Local theme parks prosper despite tumult; earthquakes and riots are only temporary setbacks.

Southland theme parks have managed to maintain attendance figures this year, even after riding the region's roller coaster through earthquakes and riots. Park officials cited new attractions and more foreign visitors as the safety bars that kept attendance from falling off.

After each crisis, Disneyland in Anaheim "bounced back out" by offering a new attraction, said Disneyland spokesman Greg Albrecht.

The park's newest attraction, Fantasmic, was coincidentally scheduled to open the week after the April 29-30 L.A. riots. Thus, even though attendance fell during the tumult, it rebounded the next week, Albrecht said.

The June 28 earthquakes also sent a jolt through attendance, but a new daytime parade, "The World According to Goofy," that debuted a week earlier helped bring attendance figures back on line, Albrecht said.

There have been so many quirks affecting Disneyland's 1992 attendance that it is hard to make a comparison with 1991, he added.

But Universal Studios officials did just that and business now is "probably just above last year," said spokeswoman Joan Bullard.

Universal Studios in Universal City divides its visitors into three categories -- international, out-of-state and in-state. Attendance by international visitors has surged during the past two years, Bullard said.

Foreign attendance for the year-to-date is up 30 percent over 1990 and 63 percent over 1991, she said. Because of the recession and the dollar's weakness, travel to the U.S. is a good buy for foreigners, she noted.

The soggy economy is having a reverse effect on visitors from other states because most American vacationers are reducing travel expenses. Out-of-state attendance so far in 1992 is off 20 percent from 1990, the latest year not affected by the recession, Bullard said. However, she added, during the July 6 week, out-of-state attendance rose more than 10 percent.

Interestingly, many tourists coming to Universal Studios are staying at hotels in Orange County instead of Los Angeles County, she added, explaining that Universal Studios is just one of several attractions tourists come to see.

Furthermore, attendance by Californians is up this year compared to 1990 and 1991, Bullard added.

Local tourism has also kept business strong at Magic Mountain in Valencia. "Business has been very good" so far this year, said spokeswoman Eileen Harrell, although the park no longer releases details about attendance. Magic Mountain relies upon Southern California residents for 75 percent to 85 percent of its business.

Attendance at Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park, meanwhile, is "about even with last year" thus far, said spokeswoman Linda Mongno. Knott's business is split evenly between tourists and locals.

Knott's recently opened a sixth themed area, Indian Trails, which helped attendance, said Jim Benedick, vice president of Tustin-based Management Resources Inc., a leisure time consultant. Indian Trails offers visitors entertainment and a chance to make Indian-style arts and crafts.

Many Southland residents delayed their visits to theme parks in recent years because of the recession. Thus, there is a "pent-up demand" for the parks, and local residents are more likely to visit them this summer, said John Robinett, principal with Economics Research Associates, a leisure and real estate industry consulting firm based in Los Angeles.

Several parks showed their confidence in business this summer by boosting prices. Adult prices at Universal Studios, for instance, have increased from $24.50 to $26, and children's prices went from $18.50 to $20.

Likewise, Disneyland's adult prices have jumped to $28.75 from $27.50, and kid's admission climbed to $23 from $22.50. Magic Mountain raised its adult prices by 50 cents to $25 but has maintained its price for children at $14.

Knott's, meanwhile, is maintaining its prices at $22.95 for adults and $9.95 for children.