3. The Oasis

Where: Disney’s Animal Kingdom

How do you reconcile the shop-and-restaurant-lined entryway with a park dedicated to the wonders of nature? At Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Disney did precisely what fans imagined they never would: they got rid of the shops and restaurants entirely.

At Animal Kingdom, The Oasis is an entirely unspoiled land meant to introduce guests to the park’s groundbreaking immersion and style with dozens of animal exhibits scattered throughout gardens, waterfalls, caverns, streams, even dirt pathways through dense foliage. During the park’s initial concept and design, this gorgeous entry was reportedly called Genesis Garden, an allusion to the perfect and unspoiled Garden of Eden in the Bible. (Of course, this was at a time in its development when the park’s icon was meant to be a giant recreation of Noah’s Ark.)

It couldn’t have been easy for Imagineers to convince Disney’s executives that a park should forego the classic entryway of shops and restaurants, but in the case of Animal Kingdom it’s a battle we’re glad that they fought.

4. Port of Entry

Where: Universal’s Islands of Adventure

Proprietors of “studio” parks lined with big boxy show buildings and façade-lined streets recreating famous American cities, Universal surprised the industry with their first ever foray into true “theme” parks. And for their first attempt, Universal’s Islands of Adventure is a wonder. Today made up of seven islands around a central Great Sea, each of the parks themed islands meets and even exceeds Disney’s standards of theming, detail, and storytelling. Six of the park’s islands are based on evolutions of literature. One isn’t.

To kick off the adventure, Universal Creative designed a themed land that brings the park’s tagline – Live The Adventure  - to life. Port of Entry is meant to represent a seaside community built by all the cultures of the world together in harmony. Chinese pagodas, Arabian parapets, Dutch windmills, and Norwegian steeples come together effortlessly to create a village that feels just as habitable as Main Street, but infused with fantasy and romantic adventure. And for those explorers who slow down, the land is full of Easter eggs: two love birds cooing together on a ledge, evidence of a jail escape, and humorous themed signage.

A Towering Icon: Port of Entry also includes the park’s icon: the towering Pharos Lighthouse. The ancient brick tower appears to be built on top of red stone. It’s capped with a steel flame pattern on top. And yes, it’s a real lighthouse, broadcasting a revolving beam around (and beyond) the resort every night that’s visible from all of the park’s islands, drawing guests toward Port of Entry. Interestingly, the concrete around the lighthouse’s base has a pattern embedded in it such that – from above – a halo of light surrounds the tower with “beams” radiating into the park.

5. International Street

Where: Kings Island, Kings Dominion, Canada’s Wonderland

While it doesn’t belong to a Disney or Universal Park, there’s still something incredibly special about International Street at three of Cedar Fair’s parks. Each of the streets is lined with shops and architecture representing European countries like France, Germany, and Italy with balconies and staircases adding to their realism. Down the center, each International Street has 300 foot-long Royal Fountains spraying water into the air and choreographed each night to music and light.

At the end of these grand entries, Kings Island and Kings Dominion have 1/3 scale replicas of the Eiffel Tower, complete with 300 foot-high observation decks. Instead of the Tower, Canada’s Wonderland’s International Street terminates in the fantastic Wonder Mountain, a waterfall-capped peak containing the dramatic Guardian dark ride inside.

While International Street lacks the authenticity of Disney’s best (thanks to mismatched facades with disconnected interiors and modern music playing), the grand entrance is cinematic, spectacular, and truly worth standing alongside the rest on this list. It feels like a World's Fair, and that's a compliment.

6. Buena Vista Street

Where: Disney California Adventure

When the park across from Disneyland first opened in 2001, fans and visitors recoiled. None were too pleased with the park – an odd spoof of modern California, filled with puns, exaggerated architecture, and modern music. The park’s entry land, Sunshine Plaza, was one of the worst offenders. Alone, the land would’ve made a fine entry to a seasonal park owned by Six Flags or Cedar Fair, but juxtaposed against Main Street just a few yards away, the concrete plaza and its metallic Sun Icon looked lost.

When the park re-opened in June 2012, the brand-new and much-heralded Cars Land wasn’t the only completely original land. From the ruins of Sunshine Plaza had risen Buena Vista Street. Now equally as detailed as Main Street, Buena Vista Street recreated the bustling city of Los Angeles in the 1920s, when Walt first arrived via steam train. The town is full of tile mosaics, bubbling fountains, sunset-tile roofs, and jazz music as the Red Car Trolley dings its way down the street. Even better, the road now ends at the Carthay Circle Theater, an iconic structure of Los Angeles of great importance to Disney history and California history: it’s where Walt risked it all to premier the world’s first full-length animated film.

A Link Between Parks: The entrances to Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure face each other across an open plaza, leading to a unique bit of storytelling. If one starts at Disneyland’s Sleeping Beauty Castle and walks down Main Street, you’re passing through an idealized vision of Walt’s childhood town. Exiting Disneyland, stepping across the plaza, and entering California Adventure places you in a bustling 1920s Los Angeles – the same journey Walt himself made.