Best Disneyland Attractions & Ride Guide - Disney Tourist Blog
If you’re planning a 2017 trip to Disneyland, you probably want to know which attractions and rides are not to be missed, and which rides you can probably skip. This guide to Disneyland rides contains short reviews of our top picks, as well as numerical scores for every attraction in Disneyland. (Last updated August 24, 2017.)Our list of the top Disneyland attractions includes plenty of recognizable names, along with a few sleeper-picks that we think a lot of people overlook, but are actually really enjoyable. While we don’t recommend skipping any attractions based upon the advice of others if you have the time to experience them all (why not form your own opinion–you might like something totally different than us!), if your time is limited, here are the must-see rides and attractions in Disneyland. Note that this list only covers Disneyland, the park. We have a separate review of attractions at Disney California Adventure.Worth noting is that not everything on this list is a blockbuster, “E-Ticket” attraction that draws huge crowds. While we love these big-name attractions, we feel a day at Disneyland is about variety, and some of the lesser-known attractions are also very well done, just not in a ‘knock-your-socks-off’ way. The list of “top attractions” includes everything we feel makes for a well-rounded day at Disneyland.
Ideally, you’ll have more than one day to explore Disneyland and have a separate day for Disney California Adventure (read our Disneyland Ticket Guide to determine which tickets are best), so you will be able to experience everything, not just our top picks. If you are stretched for time and only have one day for both parks, you won’t be able to experience everything on this “top attractions” list.Numerical scores are on a scale of 1 to 10, and only take into consideration overall quality relative to that specific type of attraction. In other words, dark rides are judged against other dark rides, coasters are judged against other coasters, etc., to create a relatively level playing field. We do not take into account how different demographics will like the attraction. Obviously, if an attraction has a height restriction that precludes kids from riding it, its “score” for them wouldn’t be as high as what we’ve listed. Likewise on attractions that are geared towards kids but may not appeal as much to adults. Here, we only consider how well done the attraction is, overall, within its category.Top Disneyland AttractionsFinding Nemo Submarine Voyage (8/10) – A relatively new attraction at Disneyland, the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage takes guests aboard actual submarines to find Nemo. It’s a relatively long attraction with some awesome sets and detail. The wait times can be long, the queue is incredibly boring, and there’s no FastPass, but the payoff is well worth the boring wait, especially for Finding Nemo fans.Pirates of the Caribbean (10/10) – Pirates of the Caribbean is a boat-ride back in time to the days when pirates ruled the Caribbean. The attractions features Audio Animatronics pirates engaging in swashbuckling mayhem. This is one of our favorite attractions at Disneyland, and is considerably longer than the Walt Disney World attraction by the same name. It contains a considerable amount of detail (we recommend experiencing it more than once to take in everything), a catchy song, and lines usually aren’t too long due to its high capacity.
Indiana Jones Adventure (10/10) – Indiana Jones Adventure is a thrilling ride aboard a transport vehicle deep into the Temple of the Forbidden Eye on a daring journey in search of unimaginable rewards. Along the way you’ll incur the wrath of Mara, who will force you to encounter caverns of bubbling death, screaming undead mummies, erupting lava, evil wraiths, and giant snakes. Everything about this attraction is excellent–it’s our favorite attraction at Disneyland. From the incredible queue to the humorous pre-show to the special effects-laden attraction itself, Indiana Jones Adventure still feels as cutting edge today as it did when it opened back in 1995. Part of this is thanks to several special effects upgrades it received in mid-2013. As Sallah would (and does) say, “it is unlike anything you have ever experienced, I assure you!” This attraction is incredibly popular and routinely has long waits, making it a great use of FastPass.Space Mountain (10/10) – Space Mountain is a dark rollercoaster through space. After going on a nearly two-year hiatus while the Hyperspace Mountain Star Wars overlay was added, the classic attraction is back! There’s some cool theming here, a blast-off tunnel, and on-board music to spice up the experience. Space Mountain is a FastPass attraction, and it’s highly recommended that you utilize it. This is another attraction that is dramatically different than its Walt Disney World counterpart.Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln (9/10) – Another Disneyland classic. This attraction is a hybrid film and Audio Animatronics performance by the famous U.S. President. It incorporates some of the best elements of Hall of Presidents and the American Adventure at Walt Disney World, including my personal favorite, the song “Golden Dreams.” Many guests, mostly communists, find this attraction boring. We absolutely love it. It’s not a thrill-ride, to be sure, but it is an incredibly well-done glimpse into the history of this great nation. If you have time beforehand, check out the Steve Martin (and Donald Duck) video in the lobby created for Disneyland’s 50th anniversary.
