Here you leave todayAnd enter the worldof yesterday, tomorrow,and fantasy
Emblazoned on the arches at its entrance, those are the words that greet every visitor to Disneyland. Here at ScreenCrush you can never fully leave today. But you can sorta enter the world of yesterday, tomorrow, and fantasy (and Galaxy’s Edge and Mickey’s Toontown) as we rank every single ride at Disneyland.
Yes, every single one. But keep in mind: We’re just ranking rides at Disneyland; anything at Disney California Adventure doesn’t count. And again: Only rides. With apologies to the Enchanted Tiki Room and Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln, no shows were included. Just rides! And there are a lot of rides at Disneyland so let’s not waste any more time before getting to the list…
36. Astro Orbiter
Once upon a time, the Astro Orbiter stood on a lofty perch in the center of Tomorrowland, looming over the PeopleMover track much like its counterparts in the Magic Kingdom and other Disney parks. At least then it offered a higher, and thus slightly more thrilling experience, and maybe some better views as you rotated around and around. Today, it’s located the front of Tomorrowland and sits at ground level, making it just another spinning ride of the sort you can find at almost any theme park — or at this theme park a few steps away in Fantasyland.
35. Chip ’n’ Dale’s Gadgetcoaster
Kids deserve roller coasters pitched at their level of maturity, especially at a family friendly park like Disneyland. But c’mon; the Gadgetcoaster is about as low-effort and low-excitement as a coaster gets. At roughly 50 seconds in length, it’s also the shortest ride in all of Disneyland. Add in some minimal, underwhelming theming, and you’ve got a ride guaranteed to make children of all ages say “That’s it??”
34. King Arthur Carrousel
A carrousel is a carrousel, but at least Disneyland’s has some history to it. The ride actually predates the park; it was moved to Anaheim from Toronto, where it was first opened in 1922. This mainstay of Fantasyland since Disneyland’s opening day rarely boasts a wait longer than a couple of minutes, making it a welcome break from lengthy lines elsewhere in the park, even on a busy day. Plus there’s something charming about taking your kids on the same carrousel that your parents took you on, and that parents have been taking their kids on for a hundred years.
33. Sailing Ship Columbia
The Sailing Ship Columbia is the other big boat that tours the Rivers of America; it’s essentially the sequel (or maybe the prequel?) to the Mark Twain, and was added to the area in the late 1950s. The pre-recorded audio that plays on the ship sounds like it might be 100 years older than that, but there are worse ways to pass a dozen minutes on a pleasant Southern California afternoon. Apparently, the boat is a full-scale replica of the first American ship that circumnavigated the world, so it’s got that going for it.
32. Storybook Land Canal Boats
A leisurely boat ride from Disneyland’s earliest days, back when the big selling point for attraction could be something as benign as “What if we made something that was extremely small?” The Storybook Land Canal Boats take around five minutes to glide past a series of iconic Disney locations in miniature like the palace from Aladdin and the dwarfs’ house from Snow White, all while a guide describes the pastoral scenes. The very idea that the attraction is hosted by a flesh-and-blood human and not an audio recording feels like something lifted from a bygone era — because that’s exactly what it is. (Even the marketing copy on the official Disneyland website describes the ride as a “gentle” boat tour, a word it’s hard to imagine the company using as a selling point for a new attraction today.)
31. Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage
Speaking of leisurely boat rides: In 2007, Imagineers added underwater projections of the characters from Pixar’s Finding Nemo to Tomorrowland’s long-shuttered Submarine Voyage. The animated fish effects work quite well, but the ride is cramped, claustrophobic, and, if you’re unlucky enough to ride next to the wrong passenger, potentially quite smelly. (One Reddit post dedicated to the ride’s flaws describes it as “Nemo’s Dutch Ovens.” Ew.)
