My Top 5 Rides at Disneyland Park
Theme parks have always been my thing, ever since I was a kid happily riding on a merry-go-round, and even more so now, as a now-diagnosed autistic adult who spends basically any minute not at Disneyland thinking about it. I’m not a Disney Adult in the sense of the type of person who worships Walt Disney and thinks the company can do no wrong, I wouldn’t buy a house for millions of dollars just because it’s in the Disney World official neighbourhood, but the parks do give me a special kind of joy that I’ve found hard to come by elsewhere. The rides and attractions are just one part of this magic, but an integral part nonetheless. And here is my list of my 5 favourite.
5. Haunted Mansion
As a lover of all things gothic and spooky, it’s no surprise to anyone that knows me that Haunted Mansion is in my top 5. Unfortunately, I haven’t been to Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion in it’s original form in quite some time, with the last two California trips occurring over Halloween and Christmas time, and although I do love Nightmare Before Christmas, I have missed being able to hear the jolly tune of Grim Grinning Ghosts while riding the ride.
4. Space Mountain
Look, I’m an adrenaline junkie through and through. Bring me to a theme park and the first ride I’ll be heading straight for is 100% the rollercoaster. In terms of adrenaline, Space Mountain is one of Disneyland’s top ones, at least in my opinion. The setting is brilliant, the music is a bop, the ride itself is wonderful and the additional factor of being unable to predict where the coaster is going next is exhilarating.
3. Star Tours – The Adventures Continue
As I’ve said in my previous post about Galaxy’s Edge, I absolutely love Star Wars. And while I love the rides at Galaxy’s Edge, Star Tours will always be THE Star Wars ride to me. It incorporates more than just the latest trilogy of movies, and uses a mix of characters, planets and creatures that we all know and love. That, and the level of thrill that Star Tours brings, makes the ride one of the perfect ones for me. It‘s always fun when you first get on the ride, seeing Threepio in person, hoping that you’ll be the rebel spy. It’s the perfect ride for those of us that love Star Wars, as long as you don’t mind a mild thrill.
2. Pirates of the Caribbean
Listen, Pirates of the Caribbean is a classic, and it will never stop being a classic. Everything, from the small drops, the song, the storyline, I love it all. It’s a relaxing and enjoyable ride, and the aesthetics of it are wonderful. The tune is iconic and always gets stuck in my head, but it never does so in an annoying way. The ambiance is great and truly lets you sink into the feeling of adventure and magic, helping you stay immersed in this wonderful world.
1. Indiana Jones
And now, the one we’ve all been waiting for. Number one. As I’ve said, the theming is what makes Disneyland stand out compared to other theme parks, and in this ride, the theming is what makes it stand out compared to Disney’s other thrill rides. Everything in the ride is themed to a T, with even the queue being immersive and full of Easter eggs. The real kicker is the ride itself however, thrilling, fast, and with lots of twist and turns that get the heart pumping and adrenaline flowing. If I was to recommend any ride at Disneyland, this would be it.
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