World’s top 25 amusement parks | CNN

World’s top 25 amusement parks

Katia Hetter, CNN
2 minute read
Updated 10:19 AM EST, Tue March 3, 2015
25. Yokohama Hakkeijima Sea Paradise in Japan features amusement park rides, an aquarium and over 500 varieties of fish.
25. Yokohama Hakkeijima Sea Paradise, Japan —
25. Yokohama Hakkeijima Sea Paradise in Japan features amusement park rides, an aquarium and over 500 varieties of fish.
Junko Kimura/Getty Images
24. Efteling theme park in the Netherlands is one of the oldest theme parks in the world.
24. Efteling, Netherlands —
24. Efteling theme park in the Netherlands is one of the oldest theme parks in the world.
Didier Messens/Getty Images
23.Tivoli Gardens in Denmark features all sorts of amusements and entertainments.
23. Tivoli Gardens, Denmark —
23.Tivoli Gardens in Denmark features all sorts of amusements and entertainments.
Rob Ball/Getty Images
22. While SeaWorld California has come under fire recently, with questions being raised about the care of its whales, visitors keep coming to see Shamu and other marine animals perform.
22. SeaWorld California —
22. While SeaWorld California has come under fire recently, with questions being raised about the care of its whales, visitors keep coming to see Shamu and other marine animals perform.
Mike Aguilera/SeaWorld® San Diego
21. Walt Disney Studios Park at Disneyland Paris is just one part of Disney's French empire.
21. Walt Disney Studios, France —
21. Walt Disney Studios Park at Disneyland Paris is just one part of Disney's French empire.
Peter Bischoff/Getty Images
20. Europa-Park in Germany features a restaurant with a one-star Michelin rating.
20. Europa-Park, Germany —
20. Europa-Park in Germany features a restaurant with a one-star Michelin rating.
Europa-Park
19. SeaWorld Florida also features the famous whales in its shows.
19. SeaWorld Florida —
19. SeaWorld Florida also features the famous whales in its shows.
oshua C. Cruey/Orlando Sentinel/MCT/GETTY IMAGES
18. Check out the Steel Dragon roller coaster at Nagashima Spa Land in Japan.
18. Nagashima Spa Land, Japan —
18. Check out the Steel Dragon roller coaster at Nagashima Spa Land in Japan.
Paul Gerrard/Flickr Vision/Getty Images
17. Universal Studios Hollywood offers behind-the-scenes access to Universal Studios movies (the VIP tour is shown here).
17. Universal Studios Hollywood, California —
17. Universal Studios Hollywood offers behind-the-scenes access to Universal Studios movies (the VIP tour is shown here).
Universal Studios Hollywood
16. Universal Studios at Universal Orlando in Florida is abuzz with additions to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, shown here in 2010.
16. Universal Studios, Florida —
16. Universal Studios at Universal Orlando in Florida is abuzz with additions to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, shown here in 2010.
Universal Orlando Resort via Getty Images
15. The Everland amusement and animal park in Yongin, south of Seoul, is South Korea's largest amusement park.
15. Everland, South Korea —
15. The Everland amusement and animal park in Yongin, south of Seoul, is South Korea's largest amusement park.
JUNG YEON-JE/AFP/Getty Images
14. Lotte World in South Korea includes a theme park, shopping mall, hotel, sports facilities and a movie theater.
14. Lotte World, South Korea —
14. Lotte World in South Korea includes a theme park, shopping mall, hotel, sports facilities and a movie theater.
Jeffrey Greenberg/UIG via Getty Images
13. Toy Story Land is one of the star attractions at Hong Kong Disneyland.
13. Hong Kong Disneyland —
13. Toy Story Land is one of the star attractions at Hong Kong Disneyland.
AFP/Getty Images
12. Ocean Park in Hong Kong has been criticized for how it treats its marine life, much like SeaWorld, but visitors keep coming to the park.
12. Ocean Park, Hong Kong —
12. Ocean Park in Hong Kong has been criticized for how it treats its marine life, much like SeaWorld, but visitors keep coming to the park.
MIKE CLARKE/AFP/Getty Images
11. Islands of Adventure at Universal Orlando features the Jurassic Park river adventure, where visitors will spot friendly and not-so-friendly dinosaurs.
11. Islands of Adventure, Florida —
11. Islands of Adventure at Universal Orlando features the Jurassic Park river adventure, where visitors will spot friendly and not-so-friendly dinosaurs.
Courtesy of Universal Orlando Resort
10. Disney's California Adventure Park features Mickey's Fun Wheel and the California Screamin' roller coaster.
10. Disney's California Adventure —
10. Disney's California Adventure Park features Mickey's Fun Wheel and the California Screamin' roller coaster.
Earl Gurlock /Landov
9. Universal Studios Japan in Osaka features Universal Wonderland, an amusement zone within the park.
9. Universal Studios Japan —
9. Universal Studios Japan in Osaka features Universal Wonderland, an amusement zone within the park.
Kyodo /Landov
8. Disney's Hollywood Studios theme park at Florida's Walt Disney World Resort welcomed daytime TV talk show host Wendy Williams and her son Kevin, shown here on a ride on Toy Story Midway Mania!
8. Disney's Hollywood Studios, Florida —
8. Disney's Hollywood Studios theme park at Florida's Walt Disney World Resort welcomed daytime TV talk show host Wendy Williams and her son Kevin, shown here on a ride on Toy Story Midway Mania!
Gregg Newton/Disney Parks via Getty Images
7. Disney's Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World in Florida offers hotel views of animals wandering by.
7. Disney's Animal Kingdom, Florida —
7. Disney's Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World in Florida offers hotel views of animals wandering by.
Courtesy of The Walt Disney Company
6. Mickey Mouse poses in front of the Sleeping Beauty Castle at the Disneyland park outside of Paris.
6. Disneyland Park, France —
6. Mickey Mouse poses in front of the Sleeping Beauty Castle at the Disneyland park outside of Paris.
THOMAS SAMSON/afp/getty images
5. Disney's Epcot at Walt Disney World in Florida features the futuristic Spaceship Earth geosphere and monorail, shown here.
5. Disney's Epcot, Florida —
5. Disney's Epcot at Walt Disney World in Florida features the futuristic Spaceship Earth geosphere and monorail, shown here.
Education Images/UIG via Getty Images
4. Tokyo DisneySea offers steamer boat rides through all the ports of the park.
4. Tokyo DisneySea, Japan —
4. Tokyo DisneySea offers steamer boat rides through all the ports of the park.
Kurita KAKU/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images
3. There's nothing like visiting the original Disneyland, featuring Mickey and Minnie Mouse in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle in Anaheim, California.
3. Disneyland, California —
3. There's nothing like visiting the original Disneyland, featuring Mickey and Minnie Mouse in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle in Anaheim, California.
Courtesy Disneyland Resort
2. Tokyo Disneyland celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2013.
2. Tokyo Disneyland, Japan —
2. Tokyo Disneyland celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2013.
YOSHIKAZU TSUNO/AFP/Getty Images
1. It takes many hands to keep the Magic Kingdom in Florida on top as the No. 1 amusement park in the world. Here a custodian polishes the Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse statue at the Orlando park.
1. Magic Kingdom, Florida —
1. It takes many hands to keep the Magic Kingdom in Florida on top as the No. 1 amusement park in the world. Here a custodian polishes the Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse statue at the Orlando park.
JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images
World's most popular theme parks

