Dreaming of touring every Disney park in the world, or simply wondering how many there are? Here’s the short answer: there are currently 6 Disney resorts with theme parks, making 12 parks in total, across 3 continents. A 7th resort is planned in Abu Dhabi.
In this article, I introduce each resort in a short, easy-to-scan way: country, opening date, parks and what makes it stand out. You’ll also find the Disney vocabulary (resort, park, land), the records and everything you need to choose your next trip.
How many Disney parks are there in the world?
In total, 6 Disney resorts are home to 12 theme parks: 2 resorts in the US (6 parks between them), 1 in Japan, 1 in France and 2 in China. On top of that, there are two special cases with no theme park: Aulani (a hotel resort in Hawaii) and the future Abu Dhabi project, whose opening date isn’t official yet. So I count them separately.
The 6 Disney resorts at a glance
| Disney resort | Country / region | Opening | Parks | Visitors per year (approx.) | Signature feature |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Disneyland Resort | the US (California) | 1955 | 2 | 27 million | The first park, opened by Walt Disney |
| Walt Disney World | the US (Florida) | 1971 | 4 | 48 million | The largest resort in the world |
| Tokyo Disney Resort | Japan (Chiba) | 1983 | 2 | 27 million | The first resort outside the US |
| Disneyland Paris | France (Île-de-France) | 12 April 1992 | 2 | 16 million | The only resort in Europe |
| Hong Kong Disneyland | China (Hong Kong) | 2005 | 1 | 6 million | A single park, by the sea |
| Shanghai Disney Resort | China (Shanghai) | 2016 | 1 | 14 million | The newest resort |
The 6 Disney resorts around the world: country, opening, number of parks and signature feature.
Resort, park, land: the Disney vocabulary
One last term comes up a lot: Disney Experiences. It’s the division of the Walt Disney Company that runs the whole lot, from the parks and hotels to the cruises.
Disney park records
| Superlative | Which one |
|---|---|
| The oldest | Disneyland Park, California (1955) |
| The largest resort | Walt Disney World, Florida (4 parks) |
| The newest | Shanghai Disneyland (2016) |
| The smallest park | Hong Kong Disneyland |
| The largest park | Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Florida (235 ha) |
| The largest castle | Enchanted Storybook Castle, Shanghai |
The superlatives of Disney parks around the world.
Every Disney park in numbers
| Park | Rides | Area |
|---|---|---|
| Disneyland Park (California) | 52 | 34 ha |
| Disney California Adventure | 34 | 29 ha |
| Magic Kingdom (Florida) | 48 | 43 ha |
| EPCOT (Florida) | 11 | 121 ha |
| Disney’s Hollywood Studios (Florida) | 18 | 55 ha |
| Disney’s Animal Kingdom (Florida) | 20 | 235 ha |
| Tokyo Disneyland (Japan) | 29 | 51 ha |
| Tokyo DisneySea (Japan) | 35 | 49 ha |
| Disneyland Park (Paris) | 40 | 52 ha |
| Disney Adventure World (Paris) | 12 | 27 ha |
| Hong Kong Disneyland | 35 | 28 ha |
| Shanghai Disneyland | 35 | 116 ha |
Number of rides and size of each Disney park around the world. Figures are a guide only: ride counts and the way areas are measured (guest area or whole site) vary from source to source.
Disneyland Resort (California, the US)
- Country the US, Anaheim (California)
- Opening 1955
- Parks 2 (Disneyland Park, Disney California Adventure)
It’s the first Disney park and the only one Walt Disney saw open in his lifetime. A little piece of history: Walt underestimated its success and didn’t buy enough land around it. As a result, the surrounding land was bought up by other companies, which held back expansion. That’s partly what pushed him to think bigger in Florida.
Disneyland Park
- Opened on 17 July 1955.
- Its lands: Main Street U.S.A., Adventureland, Frontierland, New Orleans Square, Bayou Country, Fantasyland, Tomorrowland, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, Mickey’s Toontown.
Disney California Adventure
- Opened on 8 February 2001.
- Lands: Buena Vista Street, Hollywood Land, Grizzly Peak, San Fransokyo Square, Paradise Gardens Park, Pixar Pier, Cars Land, Avengers Campus.
- A difficult start, then rescued by Cars Land (2012) and the arrival of the Pixar and Marvel worlds.
Walt Disney World (Florida, the US)
- Country the US, Orlando (Florida)
- Opened 1971
- Parks 4 (Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom)
It’s the largest Disney resort in the world, with its 4 parks. Walt Disney dreamed of a bigger, better-planned park than in California, but he died in 1966, five years before it opened. It was his brother, Roy O. Disney, who completed the project and named it Walt Disney World in his honour. Magic Kingdom is still the most visited park in the world.
- Magic Kingdom (1971): Cinderella Castle and the Disney classics. Lands: Main Street U.S.A., Adventureland, Frontierland, Liberty Square, Fantasyland, Tomorrowland.
- EPCOT (1982): conceived by Walt as a city of the future, it became the park of innovation and world cultures. The name is an acronym for Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow, the experimental city of the future he imagined.
- Disney’s Hollywood Studios (1989): films and behind the scenes, with Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and Toy Story Land.
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom (1998): opened on Earth Day, it mixes theme park and zoo, with Pandora (the Avatar world) and the Tree of Life.
Tokyo Disney Resort (Japan)
- Country Japan (Chiba area)
- Opening 1983
- Parks 2 (Tokyo Disneyland, Tokyo DisneySea)
It’s the first Disney resort built outside the US. What sets it apart: it isn’t owned by Disney but by the Japanese company Oriental Land Company, which runs the parks under licence. Fans often call Tokyo DisneySea the most beautiful Disney park in the world.
