Best Disney World Theme Park – We Rank Them So You Do Not Have To!

Walt Disney World Resort has four magical theme parks. Which Disney World theme park is best for your visit?

Ranking the four Florida theme parks may seem silly to some. However, everything in our world continues to become more expensive, including theme park vacations. Based on that, your group may want to prioritize certain theme parks that are viewed as better than others.

If your time at Walt Disney World Resort is limited, some things may need to be skipped during your vacation. In fairness, those who live near Walt Disney World still have things they have not done at the theme parks despite visiting multiple times a week.

Another way of ranking Disney World theme parks would be to ask: If you only had a three-day ticket to Walt Disney World without the ability to park hop, which three parks would you visit? What if you only had two days? Which two parks get skipped?

In addition, Orlando has become a gigantic convention town. You may visit the Orlando area for a convention that lasts only one or two days. If that happens, you cannot see everything Disney World offers. What Disney theme park do you choose? We know this is not a fair question. Still, this issue often leads to the question, what is the best Disney World theme park?

Best Disney World Theme Park: The Four Theme Parks

As mentioned, Walt Disney World has four theme parks, each with strengths and weaknesses. These four theme parks are miles apart, so if you were considering paying for a pass to visit more than one Disney theme park, walking is impractical in most cases.

The four Walt Disney World theme parks are:

• Magic Kingdom
• Epcot
• Disney’s Hollywood Studios
• Disney’s Animal Kingdom

Best Disney World Theme Park: Your Mileage May Vary

Just like different drivers and other factors may lead to varied gas mileage results, your mileage may vary with experiencing Disney World theme parks. For example, if your group dislikes high-level thrill rides, you may want to skip a Disney World theme park with roller coasters. In contrast, if your group consists of only adults, visiting a Walt Disney World theme park with a higher percentage of kiddie attractions may not be your best choice. Determining the best Walt Disney World theme park varies from group to group. Still, some common factors influence the decisions. Our ranking will focus on those factors.

Of course, each Walt Disney World theme park has attractions, shows, restaurants, and extras that make it worth the visit. Many Disney fans have strong feelings about which park ranks best.

If using easily measurable data, Magic Kingdom wins the best Disney World Park contest based on attendance patterns. In fact, Magic Kingdom hosts the most visitors of any theme park in the world. For many people, Magic Kingdom brings everything they want from a Disney World Park in terms of nostalgia. However, we recommend that your group’s decision of which Disney theme park to skip should potentially involve more variables than just attendance and nostalgia.

This Pixie Vacations resource desires to stress the positives of each Walt Disney World theme park. We do not disguise our love of theme parks, and Disney does them well. Still, no Walt Disney World theme park rates as perfect. Thus, the negatives will be covered as well.

Best Disney World Theme Park: Ranking by Attendance

One way to determine the best Walt Disney World theme park for you to visit involves total attendance. Logic dictates that the more people see a theme park, the better the theme park, right?

Recently, a yearly report on theme park attendance worldwide came out. Of course, this resource focuses on the four Walt Disney World theme parks. Still, the report shows some interesting attendance data.

The Themed Entertainment Association (TEA) and AECOM Economics & Advisory published the annual Global Attractions Attendance Report. The report indicates that attendance at two Walt Disney World theme parks increased in 2023 compared to previous years. In contrast, attendance at two other Walt Disney World theme parks decreased in 2023 compared to previous years.

In terms of United States of America theme parks, the Walt Disney World theme parks ranked this way:

• Disney’s Animal Kingdom had 8.8 million guests in 2023
• Disney’s Hollywood Studios had 10.3 million guests in 2023
• Epcot had 12 million guests in 2023
• Magic Kingdom had 17.7 million guests in 2023.

Highest Theme Park Attendance in the World: Magic Kingdom

Not only is Magic Kingdom the most attended theme park at Walt Disney World, but it is also the most attended theme park in the world. Based on those attendance numbers, Magic Kingdom makes a firm case as the best Disney World theme park.

With twice the attendance at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Magic Kingdom reigns supreme in terms of attendance. In contrast, based on those numbers, Disney’s Animal Kingdom looks like the weakest theme park to visit during your Orlando area vacation. However, many additional factors should be considered when choosing the best Disney World theme park for your vacation.

Best Disney World Theme Park: Magic Kingdom?

