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Since the 1980s, the theme park industry has developed into a global phenomenon, with everything from large, worldwide theme parks to countless smaller ventures. From the first pleasure gardens to the global theme park companies, this book provides an understanding of the nature and function of theme parks as spaces of entertainment. Illustrated throughout by worldwide case studies, empirical data and practical examples, the book portrays the impacts of theme parks as global competitive actors, agents of global development and cultural symbols, particularly in the context of their role in the developing experience economy. In conclusion, this book is a practical guide to the planning and development of theme parks.

This chapter deals with matters concerning form, size, capacity, flow management and the components that make up a theme park. A brief case study is presented on a flow management model to optimize retail profits at Universal Studios Hollywood.

This chapter focuses on the worldwide expansion of theme parks since the 1950s to the present, especially regarding the intensification of their growth dynamics in Europe and Asia during the end of the 1980s and the early 1990s, just when in the USA the development of the industry saturated the market. Sections discuss: the location tendencies of theme parks in the world; the diversification of the industry in the USA; the transformation of the amusement park model in Europe; the growth of the markets in Asia/the Pacific; and the proliferation of initiatives in the rest of the world. The recent growth of the theme park industry in Brazil is presented as a case study.

This chapter explains the main areas of theme park management, namely: operations management; human resources management; marketing strategies; and corporate social responsibility. Two brief case studies are presented: one dealing with the safety of attractions at Six Flags Park, USA, and the other on the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions.

This chapter proposes a method to conduct a massive computerized quantitative content analysis of travel blogs and online travel reviews. This method has been applied to analyse 18,569 trip diaries of foreign tourists, from countries posting more than 300 entries written in English about Catalonia in 2013. The findings relate to the pull factors that motivate the trip, and can be compared with earlier studies based on surveys dealing with tourism motivation.

This chapter characterizes the emergence of theme parks as specific leisure spaces and sets out their fundamental features. Several types of theme parks are distinguished based on their size and dominant markets. The chapter also discusses the social bases of success of theme parks and their synergies with the media entertainment industry. Theme parks in the Netherlands, Japan and the USA, are presented as case studies.

This chapter explains the role played in the globalization of the theme park industry by the main operators, the large corporations (led by Disney) and other, smaller-sized operators. Both are shaping the industry in the USA as well as in Europe and Asia/the Pacific. Case studies from Germany, Pennsylvania and Malaysia, are presented.

This chapter focuses on the influence of theme parks in the conception, design and development of urban areas. It examines: (1) the urban dimension of theme parks; (2) the translation of theme parks' design principles to their corporative leisure environment; (3) the extent to which the experience of theme parks has been used in urban processes of territorial development of a general nature; and (4) the limits of proposals for spatial innovation that theme parks carry out. The creation of a leisure destination in Dubai is presented as a case study.

This chapter analyses the development process of three of the world's principal theme park destinations: (1) Orlando, Florida, USA; (2) Paris, France; and (3) the Greater Pearl River Delta, China. Also presented is a case study examining the transformation of PortAventura (Spain) into a tourist destination.

This chapter focuses on the key factors governing the success of theme parks as places of entertainment. Sections discuss: commercial access to entertainment; the McDonaldization paradox; and Disneyization as a model. The ecohistorical parks of Grupo Xcaret in Mexico and the Sesame Place in Pennsylvania, are presented as case studies.