25. Davy Crockett’s Explorer Canoes
A controversial “ride” but worth checking out. The canoes run the same route as the Columbia Sailing Ship and the Mark Twain Riverboat. Like those attractions, it gives riders a unique perspective on three areas of the park: Frontierland, New Orleans Square and Critter Country. The catch, of course, is that you have to paddle. With your actual human arms.
This isn’t an experience for everyone, but for fit and adventurous groups, this can be an exciting bonding experience as you board one of the only moving attractions in Disneyland Park with no motor or track. Like others on this list, the Explorer Canoes experience also changes depending on the charisma of the Cast Member leading your canoe, so there’s an element of “your mileage may vary” to keep in mind.
24. Autopia
The oldest attraction in Tomorrowland. It opened when the park did in 1955. It was meant to celebrate that fantastical new invention: The Freeway. With a top speed of about 7 miles per hour in each car, this ride is exclusively for nostalgic adults and young children who just can’t wait to earn their drivers’ license. The cars still have that realistic combustion rumble and exhaust, though one wonders if the next upgrade to this attraction brings in a new fleet of sleek electric cars that might push the speedometer all the way to 8 miles per hour?
23. Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage
The whole gimmick of boarding a submarine that actually takes you underwater makes this a unique experience worth seeking out. The Finding Nemo story is cute window dressing for an otherwise slow-moving experience viewed through the submersible’s many portholes. The line tends to get long since the boarding process slows everything down, but if you can catch this at the right time there’s no reason not to check it out.
22. Sleeping Beauty Castle Walkthrough
Another classic Disneyland experience, unique only to the Anaheim park. This isn’t necessarily a “ride” but more of a walking tour through the story of Sleeping Beauty. You wind through the beautiful castle at the heart of the park, and get to view stunning dioramas inspired by the art style of the animated film. It’s not going to knock your socks off, but it is a slice of history and a great excuse to get out of the sun.
21. Pinocchio’s Daring Journey
One of the least exciting Dark rides in Fantasyland, Pinocchio’s Daring Journey is a ride that in 2022 feels like it is begging for a slight upgrade. The sights of the Pleasure Island room are quite detailed, and you might miss some things the first ride through. However, it’s mostly a dour journey from Stromboli’s Puppet Show all the way to Pinocchio’s ruining with Geppetto. I will also urge parents to make sure kids have at least seen the cartoon before they take a ride. Of all of the Dark rides, this one does the worst job at telling the story you’re meant to follow.
20. Alice in Wonderland
One of the staple Dark rides in Fantasyland, this is a quant attraction that follows — you guessed it — Alice’s adventures in Wonderland. The first moments as the rider goes down the rabbit hole are visually quite interesting, though ideally there would be some kind of downward movement on the track to really sell that we’re “falling.” The real trick of this ride, though, is the fake out near the end. We exit into the sunlight thinking the journey is over, only to re-enter the dark for the big ending. It’s a nice twist if you’ve already ridden on a few of these kinds of rides.
19. The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh would be a fairly unremarkable Dark experience were it not for one room: the Heffalumps and Woozles dream sequence. Almost psychedelic. What a trip. The honeycomb cars are quite charming, the rain scene effects in the second room are pretty neat, and, hey…it’s Winnie the Pooh. What’s not to love? This one can be easy to miss tucked back in Critter Country, but with typically short wait times it is worth checking out.
18. Dumbo The Flying Elephant
One of Fantasyland’s many carnival-inspired attractions. Though Dumbo the Flying Elephant isn’t as visually iconic as King Arthur’s Carousel, it remains one of the best rides for kids and parents alike. You charmingly load over a moat of water and take off in Dumbo while Timothy Q. Mouse watches on from the center. The brilliant Disney touch is of course that you can control the height of your own flight, giving you the feeling that with enough imagination you just might take off into the sky. Additionally, if you enjoy this kind of ride but would prefer to be in a rocket ship instead of an adorable flying elephant, then may I direct your attention to Tomorrowland’s Astro Orbiter?
17. Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run
For Star Wars fans, this is a big winner. If you’ve dreamed of visiting a galaxy far, far away then this immersive experience will thrill and delight. Each rider takes one of three positions inside of the Millennium Falcon cockpit, and your ability to perform the tasks assigned actually influences the experience. For some, though, this can all be a bit overwhelming. Riders who find themselves assigned to the pilot’s chair, for example, are under unique pressure to listen and perform. For first timers this can be a frustrating experience, as you quickly realize that operating the Millennium Falcon is anything but easy. There are other roles that are less involved, but be aware that this is as much of an interactive video game than it is a passive Star Wars experience.
