Dreaming of visiting every Disney park on the planet, or just curious how many there are? Here’s the short answer: right now there are 6 Disney resorts with theme parks, which adds up to 12 parks in all, across 3 continents. A 7th resort is in the works in Abu Dhabi.
In this article, I walk you through each resort in a quick, easy-to-skim format: country, opening date, parks, and what sets it apart. You’ll also find the Disney vocabulary (resort, park, land), the records, and everything you need to pick your next trip.
So, how many Disney parks are out there?
All told, 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. Two special cases sit outside that count because neither has a theme park: Aulani (a hotel resort in Hawaii) and the future Abu Dhabi project, which still has no official opening date. That’s why I list them separately.
All 6 Disney resorts at a glance
| Destination | Country / region | Opened | Parks | Yearly visitors (approx.) | Claim to fame |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Disneyland Resort | US (California) | 1955 | 2 | 27 million | The first park, opened by Walt Disney himself |
| Walt Disney World | US (Florida) | 1971 | 4 | 48 million | The biggest resort on the planet |
| Tokyo Disney Resort | Japan (Chiba) | 1983 | 2 | 27 million | The first resort outside the USA |
| Disneyland Paris | France (Île-de-France) | April 12, 1992 | 2 | 16 million | Europe’s only resort |
| Hong Kong Disneyland | China (Hong Kong) | 2005 | 1 | 6 million | A single park, right by the sea |
| Shanghai Disney Resort | China (Shanghai) | 2016 | 1 | 14 million | The newest resort |
The world’s 6 Disney resorts: country, opening, number of parks, and claim to fame.
Resort, park, land: Disney terms explained
One last term pops up a lot: Disney Experiences. It’s the branch of the Walt Disney Company that runs it all, from the parks and hotels to the cruises.
Disney park records
| Superlative | Which one |
|---|---|
| Oldest | Disneyland Park, California (1955) |
| Biggest resort | Walt Disney World, Florida (4 parks) |
| Newest | Shanghai Disneyland (2016) |
| Smallest park | Hong Kong Disneyland and Disney Adventure World (about 27 ha each) |
| Biggest park | Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Florida (235 ha) |
| Biggest castle | Enchanted Storybook Castle, Shanghai |
The biggest, oldest, and newest among Disney parks worldwide.
Every Disney park by the numbers
| Park | Rides | Size |
|---|---|---|
| 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 every Disney park in the world. These figures are approximate: ride counts and the way the area is measured (guest areas only or the whole site) differ from one source to another.
Disneyland Resort (California, in the US)
- Country Anaheim, California, in the US
- Opened 1955
- Parks 2 (Disneyland Park, Disney California Adventure)
This is the very first Disney park, and the only one Walt Disney lived to see open. A bit of history: Walt underestimated how popular it would be and didn’t buy enough land around it. Other businesses snapped up the surrounding lots, which held back expansion for years. That’s part of what pushed him to think bigger in Florida.
Disneyland Park
- Opened July 17, 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 February 8, 2001.
- Lands: Buena Vista Street, Hollywood Land, Grizzly Peak, San Fransokyo Square, Paradise Gardens Park, Pixar Pier, Cars Land, Avengers Campus.
- Got off to a rocky start, then was rescued by Cars Land (2012) and the arrival of the Pixar and Marvel franchises.
Walt Disney World (Florida, in the US)
- Country Orlando, Florida, in the US
- Opened 1971
- Parks 4 (Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom)
With its 4 parks, this is the largest Disney resort in the world. Walt Disney wanted a bigger, better-planned project than the one in California, but he passed away in 1966, five years before it opened. His brother, Roy O. Disney, saw it through and named it Walt Disney World in his honor. Magic Kingdom is still the most visited theme park on Earth.
- Magic Kingdom (1971): Cinderella’s castle and the Disney classics. Lands: Main Street U.S.A., Adventureland, Frontierland, Liberty Square, Fantasyland, Tomorrowland.
- EPCOT (1982): Walt imagined it as a city of the future, and it became the park of innovation and world cultures. The name stands for Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow, the experimental future city he had in mind.
- Disney’s Hollywood Studios (1989): movies and what goes on behind the camera, with Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and Toy Story Land.
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom (1998): opened on Earth Day, part theme park and part zoo, with Pandora (the world of Avatar) and the Tree of Life.
Tokyo Disney Resort (Japan)
- Country Japan (Chiba area)
- Opened 1983
- Parks 2 (Tokyo Disneyland, Tokyo DisneySea)
This was the first Disney resort built outside the US. Here’s the twist: Disney doesn’t own it. The Japanese company Oriental Land Company does, and it runs the parks under license. Fans often name Tokyo DisneySea as the most beautiful Disney park anywhere.
