Theme Park Attendance Jumps for Disney and Surprises for Six Flags

The theme park industry's performance this summer is a mixed bag, according to recent financial reports from top players. Disney continues to lead the way, reporting a 4% increase in attendance over the same period last year. Six Flags surprised many with equally strong attendance growth for the quarter.

In contrast, United Parks reported a 3% drop in attendance, while Universal earlier reported a 5% drop in earnings at its parks, citing 'softening' attendance in June.

Disney's success can be attributed to its strategy of using variable pricing to entice crowds to visit during less popular times of the year. The company is now using discounts to try to draw fans back to visit during the summer vacation season.

Six Flags continues to rely on low-priced memberships and season passes, but the company's new management team seems to be investing in better maintenance and operations after selling some of its weakest parks. Universal, on the other hand, chose not to open its new Epic Universe theme park to annual passholders, instead trying to protect the experience for daily ticket buyers.