We made it! After a few months of weekly posts and this week’s daily countdown, we are now ready to sharethe results that will reveal what our agents voted to be THE GREATEST DISNEY ATTRACTION OF ALL TIME.
Time to reveal our Top 10:
10. Rock N Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith
Photo Courtesy of Disney Parks
The top 10 is off to a rockin’ start! From the moment Steven Tyler and the boys of Aerosmith show up in the recording studios, this attraction screams non-Disney! What I mean is you will not have cute characters, no soft songs, no slow moving “hey kids look at that” moments. You get pedal-down, full-speed-ahead, twistin-and-turnin’ all throughout Hollywood. What better could you ask for then to include the soundtrack of some of the best songs in the Aerosmith catalog blaring in the speakers as you scream around town. Truly a Sweet Emotion indeed!
9. Big Thunder Mountain
Photo Courtesy of Disney Parks
“The Wildest Ride in the Wilderness” finds its rightful place in the Top 10 and there really is no argument! With it’s mountainous peaks scaling over the top of the back corner of Frontierland, the runaway mine train of the west is a fast-paced coaster suitable for most ages. While the queue area keeps you occupied with setting off explosions and cannons, the real adventure starts with those infamous words from the old prospector. Combining 3 climbs up the mountain with crazy twists and turns, you’ll be thankful the ride is over but sad at the same time. A Disney Classic for sure and one that will never be missed by most families!
8. Splash Mountain
Photo Courtesy of Disney Parks
And in the other corner of Frontierland stands the 5-story drop into the Briar Patch. Splash Mountain historically has been known for the crazy on-ride photos that are snapped right before you plummet but the story told is really fun. Following Brer Rabbit as he tries to escape Brer Bear and Brer Fox, you put yourself in his shoes as you run out of options to elude capture. The only way to do so? You guessed it – fall over the falls! And once safely on the ground, your damp self is greeted by happy animals singing that classic “Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah.” It’s a celebration Disney style – with a fun song and funny characters.
7. Expedition Everest
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Beware the Yeti! Towering over the Asia section of the Animal Kingdom there is the incredible model of Mt. Everest. Inside Everest is where a dangerous Yeti lives. It is part of our excursion to find him. As we wind through the expedition offices, we realize immediately why the theming of this attraction is often heralded as the best Disney has to offer. Once our train that carries us up the mountain arrives, there is no turning back. From there, some of the most iconic scenes in any Disney attraction happen within 3 minutes. The backwards train drag into the cave, the first and final Yeti encounters, the initial drop; it all makes for a definite Top 10 experience!
From Agent Kyle Holland: “Expedition Everest is one of my favorite roller coaster rides in all of Disney. Not only is it a very smooth riding “coaster”, but in typical Disney fashion it does an excellent job of telling a story throughout the ride, something that is not always easy to do in a roller coaster. Everything from the queue to getting to the loading platform, to the (spoiler alert!) Yeti attack during the ride makes it an exciting adventure for all ages. I recently had the opportunity to ride Everest at night, which added a whole new element to the fun. The Rivers of Light show is visible from the ride at night, and even during the day it provides a great overlook of the entire Animal Kingdom, which is something that few (if any) other rides in WDW are able to offer.”
6. Test Track
Photo Courtesy of Disney Parks
While not chump change, you probably were not expecting Test Track to show up in the Top 10, let alone at number 6. It’s not as transcending as the Magic Kingdom mountains and has only steadily evolved at the “educational” park. But man does it contain an overall package that makes it tough to top. While small kids can not ride, big kids will enjoy the pre-show area where you design your own car to be tested during the road course portion of the attraction. So in a sense, this attraction has now become a competition amongst your family which always scores high points with us. When the road course tests complete, it’s time for the fastest moment in Disney Parks. Topping out at 60+MPH, you are zooming around Epcot at incredible speeds. Takes a lot of courage to pass this test!
From Agent Becky Willis: ” It’s so fun getting to design your own race car!!”
5. The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
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Now that we’ve made it to the Top 5, these attractions have so little flaws, if any, to make it this high. Take our #5 attraction. The Twilight Zone has not been relevant in decades. But a little Disney magic and all of a sudden we have a theme. Attractions that go up and down without a true track are not the greatest in the world, but again, a little Disney magic and we have the ultimate thrill. A hotel lobby setting is not as cool as space, a haunted house or a mountain but….you guessed it, Disney magic. While it is understandable that little kids can not ride, it is the only reason it places behind the remaining four.
