Florida's 10 theme parks, ranked and rated
Orlando was pretty much a blip on the map in 1966 when Walt Disney chose this little-known destination (population, barely 90,000) for his second 'theme park'.
The original Disneyland in California had pioneered the idea of themed attractions and entertainment 11 years earlier, but Walt was dreaming bigger for Florida.
Much bigger. His Walt Disney World – or Project X, as it was known in its hush-hush planning days – would cover 43 square miles and begin a process of cutting-edge design and creativity that continues to the present day, with the recent high-profile opening of rival Universal Orlando's remarkable Epic Universe.
Prior to Disney, Florida had plenty of attractions in its own right, including Silver Springs State Park, established in 1888, Bok Tower Gardens (1929), Monkey Jungle (1933), Cypress Gardens (1936), Gatorland (1949) and Miami Seaquarium (1955), but none were a true 'themed park' as drawn from Walt's hyper-active imagination.
The immediate success of his World was all the state needed, though, to line up a series of parks that drew from his inspiration, going on to make Orlando the 'Theme Park Capital of the World'.
But how do the 10 biggest hitters in the Sunshine State stack up against each other?
After more than 30 years spent visiting them, we're uniquely placed to judge: here's our definitive ranking.
10. LEGOLAND Florida Resort
Winter Haven
When historic Cypress Gardens in Winter Haven closed its gates in 2009, a classic roadside attraction seemed lost – until the UK's Merlin Entertainments rode to the rescue, proposing to maintain the original gardens section of the park while building its signature LEGO-themed range of rides and interactive exhibits around it.
The park opened in 2011 and has since expanded dramatically, but sympathetically, with hotels, new rides, a separate Peppa Pig park and the new SEA LIFE Florida aquarium. This variety has gone a long way to providing a multi-day experience, especially for younger children but also grandparents who find the other parks too frenzied.
A major new indoor coaster is in the works for 2026 – the park's biggest individual investment at $90million – which should add even more appeal to this beautiful lakeside setting that continues to offer a genuine Florida vibe.
The price of a Legoland day ticket is £98 at the gate, £56-£90 online (depending on the day/season).
9. Busch Gardens Tampa Bay
Tampa
Having started in 1959 as an adjunct to the Anheuser-Busch brewery, with gardens and an aviary, Busch Gardens evolved into a fully fledged Africa-themed park with the addition of more than 400 animals in the 1960s, then rides and shows after Disney World opened and proved their appeal.
Today, as part of the SeaWorld Parks group, it continues to impress with extensive animal habitats as well as eight roller-coasters, including the monstrous dive-coaster SheiKra, fast-launch thrills of Cheetah Hunt, suspended ride Phoenix Rising and junior-sized Sesame Street offering, Air Grover.
Africa remains the all-encompassing theme, notably with animal sections like Myombe Reserve, which mimics the gorilla forest territory of Central Africa, and the Serengeti, where guests can pay $50 extra for the chance to hand-feed giraffes on a safari-style tour of the 65-acre plain.
The price of a day ticket for Busch Gardens is £110 at the gate, £53-£76 online (depending on day/season).
8. Disney's Animal Kingdom
Bay Lake
While Universal wowed us with its Harry Potter expansions in 2010 and 2015, raising the bar for immersive experiences, Disney's first full response was adding Pandora – The World of Avatar to its Animal Kingdom in 2017, giving the park a much-needed shot in the arm with its intense theming and blockbuster Flight of Passage simulator ride.
The natural setting and fewer attractions make for less than a full day, but there isn't the non-stop frenzy of the other parks, while the animal habitats are impressive and include two extensive walk-through sections, the Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail that recreates an African safari, and Maharajah Jungle Trek for an Asian adventure that includes water buffalo and tigers.
Work is currently under way to transform the weak DinoLand section of the park into more dynamically themed areas for the Indiana Jones and Encanto film franchises by 2027, including at least two major rides that are urgently needed.
The price of a Disney day ticket is £90-£131 (depending on the individual day/season); the UK-specific 14-day Disney Magic Ticket works out at around £40/day.
7. Disney's Hollywood Studios
Bay Lake
The 2019 addition of Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge, hot on the heels of the new Toy Story Land – in response to the growing competition from nearby Universal – rescued the Studios from slipping into the shadows of the other parks and brought new life to a flagging mock film studio.
Iconic attractions like the dramatic Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular and Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway still provide excellent entertainment, but they lack the full immersive drama of the Star Wars land, which justifiably draws by far the biggest crowds in the park.
More change is on the horizon, though, with a new land dedicated to the Monsters, Inc films in the works that will include at least one major coaster-type ride and a theatre show.
Sadly, the Muppet-themed Grand Avenue area will make way for the new development, with Disney still to announce a timeframe for all the changes.
The price of a Disney day ticket is £105-£146 (depending on the individual day/season).
6. SeaWorld Orlando
Orlando
Opened in 1973 as Orlando's second theme park, SeaWorld has undergone a dramatic change in recent years, moving away from its original focus on animal shows and exhibits to a more ride-based experience featuring state-of-the-art roller-coasters.
