If you’ve ever stepped foot in a Disney theme park, you’re likely familiar with the iconic tableau awaiting you at the end of Main Street, U.S.A. (or, for those in Shanghai Disneyland, Mickey Avenue). The pastel spires of a princess castle provide the perfect backdrop for the wagon-wheel design of the Hub, which both anchors the park and provides a common portal into each of its themed lands. It’s a theme park layout uniquely Disney’s, tethering its various parts to a single, instantly-recognizable landmark of fairy tale whimsy.
Thanks to Disney’s ability to blend nostalgia and innovation, each park feels both familiar and new, as if you’ve been there a thousand times before, but still might discover something you weren’t quite expecting. How did Imagineers arrive at that magic combination? They found a way to duplicate the five “fan-favorite” attractions that keep guests coming back again and again.
1. Sleeping Beauty Castle
Image: HarshLight, Flickr (license)
The original: It’s obvious but true — every Disney park needs a Disney castle. Disneyland’s original Sleeping Beauty Castle was initially conceived as a promotional tool back in 1955, four full years before Sleeping Beauty premiered in cinemas in 1959. Walt wanted the castle to inspire audiences to see the film, and while Aurora’s story never received the acclaim or popularity of some of the studio’s greater hits, her castle became a defining feature of the first Disney theme park.
The variations: Hong Kong Disneyland and Disneyland Paris each sport their own version of the Sleeping Beauty Castle, with Disneyland Paris taking the most creative liberties with the design of the castle. Over in Orlando, the Magic Kingdom boasts the elephantine Cinderella Castle, which was replicated by Tokyo Disneyland in 1983. At 183 feet, Walt Disney World’s spectacular centerpiece used to be the tallest Disney castle in the world, but it was dwarfed by Shanghai Disneyland’s Storybook Castle in 2016 — an eye-popping 197-foot structure designed to pay homage to every (official) Disney princess.
2. King Arthur Carrousel
Image: HarshLight, Flickr (license)
The original: Walt originally dreamed up Disneyland while watching his daughters spin around the Griffith Park Merry-Go-Round, so is it any wonder that you can find a big, beautiful carousel in each of his theme parks? Despite its misleading name and prominent placement near a replica of The Sword in the Stone’s famous sheathed sword, Disneyland’s King Arthur Carrousel features colorful motifs from Sleeping Beauty and serves as the main focal point for Fantasyland itself.
The variations: While King Arthur’s Carrousel commits a minor theming faux pas, his true rival’s carousel can be found in Disneyland Paris, where it goes by the name Le Carrousel de Lancelot and showcases detailed scenes from the Knights of the Round Table. Over in Florida, however, the Magic Kingdom’s Cinderella-themed Prince Charming Regal Carrousel became the blueprint for many other Disney parks. Originally called Cinderella’s Golden Carrousel, the Prince Charming Regal Carrousel comes with a, well, charming backstory in which Prince Charming commissioned a “training device” to practice his horsemanship and ring-spearing techniques. In Hong Kong Disneyland, the attraction still goes by “Cinderella Carrousel,” while Tokyo Disneyland’s version is simply called the Castle Carrousel. Perhaps the most inventive take on Disney’s love for merry-go-rounds is the one found in Shanghai Disneyland’s Gardens of Imagination, where riders can sit astride a flock (herd?) of colorful winged horses on the Fantasia Carousel.
While you may not find any painted green benches around the carousels at the Disney Parks, it’s not hard to look at them and picture Walt dreaming up his own fantasy land.
3. Dumbo the Flying Elephant
Image: Jeremy Thompson, Flickr (license)
The original: Dumbo the Flying Elephant first landed in Disneyland in October 1955. Its enthusiastic reception, particularly among the park’s smaller guests, has made it a must-have in every Disney park since, and it also happens to be one of the parks’ most unchanged attractions — a true classic. Fun fact: The concept for these ride vehicles originally featured the pink elephants of Dumbo’s nightmares… which, had Walt not protested the unusual theming, might have given the attraction a slightly different feel altogether.
The variations: Dumbo flitted off to the Magic Kingdom in 1971, where it underwent a stunning renovation when the park debuted New Fantasyland in 2012. From there, it became a staple for every single Disney park to date, right up until it was added to Shanghai Disneyland’s Gardens of Imagination several years ago. Slight cosmetic changes vary the ride from park to park, but it remains as recognizable and lovable as it first did 63 years ago.
4. Mad Tea Party
Image: Loren Javier, Flickr (license)
The original: While the relatively tame Dumbo the Flying Elephant is a staple of the Disney Parks, so too is one of Fantasyland’s more thrilling attractions. The Mad Tea Party premiered in Disneyland on Opening Day in 1955, and its ability to both delight and nauseate its guests has kept it in Disney’s wheelhouse over the years.
The variations: This Alice in Wonderland tea-party-turned-thrill-ride can be found, with limited variations to the teacup ride vehicles and surrounding decor, in the Magic Kingdom, Hong Kong Disneyland, Disneyland Paris and Tokyo Disneyland. Shanghai Disneyland is the lone holdout, where guests are instead treated to a Winnie-the-Pooh spinning ride called Hunny Pot Spin, and, as the name suggests, control oversized jars of honey that twirl along brightly-colored turntables.
5. Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
Image: HarshLight, Flickr (license)
The original: Of the five attractions found in every Disney park, Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin is the only one that didn’t come straight from Disneyland. It first premiered in the Magic Kingdom in 1998, a full seven years before it would be brought to Walt’s original park — or anywhere else, for that matter.
What makes this ride so unique? It was the first attraction to combine elements of both a dark ride and a shooting gallery (with a little of the manic swivel control of a spinning tea cup), allowing riders to compete against each other to rack up points as they took down the Evil Emperor Zurg.
The variations: From 2004 to 2006, every remaining Disney park received their own iteration of the ride, with fairly minor changes from attraction to attraction. Disneyland’s Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters enabled its riders to remove their laser guns from the ride vehicle mounts, thereby increasing their ability to boost their scores, and fully enveloped its riders in a world where Buzz Lightyear was a powerful Space Ranger and not a toy at all. Hong Kong Disneyland, on the other hand, shuttered its Toy Story shooter game in August 2017 as it prepared for a massive Ant-Man overlay in 2019, while Shanghai Disneyland’s Buzz Lightyear Planet Rescue remains the most advanced of its sister parks, seamlessly integrating screens and animatronics to immerse its riders in a unique space adventure.
Just as every state fair needs its Ferris wheel and every amusement park its roller coaster, every Disney park is best remembered for its five mainstays: the iconic castle, the inspirational (and grounded) carousel, the kid-friendly aerial carousel, the whimsical thrill ride and the modern-age dark ride. What other staples, if any, would you add to the list?