4. Toy Story Midway Mania!
Photo Courtesy of Disney Parks
The final four meet the criteria that we believe Walt himself had in mind for all his attractions – fun for all ages. Thus, one of the deciding factors that separated the remaining 4 is that any age kid could ride the attraction. And we start the final 4 with a tremendous addition to the Toy Story franchise. When Midway Mania opened, it gave Hollywood Studios yet another big-name attraction to go along with Tower of Terror and Rock N Roller Coaster. While Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin was already plenty of years into operation, Midway Mania took that formula and went one step further. Actually, a few steps further. 2d became 3D; lasers became balloons/pies/etc.; multiple rooms became multiple games. Simple upgrades like that to the same movie franchise is the difference between # 21 and #4!
3. Frozen Ever After
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22 years after the release of The Little Mermaid, Journey of the Little Mermaid debuted. 3 years after the release of Toy Story, Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin debuted. Less than 2 years after Finding Nemo, Turtle Talk with Crush debuted. So would you be surprised it only took 18 months to get a Frozen attraction? Yes, Disney could’ve gone all out and waited a few years to create a brand new attraction space in the Magic Kingdom. But a tough and controversial decision was made to close Maelstrom in the Norway section of Epcot. Purist questioned the move: Was this a desperate attempt to capitalize? Isn’t Maelstrom a little small? Norway, really? All it took was 18 months for a movie to debut and have the #3 attraction in Disney Parks. Whimsical, full of those songs and characters that made this franchise explode, and featuring some of the most advanced animatronics to date, hard to argue this attraction in this spot and to be honest, it may be underrated.
From Owner Mary-Morning Radcliffe: I was a huge fan of Maelstrom, so I was sad when I heard that Disney was going to get rid of this attraction. However, it turns out that the transformation into Frozen Ever After was a change for the better. This is an attraction that I can ride over and over again. As you enter the queue, you are transported to the Kingdom of Arendale which is very well crafted. Once on the ride, you are greeted by all of your favorite Frozen characters. The advanced technology used for the animatronics is stunning, by the way. The shining moment on this attraction, for me, is when you enter Elsa’s ice palace. You are welcomed with the ever-popular “Let It Go” when, all of a sudden, Elsa sends your boat racing backwards into the snow with the snow monster. This part gives me chills every time and leaves me wanting more!
2. The Haunted Mansion
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If you take a snapshot of the entire Disney attraction list, you would immediately see that the majority of the attractions are built around happily ever afters, falling in love, the good guy winning, and overall having a great time with a smile on one’s face. So how on Earth did a spooky house dark ride get to number 2? They say it’s for all ages but my child cried for a few hours after the first time she rode. There is not too bad of a wait on good days but the interactive queue makes up for it. There has been no major updates recently but the effects are still out-of-this-world. There are no famous characters but there are 999 happy haunts. There’s a catchy song, fun vehicles named “doom buggies” and a stretching room. For well over 40 years, it has not had to change. It has not had to break the formula that brought it into pop culture. The Haunted Mansion has everything to make it the GREATEST DISNEY ATTRACTION OF ALL TIME…
1. Pirates of the Caribbean
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…except while The Haunted Mansion was the basis for 1 movie, Pirates of the Caribbean launched a multi-billion dollar movie franchise and that is the item that separates the top 2! Google Pirates of the Caribbean right now and you’ll see the top searches are for the movie franchise and not the attraction. But without the classic attraction, there would be no multi-billion dollar franchise. What was there not to like to make a movie series out of? Pirates are cool and all kids love them. Yo-Ho is one of the greatest Disney songs of all time. Kids of all ages could ride, there is rarely a long wait time and the queue area is as detailed as any in Disney Parks. Since the emergence of the movie franchise, we now have some of the coolest technology features and the inclusion of Jack Sparrow makes for one of the most advanced animatronics in history. Now that the case has been built for number 1, it’s hard to argue we found the best! Drink up, me hearties, Yo Ho!
Conclusion:
The Top 10 shows that you can create multi-sensory experiences and capitalize on recent hits at the box office but there will never be any denying that the classics of the Magic Kingdom will always be the best. Maybe another generation needs to go by and these will go the way of the educational shows still in operation at the Magic Kingdom. But for now, YO HO for it’s a pirate’s life for me!
Would you have guessed Pirates of the Caribbean to be THE GREATEST DISNEY ATTRACTION OF ALL TIME? Leave your comments in the section below and remember, there’s a great, big, beautiful tomorrow!
