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Credit: Universal/DisneyUniversal Studios and Disney have always competed for the title of best theme park company in the United States. At the end of 2023, it looks like Universal has overtaken the House of Mouse for the top title.
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When it comes to theme parks, the Walt Disney Company always leaps to the front of people’s minds. With Walt Disney World Resort, parks like Disneyland and EPCOT, as well as iconic properties like the Disney Princesses, Marvel, Star Wars, The Lion King, and Toy Story, it’s hard to think that Disney would ever be taken off of that top spot.
However, Universal Studios has been diligently moving toward taking that amusement park crown from Mickey Mouse. Now that 2023 has come to a close, it looks like they have successfully overtaken Disney as the best theme park in the United States, according to a recent study.
Universal’s Islands of Adventure Edges Out Magic Kingdom as the Best American Theme Park
According to research conducted by the Westgate Palace Hotel at Universal, Universal’s Islands of Adventure has edged out the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World Resort as the best American theme park. The key factors to determine this were Instagram hashtags, monthly Google search volume, and the percentage of ‘excellent’ reviews on TripAdvisor. In the end, Islands of Adventure had an overall rating of 91.1, barely beating Magic Kingdom, whose overall rating is 90.4.
A spokesperson for the Westgate Palace Hotel elaborated, “It comes as no surprise that theme parks operated by Walt Disney and Universal Studios have dominated the list. What may be surprising, however, is that the research crowns Universal as the best-rated theme park, beating all four major Disney parks.”
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While this may seem surprising, it actually makes sense when you look at everything that Islands of Adventure at Universal Orlando Resort has to offer. Not only are there exciting thrill rides like the Jurassic World Velocicoaster, the Incredible Hulk Coaster, and
On top of that, Islands of Adventure has the Wizarding World of Harry Potter where guests can enjoy Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motor Bike Adventure, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, and Flight of the Hippogriff. However, while this one park is definitely a standout, it seems that Universal overall still can’t compete with Disney.
Disney Still Dominates the Top 10 Overall
The Westgate Palace Hotel shared this information along with a list of the ten best amusement parks in the country based on the previously mentioned criteria. While Universal’s Islands of Adventure claims the number one spot on the list, Disney is still the most represented company on this list, with five total parks: Magic Kingdom (#2), Disney California Adventure (#3), Animal Kingdom (#6), Disneyland Park (#8), and Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Water Park (#10).
Compare this to Universal, which only has two parks on this list: Universal’s Islands of Adventure (#1) and Universal Studios Hollywood (#7). Meanwhile, three other parks have made the ranking: Cedar Point (#4) in Sandusky, OH, Silver Dollar City (#5) in Stone Country, MO, and Dollywood (#9) in Pigeon Forge, TN.
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Here’s the complete list of the ten best theme parks in the United States according to the study, along with each park’s overall score:
- Universal’s Islands of Adventure (91.1)
- Magic Kingdom (90.4)
- Disney California Adventure (84.2)
- Cedar Point (81.7)
- Silver Dollar City (81.1)
- Animal Kingdom (80.7)
- Universal Studios Hollywood (79.4)
- Disneyland Park (78.1)
- Dollywood (77.9)
- Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Water Park (77.7)
Do you agree with this study’s assessment? What’s your favorite theme park? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!