OTPN's favorite Theme Parks!
Today, we're going to share with you our list of OTPN's favorite theme parks in the world!
We have visited more than 30 theme parks in the world, and now it's time to see which are good and which should improve...
Here's our top 15!
15 - PORT AVENTURA (Spain)
I never really loved this park. Yes, it has some very good hotels, a water park and a theme park that once was Universal's, but... NO dark rides! And the park is not as good as other European theme parks.
14 - WALT DISNEY STUDIOS (France)
This has to be one of the worst theme parks, brother of Disney's California Adventure... but I am somewhat linked to this park, since I've been to its Grand Opening day in 2002.
Small it was born, small it remained, even though it received some new rides...
13 - LEGOLAND WINDSOR (England)
A very good and big theme park, with the typical Lego style. The setting is very nice (near the Windsor castle, royal residence), but the rides are extremely SHORT, and there was only one show when I went (2005).
12 - GARDALAND (Italy)
I grew up with this park, and I went here for a record of more than 45 times (I know, I've been even more to WDW, but Gardaland was 2 1/2 hours from where I used to live. It had some great dark rides, but many of the rides I loved have been either spoiled or destructed (see "La Valle dei re", "Tunga, the Apeman", "Panoramic Tour", "The Canyons", "Merlin's castle", "The elves' village" and so on...)
11 - SEA WORLD ORLANDO (Florida)
This park has a great nature, great roller-coasters, great shows.... but again, NO dark rides! Please! And the show "Believe" has been changed so much since the tragedy that it's not as good as it was before...
10 - DISNEY'S ANIMAL KINGDOM (Florida)
Great setting, Disney's biggest theme park... but very few rides. To me it's an half-day park, and if they don't put other 10 or 11 rides, it will continue to be a 2nd-class theme park.
9 - BUSCH GARDENS TAMPA (Florida)
This park is way better than Animal Kingdom, having a lot of rides, close-up encounters with animals of all sorts, nice shows (but "KATONGA" is too long and boring) and it's always expanding itself. The downsides?
The location is a bit too far from the other Orlando theme parks, and here too... NO dark rides!!
As you can imagine, for me dark rides are extremely important for a park to be my favorite!
8 - DISNEY'S HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS (Florida)
Nice park, with two great dark rides (TOY STORY MANIA! and the Great Movie Ride) and really A LOT of live shows, like FANTASMIC! Unfortunately, th park is very small, failed to be a real movie studios and it's inferior when compared to the near Universal Studios.
7 - UNIVERSAL'S ISLANDS OF ADVENTURES (Florida)
This has to be one of the best-themed theme parks in the world, with three dark rides (6, when counting the three partially indoor water rides) and a great stunt-show (The eight voyage of Sindbad).
On the other hand, there are too may thrill rides.
6 - UNIVERSAL STUDIOS FLORIDA (Florida)
A great theme park with out-of-the-ordinary and immersive rides.
Unfortunately, it doesn't have really great shows (the only one that is really good is Terminator 2:3D)
and it's still a bit small.
5 - PARC ASTERIX (France)
This park really surprised me. I thought that it was a small and insignificant theme park...
Oh, was I wrong!!! It's great!! the theming is stunning, the rides are great and it has a great hotel, immersed in the nature. Unfortunately, it only has a dark ride and it doesn't add new rides each year.
4 - EUROPAPARK (Germany)
This is my favorite European theme park after DLP. It has EVERYTHING YOU CAN IMAGINE!!! Many dark rides (not really great, but I love them), roller coasters, thrill rides, family rides, water rides and the four best theme park's hotels I've ever seen in my life, namely "The Colosseo", "El Castillo Alcazar", and more!!!!
They're four in total, with a camp site that's great too!!
3 - DISNEYLAND PARK (France)
It's one of the best-themed MK in the world, with great Pirates of the Caribbean and a spectacular Big Thunder mountain. it has one of the best entrances ever, but it doesn't have as many interesting rides as Florida's or California's Magic Kingdom (I haven't visited California's yet)
2 - MAGIC KINGDOM (Florida)
The magic Kingdom in Florida is the biggest of all the magic Kingdoms around the world.
