Rank Orlando's parks

[cheezbat]

Universals two parks are worth going to and cutting out Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom. If I had only four days that's how I'd do it.

 

[Respect the Walt.]

1. MK- loyalty, tradition, Haunted Mansion, enough said.
2. Epcot- enjoy more as adult, love eating in the diff countries
3. Animal Kingdom- enjoy shows and safari. Park has a really different feel.
4. I of A- great rides, nothing much for young kids, disappointed with Harry Potter area
5. Universal Studios- seems aged but still a few good rides
6. Hollywood Studios- 2 good rides and a bunch of shows that need to go. The park that needs the most added.
***note I have never been to # 7 or 8, BUT will go to # 7 in the future.
7. Legoland- seems to have a lot for kids, very cute, fun rides
8. Sea World- never been interested.

 

[ChrisFL]

Me, either.

Why do people drag old threads back from the dead?

Because if they start a new thread, people will complain that this topic was discussed before and to search the forums

 

[ChrisFL]

1.) Epcot - Part of it is nostalgia, yes, but I have just more fun here than anywhere else.
2.) IOA - Thrill rides are awesome, Spiderman and FJ, two of the best experiences ever made, and Mythos
3.) Universal - Lots of memories for me here also, but I equally enjoy most of the updates and new attractions here
4.) MK - There's a few attractions I love, but a lot of it feels stale and the updates have been incredibly boring
5.) DHS - The saving grace: Tower of Terror, Toy Story Mania, Star Tours 2...oh, and I love the Sci-Fi Dine In Theater
6.) Sea World - Nothing wrong with the park, really, it's just a different type of theme park.
7.) DAK - Not much to enjoy for me, I'll go to Busch Gardens any day over DAK

 

[The Empress Lilly]

Because if they start a new thread, people will complain that this topic was discussed before and to search the forums

Exactly. Sometimes you just can't win.

 

[BoarderPhreak]

1) MK
2) EC

The end.

 

[George]

I've been to all 8 in the last couple of years. I hesitate to include Legoland since it is a different beast from the other GTPoO's (Giant Theme Parks of Orlando)....Anyhoo,

1) MK - I know many say you need to remove nostalgia, etc. from the rankings, but I can't.
2) IoA - Best attraction line up of any Orlando park.
3) EPCOT - Nostalgia gives it a huge bump....Hopefully, Disney will throw us serious a fans a bone at some point
4) DAK - The eye candy is fantastic, though it is light in the attraction loafers
5) USF - Solid theme park
6) DHS - Great attractions, but a thematic mess without enough quality family style attractions
7) Sea World - I should note that I have fun at SW and if Antartica is all that, it could move up to 3 or 4 in my rankings since in truth, I have fun at all these places and the rankings are very close.

 

[PolynesianPrincess]

1. Magic Kingdom - To me this is what Disney is all about!
2. Islands of Adventure - I'm a thrill ride person and this park has it ALL! I love Spiderman and the Hulk.
3. Hollywood Studios - Two of my top 5 rides are here in Tower of Terror and RNRC.
4. Epcot - Future World desperately needs some love but it's still a great park
5. Animal Kingdom - This was a tough choice between AK and SW but I love the theming of AK and all the animals
6. Sea World - I haven't been here since 2009 and I liked it back then but it's not a must do. I'd love to see it after the Antarctica addition though.
7. Universal Studios - The Mummy and Rip Ride N Rock It are awesome but I think there are only like 4 rides in this park I like.

 

[PhilharMagician]

1. Epcot
2. Magic Kingdom
3. Animal Kingdom
4. Universal Studios
5. Islands of Adventure
6. Sea World
7. Disney's Hollywood Studios

 

[Patrick_Ears]

My top 5

1.MK
2.Epcot
3.Island of Adventure
4.AK
5.DHS

 

[acishere]

I got really confused by all the questions about Sounds Dangerous on the first page, then I saw the date the thread was created. Holy thread bump.

