Which amusement park is the BEST in the United States?
Disneyland
If you’re on our page, we’re sure your mind goes straight to a Disney park. Maybe you’re a fan of the classics, like Disneyland Park, or maybe you enjoy being able to travel to different countries without a real passport in EPCOT. We’ve seen many different ranking of amusement parks in the past, and now another list is out — but the number 1 spot might surprise you!
The number 1 amusement park in the United States is… *drumroll please*
…Dollywood!
©Dollywood
That’s right, Dollywood, the theme park named after (and partially owned by) the iconic Dolly Parton, was voted the number 1 amusement park in America on Tripadvisor’s Travelers’ Choice Best of the Best awards 2o22, according to The Orlando Sentinel. The park is located in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee and is known for its thrill rides, comfort food, and it’s tributes to Dolly Parton, of course.
©Dollywood
There were some Disney parks on the list, though! Magic Kingdom took the number 3 spot, Disneyland Park was ranked number 11, Hollywood Studios was number 12, Blizzard Beach water park was 13, and Typhoon Lagoon water park was 18.
Magic Kingdom
Universal had 3 of its parks rank in the top 5 — Islands of Adventure was number 2, Universal Studios Hollywood was number 4, and Universal Studios Florida was number 5.
Hogwarts
The ranking factors in quality and quantity of traveler reviews and ratings, and ranks the best in categories including attractions, beaches, destinations, airlines, restaurants, and experiences, according to The Orlando Sentinel.
Disney’s Hollywood Studios
This isn’t the first time Disney parks have been kept out of the top spots in these kinds of lists. Back in May, SeaWorld Orlando was named the Best Theme Park in the United States based on a USA Today online popularity poll. Disney AND Universal parks didn’t even make it into the top 10 on that list.
©SeaWorld Orlando
We also recently saw a ranking of the best theme park restaurants in the United States. Universal Orlando’s Confisco Grille snagged the number 1 spot, while Disney World’s Yak and Yeti at Animal Kingdom came in at number 2, and Magic Kingdom’s Be Our Guest was number 9.
Yak and Yeti Restaurant
As for the Tripadvisor list, we’re surprised EPCOT and Disney’s Animal Kingdom didn’t even make the list! People like Blizzard Beach more than EPCOT?! That’s definitely not something we expected.
Blizzard Beach
We’ll be on the lookout for more lists like these so we can see how Disney ranks! So, stay tuned to DFB for more news and updates.
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Which American amusement or water park would you rank number 1? Tell us in the comments!
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As akways, rankings like this are not to be taken too seriously.
For example, as much as I like Yak and Yeti, Tiffins is even better by any objective criteria.
Also, Yak and Yeti has gone somewhat downhill since joining the Landry group.
In particular customers who are not members of Landry are not as welcome as those who are, and the hosts make that perfectly clear.
I have to say I’m not surprised.
going to the parcs has become complicated, you need technologie with batteries and it has killed spontaneity.
It’s a shame but it is what it is🤷♀️
My family and I love Dollywood. We live about 30 minutes away. Lots of good shows, rides and food all year!
Well that is a surprise! I’ve been to DollyWood several times, and though it’s nice (it’s a revamped Silver Dollar City) I wouldn’t put it above any of the Disney parks, or the Universal parks for that matter… The best thing about DW is the food. There are a few new coasters that are good (maybe a bit too intense for me) but last time I was there, a few of the old SDC rides were still running (and definitely showing their age).
Perhaps the writing is on the wall. After the “pandemic rush” to get out is over, the demand (as Mr. Chapek puts it) will steadily decrease and Disney will long for their lost loyal following. Word of mouth will spread through out the world about the extreme high cost of a Disney vacation and as the cost may come down…no one will care.
I take Trip Advisor, Yelp, etc., with a grain of salt. I recently looked restaurants in a city with many good ones, and Quizno’s was ranked number one. There’s nothing wrong with Quiznos, but . . . And BTW. I regularly post to Trip Advisor with my reviews scoring more than 200,000 reads- still, not always credible, not sure what their algorithm is.
Do you think it’s due to the $$$ or content?
I have been to Dollywood. Nice enough, but really can’t compete with Disney World for attractions, shows, restaurants, etc. My guess is that dissatisfaction with Disney World is stemming from the overpricing and money gouging that is currently happening there. While Universal and Dollywood haven’t raised their prices exorbitantly, as Disney has, customers still feel they are getting a good value at these parks. This WILL eventually come back to bite Disney.
Disney is dying under its current leadership. It’s no longer about entertainment its about corporate greed and politics
We are going to Dollywood this week. It us z as nice park, but these rankings are deceptive. First of all, to be realistic, WDW should be one park. Same with Universal. Then when you see all that WDW has to offer compared to a park like Dollywood or Hershey, it becomes obvious