Walt Disney World is by far the world's most popular theme park resort, with its four theme parks collectively welcoming more than 53 million people a year, according to the latest TEA/AECOM Theme Index attendance report. But which of those four parks is the best one that Disney World has to offer?
It's time for another "Big Brands" battle in the first round of the Theme Park Insider Tournament, as we vote to select the world's best theme park. Are you a fan of the classic Magic Kingdom? Or do you prefer Joe Rohde's artistry in Animal Kingdom? Do you stand by the modernist optimism of Epcot? Or are you holding out for Hollywood Studios? Disney World offers its visitors plenty of choices at the resort, but you've got only one here — to pick the best WDW theme park.
We invite you to read more about these parks on their Theme Park Insider listing pages. As always, your ratings and reviews of these parks' attractions on their listing pages are encouraged and welcomed. Register here to be able to leave written reviews for each ride, in addition to the rating submissions that are open to everyone.
I'm looking forward to reading the comment analysis on this one!
Let's hear why you picked what you picked. Then join us again tomorrow, as we vote to decide the best Tokyo Disney theme park, followed by a battle between Efteling and Europe Park for the right to take on Disneyland Paris in the second round.
Tweet
Been to all the Disney parks around the world many times (except only Shanghai & Hong Kong once) and got to say now that DAK has Pandora and ROL it is my favorite park, even over Disney Sea. The Safari is the most impressive attraction ever created, Flight of Passage is overall the best attraction ever created, and best of all of the attractions there are originals and can't be found in any other park. Disney Sea has amazing theming but there are so many clones that it knocks it down a few notches.
Also the theming at DAK is taken to the next level compared to the other WDW parks. Pandora, Harambe, Safari, Anandapour (especially back in the Maharajah Jungle Trek and Expedition Everest) are all as excellently themed. Even the Chester & Hester area, though it is ugly, is actually pretty well themed if you look at all the details around it.
Can I vote for Disney Springs? ;)
Giving it to Magic Kingdom for now but could easily shift with Toy Story Land opening. DAK close now but man, so miss when Epcot was my go-to answer.
Even though I feel that Disneyland is superior to the Magic Kingdom in almost every respect, I have to give my vote to Magic Kingdom. Of the four parks, it is the only one that feels complete in its current state (DAK comes really close), and if I only had one day at WDW it is the park I would pick to visit. All four parks are great (or, in the case of DHS, will soon be great), but there's a reason Magic Kingdom was the only park I spent two days at on my trip.
It will be interesting to see if this opinion still holds the next time I visit (which will be 2020 at the earliest...more likely 2021/2022).
Without hesitation, I voted Animal Kingdom.
Best WDW attraction? Flight of Passage. Best WDW in-park restaurant? Tiffins. Best live show? Nemo. (Even if you think Lion King instead... it's the same park.) Best overall park decoration? DAK. I love this park now.
MK still rules, it has the greatest number of attractions, many of the best attractions, and that classic Walt charm. That may change after all the new goodies at DHS open...
AK did take a close second on our last trip, though. Pandora was magnificent.
DAK, then EPCOT, then Disney Springs, then Magic Kingdom, then DHS.
While Magic Kingdom is the obvious favourite in this blue ribbon tie, consideration should be given to Epcot and Animal Kingdom for being the unique offerings that they are. They have no duplicates in other parts of the world. Magic Kingdom is an outstanding park but it is not the best castle park of its kind in the world. The park with that distinction is found in Asia
It was close but in the end I voted MK with DAK being second. For me it came down to which park I could spend multiple days in a row in without being completely over it. MK just has that nostalgia and ride abundance to keep me happy. I am also in the minority in that I was completely underwhelmed with Pandora. The land is a nice addition but it didn't really do anything for me. I liked FOP but it didn't leave me completey blown away.
I wanted to vote for Disney Springs so I went for MK because of Splash Mountain.
I'm sure this time next year DHS will be my fave if only for the novelty of having new areas and attractions but I still love Epcot. The world showcase is amazingly seductive and the nostalgia of future world hold a kind of appeal I can't really explain
@the man
I agree DAK is a wonderful park and especially because of Pandora. But 2 big reasons why I don't think it comes close to Disney Sea is 1. Dinosaur Land is a hugely disappointing land with for A Disney Sea caliber park. The rides and theming are cheap and would never be allowed in Disney Sea. 2. The wilderness express train is a big missed opportunity to create an immersive transportation system for the park. It only goes to Rafiki kiddy area with no scenery or anything to see along the way. Contrast that with DS Transit Steamer which goes around the entire park and the Electric railway between 2 lands which are both functional and an attraction in themselves. These details and many others bring Disney Sea to a level of perfection that parks like DAK, as great as they are, fall short of.
After our most recent visit last October, I definitely had to give my vote to DAK. EPCOT used to easily be my favorite WDW park (with the F&W Festival being a main reason why), but even with the recent changes (Mission Space update, new Soarin' film, and Frozen), the park feels very static. DAK has done nothing but become more intricate and vibrant with Everest, Rivers of Light, and PtWoA, and I have to agree with Robert about Tiffins being the best in-park table service restaurant in all of WDW. DAK is now a mature park with more than enough attractions to fill a full day, even for returning guests. The atmosphere is far superior to MK and its gauntlet of strollers, path cloggers, and incessant sensory overload. DAK has numerous nooks and crannies where guests can sit down and simply enjoy some peace and quiet if they need to. EPCOT used to have some of these spots, but they're hard to find, especially during F&W, and MK never had those outside of Tom Sawyer Island.
If this was 1994ish, it would have been easy. EPCOT Center. I miss the optimistic and forward looking EPCOT.
Currently I have to vote for Magic Kingdom, despite my immense love of Animal Kingdom, Magic Kingdom has more of a "Disney" feel.
Animal Kingdom has always been my favorite of Disney parks. MK is just too damn busy.
Having been to all the 4 parks over the last few months, I have to give my vote to animal kingdom. I like it because it's the least 'Disney' of all the 4 parks, and the animal exhibits are more akin to Busch Gardens. Not so many people walking round in the mouse ears either ..... LOL. Away from the Pandora area, DAK certainly has a more relaxed atmosphere.
No longer living in Orlando I based my vote on which park I miss most - hands down it's Epcot. No doubt I'm missing the Epcot of 6+ years ago, but it's still what I miss most about WDW. I understand it's not what it once was, but as an absent voter, I'll go with my heart.
DAK is the best in my opinion. It's the park that I eel has the best atmosphere an makes you feel like you have escaped the real world. Expedition Everest, finding nemo, pandora, rapids and the safari make this park the best. If the dinoland area gets changed into an indiana jones land then it may become the best theme park in the world.
It would then go Magic Kingdom, then Epcot and Hollywood studios.
I voted HS. The attractions they have now are pretty good especially with Toy Story Mania and Tower of Terror being different every time you ride and Star Tours will be when I goes back to randomizing. To me it also has One Mans Dream which is so underrated. I also like to count the expansion as well. If you ask this in 2 years I bet a majority say HS. I say HS now because the park has the best all around set of rides at a Disney park. Albiet the 4 they have!
Are you going to do a poll for the water parks?
This article has been archived and is no longer accepting comments.
As these four parks currently stand, I like DAK best (come on, Flight of Passage is just phenomenal), then, of course, Magic Kingdom, followed by Epcot and DHS, the former in need of much love and the latter receiving much love.
Ask this question again in two years and I bet we get a very different result.