Visiting every Disney theme park in the world may seem like an odd life goal for a child-free 30-something, but a wise person once said "for those who understand, no explanation is necessary; for those who don't, none will do."

I have been to Walt Disney World in Orlando countless times, and still visit at least twice a year, but it took me nearly 30 years to get to Anaheim. Meeting my goal seemed as far away as the moon. Then almost by accident, it happened. Through a fluke of existing travel plans, my husband's extensive work travel schedule and a little bit of luck, I managed to visit all five resorts - 11 different theme parks - in less than a year. People were either going to be terribly impressed or horribly frightened.

Why visit every Disney park in the world? Aren't they all the same? Not even close. Each property holds up a mirror to its home culture and offers something distinctive and unique.

Think of the properties as an extended family.

Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, Calif. is the great aunt, a grande dame who has seen the world and has the wrinkles to prove it, but her pearls are still polished.

Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla. is the big brother, the star athlete who gets all the attention but is still humble enough to hang out with his nerdy little brother.

Disneyland Paris Resort is the slightly odd cousin - the one everyone tries to avoid at family gatherings but who is actually pretty nice once you get to know him.

The Tokyo Disney Resort parks are the uber-hip twins - those third cousins, twice removed, that you only get to see at weddings and funerals. They're fun and bubbly and intimidatingly cool.

Hong Kong Disneyland is the awkward tween nephew, who wants nothing more than to be just like his older and cooler relatives. He'll get there, but for now he's a bit gangly.

The original

Disneyland in Anaheim is the original. It was Walt's vision, and the world's first real theme park.

But it does have its downsides. Without the necessary land available, it just can't easily accommodate modern crowds.

The lessons learned from Anaheim, however, have only made the experiences at the parks that came after that much better.

Still, you can't beat the history. Anaheim is the only park where Walt actually walked, rode his favorite ride (Jungle Cruise) and chatted up guests.

The favorite

If someone were to force me to choose one property to visit for the rest of my life, it would be Walt Disney World in Orlando. No question.

This place has enough land to fully create a world isolated from its surroundings, making an immersive and magical experience for everyone who visits.

Even with four theme parks, two water parks, 22 resort hotels, golf courses, nightlife and shopping areas, less than half of its geography - the size of San Francisco - is developed.

That size can be overwhelming. It is so big that it is all but impossible to see and do everything you want in a short visit.

Given the time, you do get the full experience all in one shot. Walt Disney World combines the inventiveness of the Japanese in Epcot, the youthful vigor of Hong Kong in Hollywood Studios, the exotic adventure of Paris in Animal Kingdom and the tradition of Anaheim in the Magic Kingdom. It is also the true realization of Walt's dream.

Sea vision

The Tokyo Disney Resort is actually owned by the Oriental Land Co. and run under license from Disney, but you would never know it from the experience.

DisneySea is possibly the best designed and most impressively themed park in Disney's world.

It is no secret that the Japanese love Disney. They dress up as if attending a fashion show, line up hours before the gates open and literally race to their chosen attraction - the girls' high heels clacking the pavement.

The people here are some of the most polite and orderly I have ever encountered. Tokyo's Disney parks don't bother with ropes and stanchions, but just direct people where to go, sit or stand. There is even lined and marked stroller parking.

If there is a downside to the Tokyo parks, it is the weather. When it gets cold, it is COLD. (But they sell the cutest fuzzy hats with Mickey ears, along with gloves, mufflers and scarves.)

The food is not as strange as you might think. Ubiquitous snack carts sell a variety of flavored popcorns: sea salt, black pepper, curry, strawberry and my personal favorite, honey. There is also a famous gyoza bun stand at DisneySea. People stand in a line 20 people deep or more for the yummy snack of sausage in a fluffy pastry bun.

A beauty

Disneyland Paris Resort is beautiful and the grounds are efficient, with a train station right in the middle of the property, but it lacks the exemplary service the other Disney resorts worldwide can claim.

The castle is easily Disney's most beautiful (designers had to raise the bar, as Europe has a few of the real thing).

The shows are odd. They are well produced and gorgeously staged, but just a little, well, French. The food is excellent, though. The restaurants in the theme parks rivals any big city cafe by variety and quality, though they can be expensive.

Growing up

Despite growing pains (a 20 percent-plus dip in attendance between its opening season in 2006 and last year), Hong Kong Disneyland is marching forward. With much of the property yet to be developed, new attractions are coming online almost constantly.

The setting is amazing. The park shares an aesthetic with the original Disneyland in Anaheim, but with the breathtaking addition of Lantau Island's mountainous landscape as a backdrop.

The grounds are painstakingly designed, including an elaborate photo-taking area in Fantasyland and an extensive walking path between the park and two on-site resorts.

The path passes by topiaries, fountains, a train station, a ferry dock and even allows you to stroll seaside with a partial view of Hong Kong's famous skyline if the weather is clear enough.

The park is quite small and has a distinct lack of classic attractions, but there is an unprecedented opportunity to watch this park grow into itself.

Much as Orlando benefitted from the lessons learned in Anaheim, Hong Kong will be the recipient of countless gifts from its sister parks in the years to come.

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