30. Main Street Vehicles
There are many reasons to go to Disneyland, but one of the most potent is nostalgia. The whole front of the park was built as an idealized recreation of the past — Main Street U.S.A.! — an illusion that’s supported by all sorts of antique vehicles and horse-drawn wagons that continue to roam up and down the main thoroughfare. Where else can you take a leisurely jitney ride past small children screaming at their exhausted parents?
29. Pinocchio’s Daring Journey
Unlike most of the other surviving Fantasyland dark rides, this one was added decades after Disneyland’s opening in the early 1980s. It doesn’t have the grandeur of Peter Pan or the twisted sense of humor of Mr. Toad, and it hasn’t been refurbished as recently as Snow White’s Enchanted Wish. Whether it’s a classic or a relic at this point is probably in the eye of the beholder. But if you haven’t heard “When You Wish Upon a Star” enough on your day at Disneyland, you can always count on catching a few bars of it here.
28. Casey Jr. Circus Train
The Casey Jr. Circus Train tours the exact same Storybook Land area as the Canal Boats, albeit in about three or four minutes instead of five or six, and with its own soundtrack of music and effects from its cinematic inspiration, 1941’s Dumbo. The ride was already dated enough in the 1990s that when Disney transported it to Europe for the Fantasyland of Disneyland Paris, they turned the basic concept into a kid-friendly roller coaster. And that was 30 years ago.
27. The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
Everyone loves the Hundred Acre Wood characters, but this very simple dark ride might be coasting on that love just a little bit. Its big “innovation” upon its introduction was a vehicle that could “bounce” along with Tigger, an illusion that would only fool the youngest in Winnie the Pooh’s target demographic. On the plus side, at least the Disneyland version of Winnie the Pooh didn’t evict Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride. (In California, it took over the space previously occupied by the Country Bear Jamboree.)
26. Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin
Who Framed Roger Rabbit became a true pop cultural phenomenon in the late 1980s, and its blend of live-action and animation still looks magnificent almost 40 years later. But the movie itself never became a full-blown franchise. That alone makes Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin feel like a little bit of a relic. The actual ride itself doesn’t help in this area either, as it’s a basic Disney dark ride with the added twist of … literal twists, as in guests can spin their ride vehicle. It’s a fabulous idea, but the execution is really underwhelming. If the cars ever spun properly, they don’t anymore. Every time I ride Car Toon Spin, I practically break my arms off trying to turn that big wheel. (Watch the video above and you’ll see the riders struggling for yourself.) Take a decades-old property and a ride mechanic that never seems to do what it’s supposed to, and you’ve got a Disneyland attraction whose best days appear to be behind it.
25. Snow White’s Enchanted Wish
For decades, Disneyland’s Snow White ride was more infamous than famous. Its “Scary Adventures” lived up to its name a little too well, thanks to skeletons, dark mines, and a full-blown wicked witch jumpscare, all way too intense for the little ones who tend to spend most of they Disneyland day in Fantasyland. A 2021 update brought some welcome improvements and additions including better lighting, more Snow White appearances, and fewer moments meant to scar a small child for life.
24. Mark Twain Riverboat
An extremely slow moving blast from Disney’s past, the Mark Twain has been touring the Rivers of America since the day Disneyland opened, making it one of the park’s most nostalgic attractions. Don’t expect thrills (or a modern view of the American frontier or its native inhabitants) and you’ll have a very pleasant, 15-minute journey while also enjoying views of New Orleans Square and Tom Sawyer Island.
23. Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters
The first Toy Story ride added to Disney parks (and eventually deposited in almost every Tomorrowland around the globe) combined a dark ride and a shooting gallery, and also gave the guests the ability to rotate their vehicle with a joystick. The basic concept’s sound (and the execution is better in Disneyland than in Magic Kingdom, where for many years the laser blasters were bolted to the vehicle and thus much harder to aim) but after nearly 30 years in operation, the ride is beginning to show its age. The technology at its center has been surpassed by better attractions (like the similar Toy Story Midway Mania in neighboring California Adventure), and if you’re kids are competitive (like mine) and you outscore them (like I did) you should be prepared for the pouting and grousing in your family to escalate to infinity and beyond.
