Who doesn’t love a fun ranking post?

And we use highly scientific calculations behind our rankings, like unquestionable measurements of cuteness, magical, quaint, cozy, fun, and thrilling. You know, those irrefutable, concrete assessments, and we’re applying that laser-focused scrutiny to every single Disney Park.

In all seriousness, every ranking post is subjective and items that rank high on our list may not be top priority for you. But we’ve peppered in some fun facts and our collective years (dare we say, even DECADES) of Disney Park trips to help bring you this list!

But, of course, it wouldn’t be us if we didn’t give you a few provisos, some fine print, or basic parameters.

There are twelve Disney parks in the world across six different resorts. Walt Disney World also has two water parks—Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach—but we aren’t counting those in this post. There are four parks that make up Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida (Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, EPCOT, and Hollywood Studio’s); two parks that make up Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California (Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure); two parks that make up Disneyland Paris (Disneyland and Walt Disney Studios), one park each in Hong Kong and Shanghai in China, and two parks that comprise the Tokyo Disney Resort (Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo Disney Sea).

This post is going to break down some of the attributes that each park has, but it is not an exhaustive analysis of EACH park (because that would be a book!). So, to manage your expectations, we’re highlighting each park (what each does really well, or struggles with) to provide a ranking based on the overall experience you can expect to have at each park. This could change seasonally (as parks tend to have super fun seasonal festivals or celebrations), but to keep it all as even as possible, we’re strictly looking at the park and its components.

What did we consider?

• Attractions/Shows
• Operations & Guest Service
• Dining Quality
• Crowd Level
• Theme

And now, without further ado, we’ll start at the bottom and work our way up!

Walt Disney Studios Park (France)

Hong Kong Disneyland (China)

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Shanghai Disneyland (China)

Shanghai Disneyland is ambitious. The park was the origin of TRON Lightcycle Power Run. It is also the home of Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle for the Sunken Treasure, and what could be under-the-radar Disney’s best attraction worldwide, Challenge Trails. Unique from other castle parks, which mostly recycle lands and designs, Shanghai dared to be bold and different with a hyper-modernized Tomorrowland and an entirely new land, Treasure Cove.

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Disney California Adventure (California)

Disney’s California Adventure has had a bit of an identity crisis since its opening. For over a decade, Disney has been slow-rolling the “new and improved” version of this park. It was met with confusion, low crowds, and lower profits as folks questioned why someone would visit a theme park about the icons of California in California, instead of just visiting California.

The most recent addition is Avengers Campus, which includes the previously-reimagined Guardians of the Galaxy – MISSION: Breakout and newcomer Web Slingers: A Spider-Man Adventure. Both are fun additions, as is the land itself, which though low on attractions, has some of the highest character population in any Disney park.

We’ve enjoyed watching California Adventure evolve and carve out its identity, as confusing as it is. And are anxiously anticipating new additions recently announced, like the San Fransokyo area coming soon to the Pacific Wharf area.

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EPCOT (Florida)

Just as California Adventure has been an ongoing project of reinvention, so has EPCOT. The long-term project to revitalize EPCOT has been ongoing for six years but has brought with it some fun new additions like the new dining experience Space 220 and the super popular thrills of Guardians of the Galaxy: Comic Rewind. And more is still to be completed and opened, including Moana’s Journey of Water later in 2023.

World Showcase is still gorgeous and offers some of Disney’s best ambiance and photogenic backgrounds, anywhere. Spaceship Earth remains an awe-inspiring icon and pretty good attraction. Some Future World pavilions remain solid, and almost all of the restaurants here have reopened and even a new addition coming soon, Shiki-Sai, a sushi pub in the Japan Pavilion.

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Animal Kingdom (Florida)

If we were ranking parks solely on theme and immersion, this park would win (or at least tie for first). And like Shanghai, Animal Kingdom breaks the mold in terms of creativity and Imagineering, but excels in these areas; it falls a little short on in terms of substance. But even with its minimal ride options, there is a justification for it within the theming. At Animal Kingdom, it’s not just about thrills and rides. It’s about connecting with nature, appreciating stunning animals and unique creatures, and learning about conservation efforts to support a thriving environment for everyone on the planet. A beautiful story that invites guests to “sip and savor” their experience — not “gulp.”

While the animal exhibits, walk-through attractions, and even entertainment are second to none, Animal Kingdom could use more on the ‘traditional attraction’ end of the spectrum. Expedition Everest was a start, and Pandora furthered this, but that’s still only 3 high-profile rides since the park opened. Animal Kingdom could still use a few family-friendly dark rides. Perhaps the teased Moana and Zootopia additions will be just what Animal Kingdom needs to round out the ride roster.