16. Jungle Cruise
The Jekyll and Hyde of Disneyland Park. On its own, the only thing that this attraction would have going for it is whatever nostalgia the guests can conjure. The animatronics are unconvincing, the boat moves slowly and the visual gags will engender at best a polite smile. There’s an argument to be made that the queue is more interesting than the actual ride.
And that’s entirely accurate.
HOWEVER — if the planets are aligned and fortune smiles upon you, you just might find yourself on board with a Cast Member who was born to be a guide for the Jungle Cruise. Suddenly, everything that was hokey or lame becomes part of a delightful seven minute comedy act that will be the highlight of your day and remind you why this ride has remained in operation since opening day. There’s no guarantees that this will happen, of course, but the risk is worth the reward.
15. Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin
A Dark ride with a twist. Or more accurately, a spin. Riders can use the steering wheel on their own personal Benny the taxi cab to turn 360 degrees as they progress through the attraction. Like the movie it’s based on, Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin is full of fun visual puns and gags. You’ll likely need to ride multiple times to catch it all as you twirl maniacally through Toontown.
14. Buzz Lightyear’s Astro Blasters
Buzz Lightyear’s Astro Blasters would be a fairly slow and unremarkable Dark ride were it not for the fact that it’s also a shooting gallery. Blast away, but don’t forget to take in all of the cute details (the Etch-A-Sketch viewscreen when you’re in line is a particularly fun choice). The best part about this Tomorrowland attraction is that you and the person you’re riding with can compare scores. It’s an excellent way to determine who gets to sit in front of the log flume on Splash Mountain.
13. It’s a Small World
The happiest cruise that ever sailed! The featured song is an earworm, but you already knew that. The actual ride is pleasant enough – an “old mill” style attraction where you drift past animatronic dolls representing different cultures from around the world. It’s a pretty long ride as well, clocking in around 15 minutes. It isn’t the most exciting experience at Disney, but it is a part of the park’s history and worth riding at least once.
For my money, this ride is never more enjoyable than during Christmas, where it is heavily rethemed for the holiday. I’d argue that it should stay that way year round.
12. Mad Tea Party
What’s a trip to Disneyland without a turn on the teacups? This classic Fantasyland attraction located in the shadow of Matterhorn Mountain is a must-ride for anyone that doesn’t mind getting a little dizzy. A warning for new riders: two or more motivated adults can really get these things spinning. Maybe queue up for this one before you buy that Turkey Leg.
11. Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride
Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride is one of the park’s original attractions, a zany Dark ride that loosely follows the events from one portion of The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad. There’s nothing particularly mind-blowing about the ride itself, but the story drops the rider smack dab in the middle of a manic episode of a speed-obsessed Toad that ultimately sends you to a tongue-in-cheek version of hell. It’s a unique and subversive moment in your Disney experience that will sail right over the heads of the little ones and send the adults chuckling into the sunlight.
10. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
Whether by design or pure serendipity, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is greatly enhanced by the fact that it is an old and incredibly bumpy roller coaster. You will believe that you are rumbling down the track of some abandoned mining operation in the American Southwest. Though it is one of the faster rides in the park, keep your eyes peeled for all of the cool details and flourishes that organically tell the story of this attraction.
And…don’t forget to wave to the goat as you roll by.
9. Star Tours — The Adventure Continues
The revamped version of the OG Disney Star Wars attraction, the best part of Star Tours — The Adventure Continues is that it rewards multiple visits. That’s because this 3D motion simulator offers more than sixty variations to the experience, meaning (theoretically) no two tours are alike. Fun fact: Star Tours — The Adventure Continues is the only good prequel in the Star Wars canon, since the story of your ride occurs before the story of the original Star Tours.
8. Peter Pan’s Flight
Peter Pan’s Flight is arguably the best Dark ride in the park, which explains the massive queue that often forms. You board a galleon sprinkled with pixie dust and take off into the sky, leaving behind London and descending down into Neverland. The forced perspective and model work to simulate your whimsical flight is pure Disney magic. It’s a brief experience, typically lasting less than two and a half minutes, but if you’re a fan of this type of attraction it is a must-visit.
