Top 10 Best Disneyland Rides & Attractions | 70th Anniversary
#10: Peter Pans Flight
Since opening its gates in 1955, Disneyland has allowed visitors to become a part of the companys films. At Fantasyland, you can take a wild ride with Mr. Toad to Hell! Ironically, that still wasnt as hardcore as Snow Whites Scary Adventures, which has since dialed it back with Snow Whites Enchanted Wish. For a not-so-dark dark ride, the perennial favorite is Peter Pans Flight, giving riders a birds eye view of Neverland via a flying galleon. Walt Disney cited Fantasyland as his favorite part of the park, saying, What youngster has not dreamed of flying with Peter Pan over moonlit London? Of course, the ride is just as enchanting for adults, bringing out the childhood wonder in all ages.
#9: Indiana Jones Adventure
After Indiana Jones took center stage at a Disney World stunt show, George Lucas and the Imagineers set course for another adventure in Anaheim. This time, guests wouldnt just get to watch Indy risk his neck. Theyd come along to explore the Temple of the Forbidden Eye. The ride not only captured the thrills of the original trilogy, but also the detailed mythology. While some iconic moments like the rolling boulder are recreated, the ride tells an original story involving the god Mara, voiced by James Earl Jones. As hard as you might resist, somebody in your vehicle will inevitably gaze into Maras haunting eyes, sending you all on a daring journey involving fireballs, skeletons, and a giant snake. Whyd it have to be snakes?
#8: Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
Although not relayed to the guests during the experience, this train coaster has a surprisingly intricate backstory involving a not-so-natural disaster, an abandoned town, and possessed trains that still roam the cursed mountain. Whether or not youre familiar with its mythos, all you need to know is that this heres the wildest ride in the wilderness. Although Walt Disney had been gone for several years, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad was the locations first ride without any input from the parks namesake. It was the brainchild of Imagineer Tony Baxter, whos responsible for a few rides on this countdown. Thunder Mountain was his first masterpiece, sending us on an untameable locomotive charging across the steepest mountain ranges and most explosive mines that Frontierland has to offer.
#7: Matterhorn Bobsleds
When Disneyland opened, it lacked a rollercoaster that could appease thrill-seeking adults and older kids. By 1959, the park had corrected this with a tubular steel coaster, the first of its kind in the world. What made Matterhorn Bobsleds stand out, though, was its design modeled after the real-life mountain in the Alps. Ironically, most Westerners are probably more familiar with Disneys version, which takes a few liberties with the inclusion of the Abominable Snowman. This red-eyed creature adds a creep factor to an otherwise whimsical expedition. The Matterhorn set the standard for all Disney coasters that followed. Since then, Disney has made coasters that go faster, but few can compete with the Matterhorns atmosphere. We just wish the Skyway still passed through the mountain.
#6: Splash Mountain
Another Tony Baxter creation, Splash Mountain served a dual purpose: to repurpose animatronics from the short-lived America Sings attraction and fufill Dick Nunis request for an overdue log flume ride. The name Splash Mountain was meant to capitalize on the 1984 Touchstone film starring Tom Hanks and Daryl Hannah. Instead of mermaids, though, the ride was populated with characters from Song of the South. While the 1946 film that inspired it might have problematic roots, the ride brought joy for more than 30 years with its catchy music, cheerful critters, and long drops guaranteed to leave patrons soaked. (Xref) Although the 2024 Princess and the Frog retheme was met with resistance, Tianas Bayou Adventure maintains what made its predecessor special while forming its own identity.
#5: Fantasmic!
Since 1992, Frontierlands Rivers of America has provided a backdrop for the nighttime spectacular known as Fantasmic! While the show has gone through various iterations over the decades, the basic setup remains the same as we follow Mickey into his most pleasant dreams and worst nightmares, encountering other Disney characters along the way. Indeed, Fantasmic! plays like a dream with the lighting and water effects sending us into an enchanting daze that we never wish to awaken from. Like Fantasia, Fantasmic! isnt so much about telling a coherent story as it is about giving the audience an experience, one of sight, sound, and vibes, where anything that springs into ones imagination can become a reality. With the first stroke of Bruce Healeys score, were pumped.
#4: Space Mountain
An outer space-themed rollercoaster was among the many concepts in the back of Walt Disneys head that wouldnt be realized until after his death. Making its first appearance at Disney World in 1975, Space Mountain arrived in Anaheim two years later. With its Disneyland debut inadvertently coinciding with the release of the first Star Wars movie, Space Mountain took people to another galaxy far, far away. Before even boarding the rocket, the queue immerses guests in a spaceport that sets a tone for the experience that follows. Riders are overcome with gravitas as theyre launched into darkness, dashing through a stream of stars. Every time we arrive back at the station, it truly feels as if we were out of this world for a moment.
#3: The Haunted Mansion
From a distance, it might seem like any other antebellum mansion. Making your way to the entrance, though, youll begin to sense that something is off, which only becomes more apparent as guests are lowered into the depths below. There are only two ways out of the Haunted Mansion and we strongly advise taking a Doom Buggie rather than the Ghost Hosts way. Despite Disneys struggle to make a film surrounding the attraction, Haunted Mansion has a life of its own with characters, set pieces, and music that remind us that sometimes its fun to be afraid. Between September and January, Jack Skellington and his crew move in for the Haunted Mansion Holiday. Yet, those Hitchhiking Ghosts will always be permanent residents of the manor.
#2: Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance
From Star Tours to Smugglers Run, George Lucas creation has provided endless potential for Imagineering. Rise of the Resistance forever raised the bar not only for Star Wars rides, but Disney Parks in general. This is essentially several Star Wars attractions rolled into one epic package, seeing guests get captured by the First Order before staging a heart-racing escape. Its an out-of-body experience on par with participating in a magic act. Transported to a hangar of stormtroopers, we find ourselves asking how this is accomplished. Soon enough, we stop questioning what were seeing, letting the Force flow over us. Say what you will about Disneys handling of Star Wars, but Rise of the Resistance is where the two achieve perfect balance.
Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
Sleeping Beauty Castle
Not Just a Symbol of the Park, But of Disney as a Whole
Its a Small World
Its a Song We All Know Possibly in More Than One Language
Mad Tea Party
A Ride as Maddening as it is Wonderful
Jungle Cruise
Animals & Dad Jokes, What More Could You Want?
Mickey & Minnies Runaway Railway
The Closest Weve Ever Come to Entering a Cartoon World
#1: Pirates of the Caribbean
Walt Disney famously said, Disneyland will never be completed. It will continue to grow as long as there is imagination left in the world. While Disneyland is breaking new ground nearly 70 years later, the parks crowning achievement is still arguably the last ride that Walt personally oversaw. Pirates of the Caribbean encompasses everything we look for in a Disney attraction: immersive atmosphere, iconic set pieces, and characters who feel real. Even before Jack Sparrow and company took the franchise to new frontiers, Pirates of the Caribbean had already given us several staples of pop culture that have endured since the rides opening in 1967. Capturing the grit yet also the thrills of a pirates life, the ride is a call to adventure.
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