The Disneyland Resort is the most magical place in the world. Disneyland is my favorite theme
park of all-time between its immersive theming and robust ride lineup. Then the second gate
in Disney California Adventure is an underrated park with some of the best E-ticket attractions
of any Disney park. So in this video, I will rank the top 25 rides and attractions
at the entire Disneyland Resort. 25) It’s a Small World at Disneyland-
This dark ride is often the butt of jokes because of its comically catchy theme song, but it’s a
pleasant attraction. I like how this one features Disney characters tastefully integrated into
the experience. Each one has the familiar doll styling and is placed in an appropriate country.
Then this one also has the fun Christmas overlay. This is a pretty slow attraction, but there’s an
overwhelming amount of details to appreciate. 24) Star Tours at Disneyland- This motion
simulator is a wild ride past familiar scenes and characters from the Star Wars franchise.
The visuals and 3D effects are crisp and the motion is among the most aggressive of any
simulator. But what keeps me coming back are the randomized scenes. There’s a lot of reride
value trying to see all the different planets, so it’s rare for repeat rides to be identical.
23) Alice in Wonderland at Disneyland- This classic Fantasyland dark ride can
only be found at Disneyland. This ride was smartly refreshed with some modern effects to compliment
the classic scenes. I like the pacing of this attraction and the visuals are fun.
22) Web Slingers: A Spiderman Adventure at Disney’s California Adventure- The resort’s newest
dark ride feels like Disney’s take on the Ninjago ride system. I think the shooting mechanics are
seamless. The issue with this ride is that it’s too chaotic. There are too many webs being fired
at once, so the scenes become incomprehensible at points. If I ever got a solo ride on this,
the ride would move way up on this list. 21) Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue
at Disney’s California Adventure- This dark ride thankfully replaced the much-maligned Superstar
Limo and I think it’s one of the more underrated rides at the resort. The quality of the physical
sets and animatronics is top notch. There’s a lot of see between their scale and details.
The ride does a brilliant job bringing the beloved characters from the films to life
and recreating some of the most iconic scenes, including the door sequence towards the end.
20) Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin at Disneyland- This frenetic dark ride is based on one of my
favorite movies of all-time and it serves the film well. The spinning vehicles add to chaos. You have
some scenes reminiscent of the classic dark rides in the nearby Fantasyland complimented by some
more complex scenes, including the final scene with that incredible extendable hole effect.
19) Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Undersea Adventure at Disney’s California Adventure- This dark ride
retells the story of the Little Mermaid, complete with all the film’s favorite songs. The giant sets
double as musical numbers and storyboards as you progress through the attraction,
and the quality of the animatronics is top notch. 18) Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters at Disneyland-
This shooting dark ride is one of the better ones of the genre. The physical sets are expansive
with plenty of 3D targets, which is a contrast to the 2D targets you typically see on these rides.
All of the targets worked and aiming with the guns is seamless.
This ride does feel a pinch short, but it’s otherwise solid.
17) Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run at Disneyland- This ride feels like a simulator
crossed with a video game. Request the pilot role because that’s easily the best position.
It’s quite rewarding flying the Millennium Falcon and you have a lot of control over
the experience as you travel past ships and buildings. Everyone needs to work together as
a team to achieve a high score and the cockpit design makes the experience very immersive.
16) Soarin’ at Disney’s California Adventure- The original flying theater is filled with
amazing sights. You have these ornate landscapes and landmarks brought to life as you gracefully
glide through the air. This ride doesn’t have the plot on most Disney rides, but the ride
appeals to your emotions and desire to travel. 15) Grizzly River Run at Disney’s California
Adventure- This Intamin rapids ride is one of the best of its kind.
This one has a handful of turbulent rapids, but those aren’t the focal point of the experience.
The ride takes place around this beautifully landscaped mountain and you pass through multiple
caves. Then you have two drops, including the final one that spins the raft pretty wildly.
This ride is refreshing on a hot summer day and it’s one I always look forward to experiencing.
14) Jungle Cruise at Disneyland-
This safari ride is 100% made by the tour guide. I love their dry, deadpan style of humor.
Then you have some fun visuals as you pass familiar animals in comical settings.
13) Haunted Mansion at Disneyland- This classic haunted house isn’t as scary as most. Rather,
it’s about the details and spectacle. The ghostly effects this ride pulled off 50 years ago are
astounding and they still hold up. Then the sets get more elaborate and impressive as the story
progresses, culminating in the exciting graveyard sequence set to the ride’s beloved theme song.
12) Matterhorn Bobsleds at Disneyland- This ranking is specifically for the Tomorrowland side,
which is the wilder of the two. This ride is notable for being the first coaster with tubular
steel track, but it’s still an enjoyable experience. The ride is jerky at points,
but I love how you wind through the mountain. It’s impossible to memorize this ride’s layout.
The tight turns accentuate the speed and then the Tomorrowland side has an awesome drop
towards the end with an abrupt pop of airtime. 11) Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at Disneyland-
This may be the world’s best mine train coaster. Not only does the ride take place around
and through a beautiful mountain, but the long layout has plenty of thrills too. You have several
small dips giving quick bursts of airtime. Then the turns and helixes offer nice laterals too,
especially since there’s no seat divider so you’re free to slide side-to-side.
10) Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland- This 15 minute long adventure is one of the longest’s
dark rides in the world. The ride starts slow with the cave sequences at the start,
but you have two ok drops that lead into the exciting bits. You are dropped into a battle
between two ships and then travel through a lively town overrun by pirates. The quality
and quantity of animatronics is incredible and multiple rides are needed to catch everything.
