Article on Theme Parks from Consumer Reports
Sit back and hold on tight. Here are CRs first Ratings of Americas theme parks, plus how to save hundreds of dollars and avoid mobs of Mouseketeers.
Last year, 320 million visitors rolled and twisted, strolled and sat through more than 3 billion rides and attractions at Americas 450 fixed-site amusement parks. Heres another impressive number: $10 billion. Thats how much those visitors spent on admission, food, and souvenirs.
For many, the expense was a surprise: In our own survey of nearly 2,500 park-goers, the trip cost more than expected--sometimes a lot more--almost 40 percent of the time.
We supplemented our survey with research from staffers who visited theme parks. We asked roller-coaster fans to name their favorites (see Favorite coasters) and interviewed experts about risks associated with ever-faster rides (see Assessing park safety).
As a result, we can tell you which of 14 of the nations most-visited theme parks are the biggest crowd pleasers and best values. Well reveal how to save hundreds of dollars on your trip. And well offer tips on how to avoid crowds, long lines, and overpriced concessions. Among our findings:
SeaWorld and Epcot, both in the Orlando, Fla., area, earned top scores for value. More than 40 percent of the visitors to those parks said they were well worth the money. By contrast, less than 30 percent of visitors to Disneys California Adventure, in Anaheim; Knotts Berry Farm, in Buena Park, Calif.; and Universal Studios Hollywood and Florida said they got great value.
Overall, park-goers were highly satisfied. Yet 24 percent had three or more complaints, especially about overcrowding and long lines. The worst offenders: Disneyland, in Anaheim, Calif., and Cedar Point, in Sandusky, Ohio. Almost half of the visitors to Cedar Point said they had to wait at least an hour in at least one line.
Parks with the same owner didnt always deliver the same experience. Disneys Epcot, MGM Studios, and Magic Kingdom, all in Florida, topped the Ratings, but its California Adventure didnt fare as well.
Theme-park food can be pricey and pedestrian. Almost 25 percent of respondents called it fair, poor, or very poor.
PICKING A PARK
All the parks combine thrill rides with more-sedate shows, but they generally focus on one of four basic areas: rides, shows and other attractions, movie sets, or animals. Before you choose, visit the parks Web sites, listed in the Ratings. On the sites, you can get detailed descriptions of rides and attractions, price-shop for a room, order tickets, learn about restaurants, and find discounts. Download a park map before you go to learn the lay of the land. The parks cover 55 to 400-plus acres, and their size can be daunting.
The Ratings and the profiles that follow them can guide your choice. Research is useful: 11 percent of our survey respondents said they wished they had done more planning. One familiar name you wont see in the Ratings is Six Flags. None of that chains 16 parks received enough responses for us to rate it.
SAVING MONEY
Weigh ticket options. Some parks offer a dozen or more admission tickets, and its a confusing array. Which type is best for you depends on your interests, how long youre staying, how often you plan to return, and how much freedom you want.
An annual pass, good for the calendar year, offers the most value if you plan to visit several times. The pass for Knotts Berry Farm, for example, will pay for itself on the third visit. Not all annual passes are alike, however. Some exclude admission on certain days or times of year.
Because of its size, Walt Disney World is best explored with a multiday Park Hopper pass. Good for a minimum of four days, it covers all the parks under the Disney World umbrella (Epcot, MGM Studios, Magic Kingdom, and Animal Kingdom).
If youre on a tight schedule or willing to pay extra for first-class treatment, consider a privilege pass, available at several parks. Starting at about $40 more than the price of a one-day ticket, it lets guests tour in groups of one or two dozen or with a private guide, get good seats at performances, and cut to the front of the line for the most-well-attended attractions.
Look for discounts. The stalled economy can be a boon for tourists. Nearly 70 percent of respondents said they paid less than the regular admission price of about $42 to $52 a day. Parks are offering incentives such as an annual pass for the price of a one-day ticket if bought before peak season (usually from June to September). Some parks let you cut 10 to 20 percent off the ticket price if you buy your tickets online and print them at home.