- Tokyo Disneyland (1983): modeled on the Magic Kingdom parks, with a Japanese twist.
- Tokyo DisneySea (2001): built around the sea and exploration, with a more grown-up feel. Since June 2024, it has grown with Fantasy Springs (themed to Frozen, Tangled, and Peter Pan). The park grew out of a project called Disney’s Sea, first planned for California but never built there.
Disneyland Paris (France)
Opened on April 12, 1992, this is the one Disney resort in Europe. Its 2 parks are Disneyland Park and Disney Adventure World (given its new name in March 2026, along with a new Frozen land). From France, no other resort is easier to get to.
The rest of my blog is all about it, so I’ll keep this part short. Want more? Read 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)
- Opened 2005
- Parks 1 (Hong Kong Disneyland)
- It ranks among the smallest Disney parks anywhere, but it has a pleasant natural setting near the ocean.
- Its lands: Main Street U.S.A., Adventureland, Fantasyland, Tomorrowland, Grizzly Gulch, Mystic Point, Toy Story Land, World of Frozen.
- The castle here, called the Castle of Magical Dreams, celebrates a whole group of princesses. In 2023, the World of Frozen land opened its doors.
Shanghai Disney Resort (China)
- Country China (Shanghai)
- Opened 2016
- Parks 1 (Shanghai Disneyland)
- It’s the most recent Disney resort to open (2016), and the most modern one.
- It’s home to the Enchanted Storybook Castle, the biggest Disney castle in the world, which honors every princess.
- Standout rides and lands: TRON Lightcycle Power Run and a Zootopia land, both found only in Shanghai.
What’s next? The Abu Dhabi project
Which Disney park should you pick?
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer: it all comes down to how far you’d travel, your budget, and what you’re hoping for. If it’s your first time and you’re reading this blog from France, the easiest pick is Disneyland Paris. Here’s a quick guide based on what you’re after.
| What you want | My pick |
|---|---|
| First time, coming 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 vacation | Walt Disney World (Florida) |
Which Disney park matches what you want.
Think about timing too: the parks in Asia and Florida can be hit by tropical storms. And sometimes one specific land tips the scales (Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, Avengers Campus, Pandora, Zootopia). To choose between the two Paris parks, check out Disneyland Park or Disney Adventure World: which park to choose.
Affiliate link · Disney’s official prices
Getting to each Disney park: how long does it take?
You can reach Disneyland Paris by TGV (high-speed train) or RER A (Paris commuter train), no flight needed. The other five resorts all require a long-haul flight. Book your tickets early, and plan for the language, the time difference, and the ride from the airport. Lots of my Disneyland Paris tips work for the other parks too: see planning your trip.
| Destination | Airport | Flight from Paris | Transfer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Disneyland Resort (California) | Los Angeles (LAX) | about 11 hours nonstop | about 45 min to Anaheim |
| Walt Disney World (Florida) | Orlando (MCO) | about 10 hours (often with 1 stop) | about 30 min to Lake Buena Vista |
| Tokyo Disney Resort | Tokyo (Narita / Haneda) | about 12 hours nonstop | 30 to 60 min by train |
| Hong Kong Disneyland | Hong Kong (HKG) | about 12 hours nonstop | about 20 min by subway |
| Shanghai Disney Resort | Shanghai (PVG) | about 11 hours nonstop | about 20 min by subway |
How long the flight from Paris (CDG) takes, plus the transfer time, for each resort you need to fly to.
Other Disney vacations
Beyond the parks, Disney offers two other kinds of getaways. Aulani, in Hawaii (on Oʻahu), is a hotel resort with no theme park: pools, beaches, a spa, and Hawaiian culture. And Disney Cruise Line means sailing on Disney ships, with shows and characters on board.
| Ship | Maiden voyage | 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 (homeported in Singapore) |
Disney Cruise Line ships and where they sail.
Dig deeper
- 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 theme parks exist worldwide?
Disney has 6 resorts with theme parks, adding up to 12 parks in all. California has 2, Florida 4, Tokyo 2, Disneyland Paris 2, Hong Kong 1, and Shanghai 1. A 7th resort is in the works in Abu Dhabi.
02 Which Disney parks exist around the globe?
In California, Disneyland Resort has Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure. In Florida, Walt Disney World is home to Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom. Tokyo Disney Resort includes Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea. Disneyland Paris has Disneyland Park and Disney Adventure World. Hong Kong Disneyland has just one park. Shanghai Disney Resort has Shanghai Disneyland.
