Walt Disney World sets the gold standard when it comes to beautifully themed dark rides. Riveting storytelling and astonishing visual effects provide you with one-of-a-kind experiences you can't find anywhere else. Here are my Top 5 Dark Rides you have to experience during your visit to WDW. Do you agree with me? Let me know in the comments!
5. Dinosaur
I have this irrational love for Dinosaur, which is located in Dinoland U.S.A. at Disney's Animal Kingdom. Hop aboard a time rover and travel back to the end of the Cretaceous period in order to save the Iguanodon from extinction before an asteroid strikes Earth. This ride is wild to say the least, and it may scare young children. The sharp turns and jerky motions make it feel as if you are driving through the dense, dinosaur-infested jungle. This action-packed adventure has some frightening animatronics and super cool special effects, which creates a truly exhilarating attraction.
4. Pirates of the Caribbean
Photo Credit: Magic Guides
This was the first dark ride I experienced on my very first trip to WDW in 2018. Pirates of the Caribbean includes over 120 animatronics and uses 630,000 gallons of water, and tells the story of when pirates ruled the seas. This ride just oozes nostalgia, and while we were sad to see the Davy Jones waterfall projection removed from the beginning of the ride, the attraction continues to hold a special place in my heart. You can't help but sing along to "Yo Ho (A Pirate's Life for Me)" on this epic voyage.
3. Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway
Photo Credit: Magic Guides
This ride is just plain cute. The newest addition to Hollywood Studios, Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway uses the trackless ride technology to bring the original Disney animation style to life. This is the first ride to feature Disney's most popular character, and while many might argue it hasn't been around long enough to make it a top 5 ride, I believe the special effects and the overall artistry behind the storytelling elevates it to a must-do attraction when visiting Hollywood Studios.
2. Spaceship Earth
Photo Credit: Magic Guides
Spaceship Earth takes you through a journey through the history of communication in EPCOT's geodesic dome, an architectural marvel that serves as the quintessential icon for both the park and WDW. While the ride might be showing its age, it doesn't detract from the awe you experience as you ride through each historical vignette that shows the gradual progression of how humans learned to share and exchange information. When you ride this attraction, don't forget to thank the Phoenicians.
1. The Haunted Mansion
Photo Credit: Magic Guides
Nothing quite captures the magic you experience riding in a Doom Buggy through the creepy halls of The Haunted Mansion. While the queue and preshow create a sense of something dark and sinister to come, the attraction itself brings a lightheartedness to the entire experience. Even though the ride is over 50 years old, the effects in this 9-minute attraction still highly effective and the storytelling is impeccable. You cannot help but smile as this house shows off its spookiest haunts to you.
What about Peter Pan's Flight?
Photo Credit: Magic Guides
Bring on the hate mail. Most people would argue that Peter Pan's Flight is one of the best dark rides in all of WDW. While the attraction does evoke nostalgia for many, the ride's depiction of indigenous peoples is cringe worthy, and effects that are there do not deliver the impact they may have in the past. I think Peter Pan's Flight would be the perfect attraction to do a refurbishment that incorporates new technology and eliminates the problematic elements to really enhance the ride experience, especially for a younger audience. While I am happy to ride this attraction during my visit, I'm not bummed if I miss it. Sorry, not sorry.
Happy riding!
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