1. Magic Kingdom
2. Epcot
3. Universal Studios
4. Islands of Adventure
5. Animal Kingdom
6. Hollywood Studios

I haven't been to Sea World in 20 years. I don't remember any of it.

 

[Travel Junkie]

This may shock some people, but as a California native, this is how I would rank Orlando's parks.

1. Epcot - For all of it's problems, there is no other theme park like it.
2. IOA - Even before Potter, it was a very immersive park with some great rides. Highly underrated
3. AK - I wish they had more attractions, but the themeing is top notch
4. MK - This is where my west coast bias comes in. MK simply does not compare IMHO to Disneyland park. Side by side, attraction to attraction, experience to experience Disneyland wins 99% of the time. MK seems so empty and lacking any kinetic energy that is in its older sibling.
5. DHS - Some very good headliners, but the theme is all over the place and not a park you want to "just be in." I want to hit my favorite attractions and leave.
6. USO - Only a few rides that I find enjoyable and much of the park is big boxy sound stages sitting around a lagoon

 

[ThemeParks4Life]

Ranking them bottom to top:

7. Seaworld- I haven't been here in 10 years, but maybe I'll go this fall when crowds die down.
6. This park doesn't have much for me. Sure, the themeing's great, but I only ride Spiderman and FJ here since right now I'm too chicken for Hulk and DC It sucks that 2 whole lands are obsolete when you don't want to get wet, an entire land that has nothing to do, and I just don't care for Suess Landing. My suggestion? Add more lesser/family thrills.
5. Epcot- This park needs major help FAST. SSE, TT, and Soarin' are the only things I go on here. Sure, World Showcase is great as are most of the shows, but we need RIDES.
4. AK- Like Epcot, we need more rides here, but Everest (best coaster at Disney, no contest), Safaris, and Dinosaur are great. The themeing is amazing here, probably the best anywhere in Florida. Dining could use some work.
3. DHS- RIDES RIDES RIDES, MORE!!! With that out of the way, Toy Story, Star Tours, and RNRC are great (still need to ride TOT), Great Movie Ride is ok, and Backlot Tour sucks. Dining sucks and the themeing is decent, but I have more fun on the rides here than at Epcot or AK.
2. USF- Here's something you don't see every day, someone ranking USF above IOA! Yes, this park is muuuch better than IOA IMO. Better rides is a big plus, dining is still crap, but there's more to do here if you ask me.
1. MK- I don't think I need to say much, perfect park, good food, great themeing, and of course, the most magical.

 

[Meredith]

1.MAGIK KINGDOM
2.MGM ( Hollywood studios)
3.Epcot
4.Islands of Adventure ( obviously because of harry potter land)
5.and 6. Universal/Animal Kingdom
7. SeaWorld haven't been but from what I have seen it's last.

 

[Meredith]

Ranking them bottom to top:

7. Seaworld- I haven't been here in 10 years, but maybe I'll go this fall when crowds die down.
6. This park doesn't have much for me. Sure, the themeing's great, but I only ride Spiderman and FJ here since right now I'm too chicken for Hulk and DC It sucks that 2 whole lands are obsolete when you don't want to get wet, an entire land that has nothing to do, and I just don't care for Suess Landing. My suggestion? Add more lesser/family thrills.
5. Epcot- This park needs major help FAST. SSE, TT, and Soarin' are the only things I go on here. Sure, World Showcase is great as are most of the shows, but we need RIDES.
4. AK- Like Epcot, we need more rides here, but Everest (best coaster at Disney, no contest), Safaris, and Dinosaur are great. The themeing is amazing here, probably the best anywhere in Florida. Dining could use some work.
3. DHS- RIDES RIDES RIDES, MORE!!! With that out of the way, Toy Story, Star Tours, and RNRC are great (still need to ride TOT), Great Movie Ride is ok, and Backlot Tour sucks. Dining sucks and the themeing is decent, but I have more fun on the rides here than at Epcot or AK.
2. USF- Here's something you don't see every day, someone ranking USF above IOA! Yes, this park is muuuch better than IOA IMO. Better rides is a big plus, dining is still crap, but there's more to do here if you ask me.
1. MK- I don't think I need to say much, perfect park, good food, great themeing, and of course, the most magical.

