10 of the Best Amusement Parks in Florida

10 of the Best Amusement Parks in Florida

Today, tourism is the most important factor driving Florida’s economy. About forty million people visit Florida yearly. Among the most popular tourist attractions are its world’s best known theme parks, including Disney World, Universal Studios, and SeaWorld.

Orlando, Florida is known as the Theme Park Capital of the World, with the city hosting over 60 million tourists and theme park enthusiasts per year. Below are 10 of the best amusement parks in Florida;

1. Walt Disney’s Magic Kingdom

Magic Kingdom, Florida – Flickr

Magic Kingdom Park is a theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida, near Orlando, Florida. It was opened on October 1, 1971, as the first of four theme parks at the resort. The park was designed by WED Enterprises and is represented by Cinderella Castle, inspired by the fairy tale castle seen in the 1950 film.

Walter Disney’s Magic Kingdom is divided into six themed “lands;” Adventureland which represents the mystery of exploring foreign lands, Frontierland where guests can relive the American Old West, Liberty Square which is inspired by a colonial American town set during the American Revolutionary War, Fantasyland which is themed in a medieval-faire/carnival style, Tomorrowland which is set in an intergalactic city, a concept of the future as seen from around the 1950s and Mainstreet, U.S.A. which is themed to resemble American small towns during the early 20th Century.

Beyond its exuberating rides and shows, Magic Kingdom Park hosts two of Orlando’s most popular annual events: Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party in the lead-up to Halloween, and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party during the holidays.

2. Legoland

Legoland – Flickr

Legoland Florida is a vacation destination that the Legoland Florida theme park itself, the Legoland Water Park, three on-site accommodations and a separately-ticketed on-site park based on the British children’s animated series Peppa Pig that opened on February 24, 2022.

It was built on the site of the former Cypress Gardens theme park. Legoland preserved the botanical gardens and re-themed the water park and select attractions and venues to reflect various Lego brands. The park opened on October 15^th 2011 and encompasses 145 acres (0.59 km2), making it the second-largest Legoland park after Legoland Windsor in the UK.

The park has been described as a place where kids’ dreams come true with dragons soaring the sky, castles being stormed, and pirates sailing the seven seas.

3. Universal’s Islands of Adventure

Universal’s Islands of Adventure, Florida -Flickr

Universal’s Islands of Adventure, originally known as Universal Studios Islands of Adventure, is a theme park located in Orlando, Florida. It opened on May 28, 1999, along with CityWalk. The park is modeled after a journey of exploration, where guests embark on an adventure to visit a variety of themed islands.

Islands of Adventure consists of eight themed “islands”, which include, in clockwise order from entry: Port of Entry, Marvel Super Hero Island, Toon Lagoon, Skull Island, Jurassic Park, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, The Lost Continent, and Seuss Landing.

Universal’s Islands of Adventure is renowned for its child-friendly lands and rides. It is home to Florida’s fastest and tallest launch coaster, spanning more than 4,700 feet of track.

4. Disney’s Animal Kingdom

Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Florida – Flickr

Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park is a zoological theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida, near Orlando. It opened on Earth Day, April 22, 1998, and is dedicated and themed entirely around the natural environment and animal conservation.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom is divided into seven themed areas; Oasis which provides the transition from the park’s entrance to the world of animals, Discovery Island is located at the center of the park, and is an island within the park’s Discovery River waterway, Pandora – The World of Avatar is themed to the fictional alien exoplanetary moon, Pandora, from James Cameron’s Avatar, Africa which is set in the fictional east African port village of Harambe, Rafiki’s Planet Watch is where you can see cotton-top tamarins and learn about the efforts to protect these endangered primates in their natural homes, Asia which is set in the fictional kingdom of Anandapur (which means “Place of many delights” in Sanskrit) and DinoLand U.S.A. which is themed around dinosaurs and other extinct prehistoric life.

It is the largest theme park in the world, covering 580 acres (230 ha). The park is distinguished from the rest of Walt Disney World’s theme parks in that it features traditional attractions while also exhibiting hundreds of species of live animals.

5. Busch Gardens, Tampa Bay

Busch Gardens, Tampa Bay -Flickr

Busch Gardens Tampa Bay is a 335-acre (136 ha) African-centered animal theme park located in Tampa, Florida. It was officially opened on June 1, 1959, as an admission-free facility, however in 1970 free-admission for the Busch Garden’s Park ended to fund a $12.6 million expansion for the park through the duration of its next 10 years.

