Disney World Pales in Comparison to This Classic European Park

Shots fired! Writer Lana Katsaros has just declared in an Insider article that one of the oldest amusement parks in Europe is far superior to Walt Disney World Resort.

As a Florida native, Lana Katsaros has reportedly experienced more than her fair share of Walt Disney World Resort trips and Disney Park days. She has also visited many other theme parks or amusement parks, making her a self-taught expert on the subject — and in this expert’s mind, apparently, Disney World has some catching up to do!

“I thought nothing would ever compare to the magic offered at Disney World, but that changed when I discovered Tivoli Gardens on a family trip to Denmark in 2019,” Katsaros began.

“I’ve visited Tivoli Gardens twice, and both times it gave me the impression of a country-club version of Disney World,” she explained.

Tivoli Gardens is a Denmark theme park that has been around since 1843, making it one of the oldest theme parks in Europe. Walt Disney actually reportedly visited Tivoli Gardens while creating his vision for Disneyland!

This writer’s “country club” comparison makes sense, since the Copenhagen theme park focuses on “fine dining, high-end gift shops, fancy leisure areas, and tastefully designed rides with a vintage feel.”

However, Disney might be hot on its heels in the future, since we already know that at least one international Disney theme park is trying to shift to a more upscale and luxurious collection of offerings!

Katsaros was not done with her critique, however; according to the experienced theme park visitor, Tivoli Gardens is also “smaller, less complicated, and less character-driven than Disney World.”

Katsaros also felt that the Tivoli Gardens prices were very “reasonable” when compared with Disney’s (which have been rising more and more in recent years, much to the chagrin of cash-strapped Disney Guests).

According to Katsaros, Tivoli Gardens keeps set entrance prices instead of everchanging prices like Disney does — and tickets to the theme park cost around $10 for her child and only $22 each for her and her spouse!

The Florida native also praised the Danish theme park for “its relaxed atmosphere, healthier dining options, and ride selection.”

She continued by praising the Copenhagen destination’s “green spaces” and concluded that, overall, this alternative to Disney World is actually “more affordable and low-key than Disney World” while also somehow being more high-end.

We’ve already seen one prestigious travel writer viciously take down Disney in an article that called Disney World a destination for “waiting, whining, and abysmal food.”

While Katsaros treats Disney more kindly in her article, the message is still clear: Disney World is not measuring up well against its European counterparts!

Have you visited any international theme parks and compared them to Disney World or Disneyland? Which have you found to be lacking?