I can agree with you on most of that but I think you forgot harry potter in IOA

 

[ThemeParks4Life]

I can agree with you on most of that but I think you forgot harry potter in IOA

I said I ride FJ

 

[The Empress Lilly]

1. Magic Kingdom - Despite Disney's best efforts, the MK is still number one in my eyes. I'm not too happy about the cuts to CBJ/Tiki Room, the movie tie-ins in POTC, the new HM/Space queues, the Tangled tower, or SOTMK, but the MK still boasts a classic attraction lineup that practically dominates my list of favorites. I feel like the incredible theming is sometimes overlooked simply because we are accustomed to it, but I count Main Street, Caribbean Plaza, Liberty Square, Tom Sawyer Island, and the Avenue of the Planets among my favorite themed areas in the Orlando parks.
2. Islands of Adventure - This park has so many big-ticket rides that it's astounding. I'll also echo the praise that others have heaped upon the themed environments here; my favorites are Hogsmeade, Jurassic Park, Lost Continent, and Port of Entry. Also, Spider-Man and Forbidden Journey are both as incredible as the technology behind them.
3. Universal Studios - A few years ago, this park would have been near the bottom of my list, but it has leaped up several spots in recent years because of their great strides in terms of new attractions and placemaking. In addition, the Mummy is one of my favorite coasters in Orlando. I was sad to see Jaws go because that was my favorite ride in USF, but if Diagon Alley/Gringotts is as good as it promises to be, all will be forgiven.
4. Epcot - Whereas USF jumped up several spots on my personal list, Epcot experienced the biggest drop; it used to be my #2. Future World is just an embarrassment now; the list of attractions I don't enjoy has grown depressingly long as of late - Spaceship Earth 4, the entire Imagination Pavilion, The Seas, Test Track 2, Innoventions. The clutter along the World Showcase promenade has also made the place too mall-like for my tastes. Really, the only things keeping this park from dropping to #5 on my list are the World Showcase attractions and IllumiNations. (IllumiNations is just that good.)
5. Disney's Hollywood Studios - This park is one of extremes. DHS does things either really well or really poorly. The theming of Hollywood/Sunset is top-notch, whereas the rest of the park is sorely lacking in this department. There are not enough rides, but the rides it does have are some of the best anywhere (TOT, Star Tours, Great Movie Ride, RNRC, TSMM). Fantasmic would be so much nicer if they eliminated some of the extraneous villains; some addition by subtraction (and some TLC/upgrades) would go a long way toward making it as good as the Disneyland version. I think DHS has the potential for greatness, though; it just needs some investment to get it there.
6. Disney's Animal Kingdom - This park is so frustrating. Just about the only thing going for it are the theming of the lands, with the notable exception of Dinorama (and Avatarland when it is built). There are too few attractions, and only a handful of them are really worthwhile. The only attraction I find truly impressive is Kilimanjaro Safaris; and to be fair, Flights of Wonder, ITTBAB, Nemo, FOTLK, and Planet Watch are nice for what they are. Even with a functional Yeti, the corner-cutting on Everest is far too obvious, and Kali is just downright unpleasant. The state of maintenance in DAK is atrocious, too. I just have no desire to return to DAK at all, and Avatarland is not going to change that.

Awesome read! Well conceived thoughts about all parks! Or maybe I just think that because I agree with it all. (Or is it the reverse, do I agree because it is well put? The ancient question!)

 

[BryceM]

Changing my list...

1. Universal's Islands of Adventure
2. Epcot
3. Universal Studios Florida/Magic Kingdom (tie)
4. Disney's Animal Kingdom
5. Disney's Hollywood Studios
6. SeaWorld Orlando