22. Disneyland Monorail
In the 1950s, Disneyland’s monorail seemed like a preview of a bright future of clean public transportation. Today, the monorail, with its sleek design and solid safety record, serves more as a reminder of how crappy and dirty that future turned out to be. While the Monorail at Walt Disney World and even Tokyo Disney Resort both play a vital transportation function, shuttling guests between the various parks and hotels, the one in Disneyland is largely ornamental, circling between a station inside the park and one in the Downtown Disney shopping district. Even the endless track loop feel like an ancient (but very fitting) summation of where all that hopeful optimism of the past got us.
21. Disneyland Railroad
The Disneyland Railroad is not only one of the vintage attractions at the resort, it’s also a useful way to traverse the massive theme park on a hot day and rest your weary feet at the same time. The train makes four stops on an endless loop, in New Orleans Square, Toontown, Tomorrowland, and right in the front of the park in Main Street U.S.A.. The full circuit takes around 20 minutes, but multiple trains run simultaneously so you’re never waiting too long. Enjoy the dioramas of the Grand Canyon and dinosaurs (in Tomorrowland for some reason?) while hopping from one side of Disneyland to the other.
20. Tiana’s Bayou Adventure
Splash Mountain’s theming absolutely needed an update from Song of the South, and The Princess and the Frog was a smart choice for a replacement. And while the bones of the ride experience from Splash Mountain remain (including that famous final drop), the actual story of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is a little lackluster. The old Splash Mountain had some real peril — the famous drop was meant to mimic Br’er Fox tossing Br’er Rabbit into the briar patch — while Tiana’s is mostly just a genial log flume with catchy music. Also, a word to the wise: If you don’t want to get absolutely soaked, either sit in the back of the boat or bring a poncho. (Or maybe both.) Otherwise, you will walk off this ride like you just went for a swim in the bayou in your clothes.
19. Autopia
Look, to an adult who already has to drive a car every day, deal with auto insurance contemplate the environmental implications of those noisy little gas guzzlers, Autopia does not quite live up to its utopian name. To a child, who gets to steer their own car for the first time, and zoom around the surprisingly lengthy track without fear of crashes or running out of fuel, it’s about as good as it gets. (I have witnessed this with my own children. They love this ride. They waited longer for Autopia than for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure and they would have happily waited a second time if I had let them.)
18. Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride
Mr. Toad is a beloved piece of Disney history. It’s one of the few remaining attractions from Disneyland’s opening day, and it contains a shockingly dark sense of humor for the family-friendly park. It ends with you literally getting struck by an oncoming train and sent to Hell. And I always get a kick out of it as a result. But even I have to admit: As amusingly bleak as its story remains, the ride itself — an animatronic-free tour through a bunch of painted flats — is not exactly cutting-edge.
17. Mad Tea Party
Yes, variations of spinning teacup rides can be found at almost every theme park around the country. But where else do you get to ride the original spinning teacup ride within spitting distance of the Alice in Wonderland ride and the Matterhorn? Where else is the ride uncovered because who worries about rain in Southern California? Even though the ride has been duplicated countless times, something about the original Mad Tea Party still screams vintage Disneyland.
16. It’s a Small World
I’m not crazy about the needless addition of Disney characters to this iconic boat ride. It seems like a concession to contemporary IP culture on a ride that otherwise feels a little like time travel. You board those boats in front of the beautiful entrance and then take a trip back to the hopeful early 1960s, when this ride first debuted at New York World’s Fair. If you can’t stand the Sherman brothers’ theme song, at least concede that the attraction’s exterior, designed by Imagineer Rolly Crump, is one of the loveliest in all of Disneyland.
