There are hundreds of theme parks all over the world, varying massively in both quality and popularity. The USA remains the leading theme park market, and is the home turf of giants Disney and Universal. Asia, though, is emerging as a hotspot for thrill-seekers, while Europe continues to offer some outstanding attractions.
Every year, the Themed Entertainment Association releases a report on attendance figures at theme parks across the globe. In this article, we take a look at the 50 most popular theme parks in the world, based on visitor numbers in 2014.
You can find detailed guides to many of the parks below, as well as dozens of others, in our extensive theme park guide section.
50. Fantawild Adventure
Location: Wuhu, China
2013 attendance: 2.20 million
2014 attendance: 2.25 million (up 2.20%)
There are now 12 theme parks operating as part of the Fantawild chain in China, making it a huge player in one of the theme park industry’s most important emerging markets. Although the parks don’t quite match the popularity of their Happy Valley competitors, the most popular – Fantawild Adventure in Wuhu – comes close.
The park is divided into an ambitious fifteen zones, and its line-up of attractions includes four roller coasters. It’s a less impressive selection than some other Chinese parks (all of the coasters are manufactured by local firm Golden Horse), but the colorful, Disney-lite theming makes this park worth a visit.
Don’t miss: Vesuvius Volcano is Fantawild’s take on Big Thunder Mountain, and while the ride hardly compares to Disney’s classic, there is some fairly nice rockwork to look at on the way.
49. Happy Valley Shanghai
Location: Shanghai, China
2013 attendance: 2.27 million
2014 attendance: 2.36 million (up 4.0%)
Although it now faces many competitors, Happy Valley has established itself as a huge chain of theme parks in China. Happy Valley Shanghai was the fourth park in the chain to open, back in August 2009. It is located around 40 kilometres from downtown Shanghai, giving it a huge potential audience.
The park claims to contain more than 100 attractions, split across seven themed zones. It hosts no fewer than seven roller coasters, some of them manufactured by respected names such as Intamin and Bolliger & Mabillard.
Don’t miss: Diving Coaster is a Bolliger & Mabillard Dive Machine, identical in design to SheiKra at Busch Gardens Tampa.
48. Six Flags Mexico
Location: Mexico City, Mexico
2013 attendance: 2.35 million
2014 attendance: 2.37 million (up 1.0%)
Six Flags’ only amusement park in Latin America has developed into one of the largest and most successful in the region. It includes versions of popular rides from the chain’s US parks, such as The Dark Knight coaster.
Don’t miss: Superman el Último Escape, the tallest, fastest and longest roller coaster in Latin America.
47. Alton Towers
Location: Alton, Staffordshire, England
2013 attendance: 2.50 million
2014 attendance: 2.58 million (up 3.0%)
The UK’s most popular theme park, Alton Towers is situated in the grounds of a semi-derelict gothic country house in Staffordshire. The park is huge, covering some 500 acres, although its attractions are concentrated in a few themed areas on different sides of the estate’s famous gardens and woodland. As well as seven major roller coasters, the park includes several dark rides, an assortment of flat rides and an increasing number of attractions aimed at younger guests.
Although the park performed well in 2014, a serious crash on The Smiler roller coaster which led to life-changing injuries for several riders caused attendance to plummet in 2015, so don’t expect Alton Towers to appear in next year’s list.
Don’t miss: Nemesis is a masterpiece of attraction design, with the inverted coaster racing around an enormous pit excavated in the Staffordshire countryside.
46. Happy Valley Chengdu
Location: Chengdu, China
2013 attendance: 2.56 million
2014 attendance: 2.58 million (up 0.8%)
The third park in the Happy Valley chain opened in January 2009. It features the usual array of themed areas and thrill rides, including several roller coasters from Dutch manufacturer Vekoma.
Don’t miss: Fly Over Mediterranean, an Intamin mega-lite coaster that hits a top speed of 53 miles per hour.
45. Busch Gardens Williamsburg
Location: Williamsburg, Virginia, USA
2013 attendance: 2.73 million
2014 attendance: 2.70 million (down 1.0%)
Formerly known as Busch Gardens: The Old Country and Busch Gardens Europe, Busch Gardens Williamsburg is sub-divided into a number of themed lands, each of which is based on a European country (with the exception of New France, which represents French Canada). The park is renowned for two things: immersive theming, and its line-up of major roller coasters. Apollo’s Chariot is frequently ranked among the best roller coasters in the world, while the Curse of DarKastle dark ride is regarded as one of the best of its type outside a Disney or Universal park.
Don’t miss: The secrets of Germany’s Black Forest come to life in the multi-launch family coaster Verbolten. With impressive special-effects and unimaginable scenery, a tandem ride through the woods turns sinister thanks to snarling vines and a first-in-America secret hidden in a dark showbuilding.
