Best domestic Disney park?

[josh2000]

1 - Disneyland
2 - Animal Kingdom
3 - Magic Kingdom
4 - California Adventure
5 - EPCOT
6 - Hollywood Studios

No offense to anyone here. But I can't even fathom how someone could rank Hollywood Studios as the best domestic park. It used to be a lot better than it is nowadays.

 

[TP2000]

I actually truly love Magic Kingdom, though. Anyone else really like both Disneyland and Magic Kingdom? Disneyland is so intimate and immersive, with so many attractions squeezed into the tiny park -- but I also enjoy MK's spacious layout and gigantic attraction facades/footprints. IMO these two parks are only superficially similar; they're very different experiences.

You'd love Tokyo Disneyland. It's a weird hybrid with walkways and plazas that are even more spread out and accomodating than Magic Kingdom Park, yet packed with rides and shows almost to the level of Disneyland USA.

But the maintenance and upkeep in Tokyo absolutely blows the American parks out of the water. Add on a level of CM sharp professionalism, perfect grooming, and graciousness that no lazy American CM could ever begin to approach, and it takes the "Disney theme park" experience to an entirely different place.

 

[Dear Prudence]

You'd love Tokyo Disneyland. It's a weird hybrid with walkways and plazas that are even more spread out and accomodating than Magic Kingdom Park, yet packed with rides and shows almost to the level of Disneyland USA.

But the maintenance and upkeep in Tokyo absolutely blows the American parks out of the water. Add on a level of CM sharp professionalism, perfect grooming, and graciousness that no lazy American CM could ever begin to approach, and it takes the "Disney theme park" experience to an entirely different place.

The Tokyo parks, their level of artistry, upkeep, and respect for the legacy of both Walt and the art itself, are at the kind of level that Walt himself would have wanted--and would have insisted on. There is no comparison. People make all kinds of excuses about the American Splash Mountains rotting away, when Tokyo is as humid (if not more) as the American locations, and experiences actual seasons; it's just that the people who run the US parks are cheap, and American guests just accept this for some reason? The ticket prices of the Japanese parks are cheaper, and they pay their employees more. It's now cheaper to go all the way to Tokyo than it is to go to WDW. If I am spending that kind of money, I'd rather spend it on an experience that isn't falling apart. Anything WDW has, TDL has the superior version.

I would never dunk on an American CM, though, because I know those people get treated horribly all day long for garbage pay.

 

[TP2000]

The Tokyo parks, their level of artistry, upkeep, and respect for the legacy of both Walt and the art itself, are at the kind of level that Walt himself would have wanted--and would have insisted on. There is no comparison. People make all kinds of excuses about the American Splash Mountains rotting away, when Tokyo is as humid (if not more) as the American locations, and experiences actual seasons; it's just that the people who run the US parks are cheap, and American guests just accept this for some reason? The ticket prices of the Japanese parks are cheaper, and they pay their employees more. It's now cheaper to go all the way to Tokyo than it is to go to WDW. If I am spending that kind of money, I'd rather spend it on an experience that isn't falling apart. Anything WDW has, TDL has the superior version.

A visit to Tokyo Disneyland is life changing for any Disney fan. And I agree, it would make Walt tear up if he saw the high levels of service and showmanship they deliver consistently to massive crowds of people.

I would never dunk on an American CM, though, because I know those people get treated horribly all day long for garbage pay.

The current starting wage for the lowest paid Disneyland CM is now $15.45 per hour. Some departments start their newly hired CM's at $16 or $17 per hour, depending on department.

And yet... the Tokyo CM's perform at incredibly high levels of courtesy, care, and graciousness. While being perfectly groomed in, as you say, weather and climate that can be just as brutally humid as Florida and just as cold as Paris.

Tokyo CM's don't even get sign-in privileges. Twice a year they are allowed to purchase a few tickets at a slight discount for their friends/family, that's about all they get for perks and sign-ins. Their pay scales are commensurate with other entry-level service jobs in the Tokyo metro area. They work long hours in the most crowded Disney parks in the world.

And yet... the Tokyo CM's are leaps and bounds ahead of their American counterparts, who can't even be bothered to tuck in their shirts now, let alone do this sort of thing whenever you point a camera their way...