For hotel deals and other discount information, whatever the type of ticket, check the parks Web sites, as well as tourist sites such as WDWinfo.com and MouseSavers.com (for Disney parks) and ThePointol.com for Cedar Point. Some unaffiliated sites, including ThemeParkInsider.com and Themeparks.com, cover numerous parks. Check often before booking; discounts come and go.
You might even find discounts when you shop, open your mail, or eat: Theyre sometimes pegged to lottery tickets, coupons on soda cans, credit-card promotions, sales pitches for time-share resorts, and fast-food purchases.
At a movie-production park such as Universal Studios Florida, you can log on to TVtickets.com or check at the entrance to find out whether a TV program will be taping. If so, you can request free tickets that let you join the audience.
PARK PRAISE
Great rides 61% of respondents said rides at Cedar Point were excellent.
Great shows 53% said shows at SeaWorld Orlando were excellent.
Think twice about package deals. They sound good, but they can be hard to cancel and can cost more in the long run, says Mary Waring, who runs MouseSavers.com, a Web site dedicated to everything Disney. Thats because you leave the planning to someone else and pay for extras you may not want. When we booked a three-night Dream Maker package at Disneys Animal Kingdom Lodge in June, the price came to $1,314 for two adults. Our package included two "ultimate" Park Hopper passes, for unrestricted access to every conceivable venue in the Disney complex; two souvenir trading pins; and a choice of miniature golf, leaving a Legacy Tile at Epcot, or storytelling. Had we booked the room and bought regular daily tickets separately, we would have saved $214. Frankly, it would be hard to find the time and energy to take full advantage of the ultimate pass.
Weigh where to stay. Most parks have either on-site lodging or nearby "designated" hotels offering shuttle service and preferred rates if you have bought a park pass. Staying inside the park not only makes you feel like youre part of the action, it lets you take a break during the day, grab a snack or swim, and charge souvenirs to your room and have them delivered. Sometimes on-site guests can enter the park earlier than other visitors, leave later, and go to the head of the line for the most-popular rides. In our survey, more than 90 percent of visitors who stayed in the park said that they had made the right decision.
On the other hand, on-site hotels are expensive--generally well above $100 per night no matter how you book. You might save by reserving your room through a travel Web site such as Expedia or Travelocity instead of through the park. The rack rate for a room at Disneys Swan Hotel in Orlando, for example, was $325 a night when we asked employees of the park. The same room for the same week on Expedia averaged $202 per night. You can also save hundreds of dollars on on-site lodging if you can avoid visiting the park on a holiday weekend. A three-night stay at Walt Disney Worlds Polynesian resort over Easter weekend cost $200 more than it would have two weeks later.
Visitors on a budget can consider staying at one of the many hotels that are near the parks, with rooms that cost as little as $30 to $60 per night. They often come with extras. Ask whether the hotel offers continental breakfast at no extra charge; free shuttle-bus service to the parks; free accommodations for children who stay in a parents room; and transportation to and from the airport, which could make a rental car unnecessary.
Budget for food. You can buy most any food inside the parks, whether funnel cake or foie gras, at everything from concession stands to white-tablecloth restaurants. For a basic lunch and snack (a burger, fries, soda, ice cream, popcorn) expect to spend about $14.
Given the cost, and the fact that survey respondents were far from thrilled with park cuisine, you might be tempted to bring food with you. Most parks, however, wont admit you with any food except light snacks and bottled water. Consider eating a snack for lunch and having your breakfast and dinner outside the park.
AVOIDING PROBLEMS
Time your trip to miss the mobs. Its a small world? We dont think so. Twenty-seven percent of visitors said they wish theyd gone at a less crowded time; 32 percent groused about long lines. But careful timing can help you avoid the crush.
Parks are packed at the obvious times: summer, spring break, Presidents week, and major holidays. What you may not realize is that one of the least-crowded times to visit is after Thanksgiving weekend up to the week before Christmas.
Peak periods do have a few advantages: Theres more entertainment, and fewer rides are closed for renovation. And the parks are open longer--up to 16 hours a day, almost twice as long as at other times. But those pluses dont necessarily mean youll pack more fun in to each day. A few staffers who visited parks in May went on three or four times as many rides per day as those who went at peak times.