44. Gardaland
Location: Castelnuovo del Garda, Italy
2013 attendance: 2.7 million
2014 attendance: 2.75 million (up 1.9%)
Gardaland opened to the public in July 1975, with a gradual period of expansion taking place over the proceeding decades. Magic Mountain, the park’s first major roller coaster, debuted in 1985. 1998 saw the introduction of the Space Vertigo drop tower, the Flying Island observation tower, the Blue Tornado roller coaster and the Jungle Rapids water ride. The park was acquired by Merlin Entertainments Group, which owns other European theme parks such as Alton Towers and Heide Park, in 2006.
Don’t miss: Raptor, the first Bolliger & Mabillard Wing Rider roller coaster in the world. Riders are seated on either side of the track in a “winged” formation, held in place by over-the-shoulder harnesses which are designed not to be too restrictive.
43. Six Flags Great Adventure
Location: Jackson, New Jersey, USA
2013 attendance: 2.8 million
2014 attendance: 2.8 million
Opened at a cost of $10 million in 1974, the Great Adventure complex originally consisted of two separate, but related parks: the child-friendly Enchanted Forest and a drive-through safari. In 1977, it was purchased by Six Flags, which set about adding large-scale attractions such as the Rolling Thunder wooden coaster and Roaring Rapids water ride.
Throughout the 1990s, Six Flags Great Adventure remained a relatively minor park in the chain, but this changed dramatically with the construction of the record-breaking Kingda Ka roller coaster in 2005.
Don’t miss: The enduringly popular El Toro opened in 2006, earning the park its current status as a magnet for coaster enthusiasts.
42. Six Flags Magic Mountain
Location: Santa Clarita, California, USA
2013 attendance: 2.91 million
2014 attendance: 2.85 million (down 2.0%)
One of the flagship parks in the Six Flags chain, Six Flags Magic Mountain has more roller coasters than any theme park on the planet (19). Located in Santa Clarita, California, it is heavily focused on thrill rides, although two children’s areas (Whistlestop Park and Bugs Bunny World) do offer a handful of kids’ attractions. Among the park’s biggest hitters are the X2 fourth-dimension coaster, the enormous Goliath hypercoaster and the 400-foot drop tower Lex Luthor: Drop of Doom.
Don’t miss: Full Throttle features record-breaking 160-foot loop. It also boasts a number of other unique elements, including a “top hat” element that spans the other side of the loop, and a total of three launch sections.
41. Liseberg
Location: Gothenburg, Sweden
2013 attendance: 2.86 million
2014 attendance: 3.1 million (up 8.1%)
Perched on the top of a hill in the middle of Gothenburg, Liseberg has a distinctive Scandinavian feel. Over the last 10 years, considerable investments have been made in the park, allowing it to complement its traditional line-up with an impressive roster of new rides. The tiny Intamin accelerator Kanonen, an S&S Screaming Swing and the new AtmosFear drop tower are just some of the selection. The park added a major new coaster, Helix, for the 2014 season, leading to a huge attendance boost.
Don’t miss: Lisebergbanan, a Zierer-Schwarzkopf mine train, winds over hills and under other rides.
40. Hersheypark
Location: Hershey, Pennsylvania, United States
2013 attendance: 3.18 million
2014 attendance: 3.21 million (up 1.0%)
Originally opened in the early 20th century as little more than a picnic area for Hershey employees, Hersheypark gradually expanded into a full-blown amusement park. Although it suffered a period of decline in the 1960s, it was revived in the 1970s and has grown in popularity ever since. A series of major investments in the 1990s and 2000s helped to establish it as one of America’s leading regional theme parks. More recently, the park spent some $25 million on installing a towering new roller coaster, Skyrush, for the 2012 season.
Don’t miss: By far the oldest coaster at Hersheypark, the Comet was built in 1946 by Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters. It features a 96-foot first drop, and a series of further hills and drops.
39. Kings Island
Location: Mason, Ohio, USA
2013 attendance: 3.21 million
2014 attendance: 3.24 million (up 1.0%)
In 1969, the owners of Cincinnati’s Coney Island amusement park sold it to the Taft Broadcasting Company. Eager to expand, the firm relocated the park to a new 1,600-acre site in 1972, although much of this acreage has since been sold off. Helped by appearances on “The Partridge Family” and “The Brady Bunch”, the park proved to be an instant success – even spawning a sister park, Kings Dominion. A spell under the ownership of Paramount Parks led to addition of a number of movie-themed rides, but the takeover by Cedar Fair in 2006 saw many of these returned to a vanilla state.
Don’t miss: Wooden coaster The Beast is notable for its terrain-hugging layout, with only its two lift hills visible from within the park.
38. Cedar Point
Location: Sandusky, Ohio, USA
2013 attendance: 3.38 million
2014 attendance: 3.25 million (down 4.0%)
The flagship park of the Cedar Fair chain, Cedar Point is second only to Lake Compounce as the oldest operating amusement park in the US. While its rides can’t compete with Disney or Universal in the theming stakes, it has a staggeringly large number of them – more than 70 in total. These are spread across several lightly-themed “midway” areas, along with three separate children’s areas (two of which are themed around the Peanuts characters). The park’s roller coaster line-up is world-renowned, and includes fan favorites Top Thrill Dragster, Millenium Force and Maverick. 2013 saw the addition of B&M Wing Rider GateKeeper, helping to boost attendance, which fell back in 2014.
