Universal\u2019s older parks did slip. Universal Studios Florida was down about 2 percent, and Islands of Adventure was down about 3 percent.<\/p>\n
Disney World stayed about flat, down 0.2 percent. Magic Kingdom is still the most visited theme park in the world, with 17.8 million visits. Since Disney held steady, the numbers suggest Epic brought in new visitors, not just visitors who moved over from other parks.<\/p>\n
Related–>Ride-booking drivers, business leaders, tourists weigh in on Epic Universe\u2019s impact<\/a><\/p>\n TEA also says Universal passed Merlin Entertainments, the company behind Legoland, to become the world\u2019s third-largest theme park operator.<\/p>\n We talked to one of those new visitors. Michael Izaguirre and his girlfriend drove down from Atlanta to celebrate their third anniversary, and Epic was why they came.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve never been there. She\u2019s never been there. We see it a lot on the internet, so we had to come by and check it out,\u201d Izaguirre said.<\/p>\n He went to all three Universal parks, and he says Epic felt different.<\/p>\n \u201cYou feel it more than in the other two parks,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n And if you\u2019re thinking about going?<\/p>\n \u201cIf anyone\u2019s planning to come by, go for it. It\u2019s a great experience. You guys will have a lot of fun, and you\u2019re definitely gonna want to come back,\u201d Izaguirre said.<\/p>\n One thing to keep in mind: TEA\u2019s numbers are estimates, and they count visits, not people. A guest who goes to two parks counts twice. Epic\u2019s number covers only the months it was open.<\/p>\n Click here<\/a> to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here<\/a> to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.<\/p>\n