If you feel like visiting the happiest place on earth, we wouldn't recommend that you pack a pair of Mickey Mouse ears – try some clogs instead.

Advertising slogans to the contrary, the world that Walt built isn't the most ecstatic place on the planet. Though the roller coasters are fun, we still think there's something a little creepy about all those cartoon characters coming to life and breaking into song. The sweltering Florida heat isn't exactly our ideal place to spend a summer day, either, especially when you can't take a step without trampling on sticky melted ice cream.

Want to find the real happiest spot? Then head up north to the land of Hamlet and Hans Christian Anderson – Denmark, of course.

A small, cold, Scandinavian country may seem an unlikely candidate for Happyland, but according to a thorough examination of numerous surveys and interviews, the Danes are more content than anyone else on the planet. (We Americans measured a paltry number 23.)

Stranger still, Denmark is also at the top of the list for the highest taxes on earth – something you wouldn't think would go hand-in-hand with happiness. Even though the Danes lose as much as 70 percent of their income to taxes, it doesn't faze them at all. In fact, it makes them happier: It means that everyone's basic needs are always covered, so, when choosing a career, citizens can forget about the income factor and focus on finding work that they enjoy. And no matter what they decide upon, they'll be respected for their choice.

"They have this thing called ‘Jante-lov,' which essentially says, ‘You're no better then anybody else,'" happiness researcher Dan Buettner told ABC News. "A garbage man can live in a middle-class neighborhood and hold his head high."

Another reason the Danish are so happy? No, not those delicious pastries (though we're sure that doesn't hurt) – it's their thriving social lives. 92 percent of Danes belong to some form of hobby group or social club, many of which receive subsidized funding from the government. The Danes are also extremely trusting of everyone they meet, and it's rare to find a locked house, car, or bike anywhere in this honest country.

So, it looks like the verdict is final: Goodbye, Disney World, hello Denmark!


Visit BusinessWeek to see a slideshow of the top 13 happiest countries in the word – maybe you're even lucky enough to live in one of them!