Don’t miss: The much-heralded roller coaster that finally conquered the 300-foot height mark, Millennium Force is still proclaimed as one of the best roller coasters on Earth.
37. Happy Valley Shenzhen
Location: Shenzhen, China
2013 attendance: 3.28 million
2014 attendance: 3.3 million (up 0.6%)
The first park in the popular Happy Valley chain threw open its gates in 1998. It boasts a total of nine themed areas, including an on-site water park. The park is home to a variety of roller coasters and thrill rides.
Don’t miss: Bullet Coaster, an S&S Worldwide creation that features a compressed air launch.
36. Happy Valley Beijing
Location: Beijing, China
2013 attendance: 3.1 million
2014 attendance: 3.34 million
The second park to open in the Happy Valley chain, the Beijing version hosts a range of themed areas, more than 40 rides, a seven-screen IMAX theater and a shopping complex.
Don’t miss: Crystal Wing, a Bolliger & Mabillard Flying Coaster with an identical layout to Six Flags’ Superman: Ultimate Flight coasters in the US.
35. Chimelong Paradise
Location: Guangzhou, China
2013 attendance: 3.20 million
2014 attendance: 3.35 million (up 4.7%)
Opened in 2006, Chimelong Paradise bills itself as the largest amusement park in China. It boasts a total of more than 60 attractions and can handle as many as 50,000 guests a day.
Don’t miss: The aptly-named 10 Inversion Roller Coaster was the first of a number of clones of Thorpe Park’s Colossus to be installed at theme parks around the world (two more are currently under construction). It features exactly the same layout (with 10 inversions), and – of course – is also manufactured by Intamin.
34. PortAventura
Location: Salou, Spain
2013 attendance: 3.4 million
2014 attendance: 3.5 million (up 2.9%)
One of Europe’s most popular theme park resorts, PortAventura boasts a wide array of rides and attractions, along with four hotels. The park features a variety of major thrill rides, including the innovative winged launch coaster Furius Baco, eight-inversion coaster Dragon Khan and 330-foot drop tower Hurakan Condor. Unlike many European parks, though, it places a heavy emphasis on theming as well as rides, and its six lands are intricately detailed. Kids are well served, too, by the Sesame Street-themed SésamoAventura area.
Don’t miss: Opened in 2012, Shambhala: Expedición al Himalaya towers some 249-feet over the Spanish theme park. The ride has become the tallest roller coaster in Europe, hitting a top speed of 83 miles per hour at the base of 255-feet first drop. It is themed around an expedition to the Himalayas, and features extensive theming including tunnels and water features.
33. Canada’s Wonderland
Location: Vaughan, Ontario, Canada
2012 attendance: 3.58 million
2013 attendance: 3.55 million (down 1.0%)
Canada’s Wonderland covers a 330-acre plot in Vaughan, within easy reach of Toronto. It is home to a huge number of attractions spread across lightly-themed lands, including a total of sixteen roller coasters. While thrill rides are very much top of the agenda, the park is also home to two sprawling areas dedicated to children, Planet Snoopy and KidZville.
Don’t miss: B&M’s first foray into the world of the 300 foot giga-coaster, Leviathan is named after mythology’s creature of the sea and sends riders sailing along seafoam track through twisted turns and over floating hills. It’s super-smooth with plentiful forces and unparalleled views of the park.
32. Window of the World
Location: Shenzhen, China
2012 attendance: 3.25 million
2013 attendance: 3.60 million (up 10.8%)
Window of the World recreates the world in miniature, featuring around 130 reproductions of famous landmarks. Think Legoland’s Miniland, but without the Lego.
Don’t miss: Recreations of the Eiffel Tower, the Taj Mahal and the Egyptian pyramids.
31. Knott’s Berry Farm
Location: Buena Park, California, USA
2013 attendance: 3.68 million
2014 attendance: 3.68 million
As its name suggests, Knott’s Berry Farm was originally just that: a berry farm owned by Walt Knott and his family. In 1934, the family began offering chicken dinners in an on-site restaurant, and a number of other attractions soon followed. The iconic Ghost Town was constructed during the 1940s, with an admission fee being introduced in 1968. Following the deaths of Walt and Cordelia Knott, their children sold the theme park to Cedar Fair in 1997. Since then, the focus has been on installing major roller coasters and thrill rides such as the towering Supreme Scream drop tower, with the Soak City water park also debuting in 1999.
Don’t miss: Silver Bullet is a Bolliger & Mabillard inverted roller coaster. Like other rides of its type, it sees guests boarding trains that are suspended underneath the coaster’s track.
30. Changzhou Dinosaur Park
Location: Changzhou, Jiangsu, China
2013 attendance: 3.6 million
2014 attendance: 3.7 million (up 2.8%)
Dubbed the “Eastern Jurassic Park”, Changzhou Dinosaur Park is home to a number of large dinosaur fossils. As well as a 20,000 square meter museum, it also home to a range of traditional theme park rides and a popular parade.
