In previous articles, I debated the best attractions in each themed land at Disneyland and Magic Kingdom. Today, I’m going to attempt something even more ambitious. I’m going to select the greatest attraction at every themed land at Epcot, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom, the other three parks at Walt Disney World. Feel free to start sharpening your pitchforks and igniting your torches. Here goes…
Epcot – Future World
Image: DisneyLet’s start with a few caveats. We won’t discuss any themed land that has one or zero attractions since those don’t have any debate. So, we’re excluding Grand Avenue, Hollywood Boulevard, and Mickey Avenue from Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Toy Story Land is also out since we don’t have enough information about two of the rides yet. We’re also removing Discovery Island, the Oasis, and Rafiki’s Planet Watch. Also, some themed lands have only two rides, making them easy propositions.
Future World isn’t like that. It’s the ride-intensive portion of Epcot, with wonderful attractions like Soarin’ Around the World, Test Track, and The Seas with Nemo & Friends. I could also include Living with the Land, Mission: Space, Spaceship Earth (my personal favorite), and Turtle Talk with Crush. It’s a strong list, with no wrong answers (when we exclude Journey into Imagination with Figment).
Realistically, the decision comes down to Test Track vs. Soarin’ Around the World, the two attractions in the highest FastPass tier at Epcot. I think both of them are in the conversation for best ride at Walt Disney World. Since Soarin’ is new and improved, however, I think it has a stronger claim to the title. Both are A+ rides, though.
World Showcase
Image: DisneyAgain, some of these are easier than others. For example, the World Showcase discussion includes a lot of shows at the various pavilions. With regards to rides, there’s Gran Fiesta Tour Starring the Three Cabelleros…and Frozen Ever After. In other words, there’s the Washington Generals and the Harlem Globetrotters. I’m probably the biggest fan of Three Cabelleros you know, and I even can’t make that argument with a straight face. Frozen Ever After is easily the best attraction at the World Showcase.
Hollywood Studios – Animation Courtyard
Four themed areas at Hollywood Studios have multiple attractions. This statement may surprise you given that only four rides are in operation at the time of publication. What you’ve forgotten is that this park features a tremendous amount of shows, most of which are fantastic.
Animation Courtyard hosts two of them. I’m going to throw out Star Wars Launch Bay for the purposes of this conversation, however, since it’s neither a show nor a ride, just a series of merchandising locations and character meetings. That narrows the list down to Disney Junior – Live on Stage! and Voyage of the Little Mermaid. That’s a no-brainer, as the storytelling in The Little Mermaid show is sublime. It’s clearly the best attraction at Animation Courtyard.
Echo Lake
Image: DisneyThis themed land is difficult to debate since the offerings are so diverse. Star Tours is the only true ride in this section of the park. Jedi Training – Trials of the Temple and Star Wars: Path of the Jedi are quality shows for fans of the Rebel Alliance. Meanwhile, other movie franchise fans might prefer the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular! or For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration. I believe the strongest contenders are the Frozen show and Star Tours, but I favor the ride that has stood the test of time for more than 30 years now. Star Tours rules Echo Lake…although it will become the WORST Star Wars ride one day soon when Galaxy’s Edge opens.
Sunset Boulevard
Image: DisneyUp until now, the discussions at Hollywood Studios were easy. Now, we have a dog fight. Sunset Boulevard features an incredible roller coaster, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith. It also claims one of the best rides of all-time, the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. It also has a tremendous show, Beauty and the Beast – Live on Stage. And that’s not all! The Fantasmic! fireworks exhibition also takes place here each night.
I believe that all four of these attractions are worthy of repeated rides/viewings. I’ve chosen to narrow the list to the best ride and the most enjoyable show. To me, those selections are Twilight Zone Tower or Fantasmic!. It’s extremely difficult to choose a favorite since they’re completely different, and I love both. I grudgingly settled on Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, although I must be honest that on any given day, my answer might flip. What’s your opinion on this one? I’m genuinely curious.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom – Africa
Image: DisneyWhen we switch the discussion to Disney’s Animal Kingdom, it generally gets easier. Africa is a perfect example of this, as this themed land has three attractions: Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail, Festival of the Lion King, and Kilimanjaro Safaris. One of these is not like the others. Don’t get me wrong. I relish walking the exploration trail on occasion, but come on!
The argument here boils down to a wonderful, Cirque du Soleil-esque show, Festival of the Lion King, versus an imitable ride experience, Kilimanjaro Safaris. With Festival of the Lion King, you get to shout catchphrases and play along with the antics of remarkable tumblers. On Kilimanjaro Safaris, you embark on a journey through the natural habitats of countless creatures, watching in awe as they frolic.
The harsh truth here is that you can see things like Festival of the Lion King at plenty of other places. Kilimanjaro Safaris is the implementation of Disney’s Animal Kingdom itself as a theme park attraction. It’s THE seminal attraction here.
Asia
Image: DisneyThis themed land shares similarities with Sunset Boulevard in that it has two rides and two attractions that aren’t as easy to quantify. The attractions are UP! A Great Bird Adventure and Maharajah Jungle Trek, neither of which is that special. The rides are Kali River Rapids, a ride sorely in need of plussing, and Expedition Everest, a masterpiece. Asia is Expedition Everest plus riff raff.
DinoLand U.S.A.
Image: DisneyOddly, this themed land has the largest number of potential candidates for best attraction. That’s certainly not the perception of DinoLand U.S.A., a discount section that diminishes the Disney brand with its existence.
The attractions are the Boneyard, Chester & Hester’s Dino-Rama, DINOSAUR, Finding Nemo – The Musical, Primeval Whirl, and TriceraTop Spin. It’s not exactly a championship lineup. The first two are kid-friendly areas that siphon traffic more than entertain. The last two rides listed there are thoroughly mediocre cookie cutter carnival rides masquerading under the Disney name.
The realistic options here are DINOSAUR and Finding Nemo – The Musical. I wouldn’t describe Finding Nemo as one of my favorite shows at Walt Disney World, but I’m impressed by it nonetheless. I am, however, a huge fan of DINOSAUR, one of the most underrated attractions at all of Walt Disney World. It’s definitely the class of DinoLand U.S.A.
Pandora – The World of Avatar
Image: DisneyThe last one is also the easiest. Pandora is a state-of-the-art themed land that is currently the crown jewel of the Disney roster. I wouldn’t be surprised if it held that title even after Toy Story Land opens, although it will inevitably lose that title when Galaxy’s Edge arrives.
With amazing, immersive innovations on display everywhere, Pandora is a true joy to visit. Its two attractions are housed in the same facility, and each one is tremendous. While Na’Vi River Journey features the best Audio-Animatronics and special effects at Walt Disney World today, Avatar Flight of Passage is the gold standard out of all theme park attractions at the moment.
So, what did I get right and where do you violently disagree? Feel free to brutalize me in the comments section! I fully understand it’s a naturally divisive topic.
