Innovation is a critical part of Imagineering. Since the earliest days of Walt Disney, Incorporation, the group that would form the basis of WED Enterprises had one mission. They wanted to tell stories in historically unprecedented fashion. They discovered new technologies to aid in their endeavor. Some of these inventions fundamentally changed the course of theme park tourism. Here’s a list of the most innovative rides in theme park history.
Peter Pan’s Flight
Image: DisneyPerhaps the most impressive feat achieved by Walt Disney and his team is that several of the opening day attractions at Disneyland are still in operation. Rightfully, three of them could be included on this list, but I wanted this list to focus on the evolution of attractions more than opening day. So, Mad Tea Party was the last elimination from this list.
What was so innovative about Peter Pan’s Flight? It was the first attraction to mimic the sensation of flight. It also earned its way into the discussion as the best dark ride during the early days of Disneyland.
The only other attractions in the conversation and Snow White’s Scary Adventures, which doesn’t have quite the same cachet, and Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, which isn’t as inventive. A motorcar isn’t as difficult as a railed ride through the London skies, and that’s exactly what Disney achieved with Peter Pan’s Flight.
Jungle Cruise
Image: DisneyNo, there’s nothing technically dazzling about the earliest iteration of Jungle Cruise. It’s a simulated boat ride that park officials originally tended to work as a functional travelogue, a realistic depiction of an exciting cruise a la The African Queen.
The reason why Jungle Cruise is listed here is because it was the first attraction that was truly plussed. Over time, Skippers started to turn on the official script, cracking wise about the artificial environment. This move entertained the guests more than the ride itself, and Disney evolved Jungle Cruise into a celebration of bad puns. The humor during this ride elevates it to something different and better. It improves the theming, and it’s innovative for this reason.
Technically, I could also list Jungle Cruise for a different reason. Walt Disney wanted to use real animals on the ride. While Imagineers talked him out of what seemed like an impossible idea, this innovative concept later became the underlying premise for an entire theme park, Disney’s Animal Kingdom. It exists at least in part due to the blue sky phase of Jungle Cruise.
Matterhorn Bobsleds
Image: DisneyAmerican Coaster Enthusiasts is an organization that celebrates exactly what you’d expect given the name: roller coasters. Over the years, they’ve rewarded a few fortunate rides with Coaster Landmark Awards. The lucky recipients are the coasters that have displayed technical wizardry and innovation.
Matterhorn Bobsleds earned its recognition for a simple reason. It’s the attraction that triggered the roller coaster obsession in our society. Almost 60 years ago, the Happiest Place on Earth unveiled its latest, greatest ride. It was a man-made mountain with a pair of twin coaster tracks.
On these tracks, parallel coaster carts would race to the bottom. It was the first tubular steel continuous track roller coaster ever built, at least as far as anyway knows. Simply stated, Matterhorn Bobsleds was the first true steel roller coaster, at least in the form we know today. It was a hallmark moment in theme park design, although a different Disney roller coaster would eventually surpass it.
Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress
Image: DisneySome of you reading this are likely confused right now. Diehard Disney aficionados, on the other hand, are nodding their heads knowingly. Carousel of Progress is one of those attractions that seems dated and cheesy to some. To those of us who live and breathe Disney, however, it’s a critical component in our love of the parks.
In the lead-up to the 1964 New York World’s Fair, Imagineers faced one staggering problem. They needed to control crowd throughput in an unknown environment. They needed to guarantee that they could satisfy a set number of customers at a set rate each hour/day. To achieve this seemingly impossible task, they had to invent something new.
Image: DisneyThat creation was a “carousel theater.” It’s a theater that quietly moves guests through four different quadrants at regular intervals. The open secret at Carousel of Progress is that the stage is stationary. It’s the fans who move. The stadium’s elegant design enables it to rotate at the end of each era during the show. Just as the name would indicate, it’s a carousel, albeit a slow one that only operates a few times during 15-minute show.
Carousel of Progress is also a masterful crowd control solution that has become the basis for many theme park attractions around the world. None of them employs a carousel per se, but the idea of continued throughput at regular intervals is one that you’ll see at any theme park. And Walt Disney himself invented it.
The Enchanted Tiki Room
Image: DisneyTechnically, three different attractions at the 1964 New York World’s Fair employed audio-animatronics (AAs) in some way. The Enchanted Tiki Room and Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln joined Carousel of Progress in utilizing these lifelike machines. While neither one is technically a ride, I wanted to include The Enchanted Tiki Room anyway since its use of AAs is crucial to modern theme park attractions.
Whereas Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln is a single, wonderful AA, The Enchanted Tiki Room features an entire room filled with talking birds, each of which has its own unique movements and personality. For its era, the early 1960s, it was the most impressive technological feat anyone had ever seen up until that point. Robotic birds seemed like the future, and this charming show displayed them in all their mechanical wonder.
Space Mountain
Image: DisneyThe premise of the steel roller coaster wasn’t new when Space Mountain debuted. The underlying automation that runs Space Mountain, however, was so new that Disney had to wait a decade to use it.
Yes, the most famous roller coaster in the world was actually a concept that Uncle Walt worked on during his final days. Since he passed on in 1966 and Space Mountain wouldn’t arrive until 1975, you can do the math to see precisely how long this attraction was in development.
The sticking point was the computerized timing. The sensors needed to identify the location of each coaster cart on the track required powerful computations, at least by 1960s standards. Imagineers had to wait for Moore’s Law to catch up to the point that the processing power that they needed was even possible. The technological requirements for Space Mountain were literally years ahead of their time.
Avatar Flight of Passage
Image: DisneyInnovation grows harder with each passing year. During the 21st century, many attractions have shown elements of creativity, but they aren’t on a par with the ones discussed here…with one glaring exception.
In 2017, Pandora – The World of Avatar opened to the public for the first time. Its E Ticket attraction was so original and unique that it immediately earned a place on the list of most innovative theme park rides ever.
In a way, Avatar Flight of Passage is a kindred spirit to Soarin’, another attraction that was strongly considered for this list. Both simulate the sensation of flight in a manner that pays tribute to Peter Pan’s Flight from so long ago. The difference is that Soarin’, while amazing and a true joy to ride, isn’t quite as immersive in its experience.
Image: DisneyWith Avatar Flight of Passage, guests truly feel as if they’re ascending into the skies of Pandora. The level of immersion possible now is exponentially better than the turn of the century when Soarin’ debuted. The explanation for the improvement is augmented reality, an emerging technology that takes the rider inside a virtual world.
At Pandora – The World of Avatar, you’re walking through a themed land that’s tangible. In Avatar Flight of Passage, you’re thrust into an imaginary realm that’s somehow more lifelike and believable than the one that actually exists in the real world. This ride isn’t merely a spectacular advance in theme park design; it’s also a strong hint at the future of the industry.
Avatar Flight of Passage is the perfect bookend to what Walt Disney created at Disneyland in 1955. It’s also a tantalizing taste of what’s to come for theme park tourists.
