When you go to Disneyland, it may be busy, it may be empty, it may be hot, it may cold, it may even be raining, but you will always have some rides that you cannot miss. In this entry, I will be pointing out 12 rides in Disneyland Anaheim that you cannot miss. Don't worry, I've put them in order, so just in case you can't make all these rides and it's really busy, you can prioritize.
12. Autopia-in Tomorrowland
This is the classic "kids can drive" kind of ride. Your car is on a track, and I have to admit, pressing the gas pedal is pretty challenging, and I'm 13. I've gotten to be pretty good at driving, but what I suggest for kids that are smaller, and want to drive the car, they can steer and a parent can push the pedal. This is what I used to do before I could actually reach the pedal. One year (and this was in Disney World), because my family consists of five, and I'm the oldest, I had to ride alone, and I didn't meet the height requirement for going alone (54"), so a cast member rode with me. This is an example of the amazing staff in Disney. The regular height requirement is 32", and you have to ride with a person over 54", until your 54". :) This ride really isn't very interesting, but the kids love it, and you get a drivers license at the end and even an opportunity to get your picture taken for it. Fastpasses are available for this ride. A hidden mickey is found on the upper right corner of the license plates. Here is the link for the official attraction site.
11. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad-in Frontierland
This is no ordinary train, it's "the wildest ride in the wilderness!" This roller coaster is perfect for families for it has no inversions or loops, so even the smallest kids can have a blast. The back of the train is without a doubt the most intense, for it whips you up and around bends and hills. I actually lost my phone out of my sweatshirt pocket sitting in the back. It was stupid to put it in my sweatshirt pocket, but you see the point. This ride is one of my favorites (as you can see), but it's probably ranks down on the list just because of my experiences on the ride. This ride is approximately three minutes long, and has an about 10 by 10 inch pouch to put your belongings in. Fastpasses are available for this ride. Just at the base of a lift hill, a big hidden mickey is formed by three gears, and at the exit, where I find many people are taking pictures, lobes of cactus form mickeys. This is the link for the official website.
10. "it's a small world"-in Fantasyland
You will take a nice boat ride through many different countries all singing the same song, but in their native language. Here is a website that has audio clips of the song. This website also has clips of different countries and the song played every quarter hour around the attraction. As far as I can tell, many people around my age and older until about 20 do not like this ride considering the same song is playing for about eight minutes, but in my opinion every song is different because you can't understand what everyone's saying. Inside the ride, there are about 290 dolls dancing and singing. They are all dressed in elaborate costumes and it is really amazing. Many Disney characters also appear in the ride. Here's a little secret: In line, it eventually splits in two. Get in the line that is closer to the building, because it goes faster. This ride is very easy for handicaps, because you do not have to transfer from a wheelchair. All the handicaps load on the other side, so it goes much slower. Three control towers at the loading dock form a hidden mickey, all the disney characters are "hidden mickeys", and towards the very end of the last room (the room with everyone dressed in white), three balloon shadows on the ceiling form one. Here is the link for the website.
9. Peter Pan's Flight-in Fantasyland
A pirate ship sprinkled with pixie dust will take you over London and Neverland. This ride is truly exhilarating, for you're looking down, and your in the air. Kids will find this ride very cool, but the line gets very long, very quick. Every time I go to Disneyland, this is my second or third stop. After I ride, the line is normally already about 40 minutes long. Although the ride does stop to load, the line seems to move fairly quick. Captain Hook balances on the crocodile's "lips", which may startle some kids. Little girls will love the mermaid scene at the end. At the very beginning of the ride, in the Darling children's bedroom, letter blocks spell out Peter Pan and Disney (spelled d13ney), which is considered a hidden mickey, in a top window in big ben a side profile of mickey is there, and outside of the ride, a bear is in a window and on the paw it has a mickey. The link for the site is here.
