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15 of the Best Theme Parks in the World

If you are an adventure-seeker or an adrenaline junkie, then you would surely love visiting theme parks that feature many different types of amusement activities. Almost every other major city across the globe offers recreational activities based on amusement parks, which offer fun to people of all age groups.

So, if you are curious to know more about the internationally acclaimed amusement attractions, then you have come to the right place. In this article, we have rounded up 15 of the best theme parks in the world.

Now, without further ado, let’s get started with the list!

Walt Disney Resort 

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One of the most prominent entertainment and recreation centers in the world is Walt Disney Resort, which is also known as Disney World. It is a gigantic recreational facility spread across 40 square miles. The place is so big that it is home to four theme parks, namely Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Magic Kingdom, Epcot, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom. 

There are also a couple of water adventure parks: Disney’s Blizzard Beach and Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon. Well, that’s not it, Disney World also features dozens of resort hotels many of which are owned and run by the management of Walt Disney World. Golf courses, shopping complexes, and tonnes of recreational activities await you at Walt Disney Resort. It was established in 1971 in Orlando, Florida

Disneyland

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Opened in 1955, Disneyland is the world’s first Disney park. A lot of people get it mixed with Disney World Resort in Florida, which is a separate facility also owned and managed by the Walt Disney Company. The charm of Disneyland is uplifted by Sleeping Beauty Castle, which has been designed as a dramatic centerpiece of this globally famous recreational and tourism hub.

There are dozens of rides and amusement attractions to entertain tourists. You would also be amazed by the Haunted Mansion, which has spooky arrangements awaiting to surprise you. If you are planning to visit the park from January to May, it will not be very crowded. However, the park caters to a large number of visitors on the weekends, during the holiday season, and of course, in the summer months.

Europa Park

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One of the largest theme parks in the world, Europa Park is a highly famous amusement attraction in Germany. When it comes to popularity, it is Europe’s second most famous theme park, after the world-renowned Disneyland Paris. 

The park is home to a variety of amusement, adventurous, and entertainment activities. There are many roller coaster rides, some of which are decades old, still well-maintained. It is a very large park that spans over 90 hectares. Besides amusement activities, the park is also home to a few hotels and themed resorts. It can accommodate and cater to up to 60,000 people at a time.

Universal Orlando

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Universal Orlando Resort is famous among tourists from different parts of the world. It is also known as Universal Orlando or many people only prefer saying Universal. The place was formerly known as Universal Studios Escape. Universal Orlando is a US-based amusement park, which also hosts a grand entertainment resort and complex. 

As the name suggests, it is based in Orlando, Florida. It is one of the best amusement parks in the world. The place is owned and managed by Universal Parks & Resorts. Universal Orlando is also a grand-scale project. It is the second-most popular recreational resort in Greater Orlando, after the very famous Walt Disney World Resort, which is also located nearby. 

Efteling

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Efteling is an immensely popular fantasy theme park located in Kaatsheuvel, the Netherlands. If you are a fan of myths, fairy tales, and urban legends, then there are tons of recreational activities that’ll leave you more than entertained and amazed. Talking about some history of this park, it was opened in 1952. 

Over the years, the purpose of this park kept changing and evolving. First, it was a nature park having a large playground, then it was converted into a fairytale forest and finally, it emerged as a full-fledged theme park. evolved from a nature park with a playground and a Fairytale Forest into a full-sized theme park. The park offers fun and recreational activities for people of all age groups, which are based on thrilling rides and roller-coasters.

SeaWorld Orlando

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As the name implies, SeaWorld Orlando is a widely famous marine zoological park and amusement place park in Orlando, Florida. It is one of the oldest theme parks in the US, which was inaugurated in 1973.  It shares boundaries with popular attractions like Discovery Cove and Aquatica and when combined they form SeaWorld Parks and Resorts. 

It is one of the most visited entertainment complexes in Orlando which is not only based on three parks but also features many hotels. SeaWorld Orlando hosts many different types of live shows every now and then to entertain the visitors. The place also has tons of attractions that include thrilling rides and delightful exhibits of marine animals. 

Six Flags Magic Mountain

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Six Flags Magic Mountain wasn’t always known by this name. It was formerly called only “Magic Mountain”. It is a grand-scale project, which covers an area of 262 acres (106 hectares). Over the years, it has become immensely popular and is now recognized among the best theme parks in the world. Located in Valencia, California, the park was opened in 1971.

In the late 1970s, it was purchased by Six Flags and was renamed “Six Flags Magic Mountain”. Another amazing fact about Six Flags Magic Mountain is that it has successfully managed to hold the world record for having the largest number of roller coasters in an amusement park. The place has the capacity of entertaining millions of visitors every year. It is also one of the largest amusement parks in the US. Also, Six Flags Darien Lake is among the top theme parks in New York.

Portaventura

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Situated 85 km southwest of Barcelona, PortAventura is a theme park in Spain that is famous globally. It was opened in 1995, almost three decades back. The brilliant planning, diverse activities and top-notch facilities of this place made it extremely popular soon after its opening. In the first two years, it entertained millions of visitors, breaking many records of the amusement industry in Span.

The park is based on five theme areas. They exhibit the colors of different regions in a very charming way. The theme of the park includes Mediterrània, Far West, México, China and Polynesia. There’s also an amusement area in Portaventura park that is based on Sesame Street. Mediterrània theme area is located on the main entrance of the place. There are three rides in this part of the park. You’ll also come across many restaurants and retail outlets, portraying a scene of a typical town located on the coastal belt of Catalonia. The park also includes recreational activities like high-speed roller coasters and boat rides. 

