Disney often “clones” rides, creating similar versions at multiple theme parks. Arguments rage over which version is the definitive one, but there’s no real hard data to prove which version is really the best. Which is why we thought it would be fun to take a look at ratings you’ve given the Walt Disney World and Disneyland versions of some of Disney’s most popular rides in our park guides.
Here, we compare the rankings for eight rides at Walt Disney World and Disneyland, and the results may surprise you! If you agree or disagree with the ratings, all you have to do is visit our free park guides to leave your own ratings and reviews.
1. The Haunted Mansion
Winner: Disneyland
The most popular ride at Disney’s original theme park is this ghost-host-guided tour through an eerie estate. The Disneyland version (shown above) is ranked No. 8 on our TPT100 list of the top-rated 100 attractions in the world, and a long-standing rumor about one of the props outside the California ride has put the attraction in the news again recently. Every once in a while, people speculate that the white hearse outside the mansion was used during the funeral of religious leader Brigham Young. But despite the claims of the man who bought it in 1973 from a collector and then sold it to Disneyland, church historians say there’s historical evidence that there wasn’t a hearse present at Young’s funeral, so the prop is just that – a prop.
The Haunted Mansion at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom comes in at No. 12 on the TPT100 list, and it’s also been in the news recently as the park has added another interactive element to the ride. The hitchhiking ghosts near the attraction’s end will hold up signs with your name and home state. And how do they know this info? It’s all thanks to MagicBand technology.
2. Splash Mountain
Winner: Magic Kingdom
This water flume ride is a favorite of yours, and you’re in good company: On his recent trip to Florida to support athletes in the Invictus Games, Prince Harry took a late-night trip to Walt Disney World and decided that he simply had to experience Splash Mountain again. Prince Harry also rode the ride during an early-’90s trip with his mother, Princess Diana, and his brother, Prince William.
The Walt Disney World version (shown here) comes in at No. 10 on the TPT100 list, while Disneyland’s version is at No. 32.
3. Pirates of the Caribbean
Winner: Disneyland
This pirate cruise’s Disneyland version is ranked much higher than the Walt Disney World version (it’s No. 11 at the California park and No. 40 at the Florida one that’s pictured above), but a brand-new incarnation at a soon-to-open Disney park is what’s making a big splash these days. Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle for the Sunken Treasure at Shanghai Disneyland offers a new take on the classic ride, and it’s even housed in the park’s Treasure Cove section – the first land that’s ever been exclusively themed to the “Pirates” movie series. The boats here travel forward and backward, down chutes and through live-action sets and next to Audio-Animatronics and digital projections. If the Shanghai Disneyland version proves to be a success, maybe Disney can add some of its technology to the rides at its other parks.
4. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
Winner: Magic Kingdom
Walt Disney World’s wildest ride in the wilderness checks in at No. 22 on the TPT100 list, while Disneyland’s version (shown above) is at No. 38, and the rip-roaring rollercoaster has yet another claim to fame: The ride’s backstory has been featured in “Disney Kingdoms” comic books, and it was the first attraction to receive that treatment in the series. If you grab the series’ five issues, you can learn how Abigail Bullion, the daughter of Big Thunder Mining Company’s owner, joined forces with some unlikely partners to solve the mystery of what was happening in the mountain in the hopes of saving the business as well as the town. The comics feature amazing artwork and a compelling story that includes tons of small details from the attraction.
5. Toy Story Midway Mania!
Winner: Disney’s Hollywood Studios
Fans seem to prefer the Walt Disney World version of this interactive pie-throwing, balloon-shooting ride over the Disney California Adventure one (WDW’s is No. 27, while DCA’s is No. 58), and the Florida ride is always busy (in reality, though, the differences here are largely cosmetic). A third track is set to open at the Disney’s Hollywood Studios attraction (shown above) around Memorial Day, and that should help move more people through the line (and make it possible for them to ride the attraction without securing a FastPass months in advance). And when the park’s new land eventually opens, Toy Story fans will have even more to celebrate. They’ll be “shrunk down” to the size of a toy and get to ride a Slinky Dog Dash coaster and an Alien Swirling Saucers attraction.
6. Space Mountain
Winner: Disneyland
While most of the versions of the attractions on this list are pretty similar, there are several striking differences between the Space Mountains at Disneyland and Walt Disney World. First, the Magic Kingdom’s version has two loading areas and two tracks, while Disneyland’s has one loading area and one track. You’ll also sit differently on the two rides. Disneyland’s ride vehicles have three rows, each with two side-by-side seats, and Walt Disney World’s vehicles have three seats in a single-file row. The ride experiences themselves are very different as well. The Disneyland ride adds futuristic music and the track is so dark it’s impossible to see what’s coming next. Many people think the Disneyland version offers a smoother, more exhilarating ride too, and that may be why the Disneyland ride is ranked No. 28 while the Walt Disney World ride is No. 35 on our list.
7. Star Tours: The Adventures Continue
Winner: Disney’s Hollywood Studios
This attraction is hovering right around the middle of the TPT100 list (the Walt Disney World ride shown here is at No. 47, and the Disneyland one is at No. 60), but its popularity could be on the rise once Star Wars Land opens at each park. Construction has begun on the new lands, and the parks have been gradually adding more “Star Wars” tie-ins, like a new “Star Wars” Season of the Force annual event at Tomorrowland in California and a “Star Wars” fireworks spectacular in Florida (and you can even order a Darth Tamale for breakfast at the Galactic Grill in Florida as well). Star Tours has been recently updated with scenes from Episode VII: The Force Awakens, and that trend is likely to continue as even more movies are released.
8. Soarin’
Winner: Epcot
The majestic sights, sounds and scents of the Soarin’ rides at Disney California Adventure and Walt Disney World have been updated, and the new versions are scheduled to open in June. You’ll be whisked through six continents and fly over landmarks like the Great Wall in China and the Matterhorn in Switzerland, thanks to helicopters that were outfitted with special camera rigs. The development of the new cameras, along with the show’s filming and editing, took three years, but the results will likely be worth the wait. The present Epcot version pictured above is currently No. 54 on our list and the DCA version is No. 78, but the new shows will probably send the ride (well, soarin’) in the rankings.
OK…so this isn’t the most scientific of comparisons (and, really, one version of Soarin’ or Toy Story Midway Mania is pretty much the same as another). But it is a relief to see that magnificent Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland is consistently ranked higher than the curtailed version at the Magic Kingdom, for example. As usual, TPT’s readers show impeccable taste.
Some of the other rides on our list only showed up for one park. For example, Peter Pan’s Flight at Disneyland came in at No. 74, while Walt Disney World’s version didn’t crack the top 100. If you want to check out all of the top 100 rides, click here, and don’t forget to vote for your favorites, no matter what park they may be in!
