Once upon a time (about five years ago) I wrote a post where theme parks could trade attractions between each other. There are times when I go on a ride, see a show or eat at a restaurant and think that it might be better off in a different park than it exists in. It’s time to add to this mythical theme park trading world with a new post on the subject! In this one, we’ll be offering up four trades between eight parks (the U.S. and Tokyo parks, because that’s what I’ve been to) that would make each park, in my humble opinion, better.

I’ll try not to repeat trade ideas from that post all those years ago, although I do think some of those ideas hold up! The theme park landscape has changed quite a bit since then, notably with more Avengers, Star Wars and Toy Story additions to the Disney Parks. Along with not repeating ideas, the goal isn’t to rob Peter to pay Paul. Yes, DisneySea is significantly better than California Adventure and could probably spare something for the good of theme park equality. But I don’t really want that, after each trade the park should be stronger and the trade should be even in terms of what each is giving up.

These are all blue sky ideas and I’m up for nerding out about possibilities as much as the next person! But a blog post has some limits to it and I’ve decided that I won’t go as far as to say how the trades will fit into a certain area. Explaining the expansion pads in each park is a blog post for a different, and far more boring, day. All that to say, some of these trades will include two entities that aren’t anywhere near the same size and living in the naivety of thinking it will just fit into the land is fine by me, at least for this post! Let’s get to the trades!

Epcot trades La Hacienda de San Angel and the Italy Gelato Stand in exchange for Tokyo DisneySea’s Nemo & Friend’s SeaRider

Most of this blog post, outside of the mental gymnastics of understanding theme parks trading things, comes down to figuring out a park’s strengths and weaknesses. That’s significantly easier to do for Epcot than it is DisneySea, because DisneySea doesn’t have many weaknesses. What I do know is that Epcot needs more attractions and SeaRider wouldn’t be especially missed in Tokyo. It would fit in well with The Seas area and is a different kind of simulator that Epcot doesn’t currently have.

In exchange, Epcot is sending over La Hacienda de San Angel as the back half of DisneySea is void of table-service restaurants. This one, while not my favorite, would fit in nicely in the Lost River Delta and could overlook the water back there, much like it does in Epcot. It would become the best Mexican food option in Tokyo Disney Resort immediately, which isn’t saying much. That didn’t seem like quite enough for a quality attraction so I threw in the Gelato Stand, which would fit in nicely while walking around DisneySea’s Mediterranean Harbor. Both parks trade from a place of strength and add something unique. Neat!

Hollywood Studios trades Lightning McQueen’s Racing Academy in exchange for California Adventure’s Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue and Jessie’s Critter Carousel

I’m not sure how exciting this trade is for anyone but it addresses a few needs for each park. California Adventure gives away two afterthought attraction in exchange for a high capacity show that is for all ages. Racing Academy will only expand the allure of Cars Land and should help the land with the constant crowds. Hollywood Studios may be getting rid of the show, which young kids enjoy, but gets back two items that kids can actually ride which Hollywood Studios is really short on. The Critter Carousel will fit nicely in Toy Story Land and Monsters Inc. can be plopped down on the way back to that section. Are they good rides? No, although I do have a soft spot for that carousel. But this move addresses a ride shortage in DHS and a cool place to relax in DCA.

Magic Kingdom trades Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor in exchange for Tokyo Disneyland’s China Voyager

Like a team with too many outfielders, Laugh Floor has never quite fit inside of Magic Kingdom’s Tomorrowland. The attraction is solid but there’s something missing and we think a new team could help it reach a new high. Tokyo Disneyland already has an excellent Monsters, Inc. attraction so pairing Laugh Floor with it will make for a fun mini-land. In exchange, Magic Kingdom can address the abysmal counter-service dining options. I contemplated a lot of options here but ended up going with China Voyager, which is a wonderfully themed restaurant that serves noodles. It’d be unique to the park and fit in well with Adventureland!

Disneyland trades Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage in exchange for Animal Kingdom’s Flame Tree Barbecue

This was the toughest one and I’m still not all that happy with where I ended up. Disneyland could use a really good barbecue spot and Animal Kingdom has a wealth of counter-service options to draw from so Flame Tree was the choice. Animal Kingdom certainly needs more rides and adding a Finding Nemo based attraction that deals with exploration is an easy choice. That said, the trade doesn’t feel even and Disneyland probably should offer more. The issue is that there aren’t many small attractions that fit in with Animal Kingdom’s meticulous theme. You could shoehorn Winnie the Pooh, possibly? The Tiki Room would be interesting in Animal Kingdom but that feels like too much to give up for Disneyland plus there’s already a Tiki Room in Magic Kingdom. Making up hypothetical theme park trades is hard work!

What do you think of these made-up trades? Let us know, along with any questions you might have, in the comments. Planning a trip to a Disney Park? Check out our Planning Guides to help you along the way! If you enjoy what you are reading here on Wandering in Disney please share this post with your friends, as well as like our social media pages. You can also subscribe to the blog via WordPress or email. All of those links are on the right side of this page. Thank you for reading, we really appreciate it!