Magic Kingdom easily won the most attended theme park contest. Does that make it the best Disney World theme park? To many fans, they would declare this an easy win for Magic Kingdom.

Magic Kingdom opened over 50 years ago 1971, becoming the first Walt Disney World theme park. When most people think of Walt Disney World, they think of the Magic Kingdom theme park due to the iconic castle and the signature classic rides. Those factors lead to a robust level of nostalgia for Magic Kingdom fans.

Another reason to declare Magic Kingdom the best Disney World theme park is the parades and fireworks. Every day, Magic Kingdom features a parade and fireworks. These forms of entertainment draw large crowds along the parade route and main hub area to view fireworks and projections.

For those looking to visit Walt Disney World in 2025, a brand new nighttime parade, “Disney Starlight,” will debut in the summer of 2025. Magic Kingdom has been without a nighttime parade for many years now. The only parade was the daytime “Festival of Fantasy” parade, which happened during the day.

Disney Starlight Parade

According to Disney, the “Disney Starlight” parade will continue the nighttime spectacular legacy started by the “Main Street Electrical Parade,” using the latest technology to tell new stories about the characters you love. The magic of the Blue Fairy will be a crucial theme in this new parade. Some movie characters announced to be included in the parade are “Peter Pan,” “Encanto,” and “Frozen.”

Magic Kingdom Attractions

Magic Kingdom contains the most attractions of the four Walt Disney World theme parks. Magic Kingdom provides the broadest range of attractions that the entire group can do. Families with young children will view Magic Kingdom as the best Disney World theme park, which may be a must-choice for the best Walt Disney World theme park for families with young children. For example, the Fantasyland area contains numerous attractions, like Dumbo and Peter Pan, for guests of all ages and heights.

Groups looking for classic Disney-level theme park attractions will adore Magic Kingdom. Attractions that have held up to the test of time, like Pirates of the Caribbean and Haunted Mansion, have drawn people to Magic Kingdom for decades.

Roller coaster fans will enjoy Magic Kingdom. The coasters range from the Tron Lightcycle / Run launch-style to kiddie coasters. Sure, major coaster thrill junkies might be looking for higher-thrill coasters. Yet, the Walt Disney World-themed coasters fulfill the need for speed at Magic Kingdom. Still, all the Walt Disney World theme parks offer roller coasters.

Magic Kingdom offers a great theme park experience for all demographics, which is one of the reasons it consistently draws large crowds. Nonetheless, Magic Kingdom displays some significant weaknesses to ponder before you decide which Walt Disney World theme park to prioritize.

Dining at Magic Kingdom

In addition to weaker food and beverage choices, the park can sometimes look a bit dated. In fairness, it is over 50 years old—however, many Walt Disney World fans like the nostalgic feel of Magic Kingdom. In fairness, this is a “theme” park, after all, right?

Crowd Levels and Transportation Issues Regarding Magic Kingdom

As you would expect, the highest level of theme park attendance equals more people. Thousands of other theme park visitors will share your Magic Kingdom day.

Clearly, the most considerable negatives of Magic Kingdom revolve around the crowd levels and the challenge of getting to and from Magic Kingdom and back to your hotel. However, this weakness does not stop people from loving Magic Kingdom. Still, introverts should prepare themselves before enjoying this fantastic theme park. Regarding crowd level, a slow day at Magic Kingdom can seem very busy to most people. Still, Magic Kingdom offers plenty of areas to spread out.

Huge Advantage Staying at a Disney-owned Hotel

However, many first-time guests are surprised by the parking and transportation methods needed to reach Magic Kingdom. On-site guests will use Walt Disney World transportation directly to Magic Kingdom.

Nonetheless, guests staying elsewhere will take a more indirect route to Magic Kingdom. Guests driving their vehicle or being dropped off via shuttle bus or ride share will arrive at the Transportation and Ticket Center. This transportation hub at Walt Disney World provides ferry boats and the Disney Monorail to navigate guests from the Transportation and Ticket Center to the Magic Kingdom. This process can stress some guests out before and after a day at Magic Kingdom. Guests should plan for this issue when visiting Magic Kingdom.

Despite that, Magic Kingdom reigns as the most popular Walt Disney World theme park. If you only have one day at Walt Disney World, most people will select the Magic Kingdom.

Best Disney World Theme Park: Epcot?

