Best Disneyland Things

Space Mountain is the best Disneyland thing. The second of the four mountains (according to this post ) in the park (sort of--more on that later), Space Mountain is a thrilling roller coaster ride through space. Opening in 1977, Space Mountain lies nestled in the corner of Tomorrowland right next to what is currently Star Wars Path of the Jedi, which was formerly Captain EO. Launch Control, This is Space Center You may not be familiar with the storyline of Space Mountain, and that is probably because they don't really make it very clear. However, Jim Hill Media has a transcript from what was purportedly a preview recording from Disneyland before the ride opened. To sum it up: You are an astronaut on a space station orbiting Earth. The hill at the beginning of the ride is a “man-made solar field” that charges up your rocket cars, and then launches you into space. And then you fly around a large satellite and the rest of the galaxy, and land at the re-entry portal...

Star Tours is the best Disneyland thing. Star Wars is maybe my favorite movie series. Many people feel this way, despite some being let down by the prequels (and now apparently the sequels, according to some people). Star Wars has been a cultural phenomenon since the first movie released in 1977. I personally didn't see Star Wars until after I had ridden on Star Tours at Disneyland, so to me this was my defining Star Wars experience (I also saw Spaceballs somehow before I ever saw Star Wars, but that's not what this article is about). Nowadays everything is different in the Star Wars universe. The Star Wars of my youth has changed, which was already different from the original Star Wars. I'm rambling. Let's talk about Star Tours. The Saga Begins It's hard for me to imagine Disneyland without Star Tours, as it's always been there since I was a kid. But Star Wars wasn't always the big sci-fi IP that Disney wanted in the parks. According to t...

Splash Mountain is the best Disneyland thing. Pop quiz: how many mountains are there in Disneyland? I think the answer might be four so far: the Matterhorn (based on a real mountain), Space Mountain (which I guess counts even though you never really see the mountain in it), Big Thunder Mountain (upon which there is a railroad) , and Splash Mountain . Splash Mountain is a log flume ride that opened in 1989, based on Song of the South, a 1946 movie that has never actually been released on home video in America since its release. You are, of course, familiar with the song. It won an Academy Award! Also, I’m sorry, but this will be stuck in your head all day. Splash Mountain combines some of the best elements of Disneyland rides: fun animatronic characters, a great song, and some pretty good thrills. And if you want to be soaked in water, there’s a non-zero chance that you will get soaked in water. Here’s a tip: bring a sandwich-sized bag so you can put your phone in it, an...

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is the best Disneyland thing. Pop quiz, how many places in Disneyland feature dinosaurs? I can think of two. The Disneyland Railroad and the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, kind of. What is it with Disneyland, trains, and dinosaurs? We’ll come back to that. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (which I’m going to be calling Big Thunder for the rest of this article because “Big Thunder Mountain Railroad” is too long) opened in 1979. So what makes it the best? It's A Great Roller Coaster Quiz question number two: how many roller coasters are at Disneyland proper? There's four, if you're counting the Matterhorn Bobsleds (and you should). Big Thunder is up there in terms of thrills. Big Thunder is very fast and whips around turns like crazy. While there's no loops or huge drops like some other rides, it still lives up to its identity as the wildest ride in the wilderness . You may or may not know about the Goat Trick. It's wher...

The Disneyland Railroad is the best Disneyland thing. What’s the first thing you see when you step up to Disneyland? The main gate, of course. And what about after that? The ticket scanner, naturally. And what else? A bunch of people taking photos in front of…The Disneyland Railroad Station. You might be tempted to blow right past the train station and get into the park. I mean, Space Mountain isn’t going to wait for itself for an hour. But you might think differently about skipping the Disneyland Railroad, if we’ve got anything to say about it. For starters, It’s A Fun Way to Get Around the Park Let's get the obvious out of the way: trains are a form of transportation, and the Disneyland Railroad is a train. Disneyland is a big place. Not big like Texas, but big like, bigger than your house. And while it might not take you that long to walk to the other side of your house, it can certainly be a daunting task if you want to get to the complete opposite side of the par...