Don’t miss: Dinoconda, an S&S 4th Dimension roller coaster, opened in 2012 and includes 3 inversions.
29. OCT East
Location: Shenzhen, China
2013 attendance: 3.95 million
2014 attendance: 3.78 million (down 4.3%)
Overseas Chinese Town (OCT) East is one of China’s oldest theme park resorts, having opened in 1985. It actually consists of two sub-parks, Knight Valley and Tea Valley. The former hosts actual rides, while the latter is essentially a botanical garden.
In Knight Valley, guests board a funicular railway which carries them up a hillside that hosts the park’s major rides. These include a thinly-disguised clone of Tokyo DisneySea’s Journey to the Center of the Earth (here dubbed “4,000 Miles to Earth Center”), a log flume and a wooden roller coaster.
Don’t miss: Mountain Flyer, an impressive wooden coaster manufactured by US firm Great Coasters International.
28. SeaWorld San Diego
Location: San Diego, California, USA
2013 attendance: 4.31 million
2014 attendance: 3.79 million (down 12.0%)
SeaWorld San Diego offers the chain’s standard selection of live shows, interactive animal exhibits and large-scale theme park attractions. Located on Mission Bay, it is best known for its killer whale shows, and also offers performances starring sea lions, dolphins and even cats and dogs. While its selection of rides are on a slightly smaller scale than those at sister park SeaWorld Orlando, it is home to a rapids ride (Shipwreck Rapids), a water coaster (Journey to Atlantis) and a launch coaster (Manta).
The impact of the Blackfish documentary and surrounding controversies had a huge effect on attendance at the park in 2014.
Dont miss: Opened at SeaWorld San Diego in May 2012, Manta combines a traditional roller coaster with with elements of a water ride. While it features a similar theme to the Manta coaster at sister park SeaWorld Orlando, it offers an entirely different ride experience. Whereas the Florida park’s original uses a “flying” coaster system to simulate the gliding action of manta rays, the SeaWorld San Diego version utilises a launch system and incorporates giant screens showing images of rays other marine creatures.
27. Universal Studios Singapore
Location: Sentosa Island, Singapore
2013 attendance: 3.65 million
2014 attendance: 3.84 million (up 5.2%)
Universal Studios Singapore threw open its gates for the first time in March 2010. It suffered a difficult first year in operations, with Battlestar Galactica forced to close for much of it and Madagascar: A Crate Adventure failing to open at all (the boat ride eventually debuted in May 2011, some 14 months late). It hit its stride in 2011, though, with the debut of Transformers The Ride, and a number of significant new additions are planned for the next few years.
Don’t miss: Transformers The Ride: The Ultimate 3D Battle reuses the same dark ride system employed by The Amazing Adventures of Spider Man at Universal Orlando’s Islands of Adventure, combining real-world sets and effects with 3-D movie footage.
26. Busch Gardens Tampa
Location: Tampa, Florida, USA
2013 attendance: 4.09 million
2014 attendance: 4.13 million (up 1.0%)
Located around an hour’s drive from the theme park hotspot of Orlando, Busch Gardens Tampa sprawls across a massive 335-acre site. The park specialises in two things: roller coasters and animal exhibits. It has an impressive line-up of the former, with vertical drop coaster SheiKra and the multi-launch Cheetah Hunt being particularly popular.
Don’t miss: Leaping over the serengeti, slaloming among waterfall caverns, and launching alongside real cheetahs, Cheetah Hunt makes excellent use of terrain to create a roller coaster that’s thrilling, but accessible to a wide age range.
25. Walt Disney Studios
Location: Marne la Vallée, France
2013 attendance: 4.47 million
2014 attendance: 4.26 million (down 4.7%)
A second, studio-themed park was originally planned to open at the Disneyland Paris Resort in 1996. However, the resort’s financial problems ended that plan and it was only revived in a scaled-down form in time for Walt Disney Studios to open in 2002. Since then, Disney has continued to expand the park – adding the Toon Studio area in summer 2007, the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror later the same year and Toy Story Playland in 2010.
Don’t miss: Opened in 2014, Ratatouille: L’Aventure Totalement Toquée de Rémy sees guests “shrunk” down to the size of a rat. The ride begins in Gusteau’s restaurant, before taking riders on a wild chase through key scenes from the Pixar movie.
24. Efteling
Location: Kaatsheuvel, Netherlands
2013 attendance: 4.15 million
2014 attendance: 4.4 million (up 6.0%)
The largest theme park in Holland, Efteling boasts a large array of classic attractions along with a sprinkling of modern thrill rides. The heart of the park remains Sprookjesbos (the Fairytale Forest), and it features a number of enchanting, story-driven dark rides that will appeal to young children. Adults won’t feel left out, though, with the Flying Dutchman water coaster and Joris en de Draak wooden coaster offering pulse-racing excitement.
Don’t miss: Sprookjesbos (Fairytale Forest) is the oldest attraction at Efteling, and was originally designed by Dutch illustrator Anton Pieck. It features a variety of walkthrough scenes from famous fairytales, which are recreated in intricate detail.