8. Haunted Mansion-in New Orleans Square
I will start this off with saying this ride is not scary if you stay against your seat. There are four parts (I would say) to this ride so I'll start off with the first line. It tends to move pretty slowly. Actually, I take that back, it will go fast, then stop, then fast, then stop, over and over until the next part. The reason this is is because large groups of people are let into the mansion at a time, not all at once. Right before the second part, two hidden mickeys are found. If you look underneath the candle holders, a hidden mickey is formed, and there are mickeys in the wallpaper. The Second part is The Stretching Room. In this part you will be herded into a dimly lit room with four photographs of people, one north, one south, and so on. A narrator will start to talk and say,"is this haunted room actually stretching? or is it just your imagination?" The room is "stretching" and revealing terrible things underneath the pictures. The voice keeps talking, and soon says, "This room has no windows, and no doors, which gives you this chilling challenge, to find a way out! Of course, there's always my way! *evil laugh* *scream*" Many people will scream at this part, and a hung skeleton is shown at the top of the chamber. You will be let out of the room into the next line, which is part three. This line moves very quickly, for the ride isn't stopped for loading. The room is very, very dimly lit. Windows give the simuation that there is a thunderstorm, and full-length portraits of people are shifted into skeletons. Two busts at the end of the hallway will "turn" to always look at you, then onto part four. Part four is the actual ride, and three hidden mickeys are here. On a maroon chair, the back will resemble Donald Duck, in the ballroom scene, there will be a plate and two saucers creating a mickey, and in the attic, a clock's pendulum forms a mickey. Fastpasses are available for this ride. The ride might scare little kids, but the overall ride is amazing. The ride is about ten minutes long, so enjoy it! Here is the link for the official site.
7. Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters-in Tomorrowland
A ride like this, everyone can enjoy. Throughout the ride, you will shoot at targets to earn points. You can spin your car around to shoot at different ones. A little hint is to go for the triangle and diamond targets, they're worth more points! If you know where the hidden targets are, you can rack up tons of points in one shot! Now, a little bit about the line. The wait time will normally be about 30 minutes, but it will really take about 20. The ride doesn't stop moving when you load, except for handicaps, but when it does stop and your on the ride, don't worry about it, there's a pretty good chance it hasn't broken down. But also take this as an advantage to shoot more! Fastpasses are available on this ride. Once you get inside, There will be a solar system of Buzz's world, and two hidden mickeys are made up of the planets. The planets are labeled, so it's easier to find these. One mickey is one the "Ska-densii" planets, and is a side-profile mickey. On a planet named "K'lifooel'ch", an upside-down mickey will be on the upper left of the planet. A group of planets forms a mickey and is called the "K'tleendon Kan Cluster", and is also upside-down. During the ride, a hidden mickey is found on a block on the wall in the first room, to the left of the vehicle and by batteries. Then, after the ride, across from where it looks like people are buying pictures, the same mural found in line has the same three mickeys. By the way, the reason I said "looks like" buying pictures, is because they're not. You can email yourself the picture taken on the ride, for free! Here is the link to the site.
6. Matterhorn Bobsleds-in Fantasyland
This ride is a natural Disney roller coaster with no loops or inversions. The biggest drop is probably 25 feet as well. It goes about 25 miles per hour, and is pretty jerky, but not enough to make a good neck sore. There are two queues to this ride, a Fantasyland queue and a Tomorrowland queue. On a busy day, which is about every day, the line will start on the Tomorrowland side of the mountain, and later on you will be sorted into the different queues. These queues lead to two different tracks, but are almost identical. At the beginning, you will fall a tiny bit down, then ascend into a lift hill. Nearing the top of the hill, screens on eaith side of you give the sensation that your in a blizzard, and in one section, you see a shadow of a yeti. The yeti shows up twice in the ride, and is quite sudden, so might scare the living daylights out of your five year old. The height restriction is 42", and you sit in your own seat, not next to someone. You will soon descend quickly and the ride starts going faster. Inside the mountain, a Wells Expedition crate and a rope are a nice little addition. In this section the rope is twisted into a hidden mickey. In the Fantasyland queue, a tiny hidden mickey is on a red and white coat of arms. On the mountain itself, looking from Tomorrowland, a hole in the mountain forms a mickey. You may get sprinkled on this ride, for the wheels go into the water after a drop. Keep in mind that this ride is closed during many of the days where it's not a holiday, or the weekend. A two minute trip through a popular Swiss mountain will exceed your expectations, and will give you views you've never seen before. Here is the link to the website.
