Why The World’s Best Theme Park Rides Don’t Just Drive Attendance

BusinessHollywood & EntertainmentWhy The World’s Best Theme Park Rides Don’t Just Drive AttendanceByCaroline Reid,Senior Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Caroline Reid covers the entertainment industryFollow AuthorJun 13, 2026, 07:30am EDTWarner Bros. World Abu Dhabi is launching two new DC Comics themed rides.MSMOn the face of it there doesn’t seem to be any secret about why theme park operators build new attractions. If guests have to pay separately to go on each ride then the more there are, the greater their revenue-generating potential. If the park charges visitors a flat entry fee then building new attractions encourages more guests to visit thereby boosting revenue. Surprisingly, that’s not actually the most magical touch that new additions can have.There is a simple business model behind theme parks, especially ones based on Intellectual Property such as movies. Watching the movies makes children ask their parents to take them to the parks that are based on them. Gift shops selling merchandise featuring the characters in the rides are cunningly placed at the exits of the attractions so that riders have to pass through them when they are in a carefree frame of mind. This increases the chance that they will buy the merchandise and when their kids see it at home it reminds them of the happy time they had in the park. This causes them to pester their parents to book a return visit and the cycle begins anew. That’s just the start.Entrance tickets tend to be loss leaders for theme park operators as they often alone don’t cover the colossal energy and staffing costs. However, once guests are inside they are a captive audience so they have little choice but to buy the on-site food, beverage and merchandise which have the highest margins. International guests tend to visit theme parks for longer than their domestic counterparts as they have to travel farther to get there. The longer they stay, the more they spend i...