New research reveals the 10 highest-rated amusement parks in the US.
Research conducted by Westgate Palace Hotel at Universal analyzed all amusement parks located in the United States based on three key factors: Instagram hashtags, monthly search volume on Google, and the percentage of “excellent” reviews on Trip Advisor. These factors were then combined into an index to give each amusement park a total score to discover the most popular in the United States. Factors were also weighted in favor of customer experiences, so Trip Advisor reviews received a higher weight because they directly reflect park visitor satisfaction.
Universal's Islands of Adventure takes the crown as America's most popular theme park, according to research. Islands of Adventure is one of Universal Orlando Resort's two main parks, famous for its thrilling attractions and experiences, including the acclaimed The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Universal park took first place thanks to its impressive overall score of 91.1 out of 100. With 52,310 reviews from park visitors, 74% fall under the "excellent" rating, the highest rating not only in Florida, but throughout the United States. State. Trip Advisor ratings, along with 854,821 Instagram hashtags, place Islands of Adventure firmly in first place.
Disney's Magic Kingdom narrowly misses the top spot, coming in second behind Universal with a score of 90.4. Home to the iconic Cinderella Castle, Magic Kingdom is Florida's most visited resort, with more than 17 million visitors in 2022 alone, but only the second highest rated. Magic Kingdom also ranks as the most Instagrammable theme park in the United States, with the most Instagram hashtags of any theme park worldwide, with a whopping 8,012,859 posts.
The next place in the ranking is Disney California Adventure Park, in third place. Disney California Adventure is one of two Disneyland Resort parks, located in Anaheim, California, the other being Disneyland Park, which ranks eighth. The park is the third highest-rated park in the United States on TripAdvisor, with 6.7% of its reviews rated "excellent" out of a total of 15,724 reviews, contributing to its final index score of 84.2.
According to the results, Cedar Point ranks as the fourth most acclaimed theme park in the U.S. Often referred to as the "roller coaster capital of the world" due to its impressive selection of roller coasters, Cedar Point receives the third most Google searches in the study, with an average of 355,000 monthly searches. Located in Sandusky, Ohio, the park opened in 1870, making it one of the oldest amusement parks in the United States.
The study revealed that Silver Dollar City is the fifth-highest-rated amusement park in the U.S., based on guest experience. Located in Stone County, Missouri, Silver Dollar City offers a variety of entertainment, including live shows, festivals, and traditional craft demonstrations. The park is the fourth highest-rated theme park on TripAdvisor, with 66% of all visitor reviews in the "excellent" category.
Research revealed that Disney's Animal Kingdom ranks as the sixth highest-rated theme park nationally. Animal Kingdom is the second most searched theme park on Google nationwide, receiving an average of 379,000 monthly searches, and has the third highest number of hashtags in the ranking, with 4,752,545 hashtags. Opened in 1998, Animal Kingdom is the largest of Disney's four theme parks in terms of land area and is the second Walt Disney World park to make the list, with an overall score of 80.7.
The top 10 best-rated amusement parks in the United States are completed by Universal Studios Hollywood, which ranks seventh, followed by California's Disneyland Park, Dollywood, and Disney's Typhoon Lagoon Water Park in eighth, ninth, and tenth, respectively.
A spokesperson for Universal's Westgate Palace Hotel commented on the findings: “It is no surprise that theme parks operated by Walt Disney and Universal Studios dominated the list. What may be surprising, however, is that the research crowns Universal as the highest-rated theme park, surpassing the four main Disney parks.”
“Universal Studios Orlando stands out as the leading theme park destination in the United States due to its unmatched customer experience and unwavering commitment to guest satisfaction. With a recorded 37.9 million tourists in the first three months of 2023 alone, Florida remains a major vacation spot in the United States.”
“From the enchanting world of Walt Disney World to the exciting experiences of Universal Orlando, Florida theme parks add a touch of magic to any vacation. There's only so much fun you can have during a single day at a park, so naturally guests will extend their stay to visit as many major Florida theme parks as possible. “Our family-friendly hotel suites are strategically located on I-Drive for easy access to these attractions and offer a cozy retreat after a day of exploring the park.”
Source: Journo Research.