Epcot is the second-oldest Walt Disney World theme park. It opened in 1982 and has undergone many changes. This theme park creates an experience not found anywhere else. Many experienced Walt Disney World visitors claim this theme park as their favorite, making it the best Disney World theme park.

Epcot covers far more ground than Magic Kingdom. In fact, it has more space for guests to visit than any of the four Walt Disney World theme parks. Disney’s Animal Kingdom covered more acreage. Still, guests cannot see a significant portion of that theme park since the animals have areas away from guest interaction to enjoy.

Epcot’s current version looks different from the original theme park in many ways. Several attractions, like Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, have replaced modern ones. In fact, the video of Star-Lord (Chris Pratt) in that attraction’s queue makes fun of how many Epcot attractions have changed from the old days.

Epcot’s primary focus used to be celebrating science, technology, and innovation. The front area of the park, formerly known as Future World, used to contain many attractions that attempted to educate and entertain simultaneously. Some attractions, like Living with the Land, still do that. Spaceship Earth, the ride with the iconic dome, reminds guests that this experience will not be about major thrills like a traditional amusement park. In the present day, Epcot is divided into four distinct neighborhoods. They are World Celebration, World Nature, World Discovery, and the World Showcase. The first three worlds used to be known as Future World.

World Showcase at Epcot

The back area of the park, assuming you enter through the main entrance, celebrates the international culture and cuisine of the global community. This 1.3-mile-long lakefront path connects 11 country-themed pavilions. The World Showcase consists of 11 pavilions based on different countries. Each of these “countries” features merchandise locations, dining experiences, and often cultural representatives from the specific country. This enhances the theme park experience. The countries featured in the World Showcase area are:

• Mexico
• Norway
• China
• Germany
• Italy
• The American Adventure
• Japan
• Morocco
• France
• United Kingdom
• Canada

A journey around the World Showcase area of EPCOT allows guests to enjoy many aspects of different cultures. In addition, the ability to enjoy cuisines in snack, quick service, and table service variety. As a result, many people think of Epcot as the “food and beverage” Walt Disney World theme park.  Later, we will suggest that another Disney theme park should own that title.

Epcot – the Festival Disney Theme Park

However, Epcot evolved into a food festival theme park. If your group loves food and drink, EPCOT makes an excellent theme park for your group. Most of the year involves a food festival happening at EPCOT. The current four festivals are:

• Festival of the Arts
• Flower and Garden Festival
• Food and Wine Festival
• Festival of the Holidays

The festivals involve special events and entertainment, including concerts. These festivals add life to Epcot and increase the weekend and evening crowds as more locals visit. They are also excellent opportunities for adults to drink their way around the “worlds” of Epcot, which gives it a reputation as a theme park for adults.

Luminous The Symphony of Us- Nighttime Show at Epcot

Epcot ends the evening with a nighttime spectacular on the lagoon in the World Showcase. The current nighttime show, Luminous the Symphony of Us, occurs each night around 9:00 p.m. This nighttime show features fireworks, fountains, music, and lights. Unlike Magic Kingdom, the nighttime show can be seen from a reasonable view and with fewer crowds since it takes place in the center of the lagoon in the World Showcase.

Epcot May Not Be Perfect for Everyone

Common criticisms of Epcot involve the theme park being tailored for adults with fewer kid options. Though this holds some truth, Epcot offers kids plenty to do. Still, Magic Kingdom easily wins in the kid category.

Also, due to Epcot’s size, guests should be prepared to take far more steps at Epcot than at the other Walt Disney World theme parks. The Friendship Boats will help with that. During daylight hours, guests can use them to leave the front area of the park to go to the other side of the World Showcase. However, those types of transportation do not function in most of Epcot. Epcot does not make a good Walt Disney World theme park to break in a new pair of shoes.

Nonetheless, the most common criticism we hear guests voice concerns attractions. While Epcot offers plenty of things to do, it lacks the number of traditional-style theme park attractions compared to Magic Kingdom. Epcot also has a few thrill rides. Except for Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, Test Track, and Mission: Space, EPCOT contains little that passes as a thrill ride. With Mission: Space not being highly rated, Test Track currently being transformed in a lengthy refurbishment (reopening in 2025), and Cosmic Rewind lacking a standard queue entrance system, guests looking for thrills might want to prioritize one of the other Walt Disney World theme parks.

However, a theme park day at Epcot focuses on the overall experience. The unique nature of Epcot shows how deciding the best Disney World theme park presents becomes a debatable issue.

