Top 10 USA theme Parks:

[westcoaster]

Your opinion 1 being best 10 making it in the top 10, about the top 10 Themed Parks in the USA for amusement industries.

They have to have themed lands, with themed attractions, or with a overall theme.

Here is my top 10 with 1 being the best and 10 being the last of the top 10:

Again also being in the USA: You can put opinions next to your picks if you want:

1) DISNEY LAND:

2) KNOTTS BERRY FARM: (love the chicken,ghost town, and the overall feel of yesteryear) (plus themed rides).

3) TIE BUSH GARDENS: (BOTH TIE):

4) TIE: SEA WORLD PARKS:

5) TIE : Lego Land:

6) Holiday World/SPLASHING SAFARI:

7)Sesamee Place

8) Dolly Wood:

9) Hershey Park

10) Disney World:

***SIDE NOTE I did not pick Kings Island as it does have different names for the different sides of the park but is slowly reverting back to being a straight amusement park:

[bkroz]

The SeaWorld parks are all very, very, very different parks, so it's interesting that all three get forth place. And Sesame Place probably wouldn't make it to the top ten on most lists! Also, "Disney World" is comprised of four theme parks that are lightyears apart from each other. It's really not fair to lump them together. For example, if Disneyland Park in California is #1 (and presumably not paired with Disnet California Adventure), then why is Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom lumped with its three sister parks? It's almost like saying "Cedar Fair" is number 10 - grouping together parks based on a common denominator and applying one value to a whole chain.

My opinion would be:

1. Disneyland Park

2. Universal's Islands of Adventure

3. Busch Gardens Williamsburg

4. Disney's Hollywood Studios

5. Disney California Adventure

6. Epcot

7. SeaWorld Orlando

8. Busch Gardens Tampa

9. Universal Studios Florida

10. Kennywood

[jdawg1998]

Disney World is tenth by Disney Land first? I know its an opinion, but Disney World and Disney Land don't have that big of a difference!

I've only been to three, so here's my rankings:

1. Disney World (specifically Magic Kingdom)

2. Holiday World

3. Sea World Orlando

[The Interpreter]

I typically don't get involved in these things, but there is a massive difference between Disneyland and the Magic Kingdom. Disneyland may be far smaller, and it is, but virtually every ride that can be found at both is far superior at Disneyland. Then there is the little matter of the Matterhorn.

I'd rather spend a day at Disneyland than a week at The Magic Kingdom.

[bkroz]

You're entirely right, and I edited my post almost immediately to better reflect that I agree with that. Disneyland being #1 hardly means that The Magic Kingdom should be #2, but "Disney World" being wrapped into a single package doesn't translate well either. Haha.

I always choose Disneyland over any of Walt Disney World's parks. Bigger is not always better.

[LongliveKingsCobra]

I haven't been to many parks... but here is mine:

1. Universial- Islands of Adventure

2. Cedar Point

3. Universal- Studios

4. KI

[faeriewench]

1.) SeaWorld Orlando

2.) Dollywood

3.) Busch Gardens Tampa

4.) Busch Gardens Europe

5.) Knott's Berry Farm

6.) IOA

7.) Universal Orlando

8.) SeaWorld San Antonio

That's all I got. I need to visit DLand, I may like it and I don't like WDW. KI isn't really a theme park no more and CP never been one really so not listing them either. >.>

[bkroz]

Disneyland is (in so many words) intimate, charming, sweet, and endearing.

Walt Disney World in comparison feels sterile. It's grander, but much less intimate. Disney Parks enthusiasts refer to TDO - Team Disney Orlando - as unwilling to invest, blind toward the resort's issues, and far too cowardly to approach any real change.

In a way, you can tell that Disneyland was made "on a budget" and that The Magic Kingdom didn't have those same limitations. That's both good and bad. A towering, 180-foot otherworldly castle is an incredible centerpiece, and far more majestic than Disneyland's 70 foot tall one. But Terp is right that the originals are unequivocally at Disneyland Park. California's Pirates of the Caribbean is nearly ten minutes longer than Florida's, and that trend continues through the resorts. It just feel homier to me and many others.