- Tokyo Disneyland (1983): inspired by the Magic Kingdom parks, with a Japanese touch.
- Tokyo DisneySea (2001): centred on the sea and exploration, with a more grown-up feel. Since June 2024, it has grown with Fantasy Springs (the worlds of Frozen, Tangled and Peter Pan). The park came from a project called Disney’s Sea, first imagined for California but never built there.
Disneyland Paris (France)
Europe’s only Disney resort opened on 12 April 1992. It has 2 parks: Disneyland Park and Disney Adventure World (renamed in March 2026, with the arrival of a Frozen land). It’s also the easiest resort to reach from France.
I won’t go into detail here, because the rest of my blog covers it. To find out more: Disneyland Park or Disney Adventure World: which park to choose and all the rides at Disneyland Paris.
Hong Kong Disneyland (China)
- Country China (Hong Kong, Lantau Island)
- Opening 2005
- Parks 1 (Hong Kong Disneyland)
- It’s the smallest Disney park in the world, but in a pleasant natural setting, close to the sea.
- Its lands: Main Street U.S.A., Adventureland, Fantasyland, Tomorrowland, Grizzly Gulch, Mystic Point, Toy Story Land, World of Frozen.
- Its castle, the Castle of Magical Dreams, is dedicated to several princesses. The World of Frozen land opened in 2023.
Shanghai Disney Resort (China)
- Country China (Shanghai)
- Opening 2016
- Parks 1 (Shanghai Disneyland)
- It’s the most recently opened Disney resort (2016) and the most modern.
- It’s home to the Enchanted Storybook Castle, the largest Disney castle in the world, dedicated to all the princesses.
- Headline rides and lands: TRON Lightcycle Power Run and a Zootopia land, both exclusive to Shanghai.
What’s next? The Abu Dhabi project
Which Disney park should you choose?
There’s no single answer: it all depends on how far you’re travelling, your budget and what you’re after. If it’s your first time and you’re reading this blog from France, the simplest choice is Disneyland Paris. Here’s a quick guide based on what you’re looking for.
| What you want | The park I recommend |
|---|---|
| First time, from France | Disneyland Paris |
| Where it all began | Disneyland Park (California) or Magic Kingdom (Florida) |
| The most beautiful | Tokyo DisneySea |
| The most modern / exclusive | Shanghai Disneyland |
| A natural setting | Hong Kong Disneyland |
| The most complete holiday | Walt Disney World (Florida) |
Which Disney park to pick, depending on what you want.
Think about timing too: the parks in Asia and Florida can be hit by tropical storms. And sometimes a specific land settles it (Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, Avengers Campus, Pandora, Zootopia). To choose between the two Paris parks, see Disneyland Park or Disney Adventure World: which park to choose.
Affiliate link · official Disney prices
How long does it take to get to each Disney park?
Disneyland Paris is easy to reach by TGV (high-speed train) or RER A (Paris suburban train), without flying. The five other resorts need a long-haul flight. Remember to book your tickets in advance and to plan for the language, the time difference and the transfer time from the airport. Lots of my Disneyland Paris tips also apply to the other parks: see my guide to planning your trip.
| Disney resort | Airport | Flight from Paris | Transfer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Disneyland Resort (California) | Los Angeles (LAX) | about 11 hours direct | about 45 min to Anaheim |
| Walt Disney World (Florida) | Orlando (MCO) | about 10 hours (often 1 stop) | about 30 min to Lake Buena Vista |
| Tokyo Disney Resort | Tokyo (Narita / Haneda) | about 12 hours direct | 30-60 min by train |
| Hong Kong Disneyland | Hong Kong (HKG) | about 12 hours direct | about 20 min by metro |
| Shanghai Disney Resort | Shanghai (PVG) | about 11 hours direct | about 20 min by metro |
Flight time from Paris (CDG) and transfer to each resort you fly to.
Other Disney experiences
Beyond the parks, Disney offers two other kinds of experience. Aulani, in Hawaii (on the island of Oʻahu), is a hotel resort with no theme park: pools, beaches, spa and Hawaiian culture. And Disney Cruise Line means cruises on board Disney ships, with shows and characters.
| Ship | Entered service | Main destinations |
|---|---|---|
| Disney Magic | 1998 | Europe, Caribbean |
| Disney Wonder | 1999 | Alaska, Pacific |
| Disney Dream | 2011 | Bahamas, Caribbean |
| Disney Fantasy | 2012 | Caribbean |
| Disney Wish | 2022 | Bahamas, Caribbean |
| Disney Treasure | 2024 | Caribbean |
| Disney Destiny | 2025 | Bahamas, Caribbean |
| Disney Adventure | 2026 | Asia (based in Singapore) |
Disney Cruise Line ships and their destinations.
Further reading
- Disneyland Park or Disney Adventure World: which park to choose
- All the rides at Disneyland Paris
- Planning your trip
- All the secrets of Disneyland Paris
Frequently asked questions
01 How many Disney parks are there in the world?
There are 6 Disney resorts with theme parks, making 12 parks in total: 2 in California, 4 in Florida, 2 in Tokyo, 2 at Disneyland Paris, 1 in Hong Kong and 1 in Shanghai. A seventh resort is planned in Abu Dhabi.
02 What are the different Disney parks around the world?
Disneyland Resort (California): Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure. Walt Disney World (Florida): Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom. Tokyo Disney Resort: Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea. Disneyland Paris: Disneyland Park and Disney Adventure World. Hong Kong Disneyland: just one park. Shanghai Disney Resort: Shanghai Disneyland.
