Disney theme parks combine beloved attractions from yesteryear with cutting-edge rides. At the turn of the 20th century, the Disney Decade had petered out, leaving management with tough decisions caused by a financial crunch. Despite the challenges, Disney’s North American parks added a dozen rides, most of which have stood the test of time. Here are the best Disney rides of the 2000s (2000-2009).
9. Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
The first decade of the new millennium saw Imagineers spread thin. Disney constructed a new theme park at Disney Resort, but audiences largely rejected Disney California Adventure.
With so many employees working on this project and the opening of Hong Kong Disneyland, Michael Eisner didn’t do a great job in managing the output. Somehow, Imagineers overcame this impediment and still managed to craft several memorable attractions.
A prime example is Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, a stellar dark ride that’s still justifiably viewed as inferior. Pooh’s Hunny Hunt tells a similar story much more effectively thanks to its daring use of trackless ride technology. Still, any visit to Hundred Acre Word will soothe the soul. On this attraction, the pages come to life as you meet all of Winnie the Pooh’s friend. It’s a gentle hug of a ride.
8. Sun Wheel/Mickey’s Fun Wheel/Pixar Pal-A-Round
No other attraction listed here as received as many cosmetic changes as the current Pixar Pal-A-Round. When it started in 2001, the eccentric wheel that’s not quite a Ferris wheel mirrored Disney California Adventure’s theme. Once that idea failed, Mickey Mouse became the star before the Pal-A-Round attained its (hopefully) final form.
Still, the song has remained the same. It’s a giant wheel that spins guests high enough that they can view all the landmarks on the Disneyland Resort campus. While this ride isn’t for people with a fear of heights, the enhanced Ferris wheel style will delight anyone who likes gondola spins.
7. Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin
The variations of this attraction populate most Disney theme parks around the world. Disney builds them since they’re so simple to duplicate. All versions of Buzz Lightyear, even the Marvel-themed one at Hong Kong Disneyland, employ the same style.
You’re playing a laser tag kind of game wherein you point your laser gun at targets and fire. Technically, you’re acquiring batteries to prevent Emperor Zurg from achieving his (latest) evil plan. But what you’re really doing is trying to humiliate the person sharing the ride cart with you. The attraction keeps score of your success rate, and that gamified element explains why Buzz Lightyear rides maintain popularity to this day.
6. The Seas with Nemo & Friends
Disney occasionally re-themes attractions and repurposes ride spaces. Generally, the changes are minor, as witnessed by Pixar Pal-A-Round and a roller coaster we’ll discuss momentarily.
The Living Seas pavilion at Epcot went a different way. Imagineers threw out the Hydrolators and other staples of the previous space. Then, Disney went all-in on theming with an entirely new pavilion name/identity, The Seas with Nemo & Friends.
The attraction anchors the area, and it’s undoubtedly a classic. On this ride, guests re-enter the world of Finding Nemo. It’s somewhat of a sequel to the first movie, as the overly excitable Nemo has one again gotten lost.
You’ll watch Dory and Marlin try to track down the wandering child. However, the real adventure happens when you surf down the East Australian Current, one of the trippiest ride experiences at any Disney theme park. This attraction embodies the benefits of re-theming…but it’s not even the best one on the list!
5. Mission: SPACE
NASA’s favorite theme park attraction isn’t necessarily the people’s choice. Mission: SPACE got off to a terrible start when its violent G-force simulations caused frequent nausea among theme park tourists. People have even died on this ride!
Thankfully, Disney accepted the error of its ways and dialed down the Mission: SPACE simulation. Now, before you enter your space capsule, you choose between the full experience and a calmer one that lacks the violence.
4. California Screamin’/The Incredicoaster
Sometimes, Disney rides kick ass. Imagineers are overly sensitive to the criticism that their rides are for children. So, when the company allows them to flex their creative muscle, the cast members go nuts on thrill rides. Two out of the next entries fall into this category, and an argument could be made that Mission: SPACE should, too. In other words, Disney was a bit agro at the turn of the century.
California Screamin’ launched Disney California Adventure, as the opening day attraction demonstrated that Disney wouldn’t sit out the great coaster wars. The company selected linear induction as a propulsion method at the start of the ride, kicking the coaster into high gear right from the start. From day one, it was a marvelous thrill ride.
However, the conversion of Disney California Adventure into a Pixar/Marvel park meant changes. Disney re-themed California Screamin’ as the Incredicoaster. It’s the same ride, only now the superheroes from the Parr family appear throughout the attraction.
The Incredibles are chasing after overpowered superbaby, Jack-Jack, and the attempt to track him down leads to some fantastic visuals. Disney has filled the coaster tunnels with superhero action sequences. It’s soooo entertaining to try to take everything in as you zoom through at 55 miles per hour.
3. Toy Story Mania!
Long before there was a Toy Story Land anywhere on the planet, Disney unveiled its second Toy Story-themed attraction. This one fits the description of “ultimate carnival game” in that it honors a Disney attraction from yesteryear.
During the earliest days at Disneyland, Davy Crockett was the Tony Stark of the 1950s. Kids couldn’t get enough of the Tennessee sharpshooter, and so Disney introduced arcade shooting games to entertain them…while making a lot, of course.
Toy Story Mania! modernizes the concept, as it’s a video game-style attraction with similar challenges. You have a shooting device now that requires you to pull on it to fire. It’s kid-friendly and a lot of fun to do.
Your ride cart carries you through several challenges like ring toss or balloon popping, all of which test your aim. It, too, gamifies the ride experience. While Buzz Lightyear does a lot right, Toy Story Mania! clearly holds the title of the best competitive theme park attraction.
2. Expedition Everest
Only Disney executives possess the self-confidence to construct a man-made mountain. They were the first to do it, and they’ve done it the most. So, when Imagineers learn that their bosses expect them to do it again, these cast members are primarily in competition with themselves.
I say all of this because the construction of Expedition Everest meant that Imagineers had to find a way to one-up previous employees. They had to build a mountain taller than anything that had ever come before. The project proved successful, as the Forbidden Mountain stands 199.5 feet high.
However, Disney may have obsessed on the mountain too much. Somebody messed up the calculations on the Yeti that inhabits the cave. He weighs exponentially more than he should, which has caused cracks in the foundation of this structure.
Due to this mistake, the Yeti has been stuck in B-mode for many years now. If not for this one small quibble, Expedition Everest would claim the title of the best ride of the decade. Everything else about the roller coaster is flawless, and I mean that sincerely. But this one imperfection tips the scale toward…
1. Soarin’
For all of the many things that Disney California Adventure got wrong, it got two things very right. We’ve already discussed the roller coaster that has delighted guests for nearly 20 years. And there’s also the *one* California-themed attraction that has worked since opening day.
Soarin’ Over California technically doesn’t exist any longer. Disney’s moved on to Soarin’ Around the World, but the core of the attraction has stood the test of time.
A structure based on a children’s toy, Mr. Erector, elevates guests so that they have a direct line-of-sight with a massive IMAX screen. Then, a clever bit of filmmaking allows the rider to experience the sensation of flight. Whether you fly over the Golden Gate Bridge in the California version or the Taj Mahal in the worldly Soarin’, your feeling of freedom will immerse you throughout the entire ride.
While Imagineers constructed nine rides that virtually everyone would describe as high-quality, four of them are genuinely among the best in Disney history. And out of all of them, Soarin’ is the true masterpiece that, well, soars over the rest.
