Is Universal Orlando's new theme park ready to be considered among the world's best?
Universal Epic Universe opened officially in May. The new park offers several attractions that have won praise as being among the best in the world. But what about the entire park?
Tokyo DisneySea won our Theme Park Insider Award as the world's Best Theme Park last year. Is Epic Universe already good enough to challenge DisneySea for that honor? Or is it another park's turn to sit atop the industry?
Past winners of the award include Epic Universe's sibling Islands of Adventure as well as Disneyland and Efteling. Which theme park do you think should win our honor this time?
Theme Park Insider readers like you may vote now for 2025's Best Theme Park as well as other awards in this year's honors. Here are the links:
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Your votes don't just determine the award winners, which I will announce on January 1, 2026. They also determine the order in which we list each park's top attractions on our theme park visitors guides - one-page overviews and advice for visiting the top theme parks around the world.
So if you think some rides should be listed higher - or lower - than they are this year, voting now is your chance to fix that.
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I’d be curious as to whether the people who vote for Tokyo DisneySea have actually been there. I have, and while it’s a great park, it doesn’t hold up to the mythical reverence that’s been placed on it.
As a themed attraction Disney Sea is unquestionably the best in the world, its basically like Cars Land/Pandora level of theming but the entire park. The only problem I have with it is the amount of clones (albeit with slight variations). By the time I went there I felt I had already ridden most of the major attractions a million times (Tower of Terror, Indiana Jones, Toy Story Mania, Raging Spirits, and now they have Soarin). Their new stuff does look good and I think its fine since the park lacked Disney IP, however I think if they continue down this route it will be overkill and the next addition should be content created by Imagineering for that park (which lets be serious, it won't be).
As I have said many times EU is not compelling to me at all because the park is entirely IP lands, one of which being ANOTHER Harry Potter land when they already had 2, which was the last thing Orlando needed. I could walk around Disney Sea any day and enjoy the boat rides, electric railway, and ambiance of the park. EU is my second least favorite major park in Florida only behind USF
As a business model (performance) Magic Kingdom is consistently at the top of the list. As for what's the "best" park as a qualitative assessment, that's a matter of opinion. This site is patronized by themed entertainment "fans" -- a term rooted in the word "fanatics". If you are assessing the "best park" as it stands with the broader demographic of patronage, the Magic Kingdom wins ... hands down.
Islands of Adventure.
Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure
Jurassic World VelociCoaster,
Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey
The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man.
Hulk.....
And it's not even close.
Having visited Tokyo DisneySea, I'm pretty sure its high status comes from those who compared it against what else was out there in the early/mid 2000s when the park was new instead of comparing it against the quality of theme parks that exist in current times. While it's by no means a bad park, I'd still probably rank a few of the Disney parks ahead of it (for the record, DAK is my favorite Disney park), and could probably name at least twenty parks I'd pick to return to before DisneySea. But I'm a ride person, and my opinion is probably based on being disappointed by a majority of the unique rides on offer at TDS. I'll fully acknowledge that for those who go for the atmospheric and immersive theming, as well as those who place strong emphasis on the Japanese way of doing things, the park is absolutely a top ten park at minimum.
I can't say if Epic Universe will win, but I do consider IOA a top five park on my personal list (as well as my favorite park in Florida), so if Epic is just as good or better I could absolutely see it happening. Personally, based on what I've heard I'm not betting on it, as it seems like there's a fair proportion that love the headliners but not the park as a whole, but I wouldn't mind being pleasantly surprised.
Disneyland is better than MK.
Islands is better than Epic, but I’m still putting Epic at number 1. Epic is a themepark for people that love themeparks. Islands is the better time and point of entry.
Disney Sea bores me.
Tokyo Disney Sea, is not only the most immersive and grandiose theme park in the world. I believe it ranks as one of the greatest man-made creations in history. Nothing else comes close!
While I have not seen Epic Universe yet, I doubt that it could approach the artistic achievements of TDS.
In fact, there is only one other park in the world that I have visited that I feel is on par, but a very different level, Efteling.
lol
Epic isn’t even the best park in Florida.
@TH
Disneyland is objectively better than MK having twice as many attractions in half the space. MK cant compare with its inferior attractions like Pirates and Space. It has a big attendance because the resort gets more visitors, not because its the best park; not even close. It can't hold a candle to Disneysea, Disneyland, Efteling or Islands of Adventure.
@ The Man
I gotta disagree with you there. The original flagship attractions Journey and 20,000 leagues are unique. In the new Fantasy Springs Neverland and Repunzel are unique. Then you also have Sinbad, Fortress (possibly the best walk-through attraction in the world). You have park specific shows like Mermaid and Big Band Beat (after Aladdin its the best Disney show I've ever seen).
And even the copy cat attractions are better or even best. I think their version of Soaring and Toy Story are the best. Their version of Tower is unique I would actually not consider it a copycat. It's more like a different ride that uses the same ride system.
I'm with TH Creative.
IoA is a close second for me but as a traditionalist I have to go with MK regardless of technological advances and popular IPs elsewhere. Even the attraction queues have subtle placings and backstories. Everything has a purpose. MK was genial in its conception and it still reigns as the father/mother of immersion throughout every nook and cranny of the park.
it’s not even the best park at its resort, so no, it isn’t remotely close to the best theme park in the world.
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