The Walt Disney Company invented the dark ride. The reason why they did is simple. Walt Disney and his team created movies prior to their constructing the Happiest Place on Earth. The easiest way for them to visualize a theme park attraction was to think of terms of filmmaking. That’s with a movie set and lighting that highlights the corresponding action.
Many of the attractions that you love are nothing more than a series of five or six movie sets. And a ride vehicle transports you to the right place at the right time so that you can enjoy the show. It’s a masterful ride design that works so well that every major competitor in the theme park industry has copied the idea for their own attractions…but nobody does it like Uncle Walt’s crew. Here are the nine best Disney dark rides in existence today!
9. Peter Pan’s Flight – Disneyland
Perhaps no title on this list better exemplifies the dark ride that Peter Pan’s Flight. That’s probably because it was one of the first dark rides. An opening day attraction at Disneyland, Peter Pan’s Flight has stood the test of time due to its brilliant ride mechanic. It sweeps guests into the air and allows them to feel as if they’re flying through the London sky, just like Peter Pan. And the ride truly takes place in the dark, which is a clever way that Disney can highlight the vivid colors of the scenes from the Peter Pan story.
8. Spaceship Earth – Epcot
There may be some author bias here; then again, it’s the author’s favorite ride at any Disney theme park, so I tried to act reasonably with my evaluation. Spaceship Earth is a ride through history as well as an educated guess about the future. The centerpiece attraction hosted inside Epcot’s central architectural structure (aka the wienie), Spaceship Earth is shamelessly informational, but it doesn’t fall into the trap of some previous Epcot edutainment.
The set pieces are all beautifully detailed, and the projection scenes are breathtaking. While the world of tomorrow stuff is silly, I’m still always disappointed when it’s not working. Spaceship Earth is everything that’s great about Epcot.
7. Indiana Jones Adventure – Disneyland
The Indiana Jones franchise wasn’t a Disney property way back when they built this ride. That’s what makes it so impressive. Imagineers lovingly crafted an adventure and storyline worthy of Indiana Jones. Hmm, maybe they should have done Kingdom of the Crystal Skull’s script.
Anyway, you will feel like you’re trapped in a temple that even Indiana Jones himself cannot safely navigate. You even find Indy trapped at one point, which is bad news on several levels. Dark rides work the best when the theming feels natural and organic. From the moment you enter the Temple, you’ll believe that you’re on an archaeological adventure.
6. Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride – Disneyland
Disneyland is representing so far! Of course, that’s both good and bad. Yes, they have some great dark rides, but the fact that most of them are toward the top of the list is indicative that many of them have been surpassed in recent years. Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride is a great example. Unquestionably a theme park classic, it’s actually been gone from Magic Kingdom for roughly 20 years (!). So, while the trip through Toad Hall is still a colorful adventure, it’s lost a bit of luster over the years.
Then again, a lot of people (including me) love the dated classic, deeming it timeless more than tired. As is true with Peter Pan’s Flight, the rich color palette blends masterfully with the extreme darkness. You can see anything and then bam! Ridiculous looking lawyer out of nowhere! Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride is awesome. Don’t ever let anybody tell you differently.
5. Toy Story Midway Mania – Disney’s Hollywood Studios
When you think of dark rides, Toy Story Midway Mania isn’t necessarily the first attraction that springs to mind, which is unfortunate. It’s one of the smartest ones yet made. Several interactive dark rides cleverly re-imagine the premise as a game, and the Toy Story iteration is probably the best of them, at least at Disney theme parks.
You get to see your favorite characters from the film franchise in a different light. They introduce you to carnival games like shooting balloons and the ring toss. It’s joyously fun to the point that Disney has copied it at three different parks and added an extra track at Hollywood Studios. The demand for this ride speaks to its quality, and the fact that it ranks only fifth on this list speaks volumes about the overall depth of Disney dark rides.
4. Haunted Mansion – Disneyland
Oh, foolish mortals. You really do have one of the greatest rides ever. The Haunted Mansion is the alpha and omega of themed horror attractions, maintaining that status for roughly half a century and counting. It’s a ride that serves two masters, offering humor and horror so that everyone exits their Doombuggy feeling satisfied.
