Best domestic Disney park?

Best park?


  • Total voters
    78

mickEblu

Well-Known Member
I think the question asking what the second best park is would be more interesting. I haven’t been to WDW so take that in consideration but I know enough, read enough, and have seen enough blogs to come up with the opinion below…

If we re talking about parks A-Z not just roster of rides:

1. Disneyland
2. Animal Kingdom
3. Magic Kingdom
4. Epcot
5. DCA
6. Hollywood Studios

I have a feeling Epcot could move up after my trip in January 2023. Assuming wife’s best friend and her fiancée stay engaged and the wedding still happens.
 

DisneyAndUniversalFan

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
I think the question asking what the second best park is would be more interesting. I haven’t been to WDW so take that in consideration but I know enough, read enough, and have seen enough blogs to come up with the opinion below…
Yea I was thinking of asking this instead, I'm more interested in that. Should I make a new thread on second best park instead?
 

PiratesMansion

Well-Known Member
I think the question asking what the second best park is would be more interesting. I haven’t been to WDW so take that in consideration but I know enough, read enough, and have seen enough blogs to come up with the opinion below…

If we re talking about parks A-Z not just roster of rides:

1. Disneyland
2. Animal Kingdom
3. Magic Kingdom
4. Epcot
5. DCA
6. Hollywood Studios

I have a feeling Epcot could move up after my trip in January 2023. Assuming wife’s best friend and her fiancée stay engaged and the wedding still happens.
Magic Kingdom probably should be number two but it's not, largely because it's such a pain in the butt to actually experience. Granted, I haven't done the new and improved DHS, so that could potentially be worse, but in terms of usability/functionality I'd likely put Magic Kingdom dead last.
 

mickEblu

Well-Known Member
Magic Kingdom probably should be number two but it's not, largely because it's such a pain in the butt to actually experience. Granted, I haven't done the new and improved DHS, so that could potentially be worse, but in terms of usability/functionality I'd likely put Magic Kingdom dead last.

Yeah I can see that. I think it gets deducted a few points for not being Disneyland but I can see how you would get to that conclusion.
 

Vegas Disney Fan

Well-Known Member
I still think Disneyland is the best park by quite a bit but the other parks have been narrowing the gap over the last few years. I also still find WDW a better overall vacation.

Used to be MK #2, DCA/EP next tier, and AK/HS a distant last tier but with Pandora, Galaxys edge, Toy Story land, Mickey and Minnie, etc it’s a lot closer and depending on my mood (rides, drinks, scenery, shows, etc) any of the parks could be my park of choice for the day

Although EP hasn’t seen the improvements (yet) of the other parks I enjoy it more each trip as I get older and have as much fun trying new food and drinks as I do going on rides.
 

DLR92

Well-Known Member
I don’t find WDW that exciting to vacation. I think Magic Kingdom is the most uninspiring Disneyland style park. I am not a fan now large the park is but does not contain large amount of attractions.
 

Californian Elitist

Well-Known Member
I don’t find WDW that exciting to vacation. I think Magic Kingdom is the most uninspiring Disneyland style park. I am not a fan now large the park is but does not contain large amount of attractions.
I haven’t been to WDW yet, but the thought of spending an entire vacation there, especially if it’s over three days, doesn’t sit well with me. It sounds awful, honestly.
 

TP2000

Well-Known Member
Here's a quick tally of rides and major entertainment. You know, the things 99% of customers pay to attend theme parks for. But since Covid destroyed the world in 2020 (Thanks Communist China!), let's just pretend it's either 2019 or 2022 and all the parades and water shows are back in operation. To be fair, we'll include the new rides just opened in 2021 in WDW.

Disneyland = 37 Rides, of which 13 are E Tickets (Space Mt., Star Tours, Submarines, Matterhorn, Small World, Thunder Mt., Jungle Cruise, Indy, Pirates, Mansion, Splash, Rise Before Dawn, Millennium Falcon: Target Run), 4 Theaters, 2 Parades (Magic Happens, MSEP/Paint), Fantasmic!, Fireworks.

Magic Kingdom Park = 25 Rides, of which 7 are E Tickets (Jungle Cruise, Pirates, Splash Mt., Thunder Mt., Mansion, Small World, Space Mt.) 4 Theaters, 2 Parades (Mickey Cavalcade, Princess Processional), Fireworks.

Disney California Adventure = 19 Rides, of which 5 are E Tickets (Soarin', Grizzly, Chase-A-Baby, Radiator Racers, Mission: Breakout) 4 Theaters, World of Color.

Epcot Center = 10 Rides, of which 6 are E Tickets (Spaceship Earth, Soarin', Land Boatride, Imagination, Test Track, Mission: Space) 7 Theaters, Harmonious.

Disney's Hollywood Studios = 9 Rides, of which 5 are E Tickets (Tower of Terror, Rock N' Roller Coaster, Star Tours, Rise Before Dawn, Millennium Falcon: Target Run), 5 Theaters, Fantasmic!

Disney's Animal Kingdom = 8 Rides, of which 5 are E Tickets (Flight of Passage, Safari, Kali, Everest, Dinosaur), 3 Theaters, KiteTails!!!!