23. Tivoli Gardens
Location: Copenhagen, Denmark
2013 attendance: 4.20 million
2014 attendance: 4.48 million (up 6.6%)
Having first opened in 1843, Tivoli Gardens is the second-oldest amusement park in the world. Originally named Tivoli & Vauxhall in a reference to gardens in Paris and London, it was located on land granted to Georg Carstensen by King Christmas VIII. Rides were a part of its offering from the very beginning, along with live entertainment and eating establishments. While many of its buildings were destroyed by Nazi sympathisers in 1943, the park still retains a number of historic structures and attractions. In recent years, it has invested in modern thrill rides, including floorless roller coaster Daemonen (The Demon).
Don’t miss: Daemonen (The Demon), an impressive Bolliger & Mabillard floorless roller coaster that packs three inversions into its relatively compact circuit.
22. SeaWorld Orlando
Location: Orlando, Florida, USA
2013 attendance: 5.09 million
2014 attendance: 4.68 million (down 8%)
Combining marine life exhibits and shows with a selection of major theme park rides, SeaWorld Orlando is located in Florida’s theme park hotspot. To compete effectively with giants Disney and Universal, it has installed multi-million dollar roller coasters Kraken and Manta, as well as the Journey to Atlantis water coaster.
The third park in the SeaWorld chain (after SeaWorld San Diego and the now-defunct SeaWorld Ohio), SeaWorld Orlando was expanded considerably following a takeover by Anheuser Busch in 1989. Now part of the broader SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment chain, it invested in another major expansion in 2013.
This had a short-term effect, but the larger impact of the negative publicity surrounding the Blackfish documentary had a devastating effect on attendance in 2014.
Don’t miss: Opened in May 2013, Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin is billed as “the world’s coldest theme park ride”. Using a trackless ride system, it offers a different experience every time, with guests disembarking into an ice cold penguin exhibit.
21. Europa Park
Location: Rust, Germany
2013 attendance: 4.9 million
2014 attendance: 5.0 million (up 2.0%)
Mack Rides first opened Europa Park in 1975, aiming to show off its newest ride models. As its roster of attractions has grown over the proceeding decades, the park has developed into a multi-day destination resort, and boasts five hotels and dozens of restaurants. Occasionally, Mack has allowed other manufacturers to encroach on its territory, adding the Bolliger & Mabillard hypercoaster Silver Star in 2002 and Great Coasters International’s wooden creation Wodan: Timbur Coaster in 2012.
Don’t miss: Blue Fire, a combination of a launched roller coaster and a dark ride. A towering vertical loop, a rare twisted horseshoe roll and a heartline roll feature in its circuit.
20. Chime-Long Ocean Kingdom
Location: Hengqin Island, China
2013 attendance: N/A
2014 attendance: 5.50 million
A completely new entry to this list, Chimelong Ocean Kingdom threw open its gates in January 2014. It is the flagship park of the Chimelong International Ocean Resort, which is aiming to become “the Orlando of China” – and some estimates have put the cost of building it at some $1.5 billion. It has proven to be an instant success, pulling in 5.5 million visitors in its debut year.
The park is a SeaWorld-style hybrid of a theme park and a marine life park. It is divided into eight themed areas, each of which represents a part of the ocean. The attractions range from an enormous $50 million “5-D” cinema with a 1,500m² curved screen to a Dolphin Conservation Centre with an underwater viewing area.
Don’t miss: The Parrot Coaster may have an underwhelming name, but it is an impressive Bolliger & Mabillard Wing Coaster featuring three inversions, two tunnels and a top speed of 67 miles per hour.
19. Nagashima Spa Land
Location: Kuwana, Japan
2013 attendance: 5.84 million
2014 attendance: 5.63 million (down 3.6%)
Nagashima Spa Land is home to a number of extreme thrill rides, as well as an adjoining water park. Like many of Japan’s theme parks, it juts out into the sea, providing an impressive backdrop for its line-up of coasters and other attractions.
One of the park’s biggest draws is the Aurora Wheel, an enormous ferris wheel that stands at an incredible 295 feet tall and offers views for miles around.
Don’t miss: The enormous Steel Dragon 2000 roller coaster, which hits a top speed of 95 miles per hour and reaches a height of 318 feet.
18. Songcheng Park
Location: Hangzhou, China
2013 attendance: 4.20 million
2014 attendance: 5.81 million (up 38.3%)
“Cultural theme park” Songcheng Park is one of the most popular stops on tours of the provincial capital of Zhejiang in eastern China. It was founded in 1996, aiming to emulate an ancient city in the Song Dynasty.
Don’t miss: By far the most popular attaction is live show Everlasting Love, which has welcomed some 30 million viewers so far. Performed in a 3,000-seater venue, it stars a cast of 400-500 people.
