A Beginner’s Guide to Disney® Parks Around the World

Disneyland® Park represents Walt Disney’s vision for a “Magic Kingdom” where parents and children could enjoy themed lands based on beloved Disney® characters. Located in Anaheim, approximately 30 miles (48 kilometers) south of Los Angeles, it’s also among the best Disney® destinations for first-timers. If you're traveling with older kids, they'll love high-thrill rides including Matterhorn Bobsleds and Star Wars Hyperspace Mountain™, while little riders will enjoy seeing beloved movies come to life on classic rides such as Peter Pan’s Flight™ and Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage™. During peak times (June–August and December), it’s advisable to book your tickets early.

Did you know?: Disneyland® was originally going to be called “Mickey Mouse Village.”

Located just across a pedestrian plaza from Disneyland® Park, Disney California Adventure® Park was built in 2001 to pay tribute to the Golden State’s culture and spirit. The park has 19 rides, a twice-daily parade, and a nightly World of Color water show. Disney California Adventure® Park may be better suited to older kids, thanks to its higher-thrill rides including the looping Incredicoaster™. And a bonus for the grown-ups: Unlike Disneyland® Park, Disney California Adventure® Park serves alcohol, including local wines and craft cocktails.

Insider tip: While it’s possible to get a park-hopper ticket and speed through both SoCal parks in one day, it's preferable to spend at least one full day at each park.

While Walt didn’t live to see his “Florida Project” open in 1971, he aimed for it to be a bigger, improved version of his original California park. Like its West Coast inspiration, Magic Kingdom® Park—the first amusement park of the Walt Disney World® Resort—is laid out into six lands surrounding a central Cinderella Castle.

The sprawling park has many of the classic Disneyland® rides, including Peter Pan’s Flight™, The Haunted Mansion, and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. Rides and attractions unique to the Magic Kingdom® include the family-friendly Seven Dwarfs Mine Train™, the thrilling TRON Lightcycle/Run™, and The Hall of Presidents, a historical attraction featuring animatronic replicas of every US President.

Insider tip: Magic Kingdom® hosts a roster of events throughout the year, including Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party™ and Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party™.

EPCOT®—an acronym for “Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow”—was the second theme park to be built at Florida’s Walt Disney World® Resort. Designed to be a “permanent world’s fair,” it features lakeside replicas of towns where you can explore the food, architecture, and music of 11 countries.

Of course, being a Disney® Park, there are rides, too. While EPCOT® wasn’t originally a thrillseeker’s go-to, the park now has some of Disney®’s best thrill rides. Standouts include Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind™, where ride vehicles swivel through dark, twisty turns, and Frozen Ever After™, a kid favorite with a few fast-moving surprises.

Insider tip: EPCOT® is also home to one of Walt Disney World® Resort’s coolest dining experiences: Space 220, a restaurant set “220 miles above Earth.” To get there, you must travel via a space elevator.

If going to a galaxy far, far away is your Sunshine State goal, Disney’s Hollywood Studios® is your place. Built in 1989—seven years after EPCOT®—the park was designed to evoke the “Golden Age of movies,” with rides including the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror™, which emulates the show’s spooky world; Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance™, an immersive experience that involves both ride and walk-through elements; and Toy Story Land™, where visitors are ‘shrunk’ down to a toy’s perspective.

It’s also got some thrilling coasters, including Rock 'n' Roller Coaster® Starring Aerosmith, which claims the title as the Disney® ride with the highest g-force. Meanwhile, budding thrillseekers can hone their bravery on the kid coaster, Slinky Dog Dash™.

Insider tip: Florida can be hot, especially in July and August. Luckily, Disney® has two water parks for cooling off: Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon® and Disney’s Blizzard Beach®. Both have a smorgasbord of slides, pools, and splash areas for kids of all ages.

Part zoo, part amusement park, Disney’s Animal Kingdom® Theme Park is the biggest Disney® Park in the world by land area—much of which is grazing ground for its animals. It’s home to more than 5,000 creatures and plenty of immersive trails to view its resident wildlife. Don’t miss Kilimanjaro Safaris, an open-air jeep ride into the 110-acre (45-hectare) Harambe Wildlife Reserve, a replica African savannah where some animals may even roam freely around your safari truck.

There are also standout rides, including the Expedition Everest roller coaster and Avatar Flight of Passage™, a 3D flight simulator where you fly through the fictional world of Pandora.

Insider tip: Plan to take your Kilimanjaro Safari in the early morning, when the animals are typically most active.

Just a 40-minute train ride from downtown Paris, Disneyland® Park—which opened in 1992 as Euro Disney®—blends the classic Disney® experience with a distinctly European vibe; think Parisian touches on its buildings, elegant golden spires on its central castle, and lush gardens throughout.

