Disney World is a popular park that visitors come from all over the world to experience.
Cinderella Castle in Magic Kingdom
While each of its four main parks has its fans, Magic Kingdom is undeniably special to a ton of folks. From watching Mickey and Minnie perform in front of Cinderella Castle to enjoying a DOLE Whip in Adventureland, there are some iconic experiences to be had within the park. But, just how popular is this park compared to others around the country? You might be surprised to find out that it’s not the top-ranking park in the US!
A new study conducted by Westgate Palace Hotel at Universal analyzed theme parks’ popularity through three key factors: Instagram hashtags, monthly Google search volume, and the percentage of ‘excellent’ reviews on TripAdvisor.
Magic Kingdom
After giving each an index score, they found that the number one spot (with a score of 91.1) actually went to Universal Islands of Adventure! Of the park’s 52,310 reviews from park-goers, 74% fall under the “excellent” rating — the highest rating in not only Florida but the entire United States.
Universal Orlando
Magic Kingdom, with an index score of 90.4, narrowly missed out on the top spot. The park is the most visited park in Florida, however, amassing over 17 million visitors in 2022 alone. It’s also rated as the most Instagrammable — which we can’t really argue with.
Cinderella Castle
The study also had a few Disney other parks in the top ten. Disney California Adventure placed third and Disney’s Animal Kingdom placed sixth. The top ten spots are as follows:
- Universal Islands of Adventure — Orlando, Florida
- Magic Kingdom — Orlando, Florida
- Disney California Adventure — Anaheim, California
- Cedar Point — Sandusky, Ohio
- Silver Dollar City — Stone County, Missouri
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom — Orlando, Florida
- Universal Studios Hollywood — Los Angeles, California
- Disneyland Park — Anaheim, California
- Dollywood — Pigeon Forge, Tennessee
- Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Water Park — Orlando, Florida
Who do you think should have won the top spot? Let us know in the comments below, and as always, stay tuned to DFB for more!
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Uhhh, EPCOT! Why isn’t it even on the list?
Did I read that right? It was conducted by a hotel at Universal? Would they really have put anything Disney related at the top?
I find it hard to believe that Epcot and Hollywood Studios didn’t rate higher than some of the names on that list. It must have been conducted with roller coaster enthusiasts or people that prefer mainstream amusement parks. And how is Typhoon Lagoon even in the same category?
These are just survey numbers and opinions, not real hard numbers like actual attendance and ticket sales.
Not surprised. Disney did this to themselves. Universal is giving Disney a serious run for their money especially with Epic coming in 2025!