 

[Dear Prudence]

While being perfectly groomed in, as you say, weather and climate that can be just as brutally humid as Florida and just as cold as Paris.

ding ding ding ding, this is why the US and Parisian parks have no excuse!!!!!!!!!!

 

[TP2000]

ding ding ding ding, this is why the US and Parisian parks have no excuse!!!!!!!!!!

I'm going to dump on my fellow Californians a bit here. We here in SoCal can be sooooo whiny about the weather; if it's over 74 degrees it's "hot!" and if it's under 67 degrees it's "cold!". And if water actually falls from the sky, we will refuse to leave the house.

The climate here in coastal SoCal is wonderful, but it's a complete aberration and an exception to the rule for almost the entirety of the planet. Most of the planet has four seasons. Most of the planet has wild swings in weather and temperature, rain and sleet and snow. It's not normal to expect it to be sunny and 72 for 10 months out of the year. We are a bunch of whiny weather wimps here in SoCal, and it's not attractive.

Okay, I'm done.

 

[Dear Prudence]

Disneyland needs to maintain its crown by retaining its Disneyland-ness.

 

[TP2000]

Disneyland needs to maintain its crown by retaining its Disneyland-ness.

I think Disneyland will do just that. Although I imagine you are also referring to its inherent charm and culture (Thanks, Walt!), along with its roster of rides and attractions.

But just look at those ride and show tallies. Disneyland could stop building new rides for 20 years while the other parks add rides continually, and it still wins. (Oh, wait, that's exactly what happened from 1996 to 2018!)

I just don't see how any other Disney park ever gets up to the current level of Disneyland, let alone passes it by. Heck, even Tokyo Disneyland can't do that. So Hollywood Studios or Animal Kingdom certainly isn't going to get there.

 

[josh2000]

I'm going to dump on my fellow Californians a bit here. We here in SoCal can be sooooo whiny about the weather; if it's over 74 degrees it's "hot!" and if it's under 67 degrees it's "cold!". And if water actually falls from the sky, we will refuse to leave the house.

The climate here in coastal SoCal is wonderful, but it's a complete aberration and an exception to the rule for almost the entirety of the planet. Most of the planet has four seasons. Most of the planet has wild swings in weather and temperature, rain and sleet and snow. It's not normal to expect it to be sunny and 72 for 10 months out of the year. We are a bunch of whiny weather wimps here in SoCal, and it's not attractive.

I was at Disneyland in September and there was some mild thunder and lightning. People were screaming at the top of their lungs and running away like the sky was falling. It wasn't raining, it was just mild thunder! People were losing their minds.

I live in the Midwest where we constantly deal with tornadoes, flooding and extreme storms. We have extremely hot summers and brutally cold winters. So I was completely bewildered at the behavior of some of you Californians

 

[TP2000]

I was at Disneyland in September and there was some mild thunder and lightning. People were screaming at the top of their lungs and running away like the sky was falling. It wasn't raining, it was just mild thunder! People were losing their minds.

I live in the Midwest where we constantly deal with tornadoes, flooding and extreme storms. We have extremely hot summers and brutally cold winters. So I was completely bewildered at the behavior of some of you Californians

I think I know what September day you are talking about!

That same very unusual band of late-summer rain and thunder moved up from Baja and passed directly over San Diego, before it went up to OC. My neighbors in La Jolla all gathered in the street afterward and talked about what just happened. What actually happened was a short burst of moderate rain of about two tenths of an inch, and some thunder claps.

The following day after some tennis, much of the post-court lunch with friends was taken up by discussion about "Where were you when it happened?!", and then breathless descriptions of moderate rain and the sound of thunder in the distance.

I'm not making this up. But I wish I were.

 

[October82]

I’m really curious to see where DCA ranks after my trip to WDW. On paper, Epcot should be better than DCA maybe for World Showcase alone. But when you consider a “Future World” that’s a diluted shell of its former self, the size of Epcot and even World Showcase that’s diminished with the new show equipment visible in the lagoon it makes me wonder if I’ll even enjoy it more than the much smaller DCA that packs a decent punch for its size and has some beautifully themed areas with Grizzly Peak and Cars Land. Not to mention the high energy Pier that is a fun place to spend some time, especially at night.