And almost regrettably, I have to admit that I'd choose Disneyland over Walt Disney World if only because California has the Indiana Jones Adventure...

[KIfan1980]

Ok, I'll bite - here is my list:

1. Busch Gardens Williamsburg
   
2. Disneyland
   
3. Lego Land California
   
4. Busch Gardens Tampa
   
5. Epcot
   
6. Dollywood
   
7. Knotts Berry Farm
   
8. Animal Kingdom
   
9. Magic Kingdom
   
10. Hollywood Studios
    

[Joncars05]

Only been to two so far (Definitely going to Busch Gardens Tampa and Indiana Beach this year with a possibility of going to Cedar Point, Beech Bend, SF Chicago, and Mount Olympus by the end of the year.) So I might post after i have been to more parks but i would rank the parks as follows.

1. Holiday World

2. Kings Island

HW is #1 because to me it is more geared to the consumer. They listen to their customers offer nice perks (free sunscreen, soda, parking) they are CLEAN and they have the right mix between a theme park 3 Solid coasters and a water park that is tops in the business especially for a seasonal park. They are open to any and every opinion that comes across their facebook page. (i was opposed to them buying KK thinking it would take away from HW in general and believed they had no idea what they were getting into with the likes of the Kentucky fair board AND the people who actually go to the park) they responded and said thanks for my input and for being honest. Kings Island on the other hand deleted me from their page (i had to relike the page) because i mentioned SOB. I still to this day cannot write on their wall or like anything they post. What a great way to show your customers support. Sorry for rambling. just get frustrated sometimes :D

[Colonel_SoB_fan]

I typically don't get involved in these things, but there is a massive difference between Disneyland and the Magic Kingdom. Disneyland may be far smaller, and it is, but virtually every ride that can be found at both is far superior at Disneyland. Then there is the little matter of the Matterhorn. I'd rather spend a day at Disneyland than a week at The Magic Kingdom.

But we all know the MK castmembers, especially custodial castmembers in 2011, are the best.

[CedarPointer]

I'm surprised that nobody has mentioned Tokyo Disneyland yet. Watching a video of some of the TDL rides is more entertaining than riding some of the American versions.

Really. Nevermind, oops.

I would also give anything to visit EPCOT Center in the early 90's.

[jcgoble3]

My personal list, which includes only those parks that I've been to, is as follows:

1. Cedar Point — I'm all about the thrills and usually don't pay much attention to the little things like theme, so CP wins. This may be tainted by the incredibly short lines I got all five days I was there last June (my only trip to CP thus far).

2. Holiday World — Given what I just said about being all about the thrills, I can't quite put my finger on why HW beats KI, but it does. Perhaps it's the better waterpark, maybe the free soft drinks and reasonable food prices, maybe the overall atmosphere, or quite possibly a combination of all of that.

3. Kings Island — My "home park". This ranking is likely tainted by the fact that I visit KI more than any other park and thus see every little flaw and get over-critical of it, whereas I see only the "big picture" elsewhere.

4. Disney's Hollywood Studios — Why is this so low? Because I only got one evening here during a private event and thus didn't get the "full experience". Not all of the attractions were open during the event, and some of the ones that were (namely Rock 'n Roller Coaster and Star Tours, the latter of which was what the private event was centered around) were frankly underwhelming. All of that said, this park may rise in the rankings when I go back in September.

5. Stricker's Grove — Nice little park, but the key word there is "little". Tornado is good, and the miniature golf course is fun, but otherwise there's not much there. That's not to say I won't go back—it's a great way to kill an afternoon—but there's just not enough there for it to rank any higher IMO.

[The Interpreter]

I'm surprised that nobody has mentioned Tokyo Disneyland yet. Watching a video of some of the TDL rides is more entertaining than riding some of the American versions.

Really....

I'm not. The Topic is Top Ten USA Theme Parks. Tokyo is not in the USA.