5. Star Tours-The Adventures Continue-in Tomorrowland
A motion simulated ride and somewhat interactional characters in line are combined to make one stellar experience. The outside line is long and tends to get hot, so I suggest getting a fastpass for this ride. I've never been on this ride without a fastpass! The inside line is cool and air-conditioned, so is much more enjoyable. You will pass a huge arrivals and departures board that sometimes has "ads" for amazing places to go. You will then pass a starspeeder, and you will be riding in one on the flight. R2-D2 is in the starspeeder and is talking to C-3PO, who is near a control panel. Here, are first hidden mickey arises. On the control panel, you will see a half-circle toward the bottom. Two smaller circles are connected above to create a mickey. The line will then curve and you will see a droid checking baggage, he will be talking and you will laugh at the things he says. ;) If you look straight ahead, shadows will be walking by, as if there was a curtain. There will be R2-D2, and two antennas come out where his ears would be. They circle around to make circles, and the top of him and the antennas create a mickey. As you walk around the next bend, you can see the droid checking baggage from above. In the "x-rays" you can see a mickey mouse doll in one of the bags. You can also see Goofy dolls, Buzz Lightyear, Aladdin's lamp, a Sorcerer Mickey hat, a Mr. Incredible shirt, Madame Leota's crystal ball, and others. Then, you will look to the right and see a robot scanning you. A camera above gives a thermal image of you on a screen. Then, you will retrieve your 3D glasses. You will then be assigned a gate and row number, and you will then see a safety video. It the same old stay in your seat, stow carry-ons kinda thing. You will move into the starspeeder and sit down, a cast member will close the doors and start the ride. After the ride, you will exit the same way you did enter, except the other direction. Put your 3D glasses in a bucket, and shop in The Star Trader. The height restriction is 40", and the ride itself is about five minutes. The link for the official site is here.
4. Splash Mountain-in Critter Country
This very popular water ride is great for all ages. The 10 minuntes of ride will take you through Disney's movie, "Song of the South." The queue line is one heck of a wait, so I suggest a fastpass. Right when you walk into the regular queue line, a hidden mickey is on the sign. It's a tiny mickey on a knot of wood. Once you get inside and up some stairs, a mickey is formed by three gears in a shop setup. You can see this mickey from the fastpass line as well. You will make to the inside inside, which is what the inside of the ride looks like, and you will start to smell the water, no joke. You finally get to the front of the line, after waiting for an hour (if not with a fastpass), and they tell you to get in your log, and your off. The first part of the ride consists of many animals singing and playing pranks on each other. You will have a drop out in the open before you go inside. Once your inside, there will be a drop that's in the dark, but don't worry, it's not really a drop at all. You go into a room with lots of jumping water, and you soon see families crying and singing, and it's because they can't find there dads/husbands. You will soon start ascending, then drop 53 feet into the briar patch. You will get very wet if two or more parents are in the tube. I once went with my friend, my brother, and my sister, and we barely got a splash. You then go inside to a finale, where animals sing "Zip-a-dee-doo-dah." A framed picture of mickey mouse in a log is found to you upper left on a wall near the end of the ride, after the big drop. You'll be able to see your picture via TV screen right before you get out of the log. You can buy your picture after you exit. The height restriction is 40", so many kids can go. The link to the website is here.