I'd view Epcot as two separate parks. If World Showcase were its own park, I would rank it ahead of DCA. Including what remains of Future World, and especially its present state, makes the comparison tougher. DCA is certainly less ambitious but parts of it are quite charming in a way World Discovery/Nature/Celebration aren't anymore.

 

[Californian Elitist]

I don’t care what anyone says. Sixty degrees and below in Southern California is cold. My east coast family members agree.

Sixty degrees in Southern California doesn’t exactly feel the same elsewhere. I lived in Massachusetts and was fine in that temperature. It wasn’t cold. But it’s quite cold and crisp here in Southern California.

 

[TP2000]

I'd view Epcot as two separate parks. If World Showcase were its own park, I would rank it ahead of DCA.

Huh.... I get what you are saying, especially when you view it from space. World Showcase is lovely and huge and has lots of themed aesthetics to look at. Germany! Morocco! China! Mexico!

But would you really spend $99 to get into World Showcase for the day? In 2021 you'd get four rides, four movies or shows, and a bunch of themed cul-de-sacs for shopping and dining. I'd maybe pay $40 for that, but $99 or more?

If they tried to split World Showcase off into its own park and charged the going rate for a Disney theme park, there's be a line of angry customers a mile long at Guest Services every night.

World Showcase
4 Rides (3 mild D Tickets, & 1 C Ticket boat) - Gran Fiesta Tour, Frozenstrom, Ratatouille, FriendShip Boats
4 Movies/Shows - China Circle-Vision, Canada Circle-Vision, American Adventure, Impressions de France
Harmonious water spectacular
A bunch of dining/shopping in 11 national cul-de-sacs

Including what remains of Future World, and especially its present state, makes the comparison tougher. DCA is certainly less ambitious but parts of it are quite charming in a way World Discovery/Nature/Celebration aren't anymore.

I have to stick up for DCA. Yes, Pixar Pier is a pile of crap. But it didn't replace a Cars Land or a 1983 Fantasyland with that, it plussed an even uglier & cheaper pile of crap via circa 2001 Paradise Pier.

Then there's Mission: Breakout, which I happen to like more than DCA's cheap-o Tower of Terror that Paul Pressler built in a panic in '02. But the rest of DCA? All of the 2009-2015 upgrades and rethemes remain and exist. Carthay Circle (and it's Carthay Manhattan) and Buena Vista Street and Red Car Trolley and an upgraded Condor Flats Grizzly Peak and the Little Mermaid ride replacing that boring history movie no one ever went to, and World of Color and Viva Navidad and Cars Land and on and on. Even that Spiderman ride that just adds similar ride capacity in case Midway Mania breaks down, even that's a nice plus up from Heimlich's Chew Chew Train.

I get it, Chapek really is a cheap and clueless hack who makes bad artistic decisions. I don't dispute that at all, in fact I relish in the fact more and more people now know that to be true.

But it's not like Chapek went in and reverted Buena Vista Street back to the Sunshine Plaza. Honestly, this is all still there...

 

[DLR92]

Right! Like of all things OUTSIDE THE PARKS to complain about, the strip mall on (or at least near) Katella is what comes to mind? Not the Mickey D’s or the IHOP directly across the street? Lol.

And yep, there’s a 7-Eleven down the street. I’ve gone there a few times to grab snacks. People complain about the outside of the parks, but I find the services very convenient. I have walked across the street to get some french fries at McDonald’s when the munchies hit multiple times.

I have thought about McDonald’s while in line and with 7-11! LOL
I also thought about debated if I should drive to Garden Grove for some Korean food. That what I Love about surrounding of Disneyland. I am not stuck completely with Disney. I love the freedom of outside urban environment and enjoy it. Outside of DL is not perfect though.

That what doesn’t sit well with me about WDW. I am too stuck immersive with Disney.

 

[Sharon&Susan]

World Showcase
4 Rides (3 mild D Tickets, & 1 C Ticket boat) - Gran Fiesta Tour, Frozenstrom, Ratatouille, FriendShip Boats
4 Movies/Shows - China Circle-Vision, Canada Circle-Vision, American Adventure, Impressions de France
Harmonious water spectacular
A bunch of dining/shopping in 11 national cul-de-sacs

There's technically a fifth show that's in the same theater in France, but I wouldn't count it.

