Beyond the Rollercoaster: Theme Park Satisfaction Changes Beyond the Pandemic
(A2024-119536)

AUTHORS

Juan Pedro Mellinas, University of Murcia; Isabel Riquelme, University of Murcia; Manuela Lopez-Perez, University of Murcia

ABSTRACT

This study explores the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on visitor satisfaction in theme parks, examining the evolution of ratings across pre-pandemic, pandemic, and post-pandemic periods, utilizing 66,710 TripAdvisor reviews from the top 40 theme parks in Europe and North America. Protective measures significantly altered the theme park experience during the pandemic (2021), leading to a decline in visitor satisfaction. Surprisingly, the recovery of visitors figures and the removal of all restrictions in 2022 does not align with theme park satisfaction levels, indicating a concerning discrepancy. The study discerns variations in the decline in satisfaction based on the park's location but not with corporate ownership or the number of visitors. There is a need for further, park-specific studies to uncover factors not captured by secondary data.