Disneyland Rides Tier List: Every Attraction Ranked
Disneyland has close to seventy years of rides layered on top of each other, from creaky dark rides that opened with the park in 1955 to a Star Wars attraction with ride vehicles that cost more than most houses. We ranked all 30 major attractions from the absolute must-dos to the ones you only ride if your kid is physically dragging you there.
This leans on what fans argue about endlessly on forums and in line queues, plus our own opinions where the consensus splits (looking at you, Autopia defenders). Disagree with where something landed? That's half the fun of a list like this.
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SS Tier: The reason you came
Indiana Jones Adventure
Every ride vehicle takes a different path, so no two trips through the Temple of the Forbidden Eye are quite the same. The boulder, the snake pit, the lava room: it's the closest Disneyland gets to a theme park ride feeling like an actual adventure instead of a track with scenery.
About Indiana Jones Adventure
A jeep-style dark ride through the Temple of the Forbidden Eye, using an Enhanced Motion Vehicle system that randomizes the path. It opened in 1995.
- Land
- Adventureland
- Opened
- 1995
Pirates of the Caribbean
The one that proves a slow boat ride can still be the best thing in the park. Audio-Animatronics, the burning town, the drop into the grotto, all of it still holds up, and it's the attraction that basically invented the modern Disney dark ride template.
About Pirates of the Caribbean
A boat ride through scenes of pirate mayhem, powered by extensive Audio-Animatronics. It opened in 1967 and inspired the film franchise of the same name.
- Land
- New Orleans Square
- Opened
- 1967
Haunted Mansion
999 happy haunts and not a single bad stretch in the whole ride. The stretching room, the ballroom dance, Madame Leota's floating head, it's atmospheric in a way almost nothing else in the park even attempts.
About Haunted Mansion
A slow-moving dark ride through a haunted estate, featuring 999 ghostly Audio-Animatronics residents. It opened in 1969 and gets a holiday overlay every year themed to The Nightmare Before Christmas.
- Land
- New Orleans Square
- Opened
- 1969
Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance
A trackless ride system, a Star Destroyer capture sequence, and a scale that makes everything else in Galaxy's Edge feel like a warm-up act. Yes the standby line can eat your whole afternoon, but nothing else at Disneyland comes close to this level of production.
About Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance
A large-scale trackless dark ride that puts guests inside a First Order capture sequence. It opened in 2019 as part of Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge.
- Land
- Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge
- Opened
- 2019
AA Tier: Genuinely great, no asterisks
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
A runaway mine train that's fast without being mean about it, which is exactly why it works for almost everybody in the family. The theming along the track, from the bats to the flooded town, is doing more work than people give it credit for.
About Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
A mine-train themed coaster that winds through a model of the American Southwest. It opened in 1979.
- Land
- Frontierland
- Opened
- 1979
Space Mountain
Darkness plus speed plus a soundtrack equals one of the best coasters anywhere that doesn't have a single visible hill. It's been through enough overlays and refurbishments [CHECK exact count] that longtime fans argue about which version was best, but the core experience never really misses.
About Space Mountain
An indoor, high-speed coaster in Tomorrowland that runs almost entirely in the dark. It opened in 1977 and has been retooled several times since [CHECK exact years].
- Land
- Tomorrowland
- Opened
- 1977
- Type
- Indoor roller coaster
Matterhorn Bobsleds
Opened in 1959 and still rattles you around a mountain at a pace that feels faster than it has any right to. The bobsled-style cars and the Abominable Snowman cameo make it feel genuinely different from every other coaster in the park.
About Matterhorn Bobsleds
A steel-track coaster built into a scale model of the Matterhorn mountain. It was one of the first tubular steel coasters in the world.
- Land
- Fantasyland
- Opened
- 1959
Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
You're actually flying the Falcon, with a pilot, gunner and engineer seat that all change what you see and do. It rewards repeat rides more than almost anything else on this list since your job on board changes the experience each time.
About Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
A simulator-style ride where guests take on pilot, gunner, or engineer roles aboard a full-scale Millennium Falcon replica. It opened in 2019.
- Land
- Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge
- Opened
- 2019
Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway
A genuinely weird, cartoon-logic ride system that throws you sideways into a 2D world without warning. It's the newest classic dark ride at Disneyland and it plays like nothing else in the building's history, including the building itself (RIP Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln).
About Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway
A trackless dark ride that drops guests into a 2D cartoon world alongside Mickey and Minnie. It opened in 2023 [CHECK exact date], replacing the Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln building.
- Land
- Mickey's Toontown
- Opened
- 2023
Jungle Cruise
The puns are bad on purpose and that's the entire point. A good skipper can make this the funniest ten minutes in the park, and the backside of water still gets a laugh every single time.
About Jungle Cruise
A boat tour through animatronic jungle scenes, narrated by a live skipper delivering scripted jokes. It's been running since the park opened in 1955.
- Land
- Adventureland
- Opened
- 1955
BB Tier: Solid, dependable, worth the wait within reason
Tiana's Bayou Adventure
The drop and the flume mechanics carried over from its previous life, but the New Orleans jazz celebration theming and Princess and the Frog story give it a fresh identity. Fans are still split on whether it beats what used to be here, but taken on its own it's a strong, high-energy water ride.
About Tiana's Bayou Adventure
A log flume style ride themed to The Princess and the Frog, built on the layout of the former Splash Mountain. It opened in 2024 [CHECK exact date].
- Land
- New Orleans Square / Critter Country
- Opened
- 2024
Peter Pan's Flight
Flying over a miniature London and then into Neverland is a genuinely clever bit of ride design, which is exactly why the wait times are brutal. It's a short ride that feels special largely because you're floating instead of riding on a track you can see.
About Peter Pan's Flight
A suspended dark ride where guests fly in pirate ships over London and Neverland. It's one of the original 1955 opening day attractions.
- Land
- Fantasyland
- Opened
- 1955
Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters
A shooting gallery dark ride that actually rewards good aim with a real score, which makes it one of the few attractions where skill matters. It's silly, it's a little dated graphically, and it's still a good time with a group.
About Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters
An interactive dark ride where guests spin their vehicle and shoot targets for points, themed to Toy Story's Buzz Lightyear.
- Land
- Tomorrowland
Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin
Spinning cabs through Toontown is more chaotic than most people expect going in, and the cartoon sound design sells the whole bit. It leans hard into a specific 1988 movie a lot of younger guests have never seen, but the ride itself doesn't need the homework.
About Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin
A spinning dark ride through Toontown based on Who Framed Roger Rabbit, with cabs that riders can spin themselves.
- Land
- Mickey's Toontown
Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage
An actual submarine that actually submerges, which is still a genuinely cool mechanical trick even before you get to the Nemo scenes inside. The queue and loading process is slower than it needs to be, but the ride itself is more charming than people give it credit for.
About Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage
A ride in real submarines that dive beneath the water's surface to scenes from Finding Nemo. It replaced the original Submarine Voyage attraction.
- Land
- Tomorrowland
Snow White's Enchanted Wish
Reworked from the older, scarier Snow White's Scary Adventures into something that actually centers Snow White instead of just the witch. It's a nice, classic-feeling dark ride, even if it still gets overshadowed by flashier rides nearby.
About Snow White's Enchanted Wish
A dark ride based on Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, reworked from the earlier Snow White's Scary Adventures to center Snow White herself.
- Land
- Fantasyland
Star Tours – The Adventures Continue
Randomized destinations and Star Wars cameos mean this simulator ride is never quite the same trip twice. The motion simulator style has aged in a specific early-2010s way, but it's still a fun, quick hit of Star Wars before Galaxy's Edge existed.
About Star Tours – The Adventures Continue
A motion-simulator ride through randomized Star Wars scenes and destinations. The updated version opened in 2011, replacing the original Star Tours.
- Land
- Tomorrowland
- Opened
- 2011
Disneyland Railroad
A full loop around the park's perimeter with a stop inside the Grand Canyon and Primeval World dioramas, which is a strange and wonderful thing to put on a train ride. It's less a thrill ride and more a nice way to sit down and actually see the park from a different angle.
About Disneyland Railroad
A steam train that circles the perimeter of the park, passing through the Grand Canyon and Primeval World dioramas. It's operated since opening day in 1955.