Arrive early. You may be allowed in before the official opening time if long lines have formed at the gate. Be prepared for tight security. Youll have to pass through a metal detector and submit any backpacks, insulated cooler bags, and camera cases for inspection.
Once inside, head to the information board to see which rides are available and estimated waiting times. Then go straight to the back of the park. Its usually most efficient to start there, working your way toward the entrance.
PARK PROBLEMS Confusing layout More than 15% cited Universal Studios Hollywood and SeaWorld San Diego. Rides closed 27% cited Disneyland.
Time your thrills. Most parks are open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. off-season and as late as midnight in high season. Crowds peak at about 11 a.m., so visit the most-popular rides soon after the park opens or just before it closes. Our survey showed that lines were generally shortest at the two SeaWorld parks, which feature mostly exhibits and animal shows in stadiums.
While the big shows are occurring, go to other attractions. At SeaWorld Orlando, our reporter walked right onto Kraken and Journey to Atlantis, the parks premier thrill rides, while most visitors were packed into Shamu Stadium to see one of the killer-whale performances.
Perhaps the best way to beat lines is to use the ride-reservation systems implemented by many parks in recent years. You go to a ride and are given a return time or a pager that tells you when its your turn. When you come back, you join a separate, shorter line. Another time-saver: If youre alone or dont mind sitting apart from others in your group, head for the single-rider line. Youre practically guaranteed a shorter wait.
Consider the weather. The parks are open rain or shine, and if theres a cloudburst, most parks say too bad. Universal Studios Hollywood is the exception. If more than one-eighth inch of rain falls by 2 p.m., the park issues vouchers good for free entry within the following 30 days.
Travel light. Youll have to stow large bags before you board many rides, so consider wearing a waist pack.
Eat at off-hours. One late afternoon, our reporter was seated immediately at the usually packed Rainforest Café at Disney World. Two hours earlier, he had been turned away and told reservations must be made a day in advance.
TAKING KIDS
The parks rent strollers, and on-site hotels at Disney World parks offer babysitting ($14 an hour and up) and supervised kids activities ($10 an hour and up).
Defuse potential arguments over rides and souvenirs before you leave home. The most-intense rides generally bar anyone under 48 or 54 inches tall. Web sites and travel guides contain detailed descriptions, including height requirements.
Many rides and attractions are scarier in person than they are in brochures. If the movie "Spider-Man" frightened your child, then the Spider-Man ride at Universals Islands of Adventure may, too, with its in-your-face villains, loud noises, and fantasy violence. Save such attractions for last. That way, if the experience is unpleasant, it wont ruin the day.
Attractions often exit into gift shops, so visitors are hit with pitches for T-shirts, photos, and stuffed dolls when theyre vulnerable. But survey respondents were sometimes disappointed with the quality of merchandise, especially at SeaWorld San Diego, Cedar Point, and Universal Studios Hollywood. Many also said that souvenirs were overpriced. If its too hard to deny a kid (or yourself) a keepsake, limit what to spend and when to spend it.
Product pitches are pervasive even outside souvenir shops--and theyre not just pitching Mickey or Shamu. Gerber is the official sponsor of the dolphin nursery at SeaWorld Orlando; Space Mountain at Disneyland is brought to you by Federal Express. Among products that are heavily hyped and overpriced in the parks are sunscreen and film. Buy them outside.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Five high-rated parks--Epcot, Disney-MGM Studios, Magic Kingdom, SeaWorld Orlando, and Universals Islands of Adventure--are within a few miles of one another in Florida, so you could easily visit more than one. Epcot and SeaWorld Orlando were rated especially high for value; SeaWorld Orlando was seen as less crowded than all the other parks. Knotts Berry Farm, Universal Studios Hollywood, and Disneys California Adventure--scored a bit lower than the rest.
