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Introduction
The purpose of this study is to provide a model of strategies employed in the theme park industry, which does not currently exist in academic research. This purpose is accomplished by synthesizing current academic knowledge on strategy from both a tourism perspective and a business perspective. This knowledge is then combined with conclusions from a content analysis of articles written about two of today’s largest theme park companies in the USA. The model developed by this study provides a foundation for further academic research to analyze the life of the theme park sector or to transfer strategies from the theme park sector and apply them to other industries.
The theme park sector is different from traditional tourism outlets because it exists in a human-created, artificial environment, yet it is an increasingly competitive and attractive sector (Clavé, 2007; King, 1981; Mayer, 2002; Milman, 2010, Yildirim, 2011). The theme park sector represents a major component of the tourism industry in the USA (Liu, 2008). In 1985, more than 30 American amusement parks received more than one million visitors per year. By 2010, approximately 290 million people visited these parks, and by 2012, more than 400 amusement parks and related attractions operated in the USA (International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions, 2015). Despite the growth of the amusement park industry, including an increased number of theme parks, research is lacking on the topic of specific strategies used by theme parks to attract customers.
Central Florida is now the world’s unofficial “theme park capital”, with dozens of competing parks and attractions (Braun et al., 1992). Of the top 25 amusement parks and theme parks worldwide, the highest concentration is in Florida, with seven parks (Rubin, 2014). Disney theme parks dominate the sector by virtue of size and diversity, although many others are now viable competitors. Success and attention caused the expansion of attractions already in the area and brought in new parks, resulting in the amusement-based tourism economy in Florida today (Braun et al., 1992; Milman and Dickson, 2014). Of the top 25 amusement parks and theme parks worldwide, Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando, both in Central Florida, are the top two competitors in the USA based on total guest attendance (Rubin, 2014). Walt...