17. Universal Studios Hollywood
Location: Universal City, California, USA
2013 attendance: 6.15 million
2014 attendance: 6.82 million (up 11%)
The original movie studio theme park is still widely regarded as one of the best, and benefits from being attached to a world-class production facility. Universal Studios Hollywood first began offering tram tours of its backlot in 1964, building on walkthrough tours that started in the 1920s. Gradually, it installed additional attractions, culminating in the opening of a second “lot” in 1991.
The Upper and Lower Lots form two distinct sections of the park, which are joined by a series of escalators. Major attractions including Jurassic Park: The Ride, Revenge of the Mummy: The Ride and Transformers: The Ride – 3D can be found in the Lower Lot, while the Upper Lot hosts the famous Studio Tour.
Don’t miss: The Studio Tour may have been running for decades, but it still offers a stunning experience. It effectively packs multiple attractions into one lengthy 45-minute ride, culminating in an impressive “4-D” encounter with King Kong.
16. Everland
Location: Gyeonggi-Do, South Korea
2013 attendance: 7.30 million
2014 attendance: 7.38 million (up 1.1%)
South Korea’s largest theme park is operated by a subsidiary of the Samsung Group, and is also home to a zoo and a water park. Its attractions, which include several roller coasters, are spread across several themed lands, including European Adventure, Magic Land and American Adventure.
Among Everland’s biggest draws are Mystery Mansion, a Haunted Mansion-style shoot-em-up ride, a log flume and the Zoo-Topia animal exhibit area. Predictably given its owner, the park also hosts several robot-themed rides.
Don’t miss: T Express, one of the longest wooden roller coasters in the world at 5,838 feet.
15. Hong Kong Disneyland
Location: Hong Kong
2013 attendance: 7.40 million
2014 attendance: 7.50 million (up 1.4%)
Located on a patch of reclaimed land, Hong Kong Disneyland is based on the template of the original Disneyland in California. Guests enter via Main Street U.S.A., walking towards the iconic Sleeping Beauty Castle. From there, they can reach Fantasyland, Tomorrowland and Adventureland, all of which feature attractions that will be familiar to fans of Disney’s US parks. Toy Story Land hosts a handful of themed flat rides, while Grizzly Gulch is the park’s first unique offering and is headlined by the impressive Big Grizzly Mountain Runaway Mine Cars roller coaster.
Hong Kong Disneyland has struggled to meet its attendance targets, although visitors numbers have picked up in recent years. A major expansion plan was announced in 2009, with the first new land, Toy Story Land, opening in November 2011. A second, Grizzly Gulch, followed in 2012, with Mystic Point debuting in 2013. Unusually for a Disney park, all three new lands are located outside of the Hong Kong Disneyland Railroad track.
Don’t miss: Opened in 2013, Mystic Manor is a modern take on Disney’s classic Haunted Mansion. Boasting a trackless ride system and cutting-edge special effects, it is the envy of Disney fans all over the world.
14. Lotte World
Location: Seoul, South Korea
2013 attendance: 7.40 million
2014 attendance: 7.79 million (up 4.2%)
While it has sometimes been accused of borrowing a little too heavily from Disney’s parks, South Korea’s Lotte World is a hugely successful resort in its own right. It comprises the world’s largest indoor theme park and a large outdoor park, based around a Disney-style castle.
The park hosts some impressive rides, including Pharoah’s Fury, an enhanced motion vehicle ride that is similar in style to Disneyland’s Indiana Jones Adventure. It even has its own Disneyesque mascots, Lotty and Lorry, a pair of anthropomorphic racoons.
Don’t miss: Fantastic Odyssey, a water, fire, light and projection show that has been compared to Disney’s Fantasmic!.
13. Ocean Park
Location: Hong Kong
2013 attendance: 7.48 million
2014 attendance: 7.79 million (up 4.2%)
Despite growing competition from the expanding Hong Kong Disneyland, Ocean Park remains the most popular theme park in Hong Kong. The park has continued to invest heavily in new rides and attractions in recent years, including a sprawling rainforest-themed area. This hosts a rapids ride through a jungle setting, along with an aviary and animal exhibits.
As its name suggests, Ocean Park is a SeaWorld-style hybrid of a theme park and a marine life centre. In 2011, the park opened Thrill Mountain, which features a Bolliger & Mabillard-built roller coaster, and another new land, Polar Adventure, debuted in 2012.
Don’t miss: Hair Raiser, a steel floorless coaster that boasts four inversions.
12. Islands of Adventure
Location: Orlando, Florida, USA
2013 attendance: 8.14 million
2014 attendance: 8.14 million
Universal Orlando’s second theme park was something of a break in tradition for the chain, being the first Universal park not to be based around a movie studio. Instead, it aims to place visitors into the movies themselves, boasting six themed “islands” built around a central lagoon.
The park’s popularity has soared since the 2010 debut of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, which finally established Universal Orlando as a credible competitor to nearby Walt Disney World. An expansion of the land opened in 2014, adding a Hogwarts Express train that links it to a second Potter-themed land at neighbouring Universal Studios Florida.
Don’t miss: Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey is widely regarded as one of the best theme park rides in the world, employing cutting-edge technology to bring J.K. Rowling’s fictional world to life.
