Are you a theme park fan who is looking to try, uh, something different next year? [Insert side-eye glance here.] Sure, most people think of one company (Disney) when they think of theme parks. But plenty of other options are out there for fans who want to try something else, and you are not limited to Universal, Six Flags, or SeaWorld.
Here are 10 of our favorite theme parks - five in the United States and five in Europe - that are not part of those companies. Each of them offers well-themed experiences driven by storytelling. You can find a variety of attractions for the entire family at all of these parks, including dark rides, thrill rides, and shows. In fact, many theme park fans consider some of these parks as even better alternatives to the Disneylands of the world. (The parks are listed in alphabetical order.)
Dollywood: Dolly Parton's theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee stands near the entrance of America's most visited national park, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. That makes the Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge area a popular tourist destination, and Dollywood is the highlight beyond the national park itself. Home to one of Theme Park Insider readers' top 10 roller coasters, Lightning Rod, Dollywood is even better at live entertainment, providing a changing line-up of shows and performers from a variety of musical and entertainment genres. Next up in 2026 is an ambitious new indoor family hybrid coaster and whitewater river raft ride, NightFlight Expedition.
Holiday World & Splashin' Safari: Located in the delightfully named Santa Claus, Indiana (one hour west of Louisville, Kentucky), Holiday World celebrates Christmas, Halloween, and the Fourth of July with family-friendly rides and shows. And the park does not forget Thanksgiving - Holiday World's best land - with highly-rated coasters such as The Voyage and Thunderbird. The Splashin' Safari water park is included with Holiday World admission and offers the world's biggest and best line-up of water coasters. Parking, soft drinks and sunscreen also are all free at what might be the best value destination in the industry.
Legoland California: Legoland's first theme park in the United States is heaven for elementary-aged kids and their families. Located north of San Diego and designed specifically for those younger visitors, Legoland offers a bright mix of rides and active play experiences. It's also a great nostalgia trip for anyone who grew up playing with Legos. New for 2026 on both coasts will be Legoland's first indoor roller coaster, Galacticoaster - a space-themed family coaster inspired by classic Lego Galaxy sets.
Legoland Florida: If you are visiting Florida, you will find this Legoland on the site of the old Cypress Gardens park in Winter Haven. Legoland Florida has incorporated some of those gardens into the park through delightful walking trails.
Silver Dollar City: Dollywood's sister park is built atop Marvel Cave in Branson, Missouri. The cave is open for tours, and the park itself offers some of America's best attractions outside the big four companies, including the Outlaw Run and Time Traveler roller coasters, a new Fire in the Hole coaster and dark ride, and the Mystic River Falls rapids ride. Like at Dollywood, entertainment is well worth your time here, as is the food. Don't miss the skillets and especially not the Cinnamon Bread.
Efteling: Located in The Netherlands, Efteling began as a walk-through of fairy tale scenes and installations. Fairy Tale Forest remains the heart of the park, but you will find an amazing collection of dark rides awaiting you here as well, including the trackless Symbolica, the Dynamic Motion Stage Danse Macabre, and boat ride Fata Morgana. Efteling also offers some nice roller coasters as well as impressive shows, including the Aquanura fountain show and the Raveleijn mythical pageant, which is getting a refresh for 2026.
Europa-Park: Created by the Mack family of Mack Rides, Europa-Park is not just a showcase for the family's ride products, it is an optimistic statement about European unity. Located in Rust, Germany and featuring lands themed to European nations, Europa-Park is home to one of the world's top roller coasters in Voltron Nevera, as well as multiple dark rides and family experiences.
Parc Astérix: Located just north of Paris, Parc Astérix is inspired by the French comic book series Astérix, which involves an ancient Gaulish village, a magic potion and a lot of non-historical history. The park is home to the Intamin launch coaster Toutatis, which made our readers' global top 20 coasters list. Coming in 2026 is Cétautomatix, a Gerstlauer spinning coaster that continues the Astérix story.
Phantasialand: This German park's Rookburgh wins praise for its steampunk aesthetic and amazing experiences, anchored by F.L.Y. - another Theme Park Insider top 10 coaster. The park is packed with well-themed and decorated experiences, proving that great theme park storytelling can be affordable as well as enjoyable.
PortAventura: Located on the Costa Daurada in Catalonia, Spain, PortAventura was a Universal theme park for a hot minute at the start of the 2000s. The park includes six lands themed to various locations around the world, including one for Sesame Street. PortAventura has built some innovative attractions in cooperation with Sally Dark Rides, including Sesame Street: Street Mission and the Uncharted: The Enigma of Penitence roller coaster.
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I like Hersheypark, but it's primarily a thrill park, and people looking for the immersive theming of Dollywood or Efteling will be disappointed. And if you have kids, they'll be disappointed by the lack of family-friendly dark rides. The park's recent renovation of the entrance is a great step forward, but they really need to do more to remove the park's glorified carnival vibe.
My only complaint with this list is that, yes, Knott's is owned by Six Flags, but it's a gem in their lineup and shouldn't be discounted.
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Not to be nitpicky, but the Legoland parks are owned and operated by Merlin, a pretty large theme park company that may not have a lot of properties in the US, but have a lot of facilities around the world including 2 of the largest parks in the UK. If you're truly looking for an independent experience, Legoland is really not much different from United Parks in terms of world-wide market share.
I'd probably still put Dollywood and Silver Dollar City on this list, but both parks are owned by Herschend, who are expanding with their purchase of Palace Entertainment. These 2 parks still behave like truly independent parks, but it's hard to consider these "little guys" when they can spend $50 million on a single new attraction (reported cost for Night Flight Expedition). While that's a fraction of what Disney or Universal might spend on an e-ticket (and Six Flags might spend that much for a world record-breaking attraction), that's a monumental investment for a truly independent theme park.
I'm a bit surprised to not see Hersheypark on this list, which might not cater to guests looking for immersive storytelling, but they have one of the largest roller coaster collections in the country.
I'm putting together a trip report from my first trip to Lagoon last weekend, and I would put the Utah park up against any independent park in the world in terms of overall attraction lineup.