New research reveals the top 10 best-rated amusement parks in the US.
The research conducted by Westgate Palace Hotel at Universal analyzed every amusement park located in Florida based on three key factors: Instagram hashtags, monthly Google search volume and the percentage of ‘excellent’ reviews on TripAdvisor. These factors were then combined in an index to give each amusement park a total score to discover the most popular in Florida. The factors were also weighted in favor of customer experiences, so TripAdvisor reviews were given a higher weighting due to them directly reflecting park-goers satisfaction.
Universal's Islands of Adventure takes the crown as the most popular theme park in the United States, according to the research. Islands of Adventure is one of the two major parks at Universal Orlando Resort, famous for its thrilling rides and experiences, including the acclaimed The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. The Universal park claimed the top spot due to its impressive total index score of 91.1 out of 100. Boasting 52,310 reviews from park-goers, 74% fall under the ‘excellent’ rating, the highest rating in not only Florida, but the entire United States. TripAdvisor ratings, alongside 854,821 Instagram hashtags, place Islands of Adventure firmly in the top spot.
Disney’s Magic Kingdom narrowly misses out on the top spot, placing second behind Universal, scoring 90.4. Home to the iconic Cinderella’s Castle, Magic Kingdom is the most visited vacation resort in Florida, amassing 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, holding the highest number of Instagram hashtags of any theme park worldwide, with a whopping 8,012,859 posts.
Here are the Top 10!
- Universal's Islands of Adventure Orlando, Florida
- Magic Kingdom Orlando, Florida
- Disney California Adventure Anaheim, California
- Cedar Point Sandusky, Ohio
- Silver Dollar City Stone County, Missouri
- Animal Kingdom Orlando, Florida
- Universal Studios Hollywood Los Angeles, California
- Disneyland Park Anaheim, California
- Dollywood Pigeon Forge, Tennessee
- Disney's Typhoon Lagoon Water Park Orlando, Florida
Credit: westgateresorts
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