Tokyo Disney Resort, comprising Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea, celebrates its 30th anniversary Monday with no signs that its magic spell has worn off, as figures show the wildly popular venue lured a record 27.5 million visitors in fiscal 2012, which ended in March.
While some theme parks built over the past 30 years, including Universal Studios Japan in Osaka and Huis Ten Bosch in Nagasaki Prefecture, have struggled to make a profit, Disney operator Oriental Land Co. has dominated the industry and aims to attract even more visitors this year.
Industry observers attribute the Disney success to instilling in visitors a sense that they are in dreamland — a place they will seek to return to again and again.
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