New in May 2025, the swooping Arctic-themed simulator ride Expedition Odyssey added another string to the park's bow, but today's SeaWorld is still heavily weighted towards thrill-ride fans, who are lured by the attraction of high-speed rides like the towering 200ft Mako, the 'flying' style of Manta, the fast-launch demon Ice Breaker and stand-up style of Pipeline: The Surf Coaster.
This spacious 200-acre park remains a more leisurely experience than most and is ideal as a starter experience for Orlando's ride-laden landscape, while the clever Sesame Street Land provides plenty of junior-sized excitement, with six kiddie rides, splash play area and daily parade featuring Big Bird, Elmo and Abby Cadabby.
The price of a Seaworld day ticket is £110 at the gate, £53-£81 online.
5. Universal Studios Florida
Orlando
Disney's theme park rival arrived in 1990 with a similar offering to its Hollywood movie studio version, but which quickly took on a life of its own, expanding into a 735-acre resort, Universal Orlando, with a second full theme park and Volcano Bay water park, plus shops, restaurants and hotels.
The original park has been transformed and enlarged in the past 35 years, replacing nearly all its original attractions and adding the blockbuster creation of the second Wizarding World of Harry Potter, which opened the way for the clever Hogwarts Express linking ride between the two parks.
Children are well served with rides based on the likes of E.T, the Despicable Me films, The Simpsons and Men In Black, and many attractions are indoors, which is a bonus in hot, humid Florida. Iconic coaster Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit will close in September 2025, opening the way for another exercise in themed rides that will boast indoor and outdoor sections.
Price of a Universal Orlando Resort day ticket: £86-£136 (depending on individual day/season). The UK-specific Three-Park Explorer Plus ticket works out at around £33/day over two weeks.
4. Universal Islands of Adventure
Orlando
An all-round sensation when it opened in 1999, boasting dynamic coasters and cutting-edge rides like The Amazing Adventures of Spider Man, Islands of Adventure was boosted still further 11 years later by the creation of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Hogsmeade, which introduced a whole new level of theming (along with Butterbeer).
Signature attraction Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey claimed the title of Orlando's Best Ride, and was backed up by another Wizarding original in 2019, when Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure added more Hogwarts artistry and thrills.
The only element the park lacks is a headline night-time show or parade to round out a range of rides and attractions that are hard to beat, especially with the 2021 expansion of the Jurassic Park land to include the adrenalin-fuelled VelociCoaster and fun Raptor Encounter, with its unpredictable life-sized dinosaur.
Price of a Universal Islands of Adventure day ticket: £86-£136 (depending on individual day/season).
3. Epcot
Bay Lake
If any park can claim to have undergone a total metamorphosis since it opened, it is 1982-vintage Epcot. Originally created as a combination of technology adventure and world expo, it has morphed in recent years into more of an overtly Disney-fied package, featuring the film characters from Guardians of the Galaxy, Ratatouille, Finding Nemo and Moana, plus Anna and Elsa from Frozen in the Norway pavilion.
A five-year transformation of the former Future World section of the park was completed in 2024 and added a fresh look, as well as new dining and entertainment options.
Happily, it maintains most of its world culture heritage through its original 11 international pavilions that offer the sights, sounds and tastes of the likes of Japan, Morocco, Canada and Mexico through film shows, live performances and national cuisines. The pizza in the Italy pavilion and baguettes in France are arguably the best in Florida.
Price of a Walt Disney Epcot day ticket: £97-£142 (depending on individual day/season).
2. Universal Epic Universe
Orlando
Orlando's newest park opened in a blaze of worldwide publicity on May 22, building on the hit formula of Islands of Adventure with a series of five themed lands, including Universal's first full-time homage to its back-catalogue of monster movies, featuring the likes of Frankenstein, Dracula and The Creature from the Black Lagoon.
Each land has huge appeal for its individual theme – Harry Potter/Fantastic Beasts, Super Nintendo World, How To Train Your Dragon, Dark Universe and Celestial Park – which translates into fully immersive environments that set the benchmark for all future theme park developments (and throws down the gauntlet to Disney once again).
Nintendo World requires some understanding of the various computer games and their characters, but the attractions are still amusing, while the other four are, frankly, drop-dead gorgeous before you even reach the rides. The animatronic dragons may also be THE big hit of the park.
Price of a Universal Epic Universe day ticket: £105-£154 (depending on individual day/season).
1. Magic Kingdom
Bay Lake
The park that sparked the Orlando boom remains its prime attraction, and rightly so. Packed with rides of all kinds – including a high-thrills coaster – and full of the emotional 'Pixie Dust' trademark of the films, the Magic Kingdom is a magical environment for families and couples alike.
It still bears Walt's fingerprints on rides like the Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean and, while the technology in some of these classic rides is not overwhelming, the sense of imagination and creativity mirrors that of the films that inspired them.
Cinderella Castle remains the iconic centrepiece, but recent additions – like swooping coaster TRON Lightcycle/Run and log-flume ride Tiana's Bayou Adventure – add a contemporary flourish that papers over some of the 54-year-old cracks.
A 2024 update of the Country Bear Musical Jamboree animatronic show also succeeded in making this old-timer look new – and hilariously funny – again.
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