Looking at how that list panned out, from the park with the most rides to the park with the least rides, that's about where I would rank them in 2021-2022. Epcot has slipped noticeably in my book, and it's a park that desperately needs help even after the French Rat ride opened two weeks ago. It may be able to regain the second place spot behind Disneyland later this decade once it's remodel is complete, but DCA and its own expansion plans won't give up too easy.

That's surprising the way Epcot and DCA have panned out, and some may disagree. But the overall rankings of parks by their ride count is pretty much how the American parks rank in my opinion.

For properties overall, it adds up like this...

Disneyland Resort = 55 Rides, 18 E Tickets, 8 Theaters, 5 Spectaculars
WDW Resort = 52 Rides, 23 E Tickets, 19 Theaters, 5 Spectaculars plus KiteTails!!!
 

Ne'er-Do-Well Cad

Well-Known Member
Disneyland is the best of the domestic parks. But California Adventure is the worst. So, in my mind, the resorts are generally on equal footing if we're strictly talking about theme park offerings (if we're talking resorts overall, obviously WDW is superior).

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.
 

PiratesMansion

Well-Known Member
I haven’t been to WDW yet, but the thought of spending an entire vacation there, especially if it’s over three days, doesn’t sit well with me. It sounds awful, honestly.
It's honestly great, it's just a very different type of trip vs. DLR, a different focus. DLR I'm constantly in the parks, riding things, doing something. There's some of that at WDW, but really what makes WDW special is the unique stuff, including quite a bit outside of the parks. People regularly spend a week or more there, and I've done it too, without getting bored. The water parks, wondering the resort grounds (I just spent a lovely evening eating at Toledo at Coronado Springs, and not only was the meal and view divine, but I also spent a lovely hour afterwards simply strolling the Coronado Springs grounds, as I had never visited that particular resort before. Quite beautiful, and an entirely foreign concept at DLR that WDW people engage in regularly), trying all the restaurants, the out-of-park shows, assuming they eventually return-it's a very different sort of vacation, but it very much has its good points. Just as we often tell people visiting these side of the forums that they'll have to unlearn a lot of what WDW conditioned them to do, it's very much the opposite over there. It's best experienced treating it as its own entity with its own unique strengths. But if you're primarily interested in park park park, any of the international parks is probably a better bet than WDW (Paris in particular is kind of a happy medium between a DLR and WDW experience, though Tokyo is also similar in that regard).
Disneyland is the best of the domestic parks. But California Adventure is the worst. So, in my mind, the resorts are generally on equal footing if we're strictly talking about theme park offerings (if we're talking resorts overall, obviously WDW is superior).

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.
My appreciation for Magic Kingdom's design continues to grow, and I really enjoyed just being there the other day in a way that I really haven't in the past. I especially love their Adventureland, as it's such a different take and feel vs. the others. As much as we laud DL's west side on this side of the forums, MK also has a west side that's distinct and fabulous in its own right. Similar concept, but the feel of the place is very different.
 

Californian Elitist

Well-Known Member
It's honestly great, it's just a very different type of trip vs. DLR, a different focus. DLR I'm constantly in the parks, riding things, doing something. There's some of that at WDW, but really what makes WDW special is the unique stuff, including quite a bit outside of the parks. People regularly spend a week or more there, and I've done it too, without getting bored. The water parks, wondering the resort grounds (I just spent a lovely evening eating at Toledo at Coronado Springs, and not only was the meal and view divine, but I also spent a lovely hour afterwards simply strolling the Coronado Springs grounds, as I had never visited that particular resort before. Quite beautiful, and an entirely foreign concept at DLR that WDW people engage in regularly), trying all the restaurants, the out-of-park shows, assuming they eventually return-it's a very different sort of vacation, but it very much has its good points. Just as we often tell people visiting these side of the forums that they'll have to unlearn a lot of what WDW conditioned them to do, it's very much the opposite over there. It's best experienced treating it as its own entity with its own unique strengths. But if you're primarily interested in park park park, any of the international parks is probably a better bet than WDW (Paris in particular is kind of a happy medium between a DLR and WDW experience, though Tokyo is also similar in that regard).
For sure, I know of the other offerings and I understand why people stay there for 1-2 weeks at a time. It makes sense for others, but not for me. I’m personally not interested in seeing the hotels, the water parks, etc. I personally wouldn’t take a 5+ hour flight to Florida only to visit WDW for an entire week or more and then fly home. I love Disneyland, but I’m not a theme park fanatic at all. I’m interested in people and culture when I travel, which is why flying anywhere at that just to visit a theme park resort is an absolute no-no for me.

If anything, I would love to plan maybe a 5-7 day Florida trip and use two or three of those days for WDW and then use the rest for exploring other parts of the state. I’m quite interested in visiting the Cuban-populated areas of Miami, for example. But again, I understand why others spend 7+ days at WDW and wouldn’t knock them for it.
 

el_super

Well-Known Member
-- 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.

Yeah that's the thing I like the least about MK, and to some extent all of the WDW parks. None of them really feel lived in at all. Adventureland at the Magic Kingdom doesn't feel like it could be a real tropical port town, but rather a Polynesian themed swap meet or strip mall. I get that the wide open layout and scale are appealing at a theme park level, but it throws off the experience to me.
 

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