11 Best Theme Parks in Orlando, Florida, Ranked | The Exploreist (2024)

By Todd Maurer | Updated: September 21, 2024

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This is probably the cutest theme park in Orlando, part of the LEGOLAND Florida Resort. Designed primarily for preschoolers, the park features rides based on the beloved cartoon series. Many attractions have no height requirements, which means even your littlest kids can ride them. It’s a perfect half-day park, especially for parents with little ones who have never visited a theme park before. However, if your kids aren’t into Peppa Pig, you can skip it, as some, including ourselves, feel it can be a bit overpriced and not really worth the time.

10: Discovery Cove Orlando

The sister park of SeaWorld and Aquatica Orlando, Discovery Cove offers animal lovers a unique way to see their favorite marine creatures up close and personal. During your visit to the park, you can swim with dolphins, interact with playful otters and curious marmosets, and feed beautiful exotic birds. Animal experiences are only part of the fun! This is also a relaxing water park with sandy beaches, freshwater pools, and lazy rivers.

Your ticket to Discovery Cove, which starts at $180 per person and can go up to $290, is all-inclusive and includes snorkel gear, towels, and unlimited food and drinks. While most animal experiences are included, premium experiences like ray feeding, swimming with sharks, and being a “trainer for a day” will cost extra and have limited spots each day, so secure your spots quickly if that is your priority.

9: Fun Spot America

If you’re more into classic theme park attractions, Fun Spot America should be at the top of your list. Reminiscent of an old-school carnival, this Central Florida family-owned theme park has everything from bumper cars and big sack slides to Ferris wheels, carousels, and the city’s only wooden roller coaster, White Lightning, which can travel as fast as 48 mph. While there’s not much new at the theme park, don’t let that deter you from going.

As with any good carnival, Fun Spot America also has an arcade and games from Midway where you can play for prizes. You can get a day pass, which gives you access to every attraction, or pay as you go, with most attractions costing between $7 and $12. While there, make sure to stop by Gatorland for free. This 110-acre theme park and wildlife preserve has crocodiles, birds, snakes, lizards, and the extremely rare white alligator.

8: SeaWorld Orlando

This 200-acre amusement park has the best of both worlds, with adventures on land and at sea. There are plenty of roller coasters and wild rapid rides to get your heart racing, including Mako — the tallest and fastest roller coaster in Orlando — while kids can have fun at Sesame Street Land, a playground with family-friendly attractions and adorable furry friends. SeaWorld is also known for its live shows and animal presentations.

Marvel at killer whales in Orca Encounter, watch playful bottlenose dolphins in Dolphin Adventures or learn about the furry critters in the Sea Lion and Otter Spotlight show. There are also seasonal events, from Elmo’s Birthday Weekend to the Craft Beer Festival. While SeaWorld Orlando doesn’t have the same magic as the Disney or Universal parks, it’s still a great option for animal enthusiasts or budding marine biologists.

7: LEGOLAND Florida

With over 55 different rides, shows, and attractions, LEGOLAND Florida is a fun outing for the entire family. While it is designed for a younger crowd between ages 2 to 12, anyone can find something appealing here, from interactive shows to hair-raising rides and DIY opportunities. There are also classic attractions like roller coasters, playgrounds, dark rides, and 3D and 4D shows. And what would LEGOLAND be without scale models?

Take a trip to MINILAND to see LEGO replicas of New York, Las Vegas, Washington, D.C., and Florida. If your little ones want a hands-on experience, head to Imagination Zone, where they can build LEGO racing cars, program computerized LEGO robots, and play video games. There are also seasonal events like Red, White & BOOM, Brick-or-Treat, Holidays at LEGOLAND, and more!

6: Disney’s Animal Kingdom

Part zoo, part amusement park, Animal Kingdom is the world’s largest theme park, featuring a sprawling 580-acre space with 300 species of animals and 4 million trees, in addition to rides, attractions, and a couple of outstanding restaurants. The park’s layout is visually stunning, with a lush landscape of flowing rivers, jungles, and canopied trees, including the park’s symbol, the 145-foot-tall Tree of Life, which features 325 animal carvings.

