When’s the last time that you stopped and smelled the roses at a Disney theme park? How often do you empty your head of all thoughts and simply savor the beauty of your surroundings? Instagram statistics show that you love taking pictures at Disney theme parks. On some level, you must understand how gorgeous everything is. So, here’s a thought experiment for you. Which places are the prettiest? Here are my choices for the 11 most beautiful Disney attractions.
1. Alien Swirling Saucers
Image: DisneyReducing an attraction to its physical appearance is a bit odd. People generally evaluate them on the sum-total of the experience. This is an exercise in shallowness, and some surprising options emerge. For instance, Alien Swirling Saucers looks like a standard carnival ride during the day. At night, it transforms into the kind of setting that usually involves glow sticks, thumping bass, and scantily clad dancers. Yes, the most childish ride at Disney’s Hollywood Studios would feel right at home at Burning Man.
2. Astro Orbiter
The Astro Orbiter is a rainbow palette representation of a solar system, with giant orbs that illuminate the night sky. And the Star Jets are as visually interesting as any ride carts at Walt Disney World. I should note that I favor the appearance at Magic Kingdom to that of Disneyland, which Disney diminished with its 2009 regrettable refurbishment. To me, it kind of looks like a Be Our Guest candle now. Speaking of which…
3. Enchanted Tales with Belle
Don’t laugh. Instead, think about the sets throughout the Enchanted Tales with Belle attraction. You’ll start to appreciate how much beauty Disney has packed into each locale. The accessories in each room reflect the fact that you’re visiting a castle. Elegance and refinement is everywhere. Even Maurice’s Cozy Cottage is impeccably detailed and inviting. The library is fittingly the standout spot, though. It’s the reason why Enchanted Tales earns placement on this list.
4. Frozen Ever After
Image: DisneyIncredibly detailed, lifelike Audio-Animatronics (AAs) highlight this marvelous recreation of Arendelle. You’ll believe that you’ve entered the starry realm of Elsa and Anna. While I love the scenes of Kristoff strumming his musical instrument and his reindeer getting his tongue stuck, let’s be honest here. The reason why Frozen Ever After is worthy of this list is its signature scene, the Let It Go centerpiece. It’s in the conversation for most beautiful spot at Walt Disney World, although we all tend to take it for granted. We’re too busy being swept away by Elsa’s singing.
5. Kilimanjaro Safaris
Image: DisneyWhat’s more beautiful than nature? On a different note, the entire internet is built on adorable animal pictures and videos. At Kilimanjaro Safaris, Disney combines both motifs in a visually stimulating journey across multiple animal habitats. You never quite know what you’ll see since these aren’t AAs but instead real creatures in their real environments. There’s no way to control their behavior, which means that some safaris are more memorable than others. I still laugh at the instance when I watched a group of zebras chase a much larger beast for several hundred yards. It seemed like the kind of moment that Walt Disney dreamt about when he plotted Jungle Cruise with real animals.
6. Na’vi River Journey
Image: DisneyYou might have expected Avatar Flight of Passage instead. My thinking here is that the artificial nature of augmented reality is less attractive that ride elements that exist in the real world. On Na’Vi River Journey, Imagineers have constructed a plausible recreation of the fictional world of Pandora. They’ve literally turned fantasy into reality, and it’s a stunning realm full of bioluminescent vegetation that shines through the darkness.
7. Peter Pan’s Flight
Image: DisneyThe color scheme at Peter Pan’s Flight is one of the greatest accomplishments in Disney’s glorious theme park history. Simply by flexing their artistic muscle, Imagineers crafted a version of the London skyline that somehow surpasses the real one. And Neverland is a place of wonderment and vast beauty. In a way, Peter Pan’s Flight is the original version of the concept recently perfected by Na’vi River Journey. Both rides employ color and elaborate sets as a kind of background plussing for the attractions. And each one is swipe-right gorgeous.
8. Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
The Seven Dwarfs are among the greatest AAs ever designed, and the explanation for their exacting detail comes from the planning phase. For the first time ever, Disney used 3-D modeling to construct the dwarfs in a more precise manner. Then, they added digital projections, the kind that you’ll see during the Happily Ever After fireworks display, to perfect their realism. The output of this attention to detail is readily apparent. What blows my mind about Seven Dwarfs Mine Train is that the dwarfs are only part of the beauty. The gems that they’ve farmed are spectacular to behold. They’re multifaceted and eye-grabbing, giving this attraction twin stimuli, both of which are worthy of recognition.
9. Soarin’
Image: DisneyThe IMAX screen improves a viewing experience so much that movie consumers pay massive upcharges to watch their favorite titles the best possible way. Soarin’ is Disney’s answer to the phenomenon, as the ride lifts guests into the air and takes them on a journey around the world. Along the way, you’ll see unforgettable landmarks like the Sydney Opera House and Eiffel Tower. You’ll feel like a tourist of the world, not just theme parks, as you fly through the clouds. This rare bird’s eye view of world-famous locations is a dazzling display that Disney imports beauty just as effectively as they create it.
10. Spaceship Earth
You know how you can think someone is attractive inside or out, but you know that you have a winner when you find them attractive both ways? Spaceship Earth is like that as an attraction. From the exterior, it’s an architectural marvel, thousands of triangular panels tethered together by alucobond. It took 26 months to build and has triggered millions of photographs over the years due to its unique structure. Inside, it’s a celebration of the evolution of mankind, starting with a wooly mammoth hunt projected on an entire wall. The attraction reaches its crescendo as you reach the top of the ball, where you see a planetarium-esque ceiling projection of the planet from beyond the Earth’s atmosphere. Spaceship Earth is a spectacle within and without.
11. Test Track
In a perfect world, I’d include the Tree of Life here, but this artificial construct isn’t an attraction per se. Test Track is my fallback option, one I accept may be controversial. The appeal of it is the Tron-like décor spread out across several different set pieces. The novel illumination would seem right at home in Tomorrowland, as it feels futuristic in style. There’s something disorienting about Test Track’s interior, and I mean that in a good way. It seems to have its own internal time-space continuum due to this dizzy kind of whizbang stop-and-go ride design. In its own way, Test Track is ephemeral and otherworldly. Perhaps that’s why the ride vehicle’s explosion into the harsh light of day is so unforgettable.
