Amazing Amusement Parks You've Probably Never Heard Of

Some of the world’s most-visited are totally foreign to Americans.

By
GENEVIEVE SHAW BROWN
June 12, 2015, 9:33 AM ET
6 min read

— -- Magic Kingdom, Universal Studios, SeaWorld.

De Efteling, Lotte World, Everland.

You’ve likely heard of the first group. But what do you know about the second?

Turns out all these theme parks have something in common: They are all on the list of the 25 most-visited amusement parks in the world. That’s according to the Global Attractions Attendance Report, published by the Themed Entertainment Association (TEA) and the economics practice at AECOM, a global provider of professional technical and management support services.

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It’s a good time to be a theme park, according to the report. There was a 4 percent growth in the number of visitors to theme parks in 2014 compared to 2013. There was a total of 223,450,000 visits to the top 25 theme parks in 2014.

But even extreme enthusiasts may not be able to get to every park on the top-25 list. Here’s a little more on six that are lesser known to Americans.

Ocean Park

Hong Kong’s Ocean Park is a marine mammal park, oceanarium, animal theme park and amusement park. It came in at No. 13 on the top-25 list.

Lotte World

Located in Seoul, South Korea, Lotte World is famous for having the world’s largest indoor theme park in addition to an outdoor theme park. It’s also home to South Korea’s largest ice skating rink. It was ranked No. 14 on the top-25 list.

Everland

Also in South Korea, Everland is located in Gyeonggi-Do. It includes a zoo and a water park and was ranked No. 16.

Europa Park

Europa Park, located in Rust, is the largest theme park in Germany and one of four in Europe to make the top-25 list. It ranked No. 21.

Tivoli Gardens

When you take into consideration that Tivoli Gardens is closed a few months each year, its spot at No. 23 is impressive. Located in Copenhagen, it’s famous for its fairy-tale atmosphere and antique roller coaster.

De Efteling

De Efteling is a fantasy-themed amusement park in Kaatsheuvel, the Netherlands. The attractions are based on elements from ancient myths and legends, fairy tales, fables and folklore. It ranked No. 24.