Best Amusement Parks 2014

Is your favorite on the list?

By
GENEVIEVE SHAW BROWN
July 15, 2014, 10:46 AM ET
1 min read

July 15, 2014— -- Summer's prime time for amusement park-centered vacations, but how does your favorite stack up? Choosing where to make your summer fun memories shouldn't be left to chance, especially with the cost of amusement park admission going up every year.

If TripAdvisor's just-released list of the nation's top 10 amusement parks for 2014 is to be believed, it seems you need look no further than Orlando for a great theme park vacation, where six of the top 10 parks are located. The list is based on traveler reviews gathered over a 12-month period.

But a visit to an amusement park -- or even just a one-day pass -- doesn't come cheap. Even the least-expensive park has a one-day adult admission (if purchased at gate for a single-day admission) price of $60.

The most expensive? It's actually the number-one theme park in the nation, but it costs a pretty penny: $399. It is, however, an all-inclusive price: including food, drinks and equipment rentals, and 14 days unlimited access to SeaWorld Orlando and Aquatica. Any guesses which park was named tops in the country despite the high price?

  • Discovery Cove, Orlando, Florida, $399
  • Universal's Islands of Adventure, Orlando, Florida, $96
  • Magic Kingdom, Orlando, Florida, $99
  • Disney's Hollywood Studios, Orlando, Florida, $94
  • Disneyland Park, Anaheim, California, $96 (single-day admission includes entrance to both Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park.)
  • Disney's Animal Kingdom, Orlando, Florida, $94
  • SeaWorld Orlando, Orlando, Florida, $80
  • Cedar Point Amusement Park, Sandusky, Ohio, $59
  • Universal Studios Hollywood, Los Angeles, $92
  • Busch Gardens, Tampa, Florida, $95

  • Editor's Note: Disney is the parent company of ABC News.