11. Universal Studios Florida
Location: Orlando, Florida, USA
2012 attendance: 7.06 million
2013 attendance: 8.26 million (up 11%)
Universal’s second theme park was the company’s first to be designed from the ground-up as a tourist attraction. These days, not much production takes place at Universal Studios Florida, but it offers some of the most unique and original ride experiences anywhere in the world.
Spread across seven heavily-themed areas are impressive attractions such as hybrid coaster-dark ride Revenge of the Mummy: The Ride (superior to the Hollywood version), Shrek 4-D and towering musical coaster Hollywood Rip, Ride, Rockit.
The park received an enormous attendance boost in 2014 thanks to the debut of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Diagon Alley.
Don’t miss: Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts, a high tech roller coaster-dark ride hybrid that takes you deep into the vaults of Gringotts Wizarding Bank.
10. Disney California Adventure
Location: Anaheim, California, USA
2013 attendance: 8.51 million
2014 attendance: 8.77 million (up 3.0%)
For Disneyland fans who had long looked forward to a second park opening at the resort, the debut of Disney California Adventure in 2001 proved to be a huge disappointment. The park was heavily critized for both its theme and for its lack of major attractions, with Disney being accused of having thrown it together “on the cheap”. The addition of the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror and Toy Story Midway Mania helped, but the park remained in the shadow of the original Disneyland.
Eventually, Disney decided to virtually completely rebuild California Adventure, at massive expense. The spectacular World of Color show, several new attractions and the Cars Land expansion have begun to change the perception of the park, which is finally beginning to to fulfill its potential.
Don’t miss: Radiator Springs Racers, a dazzling attraction that combines the ride system of Epcot’s Test Track with the humorous characters of Pixar’s Cars.
9. Disneyland Paris
Location: Marne-La-Vallée, France
2012 attendance: 10.43 million
2013 attendance: 9.94 million (down 4.7%)
Disneyland Paris may have struggled under the weight of its massive debts ever since it opened, but it remains one of Europe’s premier tourist attractions. It is a favorite of many Disney fans, combining the traditional Disneyland “hub-and-spoke” layout with attractive European-style architecture.
The park’s biggest draws are its versions of classic Disney attractions such as Pirates of the Caribbean and the Haunted Mansion (here known as Phantom Manor). It has its unique attractions, though, such as the thrilling Space Mountain: Mission 2 and the spectacular nighttime show, Disney Dreams.
Disneyland Paris is currently undergoing a series of major refurbishments designed to prepare it for its 25th anniversary in 2017, which is likely to lead to declining attendance until the work is complete.
Don’t miss: Disneyland Paris’ version of the Big Thunder Mountain roller coaster is the best in the world, largely due to its stunning setting in the center of Frontierland’s Rivers of the Far West.
8. Disney’s Hollywood Studios
Location: Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA
2013 attendance: 10.11 million
2014 attendance: 10.31 million (up 2.0%)
Universal Studios Florida wasn’t the first movie studio-themed park to open in Florida. Disney beat its rival to the punch with the opening of Disney-MGM Studios in 1989, although the park was somewhat light on attractions back then. Nowadays, it’s still smaller than Walt Disney World’s other parks, but does host some of the resort’s best rides. Disney dropped the MGM association in 2007, renaming the park as Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
Among the park’s line-up are classics such as the original Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, the interactive Toy Story Midway Mania and the reimagined Star Tours: The Adventures Continue.
Disney’s Hollywood Studios is currently in a state of flux as Disney prepares to install Star Wars Land and Toy Story Land. The end result will be a vastly different park, complete with a new name.
Don’t miss: Disney’s Hollywood Studios version of Twilight Zone Tower of Terror is the original, and by far the best. Its elevators explore the floors of the Hollywood Tower Hotel – a feature removed from clones at other parks in order to improve capacity.
7. Disney’s Animal Kingdom
Location: Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA
2012 attendance: 10.20 million
2013 attendance: 10.40 million (up 2.0%)
Faced with competition from Busch Gardens Tampa, Walt Disney World built its own hybrid theme park-zoo in 1998. Disney’s Animal Kingdom was initially criticised for its lack of major attractions (as well as accusations that it was exploiting animals for entertainment purposes), but has gradually expanded its line-up.
Among the headline attractions are the impressively-themed Expedition Everest coaster and the Dinosaur dark ride, but for many guests the chance to see a huge array of exotic animal species up-close will be the real draw. Disney is taking a break from reality with the next planned expansion to Animal Kingdom, though – a land dedicated to James Cameron’s Avatar, and has already added a host of night-time attractions to pull in visitors for longer.
Don’t miss: The park’s signature attraction, Kilimanjaro Safaris. Riders board jeeps that take them on a tour of an enormous savannah, which sprawls across an area the same size as the entire Magic Kingdom.