It is also worth mentioning that Animal Kingdom is themed entirely around the natural environment and animal conservation. Ride Kilimanjaro Safaris through the “African” savannah to see the animals up close, and don’t miss the park’s newest land, Pandora — The World of Avatar, home to one of the best rides, Avatar Flight of Passage. The live shows, Festival of the Lion King and Finding Nemo: The Big, Blue... and Beyond, are amazing too!

5: Universal Studios Florida

Movie buffs will love this 541-acre theme park! Once a production backlot for Nickelodeon, CNBC, and other movies and TV shows, Universal Studios is now an action-packed park with nine themed worlds. Most rides are based on popular Universal pictures, from Despicable Me and The Mummy to E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial and Men in Black. There are also tours that offer a behind-the-scenes look at the industry and movie production. Visiting on a hot summer day? Check out the new water park, Volcano Bay.

Universal Studios is home to part of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, which expands into the adjacent Universal Orlando’s Islands of Adventure. Harry Potter fans can shop for Quidditch supplies at Diagon Alley, battle Voldemort on the Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts, or tour the park on a “real-life” Hogwarts Express. In 2024, Universal added DreamWorks Land, which features a Trolls-themed, family-friendly roller coaster and a stage show filled with DreamWorks characters.

4: EPCOT

Centered around Spaceship Earth, that iconic white golf-ball-looking structure, EPCOT (Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow), is one of Disney’s most unique parks. While it does have its fair share of attractions, EPCOT is more educational, with four distinct areas celebrating technological innovation, world history, and human experiences. The park is best known for the World Showcase, which pays homage to 11 countries and their cultures and cuisine.

Each pavilion is a miniaturized version of the country, featuring rides, shows, and cuisine native to the culture. As of now, the countries represented are Canada, France, Morocco, Japan, Italy, Germany, China, Norway, Mexico, the United Kingdom, and the United States. While EPCOT is great for hungry minds, it also caters to those looking for thrills and excitement. Our favorite ride is Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, one of the most recent additions!

3: Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Blending reality with fantasy, Hollywood Studios is dedicated to all things movies and TV. You’ll feel it as soon as you enter and stroll down Hollywood Boulevard, which features its very own version of Grauman’s Chinese Theatre. Other areas were also built to resemble iconic Los Angeles sites, including Echo Lake, Grand Avenue, and Sunset Boulevard. While the replica neighborhoods are fun to wander through, it’s the imaginative areas that really make the park shine.

Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is Hollywood Studios’ newest themed area, home to Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance and Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run. There’s also Toy Story Land, a Pixar lover’s paradise with rides like Slinky Dog Dash and fun character meet-and-greets. The park is also known for its live entertainment in a theater or on the street, with popular shows including the Green Army Drum Corps and For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration.

2: Universal Orlando’s Islands of Adventure

It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what makes Universal Orlando’s Islands of Adventure so popular, as each of its themed worlds seems more thrilling than the next. The park is broken down into different “islands,” many representing blockbuster hits or iconic movie franchises. Here, you’ll find part of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Hogwarts Castle, attractions like Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure and Flight of the Hippogriff, and shops set in the Forbidden Forest and Hogsmeade Village.

Other themed areas include Skull Island from King Kong, Seuss Landing based on Dr. Seuss’s books, Jurassic Park, and Marvel Super Hero Island. Even if you aren’t into Universal pictures, you’ll still enjoy the high-speed Jurassic World VelociCoaster — which features a signature 155-foot-tall top hat, four inversions, and a maximum speed of 70 mph — or the twisted Incredible Hulk Coaster.

1: Magic Kingdom

It’s no surprise that Magic Kingdom takes the top spot as the best theme park in Orlando and the world’s most-visited theme park. As one of Disney’s signature parks, alongside those in Anaheim, Paris, Tokyo, Shanghai, and Hong Kong, it’s hard not to fall in love with this park’s enchanting lands, nostalgic rides, and iconic Disney characters, not to mention its nightly entertainment and the highly anticipated villain land announced during 2024’s D23.

Home to attractions like Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Space Mountain, and Haunted Mansion, Magic Kingdom uses creative storytelling and innovative technology to give its rides that magic touch. Sprinkle in the character meet-and-greets, bewildering parades, and evening shows, and you’ll easily see why this 170 acres of space is the most visited theme park in the world. We have been to the park seven times and will come back again and again.