During this ten-minute adventure through a land of 999 haunts, you’ll see a killer bride, the world’s weirdest dinner party, and a cemetery full of dancing, singing ghosts. My favorite is the Viking opera singer who hits the high notes better due to the entrails wrapped around her throat. That’s the sort of attention to detail that…well, it makes you wonder what sort of sicko could come up with such a thing. But I love it anyway.
3. Pooh’s Hunny Hut – Tokyo Disneyland
Two of the top three dark rides at Disney theme parks aren’t hosted in North America, at least not yet. Given recent announcements at D23, Disney’s clearly willing to import the best attractions from other parks if their quality justifies it. Pooh’s Hunny Hut definitely does.
One of the most expensive attractions ever built with a price tag of $130-$270 million, depending on who you believe, this ride ain’t your grandparents’ Winnie the Pooh adventure. It uses groundbreaking trackless technology to bounce a lot of hunny pots around a small space in a remarkably orderly fashion. You’ll get to enjoy all the joys of Ashdown Forest in a novel way.
The trackless ride carts provide theme park tourists with amazing views of all facets of each set piece, making people feel closer to the action than ever before. The dream sequence is particularly gripping due to the set design improvements made possible by a trackless cart. It gives the Imagineers more room to work. Since its inception in 2000, this attraction has claimed some of the longest wait-times at Tokyo Disneyland, and that won’t change anytime soon. It was an instant classic then that remains glorious today.
2. Twilight Zone Tower of Terror – Disney’s Hollywood Studios
Look, I don’t want to get into a thing about shutting down this attraction to replace it with Guardians of the Galaxy, but it’s kind of unavoidable. Disney made a sound business decision that sucks for the people of California and other visitors to the Happiest Place on Earth. They had one of the greatest dark rides ever made and replaced it with something…less.
Guardians of the Galaxy simply hasn’t been in the pop culture zeitgeist long enough to match Rod Serling, and a few silly fights with an alien cannot match the awe of the Hollywood Tower Hotel. The impeccable theming of this derelict property that once catered to Hollywood’s elite is precisely how Disney has built their theme park empire. They’ve gotten the little touches right on the way to doing the big thing, which is in this case a huge drop from heights.
Disney also wasn’t lazy enough to do a simple drop tower, either. They added surprise elements such that riders have no idea whether they’re going up or down until it’s too late. The exhilaration of this experience is inimitable, and that’s why it’s won so many Best Dark Ride awards over the years. Until very recently, it was the best that Disney had to offer. But then…
1. Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle for the Sunken Treasure – Shanghai Disneyland
What do most of the attractions here have in common? They’re old. I mean “retire and move to Florida and watch Judge Judy and CBS reruns all day” old. And that’s fine. Rides are supposed to stay good for extended periods of time. Disney is great at this. Still, they also love having the opportunity to flex their creative muscle on new endeavors. It just doesn’t come up much.
That’s why the introduction of Shanghai Disneyland was so exciting. This Chinese theme park wouldn’t be tethered to existing Disney attractions in the same way that North American parks have been. Imagineers had free reign to re-imagine popular classics using current technology to elevate the ideas. It’s a form of plussing that’s only possible after decades of excellence. Disney had to succeed for multiple generations before they could reboot their own intellectual properties to modernize them.
The best example of this advancement is Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle for the Sunken Treasure. It debuted in 2016, almost half a century after the original, and it reset all existing expectations for dark rides. Suffice to say that this attraction is the embodiment of 21st century Imagineering.
The audio-animatronics are so lifelike that you’ll do a double-take when they stare back at you. The skeleton-to-human transformation from the movie franchise is seamless enough that you’ll feel like you’re living inside the film. And the most impressive feat is the submergence underwater, an action only possible for undead pirates. You’ll see all the treasures of the deep and the aquatic life that guards its mysteries.
The difference between the original version of Pirates of the Caribbean and the Shanghai Disneyland update is like the difference between a rotary dial phone from the 1940s and the one in your pocket right now. It’s a modern masterpiece and the best Disney dark ride open to the public today.