Best Disney World Theme Park: Disney’s Hollywood Studios?

In contrast to Epcot, Disney’s Hollywood Studios provides thrill ride fans plenty to do. In fairness, the thrills do not reach the level over at Universal Orlando Resort. Still, Disney’s Hollywood Studios contains plenty of theme park thrills. However, guests need to plan for waiting in several queues to reach those thrills.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios is the third oldest theme park at Walt Disney World. It opened in 1989 in a race between Disney and Universal to open the first “movie studio”-based park in Florida. For the record, Universal Studios Florida opened in 1990.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios has gone from being a theme park with a working movie and television studio to a place to celebrate films and television. When it opened, it was called Disney’s MGM Studios. However, over time, the themes and intellectual property used changed.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios went from being a place to celebrate all aspects of movies and entertainment to a theme park with significant intellectual properties, creating the basis of some of the most popular rides at any theme park. With the groundbreaking Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance attraction, Disney’s Hollywood Studios drew far larger crowds than before. This park became known for its popular attractions.

With the addition of the Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge area and Toy Story Land over the last six or seven years, Disney’s Hollywood Studios became a new type of theme park.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios is About the Rides

Disney’s Hollywood Studios offers shows, character interaction, and other standard features of a major theme park. Still, people who declare this the best Disney World theme park stress the rides. With newer rides like Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway, Disney’s Hollywood Studios wins the best Disney World theme park for those looking for the highest concentration of modern rides.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios offers some of the best options if you are looking for well-done theme park attractions. The percentage of thrill rides is higher at Disney’s Hollywood Studios than at the other three Walt Disney World theme parks. Since many of these well-done, thrilling attractions have become extremely popular, the queues at Disney’s Hollywood Studios have become long no matter what time of year you visit. Disney’s Hollywood Studios feels like the busiest Walt Disney World theme park.

As a result, enjoying many of the attractions at Disney’s Hollywood Studios requires more planning. However, with the Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith and Star Tours—The Adventures Continue, in addition to the other rides previously mentioned, Disney’s Hollywood Studios provides the most theme park thrills at Walt Disney World.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios – More Than Thrills

That does not mean only thrill seekers should visit Disney’s Hollywood Studios. This theme park offers excellent shows, like the Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular. Hollywood and Vine serves character meals that are suitable for the entire family.

Also, Disney’s Hollywood Studios offers a fantastic nighttime show. This show, “Fantasmic!”, happens in a large outdoor stadium at this theme park. This show features water effects, light displays, special effects, and Mickey Mouse. During this show, the forces of good and evil engage in a classic battle inside Mickey Mouse’s dreams with many appearances from classic Disney villains. This show makes for a good experience. However, this will consume significant time waiting to enter the stadium towards the end of your theme park day. In addition, younger guests, already tired from a long theme park day, might be scared by some elements of the nighttime show.

Excellent Theme Park for Teens

However, in its current state, Disney’s Hollywood Studios makes an excellent choice for families with teens and young adults. Most of the attractions are ideal for teens and adults. Of course, when chatting with our theme park friends with younger children, they tell us that Disney’s Hollywood Studios works as a half-day park at best. They enjoy some of the Disney Jr. touches but fail to find enough to engage their children at Disney’s Hollywood Studios for the entire day.

When you add potential attraction wait times reaching close to two hours during busy days for the top attractions, Disney’s Hollywood Studios displays some weaknesses. Disney’s Hollywood Studios makes the best Disney World theme park if you want the most thrills at Walt Disney World. However, if you want to avoid long lines or have younger members in your group, then Disney’s Hollywood Studios will not be the best Disney World theme park for your group.

Best Disney World Theme Park: Disney’s Animal Kingdom?

In many ways, Animal Kingdom is Disney World’s best theme park. It contains spectacular rides, fantastic food, and plenty of unique experiences. Nonetheless, the overall theme of Disney’s Animal Kingdom makes it stand out among theme parks anywhere. This theme park functions as a zoo and theme park all at the same time.

As mentioned earlier, Disney’s Animal Kingdom sits on the most extensive acreage at Walt Disney World, with about 500 acres of land at this animal and conservation-focused Disney theme park.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom is devoted to educating people about wildlife and the natural world.  It hosts over 250 animal specials and 1700 animals. Guests can view many of these animals along with the theme park pathways and specially designed animal trails.