Its a safe bet that teenagers, newlyweds, parents with small children, and empty-nesters disagree on the definition of excitement. Epcot might be ideal for adults who want to learn about science and foreign cultures; teenagers might go for the coasters at Cedar Point; kids might like getting soaked on Splash Mountain at Disneys Magic Kingdom.
Still, its hard to make a big mistake: The advantage of these megaparks is that they offer something for everyone. That includes Fido. Air-conditioned or shaded kennels are widely available, usually for $10 per day or less (theyre free at Universal Studios Hollywood). Most parks ask that you return during the day to walk and feed your pet.
1. Epcot,
Lake Buena Vista, Fla.
Great rides and shows, and better-than-average value, make this a top pick.
2. Disney-MGM Studios,
Lake Buena Vista, Fla.
Great rides and shows, average value at this working set.
3. Magic Kingdom,
Lake Buena Vista, Fla.
Great rides and shows; average value.
4. SeaWorld,
Orlando, Fla.
Marine adventure park offers great shows, better-than-average value, smaller crowds.
5. Universals Islands of Adventure,
Orlando, Fla.
Great rides on five "islands" with an easy-to-tour circular layout.
6. SeaWorld,
San Diego, Calif.
Shows better than average, but souvenir quality worse.
7. Disneys Animal Kingdom,
Lake Buena Vista, Fla.
The newest, largest park in Disney World offers great shows.
8. Disneyland,
Anaheim, Calif.
Great rides at Disneys original park, but more crowded than most others.
9. Cedar Point,
Sandusky, Ohio
Great action-oriented rides, but crowds and souvenirs worse than most.
10. Busch Gardens,
Tampa, Fla.
Better-than-average rides at this adventure park cum zoo, but its not a standout.
11. Universal Studios Florida,
Orlando, Fla.
Rides better than average at this working studio; value worse.
12. Knotts Berry Farm,
Buena Park, Calif.
Value worse than most at this mix of more than 160 rides and attractions.
13. Universal Studios Hollywood,
Universal City, Calif.
"Worlds largest movie studio and theme park" scored worse than most for
for value and souvenirs.
14. Disneys California Adventure,
Anaheim, Calif.
Shows better than average, but value worse.
Sit back and hold on tight. Here are CRs first Ratings of Americas theme parks, plus how to save hundreds of dollars and avoid mobs of Mouseketeers.
Last year, 320 million visitors rolled and twisted, strolled and sat through more than 3 billion rides and attractions at Americas 450 fixed-site amusement parks. Heres another impressive number: $10 billion. Thats how much those visitors spent on admission, food, and souvenirs.
For many, the expense was a surprise: In our own survey of nearly 2,500 park-goers, the trip cost more than expected--sometimes a lot more--almost 40 percent of the time.
We supplemented our survey with research from staffers who visited theme parks. We asked roller-coaster fans to name their favorites (see Favorite coasters) and interviewed experts about risks associated with ever-faster rides (see Assessing park safety).
As a result, we can tell you which of 14 of the nations most-visited theme parks are the biggest crowd pleasers and best values. Well reveal how to save hundreds of dollars on your trip. And well offer tips on how to avoid crowds, long lines, and overpriced concessions. Among our findings:
SeaWorld and Epcot, both in the Orlando, Fla., area, earned top scores for value. More than 40 percent of the visitors to those parks said they were well worth the money. By contrast, less than 30 percent of visitors to Disneys California Adventure, in Anaheim; Knotts Berry Farm, in Buena Park, Calif.; and Universal Studios Hollywood and Florida said they got great value.
Overall, park-goers were highly satisfied. Yet 24 percent had three or more complaints, especially about overcrowding and long lines. The worst offenders: Disneyland, in Anaheim, Calif., and Cedar Point, in Sandusky, Ohio. Almost half of the visitors to Cedar Point said they had to wait at least an hour in at least one line.
Parks with the same owner didnt always deliver the same experience. Disneys Epcot, MGM Studios, and Magic Kingdom, all in Florida, topped the Ratings, but its California Adventure didnt fare as well.
Theme-park food can be pricey and pedestrian. Almost 25 percent of respondents called it fair, poor, or very poor.