The park is filled with Disney® favorites, including the Pirates of the Caribbean®, It’s a Small World®, and Peter Pan’s Flight®. And while Big Thunder Mountain Railroad may look similar to other global versions, fans say it's faster, with trains that zip through dark, underwater tunnels. Star Wars Hyperspace Mountain™ also ups the ante, adding an outdoor launch, faster speeds, and several inversions.

Did you know?: Disneyland® Paris’ Sleeping Beauty Castle is the most visited castle in Europe.

Just a 5-minute walk from Disneyland® Park, Walt Disney Studios® Park opened in 2002 as a tribute to the world of moviemaking. The second Paris site was initially the smallest Disney® Park, but a major makeover is in the works, and it's set to become Disney Adventure World® in 2026, when its focus will shift from Tinseltown to immersive Disney®, Pixar®, and MARVEL® storytelling.

Popular Walt Disney Studios® rides pre-reimagining include Crush’s Coaster™, which has cars that spin as they race up and down tracks; Avengers Assemble™, a high-speed indoor coaster; and Twilight Zone Tower of Terror™.

Insider tip: Head for Crush’s Coaster™ first thing in the morning; it gets crowded and doesn’t always offer Premier Access—the Disney® app feature that lets you buy a fast pass onto individual rides.

Opened in 1983, Tokyo Disneyland® features many familiar favorites—including Pirates of the Caribbean™, Big Thunder Mountain, and The Haunted Mansion—plus only-in-Japan attractions, merchandise, and dining options. Unique rides include the Western River Railroad, The Happy Ride with Baymax™, and The Enchanted Tale of Beauty and the Beast™.

And while Mickey is still the leader of the pack in Tokyo, you can also meet-and-greet with the likes of Duffy the Disney Bear, Gelatoni, CookieAnn, and Olu Mel—characters only found throughout Disney® Parks in Asia.

Insider tip: Tokyo Disneyland® is just a 15-minute train ride from central Tokyo, so it’s easy to combine a trip with sightseeing in the city.

Considered by many to be the best Disney® Park outside the US, Tokyo DisneySea® opened in 2001 as a nautical-themed park inspired by the myths and legends of the ocean. With immersive “ports of call,” including Mediterranean Harbor, Mysterious Island, and Mermaid Lagoon, it’s teeming with both high-thrill rides and family-friendly attractions.

Popular rides—many of which are unique to the park—include the Tower of Terror, which, despite its drops, is totally different to its predecessors, and Journey to the Center of the Earth™, a speedy dark ride located inside a huge smoking volcano.

Insider tip: If you’re traveling with teens or thrillseeking tweens and can only visit one Tokyo Disney® Park, opt for DisneySea®. Designed with older guests in mind, it has more intense rides, such as Indiana Jones Adventure™ and the looping Raging Spirits coaster.

Opened in 2016, Shanghai Disneyland® is the newest and biggest Disneyland® Park in the world (Animal Kingdom® has more land, but much of it is used for the animals). The park features eight themed lands—including Zootopia™, Toy Story Land™, and Treasure Cove—and a central Gardens of Imagination area, where Disney® characters represent each Chinese zodiac animal.

It also boasts the largest castle of any Disney® Park—the Enchanted Storybook Castle—which features a restaurant, boutique, and Voyage to the Crystal Grotto boat ride, which immerses guests into the worlds of Tangled, Aladdin, Mulan, Fantasia, The Little Mermaid, and Beauty and the Beast.

Insider tip: It can take about an hour to travel from central Shanghai to the park, so to maximize time, it may be worth staying at one of the resort’s two hotels: the upscale Shanghai Disneyland Hotel or the budget-friendly Toy Story Hotel.

Hong Kong Disneyland® may be the smallest Disney® Park, but it packs a lot into its 68-acre (27.5-hectare) footprint, pairing beloved rides with unique experiences. Opened in 2005, it features eight themed lands: Main Street, USA, Adventureland, Fantasyland, Tomorrowland, Toy Story Land™, Grizzly Gulch, Mystic Point, and the World of Frozen™—the largest Frozen-themed area in any Disney park.

Rides include classics, such as Dumbo the Flying Elephant™ and the Mad Hatter Tea Cups™, joined by standout originals. Mystic Manor—called “the undisputed king” of the park—offers a trackless, ghost-free spin on The Haunted Mansion.

Did you know?: Mystic Manor may be inspired by The Haunted Mansion, but it features no skeletons, ghosts or gravestones. It was designed to reflect Chinese and Hong Kong cultural views on death that require spirits to be treated with reverence over whimsy.