7. Splash Mountain
Technically, the 50-foot drop gives Splash Mountain the distinction of being the fastest ride at Disneyland. Surprising, considering this log flume trip through Critter Country has more in common with Pirates of the Caribbean than it does Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. The experience is very well paced, with each new drop topping the last one, and in between them you enjoy cute vignettes depicting scenes from a movie that Disney would rather we all forget. You will get wet, but this is a must-ride for any trip to the park.
6. Matterhorn Bobsleds
Actually two different tracks on one mountain, the Matterhorn provides one of the most thrilling experiences Disneyland has to offer. After your initial ascent up the mountain, the bobsleds actually scream down to the bottom completely unpowered — which adds an additional sense of drama to the ride. Well, that and the yeti.
Only downside here is that this is an older attraction. For whatever reason, the design of this tubular steel coaster is not kind to one’s behind. It can be quite the bumpy ride.
5. Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Forbidden Eye
When everything is functioning properly, this is one of the best rides in the park. Designed to look like military transportation, guests board Enhanced Motion Vehicles that toss you up and down, back and forth, and careen wildly through a cursed temple — all the while outrunning snakes, blow darts, rats, flames and of course the iconic Raiders of the Lost Ark boulder. At one point, there were three different paths for the ride chosen seemingly at random, though it seems like the ride has been streamlined down to one. Still, this is a thrilling, turbulent Indiana Jones Adventure.
4. Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance
In combination with the rest of Galaxy’s Edge, Rise of the Resistance is unquestionably the most elaborate and immersive experience that Disney has ever created. From the moment you enter the queue, you are overwhelmed with sights and sounds — invited to feel like you’re an important part of the larger story happening around you. The ride itself is thrilling, though for many the high point won’t be the sudden drops or dodging stormtrooper fire, but stepping off of a transport and into an Imperial loading bay. The scale of it all is stunning.
This really is the kind of thing that only Disney can do. Which is ironic because what keeps the ride from topping the list is that ultimately it doesn’t feel very Disney. Perhaps that will change over time, but right now it all feels less like an expansion of Disneyland and more like a second unrelated park mounted awkwardly to the side.
3. Pirates of the Caribbean
Disney succeeds where many other theme parks fail because of the way it uses all of our senses to create unforgettable experiences. Not only through the feel of a ride, or its sights and sounds, but also the smells. Ask anyone who loves the Pirates of the Caribbean, and often the first thing they’ll mention is the unique scent that permeates the entire attraction. For many that’s the smell of pure nostalgia.
Pirates is one of the most charming rides in the entire park. It has that early drop, sure, but this is a leisurely paced journey through the golden age of piracy. The animatronics are quaint, there are legit laughs in a few of the scenes, and the large open area where a large galleon fires on a Caribbean fort is incredible to behold. Yo ho, yo ho.
2. Haunted Mansion
Younger guests might experience a few real scares here and there. For the rest of us, the reason the Haunted Mansion is one of Disneyland’s great attractions is because it has its tongue firmly planted in its cheek. The dry, dark sense of humor is such a breath of fresh air after wading through Disneyland’s often unrelenting happiness. Part walking tour and part Doom Buggy ride through the mansion, some of the effects are just as stunning now as they would have been for guests when the ride opened in 1969. It is an absolute must-visit on any trip to Disneyland.
It’s like the ride says: they have nine hundred and ninety-nine happy haunts there, but there’s room for a thousand. Any volunteers?
1. Space Mountain
Near the end of your train’s climb, when you exit the tunnel and move past the twirling galaxy to float out into the open starry void that is Space Mountain, there is a beautiful moment of disorientation. It’s difficult to tell what direction you’re looking or even which side is up. Then, you hear a countdown, the music swells and you zoom off at high speed, plunging down in a series of tighter and tighter turns. There’s no way of knowing what will happen next or when the ride will end. Three minutes later you return to the station, themed in a charming retro-future style. It is a unique and absolutely thrilling experience.
It’s hard to believe that Space Mountain moves at the same speed as Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. That’s the trick of the ride: the illusion of massive speed. That’s the Disney magic. Space Mountain isn’t just the best ride at Disneyland in Anaheim, California. It is one of the best rides, period.