The park has featured conspicuous roller coasters with thrill rides over the years, including a Dive Coaster named SheiKra, a launch coaster called Tigris, and Montu, the tallest and fastest inverted roller coaster in the world when it opened.

Busch Gardens is Tampa’s largest zoo, with more than 200 species of animals.

6. Universal’s Volcano Bay

Universal’s Volcano Bay, Florida – Flickr

Universal’s Volcano Bay Water Theme Park, or Volcano Bay, is a tropical-themed water park at Universal Orlando Resort in Orlando, Florida. It replaced Wet ‘n Wild as Universal Orlando Resort’s water park. The park, themed around a 200-foot-tall (61 m) volcano named “Krakatau,” opened on May 25, 2017.

Volcano Bay’s attractions are located in four themed areas, each inspired by various Polynesian islands and cultures; Krakatau which is the location of the park’s signature volcano, Wave Village which is designed for sunbathing and relaxation, River Village which contains attractions for families and for younger visitors and Rainforest Village which is the final section of the park and contains numerous thrill slides.

The park’s main attraction is the 200 feet tall artificial volcano, Krakatau, that houses Ko’okiri Body Plunge, the tallest body slide in America ranging at 125 feet tall and also the first to travel through a pool full of guests.

7. SeaWorld Orlando

SeaWorld, Orlando – Flickr

SeaWorld Orlando is a theme park and marine zoological park, in Orlando, Florida, opened on December 15, 1973. The park contains two sister parks. Discovery Cove opened in 2000 followed by water park Aquatica in 2008.

The park is separated into different areas, called “seas” with each “seas” having its own unique themed element. Starting at the lower center and continuing clockwise they are: Port of entry which is the main entrance of the park and features a Florida-inspired theme, Sea of Shallows which showcases most of the shallow water sea animal exhibits, Sea of Legends which bases its story from the legend of the lost city of Atlantis, Sea of Ice which is themed around the Antarctic continent, Sea of Delight which resembles a seaside Mediterranean village, Sea of Mystery which houses the Shark Encounter exhibit and the Shark’s Underwater Grill, Sea of Power  which is the house area of the park’s killer whale shows and the Sesame Street Land which is the only area within SeaWorld Orlando to be based on the educational television program, Sesame Street.

SeaWorld Orlando has many live shows and attractions which combine both animal exhibits and a ride.

8. Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Florida – Wikipedia

Disney’s Hollywood Studios is a theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida, near Orlando. It was opened on May 1, 1989, and is dedicated to the imagined worlds from film, television, music, and theatre, drawing inspiration from the Golden Age of Hollywood.

The park is divided into seven themed areas inspired by fantasized iterations of either existing locations found in Hollywood and Los Angeles or imagined worlds from Hollywood stories. The park’s original layout featured a large Hidden Mickey, which was visible in aerial photographs of the park and on the park’s early guide maps, though construction and other park changes have eliminated much of this image.

Today, Disney’s Hollywood Studios is better known for its immersive lands where guests can live out their movie dreams.

9. EPCOT

EPCOT, Florida – Wikipedia

EPCOT, Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow, is a theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida. It was opened on October 1, 1982 and is dedicated to the celebration of human achievement, namely technological innovation and international culture, and is often referred to as a “permanent world’s fair”.

Epcot is divided into four main themed areas, known as “neighborhoods”: World Celebration, World Discovery, World Nature and World Showcase. World Celebration, Discovery, and Nature consist of a variety of avant-garde pavilions that explore innovative aspects and applications including technology and science.

Get a taste of other countries in the World Showcase area which is dedicated to represent the culture, cuisine, architecture, and traditions of 11 nations.

10. Gatorland

Gatorland entrance, Florida – Wikipedia

Gatorland is a 110-acre (45 ha) theme park and wildlife preserve in Florida, located along South Orange Blossom Trail south of Orlando. It was founded in 1949 and features thousands of alligators (including rare leucistic alligators) and crocodiles, and many other animals.

The park is known for buying and rescuing nuisance alligators from trappers that would otherwise be killed for their meat and skin.

Attractions in the park include a breeding marsh with a boardwalk and observation tower, zip lines, an off-road swamp vehicle tour, a rideable miniature railroad, alligator feeding shows, alligator wrestling shows, an aviary, a petting zoo, and educational programs.