6. Epcot
Location: Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA
2013 attendance: 11.23 million
2014 attendance: 11.45 million (up 2.0%)
Walt Disney World’s second theme park may not have lived up to Disney’s original vision of a living, working city, but it still aims to celebrate international culture and showcase cutting-edge technology. Epcot is like a permanent “World’s Fair”, split across two main areas: Future World (which shows off new technology) and World Showcase (which hosts 11 pavilions dedicated to different countries around the globe).
The park’s rides lack the magical characters and storylines that are the major feature of Disney’s other parks, but make up for it with their scale and ambition. The recently-updated Test Track sees guests racing around in mock prototype cars, while Mission: Space sends them on a trip that NASA can currently only dream of.
Don’t miss: The chance to tour World Showcase on a balmy Florida evening. The area’s restaurants are world-class, and the scenery is incredible.
5. Universal Studios Japan
Location: Osaka, Japan
2013 attendance: 10.10 million
2014 attendance: 11.80 million (up 16.8%)
Universal’s first theme park outside the US has become increasingly appealing to international visitors in recent years. This is because it has retained many of its original attractions, which are clones of rides in the US that have since been shuttered. This includes the Jaws ride, as well as Back to the Future – The Ride.
Universal Studios Japan has imported other classic attractions from Hollywood and Florida, too, including Jurassic Park: The Ride and renowned dark ride The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man. It is home to one or two original rides, too, such as the Hollywood Dream: The Ride steel coaster and spinning coaster Space Fantasy: The Ride.
The park received a huge boost in attendance following the 2014 debut of the park’s version of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
Don’t miss: The Flying Dinosaur, the longest Bolliger & Mabillard Flying Coaster in the world.
4. Tokyo DisneySea
Location: Tokyo, Japan
2013 attendance: 14.08 million
2014 attendance: 14.10 million (up 0.1%)
Tokyo DisneySea was the most expensive theme park ever built when it opened in 2001, costing an eye-watering $4 billion. The level of detail on show in the nautically-themed park’s six themed ports is astonishing, and the park is packed with impressive, original attractions.
The park is home to unique versions of the Tower of Terror and Indiana Jones Adventure, along with its own take on the Fantasmic! pyrotechnic show concept. The headliners, though, are the Journey to the Center of the Earth dark ride, the StormRider simulator and the 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea submarine ride.
Don’t miss: Journey to the Center of the Earth, which takes the ride system from Epcot’s Test Track and uses it in a completely different, and brilliant, way.
3. Disneyland
Location: Anaheim, California, USA
2013 attendance: 15.9 million
2014 attendance: 16.77 million (up 3.5%)
Walt Disney’s first theme park remains immensely popular, and still employs the legendary animator’s original layout. Guests are drawn to the iconic Sleeping Beauty Castle, passing down the quaint Main Street, USA on their way. From there, they can reach Adventureland, New Orleans Square, Frontierland, Critter Country, Fantasyland, Mickey’s Toontown and Tomorrowland.
Many of the park’s original attractions remain, such as Peter Pan’s Flight and the Disneyland Railroad. Disneyland has never stood still, though, adding further classics such as the Matterhorn Bobsleds, Space Mountain and the Haunted Mansion over the years.
Don’t miss: Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Forbidden Eye, opened in 1995, employs an enhanced motion vehicle system to take guests on a journey that is stunningly realistic.
2. Tokyo Disneyland
Location: Tokyo, Japan
2013 attendance: 17.21 million
2014 attendance: 17.30 million (up 0.5%)
It may lack the originality of Tokyo DisneySea, being essentially a clone of Florida’s Magic Kingdom, but Tokyo Disneyland still outstrips its sister park in the popularity stakes. First opened in 1983, it has since been expanded significantly by its ambitious owners, the Oriental Land Company.
Sprawling across a 115-acre plot in Urayasu, Tokyo Disneyland borrows the layout of the original Disneyland with its themed lands including Adventureland, Westernland (the park’s version of Frontierland), Fantasyland, Tomorrowland, Critter Country and Toontown. It hosts versions of classic Disney rides including Pirates of the Caribbean, Splash Mountain, Space Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain.
Don’t miss: Pooh’s Hunny Hunt, which is a unique twist on classic Disney dark rides. Its “trackless” ride system operates as if by magic, enabling a new level of freedom.
1. Disney’s Magic Kingdom
Location: Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA
2013 attendance: 18.58 million
2014 attendance: 19.33 million (up 6%)
It may be a clone of the original Disneyland, but Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom has surpassed its sister park in popularity. It is essentially a larger version of the California park, although, disappointingly, its versions of some of Disneyland’s best rides, such as Pirates of the Caribbean, are inferior.
The Magic Kingdom still boasts an amazing roster of attractions, though, such as Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and Space Mountain. Disney has invested millions to expand the park’s Fantasyland, adding dark ride Under The Sea – Journey of the Little Mermaid and the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train (which opened in 2014). This led to a large increase in visitor numbers.
Don’t miss: Splash Mountain, which turns a standard log flume ride into a heavily-themed journey that ends with a thrilling 5-storey splashdown.
Which park is your favorite?
The Magic Kingdom is the most popular theme park in the world, but is really the best? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments section below.
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