How Many Disney Theme Parks are in the World?

The Disney Empire

With dozens of blockbuster movies, a popular cable television channel, and extensive product lines including toys, games, snacks, clothing, and more, the Disney empire has spread around the globe in more ways than one. Today, a total of 21 Disney theme parks entertain and delight millions of eager visitors annually. But where are all these Disney parks?

Discovering How Many Disney Theme Parks are in the World

Most casual Disney fans are familiar with the major Disney theme parks, but true fans know that the theme parks are spread across three continents and include many other theme park-like venues.

The United States

The United States is the birthplace of the Disney empire. Between the original Disneyland park in California and the mega Walt Disney World complex in Florida, the United States is home to the most Disney theme parks of any country in the world.

In California:

• Disneyland Theme Park: The original Disneyland opened in 1955 and is still a popular destination for millions of families each year.
• Disney’s California Adventure: This thrill-oriented park opened next door to Disneyland in 2001 and today is a major part of the Disneyland resort complex.
• Downtown Disney: This shopping, dining, and entertainment complex is a more sophisticated Disney experience that includes a garden walk, movie theater, and multiple boutiques and restaurants.

In Florida:

• Magic Kingdom: This fantasyland was the first park to open in central Florida when it debuted in 1971, and today it is the most familiar Disney park of all.
• Epcot: A futuristic wonderland, this multicultural park opened in 1982 and continues to be both educational and fun for all ages with attractions such as Mission: SPACE.
• Disney-MGM Studios: This movie-oriented park first showed guests a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the Disney magic in 1989, and today it is home to one of Disney’s most popular attractions, the Tower of Terror.
• Animal Kingdom: A visit to this combination zoo and theme park is sure to be a wild experience and it has been bringing guests face-to-face with exotic animals since 1998.
• Typhoon Lagoon: Guests have been blown away by the amazing water slides and other splashy fun at this water park since 1989.
• Blizzard Beach: This cool water park is Disney’s third venture into aquatic fun (the wilderness themed River Country water park operated from 1976 to 2001), and has featured chilly thrills since 1995.
• Downtown Disney: This shopping and entertainment complex near the major Disney theme parks first opened in 1975 but has been periodically expanded and updated – including the addition of the Pleasure Island nightclubs – to continue bringing stylish opportunities to guests.
• DisneyQuest: This indoor park opened in 1998 in Downtown Disney and features five floors of interactive fun, including an arcade, virtual reality simulators, and the Disney Animation Academy.

Europe

Though Disney’s initial European expansion was slow to ignite Disney fervor, today it is a popular destination near Paris and adds to the total of how many Disney theme parks are in the world.

• Disneyland: Modeled after the highly successful Magic Kingdom in Florida, this European Disneyland opened in 1992 as Euro Disney and has more technologically sophisticated rides than many parks.
• Walt Disney Studios Park: Another behind-the-scenes theme park, this Disney expansion opened in 2002 and is still being expanded to meet visitors’ dreams.
• Disney Village: An intimate dining, shopping, and entertainment district, this quaint avenue opened in 1992 to provide Disneyland guests with another Disney experience.

Asia

Guests from around the world enjoy Disney theme parks, and Asia is a natural market for this successful empire.

Tokyo DisneySea Mermaid Lagoon

• Tokyo Disney: This park opened in Japan in 1983 and is modeled after the Magic Kingdom in Florida but with unique flair to make it a memorable experience even for seasoned Disney visitors.
• Tokyo DisneySea: In 2001 this nautically themed park opened to create a unique Disney adventure, and attractions include Mermaid Lagoon, Port Discovery, and recreations of famous watery landmarks such as Venice and the Mediterranean.
• Ikspiari: This shopping district is similar to the Downtown Disney complexes in the United States, but caters to Japanese tastes for visitors to the Tokyo parks.
• Hong Kong Disneyland: This stylishly designed park opened in 2005 with great fanfare for its adherence to feng shui principals and Asian culture.

Disney Cruises

Once fans have visited every Disney theme park on land, they can experience magic on the sea by indulging in a Disney Cruise. Two ships, the Disney Magic and the Disney Wonder, debuted in 1998 and 1999 respectively, and today they offer itineraries throughout the Caribbean and Mediterranean. Each ship visits Disney’s private island in the Bahamas, Castaway Cay, regularly, and two new, larger ships are scheduled to debut in 2011 and 2012 to offer even more options for seafaring Disney fans.

Disney Stores

If a Disney theme park vacation is out of reach, fans can enjoy a bit of local Disney magic by visiting one of the many Disney Store locations in malls around the world. The first store opened in California in 1987 and while most stores are not operated by the parent Disney corporation, they still offer a glimpse of the fantasy all Disney parks are famous for. With the wide range of merchandise – costumes, toys, games, movies, and other trinkets – available at the stores, anyone can create their own personalized Disney theme park at home.

With theme parks, water parks, cruise ships, shopping districts, stores and more, it is nearly impossible to determine just how many Disney theme parks are in the world today. One thing is certain, however: as long as imagination and fantasy meet, there will always be another Disney park ready to be built.