PICKING A PARK
All the parks combine thrill rides with more-sedate shows, but they generally focus on one of four basic areas: rides, shows and other attractions, movie sets, or animals. Before you choose, visit the parks Web sites, listed in the Ratings. On the sites, you can get detailed descriptions of rides and attractions, price-shop for a room, order tickets, learn about restaurants, and find discounts. Download a park map before you go to learn the lay of the land. The parks cover 55 to 400-plus acres, and their size can be daunting.
The Ratings and the profiles that follow them can guide your choice. Research is useful: 11 percent of our survey respondents said they wished they had done more planning. One familiar name you wont see in the Ratings is Six Flags. None of that chains 16 parks received enough responses for us to rate it.
SAVING MONEY
Weigh ticket options. Some parks offer a dozen or more admission tickets, and its a confusing array. Which type is best for you depends on your interests, how long youre staying, how often you plan to return, and how much freedom you want.
An annual pass, good for the calendar year, offers the most value if you plan to visit several times. The pass for Knotts Berry Farm, for example, will pay for itself on the third visit. Not all annual passes are alike, however. Some exclude admission on certain days or times of year.
Because of its size, Walt Disney World is best explored with a multiday Park Hopper pass. Good for a minimum of four days, it covers all the parks under the Disney World umbrella (Epcot, MGM Studios, Magic Kingdom, and Animal Kingdom).
If youre on a tight schedule or willing to pay extra for first-class treatment, consider a privilege pass, available at several parks. Starting at about $40 more than the price of a one-day ticket, it lets guests tour in groups of one or two dozen or with a private guide, get good seats at performances, and cut to the front of the line for the most-well-attended attractions.
Look for discounts. The stalled economy can be a boon for tourists. Nearly 70 percent of respondents said they paid less than the regular admission price of about $42 to $52 a day. Parks are offering incentives such as an annual pass for the price of a one-day ticket if bought before peak season (usually from June to September). Some parks let you cut 10 to 20 percent off the ticket price if you buy your tickets online and print them at home.
For hotel deals and other discount information, whatever the type of ticket, check the parks Web sites, as well as tourist sites such as WDWinfo.com and MouseSavers.com (for Disney parks) and ThePointol.com for Cedar Point. Some unaffiliated sites, including ThemeParkInsider.com and Themeparks.com, cover numerous parks. Check often before booking; discounts come and go.
You might even find discounts when you shop, open your mail, or eat: Theyre sometimes pegged to lottery tickets, coupons on soda cans, credit-card promotions, sales pitches for time-share resorts, and fast-food purchases.
At a movie-production park such as Universal Studios Florida, you can log on to TVtickets.com or check at the entrance to find out whether a TV program will be taping. If so, you can request free tickets that let you join the audience.
PARK PRAISE
Great rides 61% of respondents said rides at Cedar Point were excellent.
Great shows 53% said shows at SeaWorld Orlando were excellent.
Think twice about package deals. They sound good, but they can be hard to cancel and can cost more in the long run, says Mary Waring, who runs MouseSavers.com, a Web site dedicated to everything Disney. Thats because you leave the planning to someone else and pay for extras you may not want. When we booked a three-night Dream Maker package at Disneys Animal Kingdom Lodge in June, the price came to $1,314 for two adults. Our package included two "ultimate" Park Hopper passes, for unrestricted access to every conceivable venue in the Disney complex; two souvenir trading pins; and a choice of miniature golf, leaving a Legacy Tile at Epcot, or storytelling. Had we booked the room and bought regular daily tickets separately, we would have saved $214. Frankly, it would be hard to find the time and energy to take full advantage of the ultimate pass.
Weigh where to stay. Most parks have either on-site lodging or nearby "designated" hotels offering shuttle service and preferred rates if you have bought a park pass. Staying inside the park not only makes you feel like youre part of the action, it lets you take a break during the day, grab a snack or swim, and charge souvenirs to your room and have them delivered. Sometimes on-site guests can enter the park earlier than other visitors, leave later, and go to the head of the line for the most-popular rides. In our survey, more than 90 percent of visitors who stayed in the park said that they had made the right decision.
