Over the span of 4 months, we at Believe Vacations dedicated our weekly blog posts to sharing the results of which attraction we voted the GREATEST DISNEY ATTRACTION OF ALL TIME. While (spoiler alert!) Pirates of the Caribbean took home the prize, we learned so much about all the attractions and shows. In discussions between our agents, it was comical to see which ones we defended and which we choose to ignore when we visit with our respective families. But there were some noticeable trends and general observations in our results and what better way to tie a bow on the results polls than with a nice recap.
Welcome to Believe Vacation’s weekly blog post where today, we will provide you with 10 Observations From Our Results Poll. In this post, we have taken the results and found some pretty interesting trends that will help you determine which attractions are must-dos, which are have-tos, and which are should-I-dos. So let’s get going with:
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10) Noticeable Omissions – Where is Pandora? What about Stitch’s Great Escape? We must admit that when we had this idea, it was way before Pandora opened in the Animal Kingdom so we did not score those attractions. Attractions that closed over the course of voting, like Stitch’s Great Escape, were thrown out and scores recalculated. We also did not include every show at the parks because there was either little to vote on or not enough of our agents were as familiar with them like the bigger shows and the attractions. So if you have one you are upset we did not include, find one you think it would have an equal score with (like Tomorrowland Speedway) and call it 50B!
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9) Every family has different tastes – As the results were coming in from our agents and then we were discussing them as a group, it occurred to me that everyone has different tastes and likes. Before you go saying “No kidding, Pavlick,” this is only being mentioned because it is a testament to Disney to cater to all audiences and vacation types. Some people want to go-go-go and hit every major attraction in one day. Others want the opportunities to enjoy attractions the whole family will enjoy. Some of us grew up with tremendous memories of the classic attractions and some of us will never know why our friends hold those “out-of-date” attractions in such high regard. Nevertheless, whether you agree or disagree with the list, kudos to Disney for the variety it provides in the Parks.
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8) It’s Tough to be a Bug is Underrated – I was eagerly anticipating which attractions I was discrediting because my colleagues are more “expert” than I when it comes to which are the best. I was very pleased to see that I’m not the only one who thought this show is undervalued. I thought it was just a guilty pleasure but it truly does bring out the best of multi-dimension imagery and live puppetry. And I still maintain that it has the best surprise ending of all Disney attractions. Underrated Honorable Mention goes to Finding Nemo: The Musical which was the highest ranked Animal Kingdom show and has more of a traditional Broadway-style production to it.
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7) Festival of the Lion King is Overrated – This one is really tough to admit because the show is so well produced. I’ve seen grown men moved to tears during this show and yet, it only ranked at #40 overall. Maybe it’s the amount of time it takes out of your packed day at the Animal Kingdom. Maybe it’s the acrobatic Cirque du Soleil overall feel of the show that goes underappreciated by kids. I had high hopes for this production but it wasn’t even the top show at Animal Kingdom. Put 2 and 2 together and next time you are at Animal Kingdom, skip Festival of the Lion King and take in It’s Tough to be a Bug instead. Overrated Honorable Mention goes to Dumbo the Flying Elephant as the newest refurbishment and addition of a second one did not help the score. Speaking of Dumbo…
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6) Spinning attractions are the worst – Not one of the attractions that featured rotational experiences placed in the top 30 with 5 of the 6 placing in the bottom 20. Dumbo was a complete shock at #34 but there was no surprise that our agents did not find favor with Triceratop Spin, Astro Orbiter, Primeval Whirl, Magic Carpets of Aladdin and Mad Tea Party. Disney guests desire complete experiences. These attractions are similar to ones you may ride at your local county fair. The scores reflect it and no amount of refurbishment will increase their popularity.
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5) The Frozen effect – In a very short time, this franchise has splashed onto the scene, not just in our homes and big screens, but in Disney Parks as well. With 2 attractions/shows based on the movie, it is incredible how much we love them. For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration is a low-budget karaoke show but it truly is funny and will have everyone singing the songs. To think we ranked this show (not the attraction) higher than classics Peter Pan, Dumbo, Tiki Room, Country Bear Jamboree and others was unthinkable before we started. We knew Frozen Ever After would have a decent score but #3?! That’s still amazing to think of. For everyone that grew up conquering the Magic Kingdom mountains, overcoming their fears on Tower of Terror and going on your first safari, this has to make you wonder if the hype for the attraction that used to be Maelstrom is warranted. Trust us, it is!
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4) Hollywood Studios rules – And can you believe it is going to get even better? The attractions/shows at Hollywood Studios had the best average score and it really wasn’t even close. When this park opened, it promised that it would be a place where you could be involved into the movies they were based off. That’s what Disney guests have come to love: totally immersive experiences (not just rides) that transport them into the world of their favorite characters and stories. With 3 in the top 10 and 6 in the top 20, it’s tough to argue how great this park is, even with many closures over the past 2 years. But 2017 is now in the past. 2018 will bring Toy Story Land. 2019 will bring Star Wars Land. Hollywood Studios will be king for a long time!
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3) Newer does not equal better – 75% of our top 20 are attractions over 15 years old. That means with all the advancements in technology and character representation, the classic attractions at each park are still the ones we prefer. It’s interesting to note that each park did have one attraction that was less than 15 years old in the top 20 (MK – Enchanted Tales with Belle; Epcot – Frozen Ever After; Hollywood Studios – Toy Story Midway Mania; Animal Kingdom – Expedition Everest) So while the parks do a great job of capitalizing on hit movies or over-the-top themeing, there’s no greater feeling to us than riding the classics our parents took us on and sharing that same experience with our own kids.
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2) Coasters rule the day – 4 of the top 11 and 5 of the top 20 says we love our roller coasters. We love roller coasters in the snowy mountains, in the western frontier, in Hollywood, in space and in a mine (IN A MINE!!) There is just something breath-taking about going up and down peaks and valleys, around tight turns, all at high speeds. And they are not just simple tracks. The themes of each are a wonder of their own. It shows that we do not need characters or stories to have fun. We just need thrills and excitement and something to hold on tight to!
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1) Movies are limiting creativity – You don’t need to have a movie compliment to help the score of an attraction but it doesn’t hurt, that’s for sure. I mean, check out numbers 1-4. Each one had at least one movie that was created because of it or that had a movie that wound up inspiring its attraction. But 10 of the top 20 do not have a movie or inspired a movie. So what does it mean? This may be an unpopular view but it means Imagineers may not have to be as creative as they once were. Some of the newer attractions are simply based off their movie counterpart. Even the newest projects to Disney Parks (Pandora, Toy Story Land, Star Wars Land) are ideas that already have the blueprint in place. I rather think of this as a tribute to the early Imagineers who had to create with an idea in the mind alone. How bold it must have been to create a world of plundering pirates, a haunted house with ghosts that come to life, roller coasters that roam the Western frontier and space and going on a real safari! It makes you wonder if we’ll ever get another truly original Disney-dreamed attraction. And a bigger question, if that were to happen, would we, the guests, shun it for not having characters and movies we enjoy, or embrace it for being original?
Did we miss anything from our reveal? Are you still shocked or did you predict it correctly? Leave your comments in the section below and remember, there’s a great, big, beautiful tomorrow!