15. Dumbo the Flying Elephant
Who doesn’t like Dumbo? I mean, besides that nasty Ringmaster. Everyone loves the flying elephant. Kids especially like the way you can control his flight with the joystick embedded in the back of his head, a truly disturbing concept when you phrase it that way. Although the ride has been updated in various ways through the years, it still maintains its timeless original charm.
14. Star Tours
While Galaxy’s Edge gets all the attention these days, the O.G. Star Wars ride in Tomorrowland is still worth a visit. Updated in 2011 as “Star Tours — The Adventure Continues,” this simulator now offers a series of randomly-chosen segments out of more than 20 potential journeys. Guests encounter Star Wars characters like Darth Vader and the Mandalorian, and visit such locales as the ruins of a Star Destroyer on Jakku and the Rebel base on Hoth. The storyline doesn’t make any sense; prequel, original, and sequel trilogies get mixed and matched at will. But so what? It’s an amusement park ride that lets you win a podrace while C-3PO screams in terror. That’s enough.
13. Davy Crockett Explorer Canoes
Davy Crockett was basically the Marvel Cinematic Universe of the 1950s. Disney’s Davy Crockett TV miniseries was so popular it sparked a merchandizing bonanza and inspired multiple Disneyland attractions based on various episodes. While the Mike Fink Keel Boats closed up shop in the late ’90s, Disneyland guests today can still (seasonally) ride the Davy Crockett Explorer Canoes, which are not powered by electricity or gas but by guests’ arms, as a pair of guides direct their riders to row their little guts out as they circle the Rivers of America. Every single aspect of this attraction is hopelessly dated – from the lack of a track you have to follow, to the small but persistent threat of falling into the water, to the 70-year-old theming inspired by a man who lived 250 years ago, to the snarky guides who do more yelling at you than rowing. Ironically, that is why it’s great. It’s hand-powered, unpredictable, different every time — everything modern theme parks are not. It’s kind of an unforgettable experience.
12. Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run
The Millennium Falcon ride has gotten some harsh reviews from fans who don’t like its interactivity. Guests assume the rules of pilots, gunners, and engineers who must take Han Solo’s famous starship on a smuggling mission to retrieve coaxium on behalf of a pirate named Hondo Ohnaka. It’s basically the coolest arcade game ever conceived. While I will concede the mechanics of controlling the Falcon are a little cumbersome, the life-size Falcon at the entrance, and the incredibly immersive theming of the pre-show and the Falcon interior, make this a special experience. If you have a full cockpit of six family and friends working together, there’s nothing else at Disneyland quite like it.
11. Jungle Cruise
To me, the Jungle Cruise is quintessential Disney: Elaborate theming, tons of animatronics, and non-stop Dad jokes provided by a quippy boat captain. To my kids, the Jungle Cruise is mostly baffling. This is Disneyland? A slow-moving boat ride through an endless river sparsely populated by some unconvincing robotic critters? Why not real animals? Why not some thrills? To a kid who wasn’t raised on the Jungle Cruise (and who does not get the references to the 75-year-old movie The African Queen) it does look pretty old fashioned — and that’s despite the fact that Disney already removed the attraction’s dated cultural stereotypes. So again: Your mileage may vary.
10. Alice in Wonderland
First built in the late 1950s, and updated several times in its history, Alice in Wonderland is a whimsical combination of old and new. It boasts psychedelic projections and animatronics, and a dark ride track that takes you up and around Fantasyland and then down a long and winding ramp. (The Goofy yell right as you burst through the doors to the outdoor segment is a nice touch too.) Plus: This is one of the few Disney dark rides that’s never been replicated in Walt Disney World or any of the company’s other parks.
9. Matterhorn Bobsleds
Skeptics about this Disneyland mainstay complain about the herky-jerky ride, and the relatively minimal theming compared to other Disney coasters like Space Mountain. But I often find that old roller coasters have more character than newer ones, which are so smooth they iron out a lot of the thrills along with the bumps. The Matternhorn Bobsleds genuinely feels like a wild, out-of-control dash down a mountainside. It hits top speeds of roughly 30 miles an hour as it hurtles down and through the Alps, and past the Abomindable Snowman.
8. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
They don’t call it the wildest ride in the wilderness for nothing. Disney’s take on a runaway train ride amps up the theming with animatronic animals, and a mountain mine setting that seems seconds away from blasting you to smithereens. (One particularly fun sequence involves your train racing a lit dynamite fuse through the mine — will you get to the exit before it blows?!?) Although it contains no loops or inversions, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad still packs a pretty big punch.
7. Peter Pan’s Flight
Although it’s one of Disneyland’s oldest rides, there’s still some magic in Peter Pan’s Flight. Between the hanging pirate ships, those amazing miniature sets, and the soaring sounds of “You Can Fly! You Can Fly! You Can Fly!” the illusion that you’re gliding over London and Never Land is still enough to give children (and the young at heart) chills.
6. Pirates of the Caribbean
Everyone scoffed when Disney announced they were turning Pirates of the Caribbean into a movie, but few theme-park attractions in history are more cinematic than Pirates. It’s got Caribbean ambiance, sudden drops, that hummable theme song, and moments of drama, horror, suspense, and comedy. A pirate’s life for me indeed.
5. Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Forbidden Eye
Built atop a former Disneyland parking lot, the massive Indiana Jones attraction takes tourists through an ancient temple ruin, where they encounter bugs, flames, rickety bridges, and giant snakes. (Yes, yes, why did it have to be giant snakes, very good, very good, we understood that reference.) Although Indiana Jones Adventure is now 30 years old, it remains one of the most popular Disneyland rides, and boasts some of the longest daily waits in the park. No wonder that after all those years, Disney is now building a sister attraction in Florida in the spot that formerly housed Animal Kingdom’s Dinosaur ride.
4. Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway
This lively new addition to Disneyland’s lineup uses trackless technology to bring a few welcome surprises to the company’s dark ride formula. It also boasts one of the most convincing moments of “Disney magic” in the whole park: A pre-show that invites audiences to step through a movie screen to join Mickey, Minnie, and the rest of their pals for a trip on Goofy’s discombobulated train. Inventive animatronics and gorgeous animation on HD screens guide the out-of-control vehicles as they careen through an amusement park, get caught up in a twister, and even take a dance lesson.
3. Haunted Mansion
What’s more Disneyland than the Haunted Mansion? It’s got gentle scares, incredible atmosphere, and special effects that remain astounding half a century after its Doom Buggies first opened their automatic lap bars to introduce guests to its 999 permanent residents. If you ask me, no trip to Disneyland is complete without a visit to the Haunted Mansion to marvel at Madame Leota’s floating head and pick up a hitchhiking ghost or two.
2. Space Mountain
Space Mountain remains the gold standard for indoor coasters. The theming is fantastic, and the darkened atmosphere enhances the rush of all those swooping twists and turns. Although Disneyland’s Space Mountain was not the first version of the ride (the Magic Kingdom Space Mountain preceded it by two years), it’s still the superior experience, thanks to more comfortable trains, a smoother track, and better use of music (composed by Michael Giacchino) thanks to onboard speakers to enhance the sci-fi vibes. The occasional Hyperspace Mountain Star Wars conversion it undergoes every so often is super fun as well.
1. Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance
You might have to wait an hour or two (or spend an extra $25 bucks to skip the line) but once you’re on Rise of the Resistance you’re treated to an experience that’s less like a traditional ride and more like a full-blown visit to the Star Wars galaxy. You get a hologram message from Rey, a voyage on a transport ship, a thorough rogering by the First Order, and then a trackless dark ride prison break through an incredibly detailed recreation of a Imperial Star Destroyer. For a Star Wars fan it’s a dream come true. But what’s most impressive about the ride is that it’s so good — so immersive, so convincing, and so damn fun — that it’s been known to convert Star Wars (and Disneyland) skeptics into true believers.
