Millennials Flocking To Universal Hollywood

Diagon Alley at Universal Studios Photo: themeparx

Universal Studios Hollywood’s theme park visit share will increase from 11% in 2014 to 15%-16% this year, according to Foursquare, a mobile app technology company, with the bulk of that growth coming from Millennials who grew up on the popular Harry Potter book series.

In a recent blog, Foursquare CEO Jeff Glueck broke down research his company performed to understand why Universal Studios Hollywood is outpacing its chief rivals.

“Millennials are the key to Universal’s share gains, thanks in large part to Universal’s investment in this generation’s beloved characters and franchises,” Glueck wrote. Foursquare believes that from 2014 through 2016, Millennials have made up almost half of Universal’s entire attendance.

“Universal is succeeding by luring non-traditional theme park guests,” he said, a trend that started when The Wizarding World of Harry Potter opened at Universal Orlando in July 2014. Millennial visits rose 25% compared to prior weeks, and that lift was sustained for months afterwards.

Universal Studios Hollywood introduced its own Wizarding World of Harry Potter on April 7, 2016. Millennial visits grew 63% opening week, dropping modestly to 58% higher in the second week the attraction was open. Comparatively, U.S. theme parks are growing at about 3% overall.

Foursquare users can either “check-in” at a location, or permit “passive location trails” from users who have opted in to background location use. The data is based on a sample of Foursquare’s 50 million monthly global users.

Universal Studios Hollywood has introduced other attractions Millennials like, including Fast & Furious: Supercharged 3D and The Simpsons Ride, in 2015. The Walking Dead attraction, launched July 4, helped drive a 35% surge in Millennials, according to Foursquare.

“Universal tapped into the characters and stories that Millennials love, from Harry Potter to the zombies of the Walking Dead to the Simpsons, and more,” Glueck wrote.