On the other hand, on-site hotels are expensive--generally well above $100 per night no matter how you book. You might save by reserving your room through a travel Web site such as Expedia or Travelocity instead of through the park. The rack rate for a room at Disneys Swan Hotel in Orlando, for example, was $325 a night when we asked employees of the park. The same room for the same week on Expedia averaged $202 per night. You can also save hundreds of dollars on on-site lodging if you can avoid visiting the park on a holiday weekend. A three-night stay at Walt Disney Worlds Polynesian resort over Easter weekend cost $200 more than it would have two weeks later.
Visitors on a budget can consider staying at one of the many hotels that are near the parks, with rooms that cost as little as $30 to $60 per night. They often come with extras. Ask whether the hotel offers continental breakfast at no extra charge; free shuttle-bus service to the parks; free accommodations for children who stay in a parents room; and transportation to and from the airport, which could make a rental car unnecessary.
Budget for food. You can buy most any food inside the parks, whether funnel cake or foie gras, at everything from concession stands to white-tablecloth restaurants. For a basic lunch and snack (a burger, fries, soda, ice cream, popcorn) expect to spend about $14.
Given the cost, and the fact that survey respondents were far from thrilled with park cuisine, you might be tempted to bring food with you. Most parks, however, wont admit you with any food except light snacks and bottled water. Consider eating a snack for lunch and having your breakfast and dinner outside the park.
AVOIDING PROBLEMS
Time your trip to miss the mobs. Its a small world? We dont think so. Twenty-seven percent of visitors said they wish theyd gone at a less crowded time; 32 percent groused about long lines. But careful timing can help you avoid the crush.
Parks are packed at the obvious times: summer, spring break, Presidents week, and major holidays. What you may not realize is that one of the least-crowded times to visit is after Thanksgiving weekend up to the week before Christmas.
Peak periods do have a few advantages: Theres more entertainment, and fewer rides are closed for renovation. And the parks are open longer--up to 16 hours a day, almost twice as long as at other times. But those pluses dont necessarily mean youll pack more fun in to each day. A few staffers who visited parks in May went on three or four times as many rides per day as those who went at peak times.
Arrive early. You may be allowed in before the official opening time if long lines have formed at the gate. Be prepared for tight security. Youll have to pass through a metal detector and submit any backpacks, insulated cooler bags, and camera cases for inspection.
Once inside, head to the information board to see which rides are available and estimated waiting times. Then go straight to the back of the park. Its usually most efficient to start there, working your way toward the entrance.
PARK PROBLEMS Confusing layout More than 15% cited Universal Studios Hollywood and SeaWorld San Diego. Rides closed 27% cited Disneyland.
Time your thrills. Most parks are open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. off-season and as late as midnight in high season. Crowds peak at about 11 a.m., so visit the most-popular rides soon after the park opens or just before it closes. Our survey showed that lines were generally shortest at the two SeaWorld parks, which feature mostly exhibits and animal shows in stadiums.
While the big shows are occurring, go to other attractions. At SeaWorld Orlando, our reporter walked right onto Kraken and Journey to Atlantis, the parks premier thrill rides, while most visitors were packed into Shamu Stadium to see one of the killer-whale performances.
Perhaps the best way to beat lines is to use the ride-reservation systems implemented by many parks in recent years. You go to a ride and are given a return time or a pager that tells you when its your turn. When you come back, you join a separate, shorter line. Another time-saver: If youre alone or dont mind sitting apart from others in your group, head for the single-rider line. Youre practically guaranteed a shorter wait.
Consider the weather. The parks are open rain or shine, and if theres a cloudburst, most parks say too bad. Universal Studios Hollywood is the exception. If more than one-eighth inch of rain falls by 2 p.m., the park issues vouchers good for free entry within the following 30 days.
Travel light. Youll have to stow large bags before you board many rides, so consider wearing a waist pack.
Eat at off-hours. One late afternoon, our reporter was seated immediately at the usually packed Rainforest Café at Disney World. Two hours earlier, he had been turned away and told reservations must be made a day in advance.
