The prevalence of storyworlds and thematic landscapes in global theme parks

Narrative has been emerging as a more prevalent concept in tourism contexts, but it has been less defined in literature on theme parks. This study, which investigates the leading 77 theme parks in three regions (North America, Asia, Europe), explores the presence of thematic and narrative features: themed lands, common themes, themed rides, narrative rides, explicit storytelling, and implicit storytelling. Results show that a great majority of the most visited theme parks in the sample have thematic and narrative characteristics, which provide appeal to visitors. The systematic understanding of the global prominence of on-site narratives at theme parks can contribute to the knowledge and practice of both leaders and scholars of these spaces. [Display omitted] •Thematic landscapes and storytelling are prevalent in global theme parks.•The world's top theme parks contain themed lands, common themes, and themed rides.•Theme parks include narrative rides, explicit and/or implicit storytelling.•These features appeal to visitors and bring impacts such as attendance and revenue.