9) Incredicoaster at Disney’s California Adventure- This coaster doesn’t feel like
something you’d see at a Disney park. It’s a large, relatively unthemed coaster more about
the thrills. But it is a fun ride nonetheless. The initial launch is decent and the large
hills offer some pops of airtime. And the final bunny hills also lift riders out of their seats.
Then there’s also a forceful vertical loop halfway through the ride for variety.
This is also one of the longest coasters in the world, covering 6072 feet or 1851 meters of track.
There are some filler turns and helixes, but the ride has plenty of good moments and a fun
on-board soundtrack. Check out my review on this ride if you want to hear more.
8) Fantasmic! at Disneyland- This is my favorite show at any theme park. Fantasmic is a spectacle.
The music is world-class, mixing familiar Disney songs with the show’s iconic theme song at the
start and end. The production value is strong between the dance choreography and the pyrotechnic
effects, particularly during the dragon sequence and the final fireworks. Then you have appearances
from all my favorite characters with the riverboat sequence at the end being particularly magical.
7) Toy Story Midway Mania at Disney’s California Adventure-
This interactive shooting dark ride is addictive. The pop guns are rewarding to fire
and the 3D works flawlessly. It’s extremely easy to determine where you’re shooting and there’s a
lot of reride value trying to unlock the secret targets on each scene to maximize your score.
6) Space Mountain at Disneyland- The best roller coaster at the resort is this iconic
indoor attraction. Taking place in near total darkness, you continuously spiral downhill.
This ride only has one real drop, but this ride is mostly about the sense of speed. This ride only
goes 35 mph or 56 kph, but the tight turns and brilliant use of fans make it feel way faster.
Then the turns get more aggressive as the attraction progresses, offering surprisingly
strong and abrupt laterals by the end. Add in a wonderful on-board soundtrack and you
have a high-octane and rewarding adventure. Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway at Disneyland-
Slated to open in 2023, I have ridden this ride at the Walt Disney World resort. This trackless
dark ride has awesome visuals blending these animated walls with the occasional animatronic.
Then the ride pairs these sights with some convincing motion effects and a catchy tune.
It took Mickey long enough to get his own dark ride, but this ride honors him well.
5) Radiator Springs Racers at Disney’s California Adventure- This dark ride is
credited with saving California Adventure and it is arguably the park’s most popular attraction.
Themed to the Cars franchise, the ride is a visual spectacle as you travel around Ornament Valley
and then head indoors for some impressive showscenes. Seeing the massive animatronic cars
interact is incredible. Then the ride finishes with an exciting race sequence. Along with the
competitive aspect, the course includes a few dips that give some weightlessness. I have an entire
review on this attraction, but it’s the full package from a theming and thrill perspective.
Twilight Zone Tower of Terror at Disney’s California Adventure- This creepy drop tower had
many of the same aspects that made the original version in Orlando great, but there were two key
differences. First, the entire ride took place in the same elevator shaft so the 5th dimension
scene was omitted. Second, the drop sequence was pre-set. But that was fine by me since it included
a few full drops giving a great stomach-dropping sensation with copious amounts of airtime.
Then the rapid ascents piled on even more airtime. I absolutely loved this ride’s
theme as I cover in a review, but the retheme is ultimately the superior attraction in my opinion.
4) Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout at Disney’s California Adventure- The reskinned
Tower of Terror has a more chaotic ride program, which is why it’s my favorite drop tower. You jump
immediately into the action rocketing up the tower and continuously bouncing during the show scenes.
Then the drops and ascents are equally as awesome as the prior Tower of Terror.
And this all occurs to a classic tune that makes the ride feel like a party.
3) Indiana Jones Adventure at Disneyland- This rowdy dark ride takes riders past some of the
grandest and most impressive physical sets of any attraction. The scale and detail is matched by few
rides. Then you also have some great auxiliary effects mixed in such as fire and air blasts.
But the entire experience is sold by the ride system. The EMVs offer a wild and
turbulent journey that turns this dark ride into a bonafide thrill ride. You get surprise
laterals and spurts of acceleration throughout the attraction that keep you on your toes.
2) Splash Mountain at Disneyland- This is the world’s best log flume,
as I stated my review. This nearly 10 minute long attraction takes you past these fully-fleshed out
scenes based on Song of the South. The amount of animatronics is astounding and you have one of the
best soundtracks in the background as well. It’s a true joy. Then you have some thrills mixed in. You
have a nice series of drops that can give a twinge of weightlessness, including that picturesque
5 story plunge into the briar patch. Just note that this ride is an absolute soaker up front.
1) Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance at Disneyland- This is the world’s best dark
ride. This attraction is an 18 minute and highly immersive adventure. The main ride is roughly 4.5
minutes long, but the experience begins towards the end of the queue line with some of the most
engaging pre-shows of any attraction. The reveal of the star destroyer is breathtaking and then the
main ride is the perfect crescendo. I love how the trackless vehicles maneuver
their way through the buildings. You have some breathtaking sights, including the giant AT-ATs
and the multiple scenes with Kylo Ren. Then the final scene includes a surprise thrill
element that I don’t want to spoil here, so check out my review if you want to hear what
happens. This ride is the complete package and it raises the bar for what a Disney ride can do.
So those are the top 25 rides and attractions at the Disneyland Resort. This resort is truly home
to some of the world’s best dark rides. What are your favorite attractions at Disneyland and Disney
California Adventure? Let me know your thoughts down below. If you enjoyed this countdown, I’d
appreciate it if you gave this video a like and you considered subscribing since there will be a
lot more roller coaster and amusement park videos here at Canobie Coaster. Thanks for watching!