Haunted Mansion (10/10) – The Haunted Mansion is a slow-moving dark ride that is home to 999 happy haunts that are dying to meet you. No further explanation if you aren’t familiar with the premise of the Haunted Mansion, you’re probably living under a rock. I have no interest in rock-dwellers reading this website. For those familiar with the Walt Disney World version, a lot in the Disneyland version is the same or similar. Die-hard Haunted Mansion fans will disagree, but the vast majority of guests won’t notice many differences. If you visit around Halloween or Christmas, you’ll see “Haunted Mansion Holiday,” which features a Nightmare Before Christmas overlay. It’s awesome.Matterhorn (8/10) – The Matterhorn was Expedition Everest decades before Expedition Everest was even conceived. This rollercoaster through the yeti-guarded mountain is a thrilling attraction that most guests will enjoy. The Matterhorn received some new show scenes that are fairly cool. As of Summer 2017, FastPass is now available at the Matterhorn, and it’s a good use of FastPass to avoid long waits.
Storybook Land Canal Boats (9/10) – The Storybook Land Canal Boats are a Disneyland classic. Cast Member-led boats of guests float past miniaturized versions of villages, castles, and homes of Disney characters. It’s a cute, “peaceful” attraction, not a big-budget ride that will knock your socks off. Our favorite scene is Pinocchio’s village, because the Imagineers have designed this scene so the Matterhorn appears as another mountain towering over the village in the background. This attraction may seem simple, and it is, but that’s part of the charm. Storybook Land Canal Boats isn’t especially popular, but long lines can form because it has very low hourly capacity. We recommend hitting it early in the morning or late at night.Mickey and the Magical Map (8/10) – Mickey and the Magical Map debuted in 2013 in the Fantasyland Theater. The plot involves Mickey attempting to finish a map, with an ink blot continually eluding him and taking him places…or something like that. Really, whatever the plot is supposed to be is just an excuse to tie together songs from different movies. And that’s fine. The individual song and dance numbers are great, and the video screen-stage
just don’t expect to make any sense of the show’s overarching story. Seats in the rear-center are best for viewing the large video screen-stage.
Splash Mountain (8.5/10) – Splash Mountain is a log flume ride that features a story from Disney’s Song of the South film, and climaxes with a big drop into the briar patch. Walt Disney World fans might find themselves a little perplexed by Splash Mountain. Disneyland’s Splash Mountain is the original (by a couple years), and in some ways, it’s better. Disneyland recycled high quality Audio Animatronics from “America Sings” for Splash Mountain, and many of these Animatronics look better than those found in their Florida counterpart. However, the pacing is entirely too fast, guests get entirely too wet, and the story is very disjointed compared to the Walt Disney World version. Still, it’s a must-see, even for Walt Disney World fans, as it’s dramatically different than the Magic Kingdom version of the attraction.Jungle Cruise (8/10) – Jungle Cruise is a boat ride through the rivers of Adventureland that encounters hippos, lions, and piranhas, among other animals and natives, along the way. However, the real highlight here is the non-stop zingers of the skippers who pilot the boats. If you don’t appreciate dry, intentionally corny, or self-aware humor, you may not like Jungle Cruise. We’ve seen a number of guests exit the Jungle Cruise with confused looks on their faces. Jungle Cruise skippers often break the carefully-crafted illusion of Disneyland (example: pointing out the “p” breed of snake is not a python, but instead, “plastic”). Most kids won’t get these jokes, so don’t worry about that. We love the Jungle Cruise, as do most guests, but some are not fans. It’s also an attraction that is highly skipper-dependent. If you get a poor skipper, your ride will be sub-par.
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (9.5/10) – A guest favorite, Big Thunder Mountain a rollercoaster themed as a runaway mine train on a ride through the barren landscape of the Old West. Hang onto your hats and glasses, because Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is “the wildest ride in the wilderness!” It was refurbished about a year ago to add some cool new effects, plus a smoother track. Big Thunder Mountain is a FastPass attraction, and it might behoove you to use that if lines are over 40 minutes for it. There are differences between this Big Thunder and Walt Disney World’s, notably the town of Rainbow Ridge (a remnant from the classic Mine Train Thru Nature’s Wonderland attraction).Disneyland Railroad (9/10) – The Disneyland Railroad is, quite simply, a normal railroad that circles Disneyland in a scenic manner. However, the Disneyland Railroad is dramatically different. Not only does it have a scene with real, live (okay, Audio Animatronics) dinosaurs called Primeval World, but it has the history of being Walt Disney’s railroad. We covered the changes to the Disneyland Railroad post-refurbishment in our Grand Circle Tour of Disneyland post. By and large, we are fans of the more engaging scenery on the new route.Casey Jr. Circus Train (8/10) – Another Fantasyland staple, the Casey Jr. Circus Train offers a scenic view of Fantasyland as guests ride aboard cars or in cages (now is your chance to finally put the kids in a cage!). It’s simple, but has a lot of appeal thanks to the great views it offers of Fantasyland, the fun music, and the whimsy of the train, itself. Even as adults, it’s a favorite attraction of ours (and we have no childhood nostalgia towards it) that is difficult to articulate the appeal of. It has a real kinetic energy and is just good, clean fun.