It has many more interesting rides than Disneyland Paris, but it sometimes get too packed and it's difficult to reach (you've to take the tram, monorail etc..)
1 - EPCOT (Florida)
You are not surprised, are you?
This is my favorite theme park ever. A ton of dark rides, extremely big theme park, gorgeous landscaping, a simply incredible nighttime show (ILLUMINATIONS: reflections of Earth), great theming....
Should I go on?
Which are your favorites theme parks?
You've gone to Europa Park??? I just went there a few weeks back (Blue Fire's the best), and it's amazing.
ReplyDeleteI would like to say that your negative on IOA is wrong. I don't think you can have too many thrill rides; however i do think that they do need more family rides.
ReplyDeleteYes, i love Europapark!! It's one of my favorite parks!!
ReplyDeleteAbout IOA, I like it, but again, it's too thrilling, without any good real family ride...
Well, this post pretty much shows that you must be European. ;)
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I have to agree with Epcot as being one of the better parks. The only thing that I have to admit that I DON'T like about Epcot IS its size. The fact that it's huge, and once you're in the World Showcase there's no way out except back the way you came or the full walk through it. If you spend part of the morning doing everything near Spaceship Earth, your feet are usually on a dull ache by the time you get to World Showcase.
After walking that length you're full-on hurt.
Anyway, I also have to disagree on IOA. Too many thrill rides? Naw. I've always considered IOA to be the park for teens/adults. There's not much there for kids because, well, the park wasn't really MEANT for kids. Although with Potterland open and in full swing, that's not entirely true anymore, but hey.
Yes, you can tell I'm European, but I WILL NEVER NEVER NEVER LEAVE FLORIDA (If God wants, of course). Here we have the best theme parks in the world. Most of the European theme parks that are on my list are only there because of my childhood being spent there, so it's a matter of affection (only Europapark is a truly AMAZING, Disney-like theme park).
ReplyDeleteAbout Epcot, maybe it's because I love walking, but I love huge theme parks! But I absolutely respect your opinion, your feet can burn sometimes after walking too much!
And to end, about IOA, I know that it is more of an adult theme park. That's why I don't love it...
So it seems like we agree to disagree. No problem. :)
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I have flat feet, so going to theme parks is a huge trial for me.
I like your list.
ReplyDeleteAlthough it doesn't shock me one bit. MK AND Epcot really? That was so obvious you shouldn't have posted it. I'm kidding...
The thing is that I didn't knew to which Europe parks you had visited so those parks are a surprise to me. I have never gone to Europe, so I really don't have an opinion on those. But I spend a lot of time browsing and I like to see the Parks site where they go on mass tours and explore the parks all over the world.
So I have to ask what about that Phantasialand , the one with the Black Mamba coaster, I've seen the video, and from the video that's one at the top of my list, If I ever go there. Theming looks just amazing...
Or that Efteling park that I just found out about. And what about the U.K. Alton Towers, with Nemesis and such. Like I've said in a post way back I love me some B&M coasters.
I'm interested to know if you have gone to this parks. If so why you didn't put them on the list?
ReplyDeleteFrancisco, i see that you know some of the best theme parks in Europe! but unfortunately i haven't been on any of those, since I visited the "southern" European theme parks (only Legoland Windsor was in the north).
ReplyDeleteBut those are great parks!!
Anyway, I HIGHY recommend you to check out Europapark!! You'll LOVE it!!
Thanks. I would like to. Maybe on day...
ReplyDeleteI've been to a very limited amount of theme parks (New York and Florida ones, only) but my favorite has to be Islands of Adventure. I was there again this past Saturday and I really just got to soak in all the themeing. It really is wonderfully themed. Each ride really immerses you.
ReplyDeleteMy second favorite would be EPCOT...I love learning about cultures and it's just such a fun and interesting park :)