 

[MoonRakerSCM]

I'ma say Animal Kingdom. The amount of attention to detail that went into the bulk of that park is phenomenal. Best themed park stateside by far. Imagineers took overpriced payed vacation "field trips" to various parts of the world and it payed off.

 

[SuddenStorm]

But the maintenance and upkeep in Tokyo absolutely blows the American parks out of the water. Add on a level of CM sharp professionalism, perfect grooming, and graciousness that no lazy American CM could ever begin to approach, and it takes the "Disney theme park" experience to an entirely different place.

This alone makes the trip worth it. In a few years I plan on making the trip.

 

[BuzzedPotatoHead89]

It’s been a long time since I went to WDW but based on my recollection:

1. DL
2. DAK
3. Magic Kingdom
4. Epcot
5. DCA
6. Hollywood Studios

DL is honestly just an emotional attachment to me since I grew up there and it just feels like Walt’s park. Packs a greater bang for your buck as well. DAK also is a beautiful park that elevates the zoo experience in an entertaining and inspirational way. Since visiting over 15 years ago, I’d like to go back to see Everest and Pandora.

Honestly Magic Kingdom-Epcot is a close tie since MK probably would outrank Epcot for any first timers to Disney or any families with small kids, but Epcot is personally more enjoyable to just take in. I do enjoy some of the older AA theater shows that MK has to offer, too. I’ll begrudgingly give the edge to MK (for now) only since Epcot’s still heavily under construction.

The last two have had idiosyncratic evolutions: DCA had improved then regressed a bit but still outranks DHS to me. Despite major investment DHS also seems to have moved laterally at best, and now just seems too one tone compared to my last trip - IP/thrill heavy. Losing the studio tour and GMR further erodes it’s identity.

 

[Brummyboy92]

1. Animal Kingdom
2. DL
3. Magic Kingdom
4. Epcot
5. Hollywood Studios/DCA

Honestly Animal Kingdom is fantastic, its such a beautiful place to take it slow, really take in your surroundings, and I enjoy the overall feel far more over any other Disney park. Dinoland does ruin it slightly, but not as much as Tommorowland ruins DL, & that's why DL slips into second for me, it's a serious mess. And been's as TL is far more important to the history/dynamic of DL than Dinoland is to AK, I think it's key for them to fix this ASAP.
Magic Kingdom is pretty decent, but out of the 3 castle parks I've been to globally (Paris being the 3rd), it's my least favourite.
Epcot is great, the setting it really pretty, enjoyable, and I do like the worlds fair. I know people here are such huge fans of the park, stemming from childhood etc, but as a Brit whose only been able to go to Epcot more recently, I don't share the nostalgia others seem to.
Not mad on HS or DCA, there both the same for me. Obviously some good attractions, but I'm confused by the theme of both. Mismatched, uninspiring and not very Disney overall. DCA needs a rename, that's more suitable to this mish mash vibe it's got going on, and Hollywood studios needs to fully commit to this "putting you in the movie" approach, as it does not work for me at present. I guess DCA could take the Hollywood studios approach, but I really do not want a 3rd studios park in the Disney portfolio, been's as the two that exist so far are not particularly that good.

 

[J4546]

DCA is a solid park imo, not an all day park, but a great sister park to DL. The Soarin'/Grizzly River/Trails area is great with lots of trees/shade and ambience. Pixar pier is cool and has a lot of neat attractions like Incredicoaster, which is a great coaster despite the theming, Little Mermaid is a good omnimover dark ride that usually has a 10 minute or less wait, TSMM is solid, the ferris wheels is really tall, you can see both parks from the top, and a bunch of good food. Speaking of good food, the Wine Country and Wharf areas area great for food. So much different food, and the bread factory and chocolate factory are cool too. Then you get to Cars land, the pinnacle of CA. Its really good and I dont even like Cars IP. The rides, theming, food...all great. AC is awesome if you like to see avengers walking/acting around the area. So many characters putting on shows and saying hi, lost of live action. The spiderman and Gaurdians rides are both good as well, cant wait for the phase 2 expansion. Then theres the hollywoodland/monster inc area....that area sucks and will be demolished sooner than later once they announce the Eastern Gateway Parking and pedestrian bridge project.. Anyways, thats my CA rant