Before I begin with my rankings, let me acknowledge that this post is purely subjective. Each of us have unique tastes and different experiences. The following ranking is based on my own personal experiences and preferences after having visited all six Disney Resorts around the world. ​

#1 – Disneyland Paris – Disneyland Park
Coming in at number one is Disneyland Paris. This park absolutely took my breath away the first time I visited and no other international park has even come close to having that same affect on me. It must be said that Sleeping Beauty is my all-time favorite Disney movie. It is an absolute work of art and I appreciate it in very deep ways that continue to evolve as I grow older. My deep love and appreciation for this film could easily be a contributing factor to my love for this park. Sleeping Beauty’s castle here in Paris is my favorite castle. Its stunning stained glass windows and magical tapestries occupied my attention for hours, and the dragon underneath the castle thoroughly frightened and amazed me. This park also has my favorite version of just about every classic Disneyland ride – from Space Mountain to Big Thunder Mountain to Haunted Mansion aka Phantom Manor – each version is just a slightly better take on the rides I’ve always known and loved.

#2 – Walt Disney World – Epcot
Epcot is my second favorite park for two reasons: the food and the culture. I’ve always loved to travel and have been lucky enough to visit almost every country featured around the World Showcase in real life. The replication of these countries is so spot on that I often get déjà vu from my past travels. It’s pretty amazing that one minute you could be dancing to Mariachi in Mexico and the next traveling down the Loire river of France! This is the main reason Epcot is my 2nd favorite park. (I also have a deep nostalgia for Figment who was a favorite of mine as a child.) ​

#3 – Walt Disney World – Magic Kingdom
Magic Kingdom is coming in at #3 for me because this is my childhood park. This is the park I’ve been coming to since I was a baby and the one I have the most memories at. My favorite ride of all time is here (Carrousel of Progress) and several of my favorite dining experiences are here (Be Our Guest and Cinderella’s Royal Table). Every time I step onto Main Street, I feel butterflies. I know it’s not the “original” but it’s the original to me. ​

#4 – Hong Kong Disneyland
This little park was a sleeper hit for me. It is home to one of the best rides I’ve ever been on: Mystic Manor. It also has an enchanting little garden called Fairy Tale Forest with miniature recreations of every Disney fairy tale and their corresponding castle. I was thoroughly impressed with the design of Big Grizzly Mountain Runaway (which is like a cross between Expedition Everest and Big Thunder Mountain), and HKD is the only park in the world with an Ant-Man ride! This park also has some of the best food I’ve ever eaten at a Disney Resort. Once the castle is completed in 2020 it’s sure to be a must-visit destination for any Disney lover. ​

#5 – Tokyo Disney Resort – Disneyland
Tokyo Disneyland captured my attention for two main reasons: It’s a Small World and the parades (insert crying emoji here). Tokyo’s version of It’s a Small World is the best version in the world and if you are particularly attached to this ride (like I am) then you’ve got to visit Tokyo to make your life complete. The other thing I still cannot get over are the parades. Both the daytime and nighttime parades were the most magnificent I have ever seen. I watched them multiple times on my visit, which is something I don’t tend to do. I’ll never forget the feeling I got when I saw the Peter Pan float for the first time during Dreaming Up! Bonus: The food at Tokyo Disneyland is unreal. If there is one thing I regret from my most recent trip, it’s that I didn’t eat enough! ​

#6 – Walt Disney World – Animal Kingdom
I adore Animal Kingdom. When I step into this park I really feel like I’m stepping into a world that’s far far away. This is also the one park at Walt Disney World where it’s ok to go sloooowwww. It was designed in a way where guests can spend hours just meandering about, getting lost in the detail. Every time I visit this park I am amazed at the knowledge of the Disney Cast Members and feel inspired by what Disney is doing around conservation. And now with the addition of Pandora, this park has officially become one of my favorites. There is so much to do both during the day and at night. ​

#7 – Disneyland Resort – California Adventure
I’m putting California Adventure at #7 solely for Radiator Springs. After re-watching Cars, I was astounded at the level of detail the Disney Imagineers included in their designs for this part of the park. The theming is so impeccable that you can literally pretend you are in the film. Radiator Springs is also home to one of my all-time favorite rides in Disneyland – Radiator Springs Racers. Lastly, there is nowhere more magical than Route 66 at dusk when all of the fluorescent lights throughout Radiator Springs turn on, one by one. I get chills just thinking about it!

#8 – Shanghai Disney Resort
Home to the biggest castle in the world, Shanghai is a go-big or go-home kind of park, and I LOVE that. Their version of Pirates of the Caribbean is hands down the most innovative ride experience I’ve ever been on and Tron gives a whole new meaning to thrill rides. It is the only park with a live stage show for Tarzan that was so beautiful, I wept like a baby. You can also get your own Donald waffles here!

#9 – Disneyland Resort – Disneyland
Feels a little wrong to put Walt’s greatest achievement so far down this list but truth be told, Disneyland has outgrown itself. It’s been impressive to see how the Disney Parks team continually invents new ways to try and combat this problem but, if I’m honest, fighting through the ever-growing crowds has taken a bit of the magic away for me. That said, it’s still the very first Disney Theme Park and that makes it extra special. ​

#10 – Tokyo Disney Resort – Disney Sea
Ranking Tokyo Disney Sea at #10 is probably going to be my least popular opinion. I’ve heard many people say it’s actually their favorite park in the world, and I fully appreciate their reasons for loving it. Tokyo Disney Sea is certainly unique and there is a lot to discover here. The reason why Tokyo Disney Sea is near the bottom for me was the lack of Disney magic I felt here. In certain parts of the park I didn’t see any nods to Disney AT ALL. This could be by design as Tokyo Disney Resort is not actually OWNED by the Walt Disney Company (it’s a licensed park). It also happens to be one of the last parks I visited on my six castle quest so maybe if I’d come here first I would have had a different impression.

#11 – Walt Disney World – Hollywood Studios
This park just needs a major facelift. The opening of Toy Story Land and Galaxy’s Edge has helped but there is still so much more that needs to be done. I remember when it used to be called MGM Studios and it really felt like I was experiencing a piece of Hollywood. Now when I go it feels a bit outdated and I don’t really get any of that Hollywood movie-making magic. (I do work in Hollywood now so maybe living and breathing the real thing has made me jaded.) ​