Peter Pan’s Flight (9/10) – Peter Pan’s Flight was re-imagined for Disneyland’s 60th Anniversary to modernize it and add some great new effects. It’s considered a Fantasyland classic, as it takes guests in “flying” ships above London and Neverland, but really, it’s not as impressive as it sounds, especially given the hour-plus waits it regularly attracts. Flying over London is cool (and small children might actually “buy” the flying part), but that’s its big draw. We enjoy Peter Pan’s Flight, but I wouldn’t wait more than 30 minutes in line for it. If you arrive right at park opening, this is the attraction to hit first.
Remember… Dreams Come True Fireworks (10/10) – The classic fireworks show at Disneyland, Remember… Dreams Come True is a veritable tribute to Walt Disney and Disneyland’s best attractions. There are some great effects and projections, all of which provide a multitude of different viewpoints for the fireworks. Whatever you do, do not miss this show, as it’s visually impressive and resonates emotionally. To choose a good spot, read our Best Disneyland Fireworks Viewing Spots guide.
Fantasmic! (10/10) – Fantasmic! is a musical battle between the forces of good and evil set in Mickey’s dreams (and on the Rivers of America) with stunning effects, including pyrotechnics, water, lasers, fire, and a huge dragon. If you’ve seen Fantasmic! at Walt Disney World, you haven’t actually seen Fantasmic! The Disneyland version is infinitely better, and features a Pirates of the Caribbean battle scene (on the Sailing Ship Columbia) replacing the Pocahontas scene, huge Maleficent dragon, and other things. The new version of Fantasmic debuted on July 17, ;here’s our review of Fantasmic 2.0. Here are our other tips for the best places to view Fantasmic, and tips for photographing it.Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room (8/10) – Enchanted Tiki Room is a 15-minute musical serenade from Audio Animatronics birds and offers a celebration of island romance and wonder performed in a theater-in-the-round. You’ve probably heard these the fun music of this attraction, and its history, makes it an attraction not to be missed.Star Tours: The Adventures Continue (9/10) – Completely re-imagined in 2011, Star Tours is a flight-motion simulator into the Star Wars world with digital 3-D video, Audio Animatronics characters, and in-vehicle effects. Star Tours features multiple storylines, with some 64 different experience combinations, making it an attraction you can experience again and again. Unfortunately, it’s incredibly popular, so this might prove difficult. The attraction now incorporates scenes from Star Wars: The Force Awakens, too. Star Tours is a must-do. Use FastPass.Mickey’s Soundsational Parade (9.5/10) – Mickey’s Soundsational Parade is the relatively new daytime (and sometimes nighttime) parade at Disneyland. The float design in this parade is inspired, with art design by the highly regarded Kevin Kidney and Jody Daily. One of the best daytime Disney parades we’ve ever seen, and right up there with Happiness is Here at Tokyo Disneyland (also done by Kidney and Daily).‘it’s a small world’ (9/10) – ‘it’s a small world’ is the iconic attraction featuring the children of the world and that oh-so divisive song. Again, unless you live under a rock, you’re familiar with it. ‘it’s a small world’ at Disneyland differs substantially from the Walt Disney W it features Disney characters tastefully inserted into several show-scenes, an outdoor queue and facade, and other scene differences. If visiting at Christmas, ‘it’s a small world’ holiday is not to be missed.Buzz Lightyear’s Astro Blasters (7/10)
– Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters enlists your help in an interactive and competitive game-attraction to save the universe in this blast-em-up, ride-through adventure. It’s like a ride-through video game, and is a lot of fun. We often find ourselves riding re-riding late at night when there’s no line to see who can get the highest score. This attracton is far superior to the Walt Disney World version of the attraction.Alice in Wonderland (8.5/10) – Another Fantasyland dark ride that was recently re-imagined and updated, this one takes guests into the world of Alice in Wonderland. This is our favorite Fantasyland dark ride, and we’re not even fans of Alice in Wonderland. Best hit early in the morning on a fast-paced tour of the Fantasyland dark rides, as lines can get long for it later in the day due to its lower capacity.Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin (8.5/10) – Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin takes guests aboard a dark ride voyage into Toontown in interactive vehicles (guests can spin them). Lines are often long for Car Toon Spin, making it a good FastPass attraction. It’s the only attraction worth experiencing in the Toontown land of Disneyland.Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride (7.5/10) – Another Fantasyland dark ride favorite, this attraction goes into the irreverent world of Mr. Toad from the Wind and the Willows. Worth experiencing for the irreverence alone. On what other Disney attraction do you go to bar, crash into a truck, and go to hell?! It would never be built in today’s politically correct era, and is worth experiencing for that alone, although the attraction itself is woefully outdated.Sleeping Beauty Castle Walk-Through (8.5/10) – A simple, but fun walk-through of Sleeping Beauty Castle featuring interactive “window” scenes from the film. An often overlooked, but very cool attraction that takes little time to experience and should not be missed.A few Fantasyland attractions are omitted from this list, all of which are worth experiencing if you have the time. If you arrive right at park opening and there are no Magic Mornings, you can easily bounce from Fantasyland attraction to Fantasyland attraction and quickly knock all of these out in about in hour or so.If you can manage to hit all of these attractions in one day at Disneyland, you should have a great, well-rounded visit. If you have more time, consider hitting other Disneyland attractions, each of which we’ve scored below.The RestAstro Orbitor (4/10) – Spinner ride similar to Dumbo, except not iconic.Autopia (7/10) – Kids might like it as it gives th lush environments and large track. The addition of ASIMO and Bird to the attraction give it new life, and really improve the experience.Disneyland Monorail (7/10) – A relaxing trip around Disneyland Resort, but with a lot of glimpses of the outside world. We love monorails, but in this case, we prefer the Disneyland Railroad.Davy Crockett’s Explorer Canoes (7/10) – Paddle an actual canoe on the Rivers of America. Not for everyone, but a lot of fun for those who enjoy this sort of thing. Definitely not an attraction you’d expect in a modern theme park.Tom Sawyer Island (6.5/10) – Fun and highly immersive play area for kids, now featuring pirates.Sailing Ship Columbia (7/10) – Another relaxing float around the Rivers of America.Mark Twain Riverboat (8/10) – Relaxing way to float around the Rivers of America. Great way to spend a peaceful afternoon, but we recommend the Disneyland Railroad over it if you’re limited in time.Star Wars Launch Bay (2.5/10) – Formerly Innoventions, this is now a Star Wars gallery done on the cheap. This is not Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge (the large Star Wars land that won’t open until 2019), so don’t be confused by Disneyland’s marketing. This is a dull gallery and–save for a couple of meet & greets–should be skipped.Jedi Training Academy (6.5/10) – Gives kids the chance to become Jedi in a decent stage show. Has new scenes due to The Force Awakens. Gadget’s Go Coaster (4/10) – W recommended only for small children who can’t do other coasters.King Arthur Carrousel (4.5/10) – Garden variety carousel.Mad Tea Party (6/10) – Gets points because it’s iconic and somewhat fun if you have the time.Pinocchio’s Daring Journey (6/10) – Decent dark ride based on Pinocchio. Very dated, but charming.Snow White’s Scary Adventures (6/10) – Dated and still a cute attraction if you have the time. Has been spruced up in recent years with some new effects.Tarzan’s Treehouse (7/10) – Fun area that can be quickly explored as a nice change of pace from doing rides.The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (6/10) – A newer Fantasyland-style dark ride located in Critter Country that’s enjoyable, but still feels dated.This leaves out random pieces of entertainment, character meet & greets, and a few other seasonal offerings, but it should cover every attraction listed on a Disneyland park map. We’d strongly encourage you to try everything for yourself, as your opinions might differ from ours, but if time is an issue, skip the attractions on the lower list.
If you’re preparing for a Disneyland trip, check out our other planning posts, including how to save money on Disneyland tickets, our Disney packing tips, whether you should stay off-site or on-site in a Disney hotel, where to dine, and a number of other things, check out our comprehensive Disneyland Vacation Planning Guide!Your Thoughts…Which Disneyland attractions are your favorites and which do you skip? If you haven’t visited Disneyland yet, which ones are you most excited about? If you have any questions about what else you should do at Disneyland, let us know! Share your questions and thoughts in the comments!Related Posts
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Written by
Tom Bricker