The signature attraction at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Kilimanjaro Safaris, takes guests on a journey to view many of the park’s animals. While on board the Kilimanjaro Safaris attraction, guests get up close to lions, monkeys, giraffes, zebras, tortoises, and more.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom Rides

 

Disney’s Animal Kingdom lacks the impressive number of rides that Magic Kingdom provides. Still, some of Disney’s best rides are found here. For example, many Disney roller coaster fans love Expedition Everest. Even though it is several years old now, Avatar: Flight of Passage continues to draw many people to experience the technology of this ride.

Excellent Shows at Disney’s Animal Kingdom

Disney’s Animal Kingdom hosts two of the best shows in Walt Disney World theme parks. The “Festival of the Lion King” rates as one of the best theme park shows by most guests. It features a Broadway-style performance with Disney animatronics. Did we mention the “tumble monkeys” in that show? Also, “Finding Nemo: The Big Blue…and Beyond” combines the Disney music we love with elaborate puppets.

Best Walt Disney World Theme Park Dining- Disney’s Animal Kingdom

Disney’s Animal Kingdom provides some excellent dining options. Sure, not everything at Disney’s Animal Kingdom counts as great dining. However, one of the best quick service dining options, Satu’li Canteen, can be found in the Pandora area of this theme park.

The combination of Nomad Lounge and Tiffins Restaurant elevates the theme park dining at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. For many Disney visitors, Nomad Lounge provides a must-do experience. Tiffins Restaurant, located next door, offers diners some of the best dining at Walt Disney World, including the resort hotels and Disney Springs.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom – A Half-day Theme Park?

However, Disney’s Animal Kingdom often gets accused of being a half-day theme park. This usually comes from people wanting more rides at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. This park offers plenty of musical entertainment and smaller shows for guests to enjoy as they traverse Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Still, that does not always lead to ideal guest satisfaction. This theme park does lack a Disney-level dark ride. That may be solved with the planned addition of the “Tropical Americas” area, eventually replacing “Dinoland U.S.A.” at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

Still, Disney’s Animal Kingdom makes a more relaxing theme park day at Walt Disney World. Guests will welcome a more relaxed theme park day for a more extended vacation in the Orlando area. With the higher-quality dining options, a slower-paced day becomes even more enjoyable. Nevertheless, guests with only a limited amount of time at Walt Disney World should probably consider the other theme Walt Disney World theme parks.

No Nighttime Show at Disney’s Animal Kingdom

In contrast to the other three Walt Disney World theme parks, Disney’s Animal Kingdom does not have a nighttime show. Although some nighttime shows have been conducted at Disney’s Animal Kingdom in the past, none have been overly successful.

On a positive note, Disney’s Animal Kingdom opens earlier than the other Walt Disney World theme parks. This makes it an ideal theme park to start your day if you are an early riser. However, it also closes earlier than the other Disney World theme parks.

Based on the earlier opening time, Disney’s Animal Kingdom could make a superb place to start your day if you plan to park-hop to another Walt Disney World theme park later in the same day. Of course, you will need an annual pass or a park hopper ticket to do this. Park Hopper tickets cost more than the standard day tickets, so bear that in mind as you plan.

Many guests love Disney’s Animal Kingdom. However, we doubt most people will list it as the best Disney World theme park. For those who have only a short time to visit Disney’s Animal Kingdom, this theme park does not make the perfect choice for the best Disney World theme park.

If you do not regularly visit Walt Disney World or it is your first visit, Disney’s Animal Kingdom does not win the battle of the best Disney World theme park. Despite that, the overall theme looks and feels magnificent at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

Best Disney World Theme Park: Which One Is It for You?

Deciding which Walt Disney World theme park is best depends on your group. Nevertheless, most groups will view Magic Kingdom as the best park. Nonetheless, the other three Walt Disney World theme parks have much to offer. Epcot is the best theme park for adults. Disney’s Hollywood Studios has the best thrill rides and is the best park for teens. Also, Disney’s Animal Kingdom has the best overall theming, the best dining, and a great place to relax.

Need Help With That Next Walt Disney World Vacation?

The experts at Pixie Vacations have provided travel advice and services for many years. They can point you to the best Walt Disney World theme parks for your visit to the Orlando area. Remember, their services are free to you. You can get a free quote from their website. Enjoy planning your next Orlando area vacation!