Disney Parks Around the World: How Many Are There?

How Many Disney Parks Are There?

“Disney World” and “Disneyland” have become synonymous with family vacations, Mickey Mouse, and the famous Disney castle. But how many Disney parks are there? You might be surprised to learn that there are 12 Disney theme parks across 9 resorts. 

As for “castle parks” with an iconic Disney castle at the center, there are 6, with one at each of the main resorts.

Want to learn more about all the Disney parks around the world? Let’s get into it!

Disney Resorts Around the World

There are 6 Disney theme park resorts around the world:

• Disneyland Resort in California
• Walt Disney World Resort in Florida
• Disneyland Paris Resort in France
• Tokyo Disney Resort in Japan
• Shanghai Disney Resort in China
• Hong Kong Disney Resort in Hong Kong

Plus, there are 3 additional resorts that do not have parks:

• Disney’s Vero Beach Resort in Florida
• Disney’s Hilton Head Island Resort in South Carolina
• Disney’s Aulani Resort in Hawaii

All Disney Parks Around the World

Keep reading to learn about each of the resorts and parks. But first, here’s a breakdown of each Disney theme park at the 6 main resorts, along with the dates each of them opened:

1. Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California

• Disneyland (1955)
• California Adventure (2001)

2. Walt Disney World Resort in Kissimmee, Florida

• Magic Kingdom (1971)
• Epcot (1982)
• Hollywood Studios (1989)
• Typhoon Lagoon Water Park (1989)*
• Blizzard Beach Water Park (1995)*
• Animal Kingdom (1998)

3. Tokyo Disney Resort

• Tokyo Disneyland (1983)
• Tokyo DisneySea (2001)

4. Disneyland Paris Resort

• Disneyland Paris (1992)
• Walt Disney Studios Park (2002)

5. Hong Kong Disneyland Resort

• Hong Kong Disneyland (2005)

6. Shanghai Disney Resort

• Shanghai Disneyland (2016)

*Note: I did not include the water parks in the total count as they are not official “theme” parks.

1. Disneyland Resort 

Disneyland Resort opened in 1955 in Anaheim, California. And Disneyland was the first park to open, debuting that same year. Then, California Adventure opened in 2001.

Disneyland was the first park that brought Walt Disney’s vision to life, and the only Disney theme park he got to see during his lifetime.

The centerpiece of Disneyland is the Sleeping Beauty Castle, which is surrounded by nine “lands”, each with a different theme:

• Main Street USA
• Adventureland
• Frontierland
• Fantasyland
• Tomorrowland
• New Orleans Square
• Critter Country
• Mickey’s Toontown

Additionally, Disneyland is home to Club 33, a super exclusive, members-only restaurant located in the heart of the park’s New Orleans Square. Club 33 is at the top of every Disney fan’s bucket list. 

Finally, Disneyland also includes Downtown Disney District, a retail and dining area outside the theme parks.

2. Walt Disney World Resort

Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida is the largest of all the resorts with 4 theme parks and 2 water parks:

• Magic Kingdom (1971)
• Epcot (1982)
• Hollywood Studios (1989)
• Typhoon Lagoon Water Park (1989)
• Blizzard Beach Water Park (1995)
• Animal Kingdom (1998)

Moreover, Walt Disney World Resort also includes Disney Springs, a waterfront dining and retail area outside the theme parks.

Magic Kingdom

Magic Kingdom was the first to open in 1971. Walt Disney had a big hand in developing both Magic Kingdom and Epcot, and was very passionate about what he called his “Florida Project”. Unfortunately, Walt did not get to see either of the parks open before his death in 1966.

Magic Kingdom is the main theme park at Disney World. The Park has 6 lands:

• Main Street USA
• Tomorrowland
• Fantasyland
• Frontierland
• Liberty Square
• Adventureland

Located in Fantasyland, the Cinderella Castle is the epicenter of Magic Kingdom.

Epcot Center

Epcot Center is the second-largest park at Walt Disney World and it opened in 1982.

Epcot stands for “Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow” and was the world’s first “theme” park dedicated to imagining the future of society and celebrating the world’s diverse cultures.

The park is divided into two zones:

• Future World
• World Showcase

Future World showcases many inventions and technologies that will be emerging in the near future, such as flight simulators and interactive exhibits about renewable energy.

World Showcase is made up of 11 pavilions representing different countries around the world. This is the stage for the annual Epcot Food & Wine Festival, where you can taste food and drinks from the different “countries” in the park, including the United States, Canada, England, France, Morocco, Japan, Italy, Germany, China, Norway, and Mexico.

Hollywood Studios

Disney Hollywood Studios, formerly Disney MGM Studios, was the third one to be added to the resort and it opened its doors in 1989.

The idea for this park was to create a place where people could experience all facets of show business from music to film to television. The attractions at Disney Hollywood Studios are designed to be a working production studio where guests could watch movies being made, in addition to typical theme park rides and shows.

Disney Hollywood Studios has four main areas:

• Hollywood Boulevard
• Echo Lake
• Animation Courtyard
• Sunset Boulevard

With so many movies under the Disney brand, the park features big box office hits like Toy Story and Star Wars.

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Animal Kingdom

Finally, Animal Kingdom opened to the public in 1998. Guests can experience wildlife conservation efforts through live shows and rides that simulate the natural habitats of their favorite animals.

The park was designed to evoke a safari aesthetic through its architecture, exhibits, and theme.

Animal Kingdom is also home to Expedition Everest roller coaster and Pandora, the World of Avatar.

Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach

Walt Disney World Resort also has two water parks, Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach, but I am not including them in the total count since they aren’t officially theme parks!

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3. Tokyo Disney Resort

Disney’s first expansion into Asia was the Tokyo Disney Resort. The resort is located in Urayasu, Japan, about twenty minutes outside of downtown Tokyo.

The two theme parks at Tokyo Disney Resort are:

• Tokyo Disneyland
• Tokyo DisneySea

Tokyo Disneyland debuted to the public in 1983 and has many of the same rides and attractions as the Florida and California parks in the US, with the same Cinderella Castle design as the one in Magic Kingdom.

Tokyo Disneyland has 7 themed lands:

• World Bazaar
• Adventureland
• Westernland
• Fantasyland
• Tomorrowland
• Critter Country
• Mickey’s Toontown

Tokyo DisneySea came along in 2001. The park has a nautical theme with 7 ports of call, instead of lands:

• Mediterranean Harbor
• American Waterfront
• Lost River Delta
• Port Discovery
• Mermaid Lagoon
• Arabian Coast
• Mysterious Island

4. Disneyland Paris Resort

Disney’s first and only foray into Europe is at Disneyland Paris. Originally named Euro Disney Resort, the name was changed two years after the resort opened.

The resort is located in Chessy, France, about fifty minutes from central Paris.

There are two theme parks at Disneyland Paris Resort:

• Disneyland Paris
• Walt Disney Studios Park

Disneyland Paris was the inaugural park at the Disneyland Paris Resort, founded in 1992. Ten years later, Walt Disney Studios Park opened in 2002.

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5. Hong Kong Disneyland Resort

Hong Kong Disneyland Resort is Disney’s second resort in Asia. This park is located on Lantau Island, which is about twenty minutes from central Hong Kong.

Hong Kong Disneyland Resort is the smallest out of all the rest of the Disney resorts around the world, and it currently consists of just one theme park:

• Hong Kong Disneyland

This theme park opened to the public in 2005.

Hong Kong Disneyland has 7 themed lands: 

• Main Street, USA
• Fantasyland
• Adventureland
• Tomorrowland
• Grizzly Gulch
• Mystic Point
• Toy Story Land

6. Shanghai Disney Resort

Finally, Disney’s newest resort is in Shanghai, China. This is Disney’s third Asian park and the first one located in mainland China. Shanghai Disney Resort consists of just one theme park as well:

• Shanghai Disneyland

Being Disney’s newest resort, Shanghai Disneyland officially opened in 2016.

The Shanghai theme park is has 6 lands:

• Gardens of Imagination
• Mickey Avenue
• Adventure Isle
• Treasure Cove
• Fantasyland
• Tomorrowland

Recap: How Many Disney Parks Are There?

So as you can see from the breakdown above, in total there are 12 Disney parks spread out between the main 6 Disney resorts around the world:

• Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida: Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom
• Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California: Disneyland and California Adventure
• Tokyo Disney Resort in Urayasu, Japan: Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea
• Disneyland Paris Resort in Chessy, France: Disneyland Paris and Walt Disney Studios Park
• Hong Kong Disneyland Resort in Lantau Island, Hong Kong: Hong Kong Disneyland
• Shanghai Disney Resort in Shanghai, China: Shanghai Disneyland

Of course, that’s just for right now. Walt Disney famously said:

It’s inevitable that more Disney parks will open in the future, although it’s unlikely to be the very near future given that Shanghai Disneyland just opened in 2016.

However, Disney executives have confirmed that Disney parks will continue to expand, hinting at potential expansion in China and in other countries around the world.

More Disney Resorts Around the World

While there are 12 theme parks across 6 resorts, there are actually three MORE Disney resorts located around the world! They just don’t have any theme parks.

The theme parks are obviously the biggest draw of all the resorts, but every resort encompasses more than just theme parks: hotels, shopping, dining, and entertainment.

So the three additional Disney resorts that don’t have any theme parks are:

• Disney’s Vero Beach Resort in Vero Beach, Florida
• Disney’s Hilton Head Island Resort in Hilton Head, South Carolina
• Disney’s Aulani Resort & Spa in Kapolei, Hawaii

These resorts are great vacation destinations, but they’re just missing the theme park magic.

Abandoned Disney Parks

And finally, the Disney theme parks that could have been!

Over the years, Disney has started a number of projects but ultimately abandoned them. Three Disney theme parks that could have potentially existed are:

• Disney park in Nara, Japan: This was Disney’s original attempt in Japan, but they pulled out halfway through. The park opened independently as Nara Dreamland in 1961. However, it eventually closed in 2006 due to the competition from the actual Tokyo Disneyland Resort.
• Walt Disney’s Riverfront Square in St, Louis, Missouri: This would have been the second Disney park, but it was abandoned in favor of the Orlando resort instead of in 1965.
• Disney’s America in Haymarket, Virginia: An American history-themed park was planned for Virginia, but ultimately canceled in 1994 due to rising costs and significant public opposition to the concept of how Disney would portray American history.

Unfortunately, none of these Disney parks ever came to fruition.

Conclusion: How many Disney parks are there?

So, how many Disney parks are there? There are 12 Disney theme parks across 9 resorts around the world. If you’re lucky, you’ll get to visit all of them and enjoy all the magic that comes with Disney.

More Disney Tips and Inspiration

I hope this post answered your question of you how many Disney parks are there around the world!

Looking for more Disney content? Here are some of my favorite posts:

• 18 Walt Disney Quotes to Inspire Your Dreams
• Disney Packing List: Don’t Forget These Items!

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