4. Second place is the first loser

How large is the gap between Disney theme parks and the second largest amusement conglomerate? First of all, it may surprise you to learn that Universal Studios is not second. Their 36.4 million annual guests are roughly the equivalent of Magic Kingdom and the original Disneyland in Anaheim (34.8 million in combined visits.) Merlin Entertainments, the pride of England, has cleverly capitalized upon the popularity of Legoland and various sea-life themed attractions to create a juggernaut.

As I blow your mind by stating that their empire claimed 59.8 million visits in 2013, I can add something that will familiarize you with the company. Merlin Entertainments also owns the world-famous London Eye. Now that you have marveled at the breadth of their relatively unheralded success, consider the disparity between Merlin and Disney. The cavernous gap is 72.7 million, meaning that Disney attracts more than twice as many guests as their closest competitor. Putting this in different terms, a gulf the size of the entire population of France (plus six million more people) exists between Disney and the second most popular amusement park operator. Theme parks are considered an oligopoly, but describing them as a monopoly is almost justifiable.

5. French economics

No, I’m not naming classes you tried to skip in high school. Instead, I’d like to focus on the impact of Disney on a new economy. Since China, the most recent market, is a bit more guarded with their numbers, let’s examine Disneyland Paris, which we all reflexively call Euro Disney.

I’m confident you’ve heard all the data about what a failure (or at least mixed bag) this amusement park has been since its inception. I don’t want to say that such statements are misleading, but I do feel strongly that they ignore an important underlying reality about Disney’s economic impact on the area. In 1992, the company introduced their latest theme park just outside Paris. It was famously hailed as a cultural Chernobyl, which is not exactly a warm welcome.

What has Disney done for France? In the most recent research study on the company’s financial impact on the country, Disney lists 14,244 cast members on the payroll. Yes, some of those are temporary employees, yet the economic impact is huge. Those Disney magic makers earned over 590 million euros, the equivalent of roughly $642 million in American dollars. When you hear about job creators, this is the pertinent data. Disney provides viable employment opportunities for almost 15,000 French residents annually.

The company’s impact reaches far beyond such modest revenue totals, though. The same study determined that Disney delivered 50 billion euros worth of economic impact to France over the two decades since its inception, an average of 2.5 billion per year. How big a ripple does this have upon French tourism? Research indicates that an almost incomprehensible 6.2 percent of ALL French tourism from foreign travelers is due to the presence of Euro Disney. It may be a cultural Chernobyl to some, but to consumers, it’s a great place to spend a vacation.

6. Silly stats

Here are a couple of final trivia notes about Disney’s Walt Disney World. The longest ride at the amusement park, presuming that we don’t consider Ellen’s Energy Adventure as a ride (and we shouldn’t), is the Walt Disney Railroad. It has a duration of 20 minutes, the equivalent of a half of college basketball. The shortest ride at Walt Disney World is The Barnstormer, which ends after only 63 seconds. In fact, The Barnstormer is so short that since the average person reads 275 words per minute, it took you over four times as long to read this article than it would have to ride it.