Story highlights

There were more than 200 million visits to the top 25 parks in 2013

Many of those visits were to Disney theme parks on three continents

Universal Studios and SeaWorld parks were also popular

CNN  — 

What’s the most popular theme park in the world?

Hint: It’s got Mickey Mouse ears.

This Disney theme park had more than 18 million visits in 2013, an increase of nearly 6% over 2012, according to a report released in June (pdf). (Click through the gallery to check out the top 25 parks in the world.)

Amusement park attendance is on the rise around the world.

There were 215 million visits to the top 25 theme and amusement parks worldwide, up 4.3% from 2012, according to the Themed Entertainment Association and AECOM global attractions attendance report. The index lists the 25 most visited amusement and theme parks worldwide, based on attendance figures compiled by AECOM.

Disney dominated the list.

Disney parks in the United States, Europe and Asia made up nine of the top 10 parks and held 11 of the top 25 spots. Universal Studios’ theme parks came in a distant second with just one park in the top 10 list and four in the top 25 list. SeaWorld held two spots.

Visits to North American and Asian parks keep increasing, and not just at the top 25 parks: There were 135 million visits to the top 20 North American theme/amusement parks last year, up 2.7% from 2012. There were 117 million visits to the top 20 Asian theme/amusement parks last year, up 7.5% from 2012.