Estimate of Disneyland’s Economic Impact: A “Powerhouse”

by Ray Keating

News

DisneyBizJournal.com

October 25, 2019

Last month, economists from California State University, Fullerton, released a study estimating the impact of Disneyland on the seven-county Southern California economy.

Anil Puri, the director of the university’s the Woods Center for Economic Analysis and Forecasting, called Disneyland “an economic powerhouse.” He explained, “It is the largest employer in Orange County, and its impact is felt beyond Anaheim. Not only does it draw tourists from around the world, it also adds to the local economy through its major construction and renovation projects. Disneyland Resort is a magnet and catalyst for additional tourism and recreational activities and enterprises in the region.”

The economists who performed the analysis reported that the Disneyland Resort had an $8.5 billion impact on the region’s economy in 2018, based on the 78,299 employees and the tourists visiting the area and their spending at local businesses. That represented a 50 percent increase over 2013.

It was reported that the 73 percent of Disneyland jobs in Orange County represented 3.6 percent of jobs in the county. In addition, since 2013, Disneyland’s annual rate of job growth registered 7.2 percent, which was three times the rate for Southern California during that period.

For good measure, Disneyland paid $509.6 million in state and local taxes during the fiscal year 2018.

According to BisNow.com, the economists said that the full study would not be released due to proprietary information. The Disneyland Report provided a $75,000 grant to support the study.

Ray Keating is the editor, publisher and economist for DisneyBizJournal.com, and author of the Pastor Stephen Grant novels. He can be contacted at  raykeating@keatingreports.com.