Somehow, The Most Expensive Theme Park In The US Might Not Be Disney World

If you’ve tried to plan a family trip to a theme park, you’ll know it’s expensive. For many families, a visit to Disney World, for example, is out of budget. The costs add up between the park admission, parking, food, rides, and travel, no one who wants to go to the “happiest place on Earth” can afford it. But, somehow, the most expensive theme park in the country isn’t Disney World?

The Family Vacation Guide wanted to find out which theme parks are the most expensive in the world. And to our surprise, Disney World didn’t land in the top spot, though nine out of the top 10 are in the United States. So the company looked at the 36 biggest theme parks worldwide and compiled a list of the most expensive ones.

To do this, The Family Vacation Guide looked at ticket price data and the number of rides at each theme park using Wikipedia and park website data. The ranking of the top ten most expensive theme parks in the world was put together by looking at ticket price information.

“All currency conversions were taken on or before 20th May 2022,” The Family Vacation Guide states. “When booking from outside of the US, you may have to buy passes that entitle you to enter the parks for up to 14 days, but one-day tickets may be available to buy at the gate.”

So which theme parks are the most expensive in the world, based on ticket prices?

10. Cedar Point, Sandusky in the US at $78.53 per ticket

9. Kings Island in the US at $78.91 per ticket

8. IMG Worlds of Adventure in the UAE at $84.88 per ticket

7. Six Flags Magic Mountain, Los Angeles at $91.44 per ticket

6. Seaworld San Diego at $91.50 per ticket

5. Knott’s Berry Farm at $91.57 per ticket

4. Universal Studios, Orlando, Florida, at $100.75 per ticket

3. Universal Islands of Adventure at $100.75 per ticket

2. Walt Disney Magic Kingdom, Florida at $105.99 per ticket

And the most expensive theme park title goes to Busch Gardens in Tampa Bay with a ticket price of $112.76.

There are some more affordable options for families who are looking to spend less on ticket prices for theme park admittance but have more budget to travel. The Family Vacation Guide report shows that the top three most affordable parks are Gold Reef City in South Africa, Six Flags México, and Tivoli Gardens, Denmark.

For more details on the world's most expensive or most affordable theme parks, check out The Family Vacation Guide’s full report.