6. Epcot

Image: DisneyWalt Disney’s triumph at the 1964 New York World’s Fair led him to one conclusion. He believed that the world needed a permanent place to assemble. He dreamt of a permanent World’s Fair, a place where people could collaborate and share their cultural identities with people from other countries. It was a noble idea that everyone wishes Uncle Walt could have turned into a reality.

In the wake of his tragic death, Imagineers re-examined the Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow. They sought to bring at least portions of his idea to life. In at least one area, they succeeded beyond all reasonable expectations. The World Showcase is a hallmark achievement in unity and cultural respect. Its gradual turn to revolving exhibitions has further crystallized that idea of a cultural melting pot, complete with great food and alcohol.

The stunning part of Epcot is that the World Showcase is only half the park. The front end, Future World, has several innovative attractions that simulate flight (Soarin’ Around the World), car safety (Test Track), and interplanetary travel (Mission: Space). In that way, it honors Walt Disney’s other vision for Epcot, a learning environment where people can share big ideas about the physics of our world. Epcot isn’t quite the place Disney wanted, but it’s an extremely good facsimile that makes people happy each day.

5. Animal Kingdom

Image: DisneyDeciding where to slot Animal Kingdom is one of the most difficult parts in assembling this list. It doesn’t have the societal significance of the four parks ranked ahead of it. In a key way, however, Animal Kingdom might be the most impressive design feat of anything listed here.

This park is a zoo by any reasonable measure. It has thousands of animals living onsite and, to them, you are the visitor in their home. While Animal Kingdom is accurately named, that title somehow doesn’t entail everything that you can do at the park. Several of its attractions are among the finest at Walt Disney World, and it also hosts THE most impressive themed land in the world right now. I’m speaking of Pandora – The World of Avatar, which was reason enough to consider Animal Kingdom for higher placement. Alas, the statue of the next four parks is extremely difficult to beat.

4. Disneyland

Image: DisneySeriously, if the Happiest Place on Earth is only ranked fourth, you KNOW the top three is tough to crack. Disneyland is where it all began, the place where Walt Disney purchased 160 acres of orange groves and turned them into a new form of entertainment, an entire amusement park predicated on intellectual properties. He evolved popular characters from his own movies into the subjects for spectacular rides. It had never been done or even tried before, and cynics loudly wondered if Uncle Walt had thrown away his vast fortune on a foolish endeavor.

More than 60 years later, this statement seems laughable. Disneyland is an established and iconic part of pop culture. Despite its age, Imagineers have still found ways, big and small, to improve its overall quality. The biggest example is Star Wars Land: Galaxy’s Edge, which will immediately become THE most important themed land in the world when it debuts.

Image: DisneyFor now, Disneyland fans are thrilled with what they’ve got, which is a series of timeless attractions, many of which are copied throughout the world but trace their roots to the Happiest Place on Earth. The lone reason why Disneyland isn’t higher is its place. Disney could only afford those 160 acres, which has limited the potential expansion of the park.