TAKING KIDS
The parks rent strollers, and on-site hotels at Disney World parks offer babysitting ($14 an hour and up) and supervised kids activities ($10 an hour and up).
Defuse potential arguments over rides and souvenirs before you leave home. The most-intense rides generally bar anyone under 48 or 54 inches tall. Web sites and travel guides contain detailed descriptions, including height requirements.
Many rides and attractions are scarier in person than they are in brochures. If the movie "Spider-Man" frightened your child, then the Spider-Man ride at Universals Islands of Adventure may, too, with its in-your-face villains, loud noises, and fantasy violence. Save such attractions for last. That way, if the experience is unpleasant, it wont ruin the day.
Attractions often exit into gift shops, so visitors are hit with pitches for T-shirts, photos, and stuffed dolls when theyre vulnerable. But survey respondents were sometimes disappointed with the quality of merchandise, especially at SeaWorld San Diego, Cedar Point, and Universal Studios Hollywood. Many also said that souvenirs were overpriced. If its too hard to deny a kid (or yourself) a keepsake, limit what to spend and when to spend it.
Product pitches are pervasive even outside souvenir shops--and theyre not just pitching Mickey or Shamu. Gerber is the official sponsor of the dolphin nursery at SeaWorld Orlando; Space Mountain at Disneyland is brought to you by Federal Express. Among products that are heavily hyped and overpriced in the parks are sunscreen and film. Buy them outside.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Five high-rated parks--Epcot, Disney-MGM Studios, Magic Kingdom, SeaWorld Orlando, and Universals Islands of Adventure--are within a few miles of one another in Florida, so you could easily visit more than one. Epcot and SeaWorld Orlando were rated especially high for value; SeaWorld Orlando was seen as less crowded than all the other parks. Knotts Berry Farm, Universal Studios Hollywood, and Disneys California Adventure--scored a bit lower than the rest.
Its a safe bet that teenagers, newlyweds, parents with small children, and empty-nesters disagree on the definition of excitement. Epcot might be ideal for adults who want to learn about science and foreign cultures; teenagers might go for the coasters at Cedar Point; kids might like getting soaked on Splash Mountain at Disneys Magic Kingdom.
Still, its hard to make a big mistake: The advantage of these megaparks is that they offer something for everyone. That includes Fido. Air-conditioned or shaded kennels are widely available, usually for $10 per day or less (theyre free at Universal Studios Hollywood). Most parks ask that you return during the day to walk and feed your pet.
1. Epcot,
Lake Buena Vista, Fla.
Great rides and shows, and better-than-average value, make this a top pick.
2. Disney-MGM Studios,
Lake Buena Vista, Fla.
Great rides and shows, average value at this working set.
3. Magic Kingdom,
Lake Buena Vista, Fla.
Great rides and shows; average value.
4. SeaWorld,
Orlando, Fla.
Marine adventure park offers great shows, better-than-average value, smaller crowds.
5. Universals Islands of Adventure,
Orlando, Fla.
Great rides on five "islands" with an easy-to-tour circular layout.
6. SeaWorld,
San Diego, Calif.
Shows better than average, but souvenir quality worse.
7. Disneys Animal Kingdom,
Lake Buena Vista, Fla.
The newest, largest park in Disney World offers great shows.
8. Disneyland,
Anaheim, Calif.
Great rides at Disneys original park, but more crowded than most others.
9. Cedar Point,
Sandusky, Ohio
Great action-oriented rides, but crowds and souvenirs worse than most.
10. Busch Gardens,
Tampa, Fla.
Better-than-average rides at this adventure park cum zoo, but its not a standout.
11. Universal Studios Florida,
Orlando, Fla.
Rides better than average at this working studio; value worse.
12. Knotts Berry Farm,
Buena Park, Calif.
Value worse than most at this mix of more than 160 rides and attractions.
13. Universal Studios Hollywood,
Universal City, Calif.
"Worlds largest movie studio and theme park" scored worse than most for
for value and souvenirs.
14. Disneys California Adventure,
Anaheim, Calif.
Shows better than average, but value worse.