3. Pirates of the Caribbean-in New Orleans Square
A boat ride with wet elements will serve for a perfect indoor rest. Believe it or not, this ride came before the movies. That is one gem about it, that it's original. They added Captain Jack Sparrow in some scenes, but fifteen minutes of pirate life is very enjoyable. You will first float into a bayou with lily pads and a restaurant (that is real). A hidden mickey is formed on the right of your boat by the last three lily pads before you enter the cavern. You will enter and a talking skull and crossbones tells you that you will drop. This first drop will take you 19 feet underground. You will go about 25 yards into a cavern and go down another drop 13 feet. A beach scene will then appear, then a skeleton in a shipwreck during a thunderstorm. To the right of your boat, there will be skeletons at a bar, then to the left, a skeleton will be in bed. A chair next to the bed has a hidden mickey, at the top of the chair, under a lion crest. After you pass the skeleton in bed, turn around and you will see a rock jutting out above you that resembles Goofy. You will then come up to a skelton sitting on treasure. Once drifting into a cavern, a mist screen shows Davy Jones or Blackbeard. If it's Davy Jones, a tiny mickey is formed on the front corner of his hat. Then your boat will go head on into a pirate battle. Then scene may startle little children, for blasts of air come from cannons and water flies up in the air, giving the idea that a cannon fell there. On your right, a hidden mickey is found on the wall. You will only be able to see this mickey if a greenish light is on. You will be able to tell if this light is on by looking at the ceiling behind you. The mickey is made of three cannon fires making a mickey. Your boat will go into a town where pirates are trying to find Captain Jack Sparrow, and then they wind up burning the city. You will float into a prison, where criminals are trying to get the dog with the key to come to them. You will then approach drunken pirates shooting at each other. On the left of your boat on the wall, two armor plates for the front will be hanging. On the gold one, in the center, a mickey is formed. You will then acsend with a lift hill, and see Captain Jack Sparrow with his treasure. As you go up the lift hill, Davy Jones or Blackbeard will congratulate you on making you journey, and the ride will soon be over. One thing about this ride is that there is very frequently traffic jams with the boats. Don't worry about this, you just get to enjoy the ride longer! On the way out, a lock is on the door of the gift shop, and is shaped like a mickey. Here is the link to the website.
2. Indiana Jones Adventure-in Adventureland
This ride is incredibly fun for anyone about 7 & up. The height restriction is 46". The ride offers fastpass, which is highly recommended, considering the line is normally about 45 minutes long. At around 11 pm, the ride closes for a maintenance run, but I believe opens again at about half past. At least this is how I found the ride when I tried, the two times I did. The whole experience of this ride is magical, including the line. As soon as you enter the building you will go through a long winding tunnel. Keep an eye out for two symbols next to each other at about waist length that look like two parentheses caving in on a period. If you look at the Mara alphabet on the wall, you will see that that stands for "M", saying "MM", standing for Mickey Mouse. This is the first hidden mickey, out of the six in line. You will go into a room with a big stone disk with a rope you can pull on that says, "Don't pull." This disk, on one of the outermost layers of illustrations, has a hidden mickey. If you look up after finding this, Mara's nose creates a mickey. You will wind through ropes in the video room with the safety video, and an overlook of the ride, and a hidden mickey on the left wall made out of an outline of dirt will be there. In the doorframe when exiting this room, look behind you way, way up in the very back of the room where the projector and an attic is. A picture of Eeyore from Whinnie the Pooh is there. If you want to see this better, ask a cast member to show you where the Hidden Eeyore is, and I'm sure they'd be glad to help you! Right after this room, look to your right into an office space and you'll see Minnie and Mickey on a magazine. There will be 12 people per vehicle, and right after the ride starts, Mara's nostrils and indentation under nose create a mickey. In the mummy room, a skeleton wears a Mickey Mouse ears hat. Many kids might be scared of the 10 foot snake that comes at the car, and the boulder that comes at you. This overall ride is three minutes of non-stop fun. This link is to offical website.
1. Space Mountain-in Tomorrowland
This roller coaster is in the dark with little lights everywhere to give the feeling of flying through space. The line isn't all that special, but once you get inside it's more exciting. This line also gets pretty long and fastpasses are recommended. The inside of the queue is dark, and in the safety video there's a pair of mickey ears that are in the symbols of things to put in the puch in front of you. This video exaggerates the elements in this ride, so if it deters your kids to ride, it's not true. The next hidden mickey is created but the speakers on the ride vehicles. This ride is entirely in a dark location, but not pitch black. This ride is very very fun and there isn't much to say. A picture is taken at the very end of the ride. Here is the link to the website.
Thanks for reading! Leave a comment and tell me your opinions on what rides are the best!
