What’s the Best and Worst Thing About Every Disney Theme Park?

The quickest way to start a knockdown, drag-out brawl is to ask Disney fans to name their favorite park.

Like, if I just reduced the options to Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World, it’d still be a heated debate.

So, let’s simplify the discussion a bit. Let’s stick to Orlando for today’s discussion.

I won’t ask you to name your favorite/least favorite Walt Disney World theme park, as that would be hard.

Let’s go a different way with it instead. What’s the best and worst thing about every Disney World park?

Some of these answers are easy, while others are really, really hard.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom

When we discuss Disney World’s theme parks alphabetically, a strange thing occurs.

We also evaluate them in reverse order of their opening dates, with Animal Kingdom the newest park.

Being newer than the others may seem like an advantage, but it’s really not.

If we’re being honest, none of Disney’s American theme parks is “new.”

Animal Kingdom turns 30 in 2028. So, it has been around for a while.

Despite its age, Disney still hasn’t solved the biggest problem with the theme park.

The Worst Problem with Animal Kingdom

At this point, Animal Kingdom lacks enough quality rides to make it a full-day park.

Park officials are acutely aware of the problem and are working hard to address it.

Next year, the Central Americas will debut and introduce two new rides in the process.

Well, it’s technically three rides if we include the carousel that Disney hasn’t mentioned much.

So, help is on the way, making the paucity of rides a temporary problem.

However, many Animal Kingdom enthusiasts never even notice how few rides there are.

The Best Thing about Animal Kingdom

That’s because they’re too busy embracing the true spirit of the park: the animals.

Yes, the best thing about Animal Kingdom is right there in the name. It’s an enhanced zoo.

I say enhanced because regular zoos often keep animals locked up in cages.

Disney wasn’t about to do that. What park officials did instead was create natural habitats.

These animals may have a Florida address, but they feel as if they’re home…because they are.

Disney hired many of the country’s best zoologists to build these authentic domains.

So, park guests are watching the animals live out their best lives every day.

They’re never in mortal danger or wondering where their next meal will come from. Disney treats the animals like royalty, and we get to watch it all during a park visit.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios

This park debuted without a true identity, which really wasn’t anybody’s fault.

MGM and Disney plotted to build this park together, but the attempt quickly took a turn.

Before Hollywood Studios had ever opened, the companies were suing each other.

For this reason, Hollywood Studios got off to a bad start and struggled to recover.

As you’re about to see, Disney finally cracked the code, though.

Still, one aspect of this park continues to be a sticking point.

The Worst Thing about Hollywood Studios

Yeah, it’s the food. I’m pretty consistent with my criticism on this one, too.

A year ago, I asked whether guests should even eat at Hollywood Studios.

You can read my arguments there, but I vote with my wallet on this one.

My family often ditches the park and rides the Disney Skyliner to Disney’s Riviera Resort.

I wouldn’t do that if there were better dining options at Hollywood Studios.

Sadly, I can eat at Sci-Fi Dine-in Theater Restaurant and Woody’s Lunch Box only so often.

The rest of the park is lacking. Fortunately, EPCOT and the Riviera are nearby.

The Best Thing about Hollywood Studios

At one point, Hollywood Studios faced the same problem as Animal Kingdom.

As recently as a decade ago, people derided Hollywood Studios as a half-day park.

At the time, that criticism honestly may have been overselling it.

We’d notice that the park had cleared out by 3 p.m. on most days.

Then, Disney committed to new themed lands based on Star Wars and Toy Story.

As Mabel Pines from Gravity Falls would say, “Everything is different now.”

Toy Story Land added two new rides, including Slinky Dog Dash, while connecting Toy Story Mania!.

For many years, that ride stood off on its own, but now it’s right across the street from Slinky Dog Dash.

Right down the street from these rides, just past Alien Swirling Saucers, is the other big addition.

Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge redefined Hollywood Studios, giving it an entirely new identity.

Now, this is the park where people go to experience Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance.

The visual of Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run is a stunner as well, and Baby Yoda will show up here soon.