Lotte World

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Lotte World, which translates to Lodde Woldeu in the Korean language, is a noteworthy complex dedicated to amusement and recreational activities. It is located in Seoul, South Korea. An interesting fact that makes Lotte World a major attraction is that it is home to the largest indoor theme park in the world. The outdoor amusement facility is known as “Magic Island.”

As the name suggests, it is based on a man-made island, which is surrounded by a lake. In the immediate vicinity of this lake are a variety of other facilities like retail outlets, shopping malls, eateries, and luxury hotels. The place has been serving the amusement industry in South Korea for the past few decades ever since it was inaugurated in 1989. Lotte World is a large-scale development and has the capacity to cater to millions of visitors each year.

Cedar Point

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Cedar Point spans 364 acre (147 hectares). It is a very large amusement park, which enjoys a very serene location. It is situated on Ohio’s Lake Erie peninsula in Sandusky. Cedar Point was inaugurated in 1870. Serving the amusement industry for more than 150 years, it is one of the oldest operating amusement parks in the country. This theme park in Ohio is the flagship venture of America’s most famous amusement park chain — Cedar Fair — which also operates it. The park is best known for hosting a large number of roller coaster rides. Cedar Point also has a few hotels and resorts offering comfortable stays to guests. People staying at these resorts are also privileged to access amusement park rides even when they are not open to the general public.

Kings Island

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Kings Island is one of the largest amusement parks in the United States, spanning 364 acres (147 hectares). The theme park is located 24 miles, which is around 39 km away from Cincinnati in Mason. Kings Island is owned and managed by Cedar Fair, the same company that runs Cedar Point. The place has a wide range of amusement and recreational activities and features more than 100 attractions based on over a dozen roller coasters, a large water park. 

Another very famous recreation spot in the park is Area 72, which was formerly known as X-Base. This themed area in Kings Island was inaugurated in 2020. The main attraction of Area 72 is Orion — a thrilling roller coaster ride with a 300-foot drop, which is around 91 m. It is a perfect treat for adventure seekers. There’s also an area in the park known by the name of Planet Snoopy. It features many rides and amusement activities that are suitable for small children. 

Tivoli Gardens

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Tivoli Gardens is an amusement park, which is also known as Tivoli. It has been planned as a pleasure garden and is located in Copenhagen, Denmark. You would be surprised to know that it is one of the oldest amusement parks in the world and was founded in 1843. In the list of the oldest operating amusement parks, it secures the third position. 

Tivoli Gardens is large enough to cater to millions of visitors in a year, which is why it is considered the second-most famous theme park in the world after the very famous Europa-Park, which is visited by a large number of people seasonally. It is also among the most visited amusement parks in Scandinavia. Tivoli includes a wide variety of attractions and facilities. You would be amazed to see magnificent buildings boasting the very finest of architecture. There are also many other activities, such as a theatre, cafes and eateries, bandstands, amusement rides, a scenic railway line, flower gardens, and a lot more. 

Universal Studios Japan

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Universal Studios Japan is one of the best theme parks in the world. As a major recreational project, it enjoys a prominent location in Osaka Japan. This large-scale facility is among the six flagship theme parks of Universal Studios theme parks that are owned and operated by Universal Studio Japan. When it comes to attractions and recreational features, the park is very similar to the Universal Orlando Resort. 

The park was opened in 2001. Soon after its opening, the popularity of the park spread like a wildfire across Japan and it successfully managed to entertain 11 million guests in the very first year of its opening. It became the most rapidly growing amusement park in the world as it achieved the milestone of catering to over 10 million people in just 1 year, which was a huge achievement. People from all over the world, especially other countries in the Southeast Asian region come to explore Universal Studios Japan. Like other Universal Parks and Resorts, this place also has Universal CityWalk, which is an entertainment and retail district based on a large collection of shops and restaurants, among other facilities. 

Gröna Lund

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Gröna Lund, which translates to Green Grove in English, is an amusement park located in Stockholm, Sweden, which is one of the most peaceful cities in the world. Located on the coastal belt of Djurgården Island, it is smaller than many other amusement parks and places we have mentioned in this list. The park spans only 9.4 acres (3.4 hectares). 

Its unique location on an island limits its expansion. The amusement park has dozens of attractions and outdoor activities, which also makes it a very popular place for people to spend a day out with family and even enjoy concerts, especially during the summer season. Famous musicians like ABBA, Bob Marley and Sting among others have performed live at Grona Lund. 

Sanrio Puroland

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If you are a fan of Sanrio, then you should definitely be visiting a place known as Sanrio or Hello Kitty Land. It is one of the most popular indoor theme parks in the world, which is found in Tama New Town located in Tokyo, Japan. Opened in 1990, the place allows you to live by your fantasies about all your favorite Sanrio characters. Along with featuring a number of theme-based attractions, the place also popular hosts live shows, retail outlets for an incredible shopping experience, and restaurants, most of which are also themed after Sanrio characters like Hello Kitty, Cinamoroll,  My Melody, Gudetama, and Aggretsuko.

Sanrio Puroland has prominently managed to attract and cater to millions of visitors per year, which is why it is also ranked among the major amusement parks in Japan and considered among the best theme parks in the world. There are many unique attractions that you’ll come across in Sanrio Puroland like five food factory displays as well as a game corner designed for kids with activities like amusement rides, photo booths, and UFO catchers. 

Here we’ll wrap our comprehensive round-up of 15 of the best theme parks in the world. By adding any of them to your bucket list, depending on your desired travel destination, you are going to make your trip more thrilling and exciting.

What do you think?

Written by Spencer K