company appears committed, and has already outlined its interest in building a third park at Marne-la-Vallée. Just as you should never judge a book by its cover, you should never judge an attraction purely by its visitor numbers, but for some critics out there it wouldn’t be a bad place to start.
Owen Ralph - Editor
Editor Owen Ralph (+44 161 438 2934)
parkworld@btopenworld.com
North American Editor Paul Ruben (+1 585 381 1012)
parkw@rochester.rr.com
Contributors this issue Jack Samuels, Shama Uchil
Sales Manager Mark Burgess (+44 1622 699124)
parkworld@datateam.co.uk
Publishing Director Paul Ryder
pryder@datateam.co.uk Managing Director Parvez Kayani
p.kayani@datateam.co.uk
Publication Secretary/ Subscriptions
Jennifer York (+44 1622 699109)
parkworld@datateam.co.uk
APRIL 2012 ISSN 1462-4796
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APRIL 2012
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