Alton Towers Sees 13% Attendance Boost as Disneyland Paris Tops European Theme Park Rankings

Alton Towers has recorded a significant increase in visitor numbers, with attendance rising by 13% in 2025, according to figures published in a new theme park attendance table.

The Staffordshire theme park welcomed an estimated 2.825 million visitors during 2025, up from 2.5 million in 2024. The increase puts Alton Towers in 10th place among the listed amusement and theme parks across Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA).

The figures highlight a positive year for several major European attractions, with Disneyland Paris maintaining its position at the top of the rankings.

Disneyland Paris Remains the Region’s Most Visited Theme Park

Disneyland Park at Disneyland Paris topped the EMEA attendance table, recording an estimated 10.8 million visitors in 2025.

This represented a 5.7% increase compared with the 10.214 million visitors recorded in 2024.

The resort’s second park, Walt Disney Studios Park, also reported growth. Attendance increased from approximately 5.598 million in 2024 to 5.919 million in 2025, placing it third in the table.

Together, the two parks attracted more than 16.7 million visits during the year, underlining the continued popularity of the French resort.

The latest figures put Disneyland Park comfortably ahead of its nearest competitor, Germany’s Europa-Park, which recorded 6.25 million visitors.

Alton Towers Records One of the Biggest Increases

Alton Towers was among the standout performers in the table, with its reported attendance increasing by 325,000 visitors year-on-year.

The 13% rise was one of the strongest increases among the established major theme parks listed.

The Staffordshire resort has a wide range of attractions, including major roller coasters, family rides, themed areas and CBeebies Land. Its seasonal events, including Scarefest and Christmas celebrations, also help attract visitors throughout its operating calendar.

The increase will be encouraging for the UK theme park industry, particularly as operators compete for visitors amid changing household budgets and increasing competition from other leisure destinations.

However, attendance figures alone do not reveal the reasons behind the increase. Further information would be needed to establish how factors such as new attractions, events, opening days and visitor spending contributed to the result.

LEGOLAND Windsor Sees Attendance Decline

Not every park recorded growth in 2025.

LEGOLAND Windsor, another major UK attraction, recorded an estimated 2.098 million visitors, down 7% from 2.256 million in 2024.

The decline represents approximately 158,000 fewer visitors compared with the previous year.

Despite the reduction, the Windsor resort remained among the 20 most visited parks in the table, ranking 15th.

The figures illustrate the contrasting performances of two major UK theme parks during the same period, with Alton Towers recording a substantial increase while LEGOLAND Windsor experienced a decline.

It is important not to assume that one specific factor caused the difference without further evidence from the operators.

Which Other European Theme Parks Performed Well?

Several other attractions recorded positive results during 2025.

Germany’s Europa-Park retained second place, with attendance rising slightly from 6.2 million to 6.25 million, an increase of 0.8%.

The Netherlands’ Efteling attracted 5.78 million visitors, up 3.2% from 5.6 million in 2024. The park’s combination of fairytale-themed attractions, immersive environments and roller coasters continues to make it a major destination for families and thrill-seekers.

Denmark’s Tivoli Gardens also recorded growth, welcoming 4.304 million visitors, compared with 4.25 million the previous year.

Meanwhile, Italy’s Gardaland reported 3.12 million visitors, an increase of 4%, while France’s Puy du Fou welcomed 3 million visitors, up 7.1%.

Spain’s PortAventura remained unchanged at 3.8 million visitors, matching its 2024 figure.

One of the strongest percentage increases in the table came from Puy du Fou España, which recorded a 21.4% rise in attendance, increasing from 1.4 million to 1.7 million visitors.

Some Parks Experience Falling Attendance

Alongside the success stories, several attractions experienced declines.

LEGOLAND Deutschland recorded 1.9 million visitors, down 5% from 2 million in 2024.

LEGOLAND Billund in Denmark also reported a decrease, with attendance falling by 2.8% to 1.627 million visitors.

Futuroscope in France recorded a smaller decline of 1.1%, welcoming approximately 2.028 million visitors.

SeaWorld Yas Island in Abu Dhabi saw attendance fall by 5.7%, from 1.75 million to 1.65 million.

These contrasting results demonstrate that visitor numbers can vary considerably between destinations, even within the same region and reporting period.

Overall Theme Park Attendance Increases by 2.9%

According to the table, the combined attendance of the 20 listed parks reached 68.701 million in 2025, compared with 66.734 million in 2024.

That represents an increase of approximately 1.967 million visits, or 2.9%.

The overall growth suggests that the listed attractions collectively welcomed more visitors during the year, although individual parks experienced different results.

The figures also highlight the importance of looking beyond rankings alone. A park can attract millions of visitors while experiencing a decline, whereas another can record substantial growth without moving into the top positions.

For the industry, attendance data offers a useful way to compare the performance of major destinations and identify where visitor numbers are increasing or falling.

What Does This Mean for UK Theme Parks?

Alton Towers’ reported growth is a particularly notable result for the UK, placing the Staffordshire attraction among the leading parks in the EMEA table.

Its performance contrasts with LEGOLAND Windsor’s decline, showing that the UK’s major theme parks did not all experience the same trend.

Visitor numbers will remain an important measure for operators as they develop new attractions, invest in themed areas and introduce seasonal events designed to encourage repeat visits.

However, attendance is only one part of the picture. Revenue, spending per visitor, operating costs and guest satisfaction also help determine the overall success of a theme park.

For visitors, these rankings offer an interesting insight into the popularity of Europe’s leading attractions and how their fortunes changed over the course of 2025.