Plus, the park added Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway, the first Mickey Mouse ride.

So, yeah, the rides are now the strength of this park…which is good news for Animal Kingdom.

Change is definitely possible as long as Disney commits to the improvements.

EPCOT

In 1982, Disney World doubled its number of theme parks by introducing EPCOT.

This wasn’t the Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow that Walt Disney had promised.

No, those plans understandably changed in the 15 years after Walt Disney’s death.

Still, what we got has stood the test of time, which speaks to the reverence of Walt’s Imagineers.

They weren’t about to build a theme park unworthy of his vision for the world of tomorrow.

What’s the Worst Thing about EPCOT

I’d argue the worst thing is that Walt Disney didn’t live long enough to bring his vision to life.

He planned a capitalist utopia, a full-fledged city in the middle of what was then swampland.

That’s a bit esoteric, though. I think most people would point to something else about EPCOT.

We love the festivals oh so much, but there aren’t enough of them.

EPCOT hosts festivals about two-thirds of the time, which is phenomenal.

We’re all thrilled when we get to experience an EPCOT festival. That’s also the problem.

What are we supposed to do during the other one-third of the time?

For example, Disney has introduced a festival gap during the summer.

Historically, when the EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival ended, another event was right around the corner.

Lately, Disney has added a two-month gap before the arrival of its next festival.

Folks, that’s too long. Walt Disney wanted a daily World’s Fair, and that’s what the festivals are.

So, we need them every day to honor his vision. Add a fifth festival, Disney! We need it!

What’s the Best Thing about EPCOT

So, my answer here is “Everything,” as this is my favorite theme park in the world.

I could mention the thrill rides, the pavilions, or the World Showcase as the best of the best.

I could also toss in those festivals that I just mentioned, but that would be a cheat.

Since they’re not available year-round, they cannot be the best thing about the park.

As much as I love EPCOT and especially Spaceship Earth, Occam’s Razor applies.

We all know what the best thing about an EPCOT visit is, and it’s the opposite of Hollywood Studios.

People go to that park for the rides, not the food. Well, EPCOT has several E-ticket attractions.

However, the best thing about it is undeniably the cuisine.

Magic Kingdom

Finally, we have Disney’s first East Coast theme park.

When Disney World opened in 1971, all the guests filtered through Magic Kingdom.

They all agreed that it was perfectly named, and that statement applies to this very day.

Magic Kingdom is the most trafficked theme park on the planet and the anchor of Disney World.

The Worst Thing about Magic Kingdom

I technically just mentioned the worst thing about Magic Kingdom. It’s the crowds.

Since this is the world’s most popular theme park, it’s always a mob scene.

Due to the sheer volume of the attractions, Magic Kingdom thankfully spreads out the crowds.

You shouldn’t experience bottlenecks often at the park, save for major holidays and the like.

However, when you wait for fireworks or a parade, you’ll be well aware of the situation.

At this point, you’ll be shoulder-to-shoulder with thousands of your closest strangers.

Generally speaking, you’ll only experience this a handful of times during a park visit.

When you do, you’ll realize just how popular Magic Kingdom is.

The Best Thing about Magic Kingdom

I could sing the praises of Magic Kingdom for hours, but let’s just stick with the basics.

This is the park where all the classics live. It’s the mecca for iconic Disney attractions.

You can choose between classics like It’s a Small World, Jungle Cruise, and Space Mountain.

The finalists in Mickey Madness 2026, Pirates of the Caribbean and Haunted Mansion, are here.

I could throw in others like Peter Pan’s Flight and Mad Tea Party as well.

Disney technically changed Country Bear Jamboree to Country Bear Musical Jamboree.

Still, this is the place where the Audio-Animatronic bears live, and that makes it a special place.

The best thing about Magic Kingdom is the comfort level you’ll feel while visiting here.

Many of the rides you discuss with your family today are the same ones you did as a child.

That familiarity will warm you during your park visit.

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Feature Photo: (Mariah Wild/Disney Parks via Getty Images)