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Hollywood Studios (Florida)

Disney Hollywood Studios has seen a massive glow-up in the last few years. The additions of Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway and the reimagined Fantasmic really boosted the family-friendly value of this otherwise thrill-seekers park. And we’re hoping Hollywood Studios doesn’t stop there because this park could really use another dark ride or two–or at least reimagined versions of its long-running stage shows that would be more popular with guests.

But that doesn’t diminish the additions of Toy Story Land, Grand Avenue, and Lightning McQueen’s Racing Academy, which have really proven to be great options for families and tykes alike.

The most important addition remains Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and its mega E-Ticket Rise of the Resistance, which lives up to every bit of the hype and is tied for the #1 attraction (out of 88!) at Walt Disney World, and batting up next in the attraction line up is Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run, another strong addition.

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Magic Kingdom (Florida)

If we can rank Animal Kingdom #1 in terms of theme, then Magic Kingdom comes in #1 in terms of nostalgia. Aside from the opening of New Fantasyland in 2012, Magic Kingdom has rested on her laurels for the better part of a decade. But with the long-awaited opening of TRON / Lightcycle Run in Spring 2023 and the promise of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure coming in 2024, there is still some life and innovation at work in Magic Kingdom.

And, of course, there are the tried-and-true classics like Country Bear Jamboree, Hall of Presidents, Carousel of Progress, and the Peoplemover. Magic Kingdom doesn’t top the list, but it’s up there. And with whispers of new lands inspired by Villains, Encanto, and Coco, we’re keeping an eye on this park!

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Disneyland Paris (France)

Disneyland Paris is in the throngs of celebrating its 30th Anniversary and is using this milestone to get back on track with major refurbishments to key attractions. That list includes extensive reimaginings of Pirates of the Caribbean and Phantom Manor, France’s take on Haunted Mansion. Disneyland Paris is still a work in progress but looks better than ever.

The design of Disneyland Paris was inspired by romantic fairy tales and real-life castles of its European setting, and this unique feature makes it one of the top parks in the world. This park wins the beauty category, but is still a step or two behind the other castle parks in terms of attractions. It has arguably the best Disney castle in the world (complete with a dragon in the dungeons!).

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Disneyland (California)

Disneyland is the original park. The one that started it all, the one that inspires the rest. Disneyland walked, so every other park on this list could soar. Walt Disney walked the streets, gazed through the windows, and saw his vision come to life in this park — so that counts for something! Though Magic Kingdom has a duplicate of practically every attraction and the gift of space, when comparing each park’s attraction side-by-side, the version in Disneyland just has a little something extra, a certain ” je ne sais quoi.”

Disneyland has adjectives that describe it, like charming, intimate, and cozy, and is filled with the spirit of whimsy and tradition. It is also the home to some unique attractions like Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, Alice in Wonderland, Indiana Jones Adventure, and Hyperspace Mountain.

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Tokyo Disneyland (Japan)

When it comes to the attraction lineup, Tokyo Disneyland tops the charts. It offers the iconic options of the Magic Kingdom and Disneyland, and somehow takes them to a new level. In addition to an impressive lineup of classics, Tokyo Disneyland also has multiple headliners of its own in Pooh’s Hunny Hunt, Monsters Inc. Ride and Go Seek, and Enchanted Tale of Beauty and the Beast.

But Tokyo Disneyland didn’t make its way to the top of the list just by stacking up the attractions. The snacks, souvenirs, and entertainment here are truly standout. You might be able to justify the price of the plane ticket just by the unique popcorn buckets and snacks, alone!

Tokyo Disney Sea (Japan)

While many of the international parks are modeled off of one of the American versions, Tokyo Disney Sea is truly a unique offering, unseen anywhere else and worthy of being a destination park and earning this number 1 spot! The closures from 2020 and the slow return has taken a toll on Tokyo Disney Sea, but it still remains the top Disney Park in the world.

It excels on so many levels, great versions of classic attractions, unbelievable quality in all dining options (including quick service), top-notch entertainment, some of the best Cast Members in the industry, and the unique attractions available, like Sinbad’s Storybook Voyage.

So, there you have it! All 12 Disney parks RANKED! It’s always fun to analyze what we like about each park, what we’ve enjoyed, and things that we’ve noticed that could use some improvement or provides an opportunity for change. Keep following DFB for more fun posts about Disney Parks and other travel information!

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What do you think of our ranking? Have you been to ALL of the Disney Parks in the world? Give us YOUR ranking in the comments below!