- Land
- Multiple lands
- Opened
- 1955
Enchanted Tiki Room
Walt's first Audio-Animatronics show and it's still charming in a deeply weird, very 1963 way. Singing birds, a thunderstorm, and tiki gods that talk, it's a slower pace than most attractions but that's kind of the appeal.
About Enchanted Tiki Room
An Audio-Animatronic stage show featuring singing tropical birds and tiki statues. It was Walt Disney's first use of Audio-Animatronics technology.
- Land
- Adventureland
- Opened
- 1963
CC Tier: Fine, fills time between the big stuff
Mr. Toad's Wild Ride
A wild, dark, slightly unhinged little ride that ends with you going to hell, literally, which is a wild thing for a Disney attraction to just do. It's short and a little rough around the edges, but the sheer weirdness earns it a spot above the merely average.
About Mr. Toad's Wild Ride
A chaotic dark ride based on The Wind in the Willows, known for its unexpected dark ending. It's an opening day attraction.
- Land
- Fantasyland
- Opened
- 1955
Pinocchio's Daring Journey
Pleasure Island and Monstro the whale are genuinely unsettling for a kids' ride, which either works for you or doesn't. It's a solid dark ride that mostly lives in the shadow of its Fantasyland neighbors.
About Pinocchio's Daring Journey
A dark ride following Pinocchio's story, including a notably dark detour to Pleasure Island.
- Land
- Fantasyland
- Opened
- 1983
Alice in Wonderland
Riding inside giant caterpillar-shaped cars through a trippy, color-saturated Wonderland is a nice bit of mid-century Disney design. It's a gentle, pleasant ride that doesn't demand much of you and doesn't give back a ton either.
About Alice in Wonderland
A dark ride through scenes from the 1951 animated film, with guests riding in caterpillar-shaped vehicles.
- Land
- Fantasyland
- Opened
- 1958
Storybook Land Canal Boats
A slow boat tour past miniature versions of Disney movie villages, including a tiny Cinderella castle you can actually see into. It's sweet and detailed, but it's also a ride you take for the scenery, not for excitement.
About Storybook Land Canal Boats
A slow boat ride past miniature villages from classic Disney films, narrated live by a boat captain.
- Land
- Fantasyland
- Opened
- 1956
King Arthur Carrousel
A genuinely old, genuinely pretty carousel that's been in the park since opening day. There's nothing wrong with it, it's just a carousel, and that ceiling on excitement is the whole story.
About King Arthur Carrousel
A classic carousel with hand-carved horses, located at the heart of Fantasyland. It's been part of the park since opening day.
- Land
- Fantasyland
- Opened
- 1955
Casey Jr. Circus Train
A gentle little train ride through Storybook Land that's basically built for very young kids. Charming in a low-key way, forgettable for anyone over the age of eight.
About Casey Jr. Circus Train
A small circus-themed train ride through Storybook Land, aimed primarily at young children.
- Land
- Fantasyland
- Opened
- 1955
DD Tier: Only if the line is basically empty
Autopia
Driving a gas-powered car on a fixed track that won't let you actually steer anywhere is one of the more polarizing attractions at Disneyland, and we're siding with the skeptics here. Kids love the idea of driving; everyone in line behind the slow car does not.
About Autopia
A driving attraction where guests steer small gas-powered cars along a fixed track. It's been reworked and retitled several times since 1955.
- Land
- Tomorrowland
- Opened
- 1955
Dumbo the Flying Elephant
Spinning elephants that go up and down is about as basic as a theme park ride gets. It's cute for toddlers and genuinely nothing for anyone else, and the wait time rarely matches the three minutes you get.
About Dumbo the Flying Elephant
A gentle spinning ride where guests control their elephant vehicle's height. It's one of the most recognizable kiddie rides at Disneyland.
- Land
- Fantasyland
- Opened
- 1955
Disneyland Monorail
A nice, smooth way to get a view of the park from above, and historically significant as the first daily-operating monorail system in the country. As a ride experience, though, it's closer to transportation than attraction.
About Disneyland Monorail
An elevated train that circles part of Tomorrowland and historically connected to the Disneyland Hotel. It was the first daily operating monorail in the Western Hemisphere.
- Land
- Tomorrowland
- Opened
- 1959
Mad Tea Party
Spinning teacups you control yourself, which mostly just means you can make yourself nauseous faster if you want to. It's a classic in name only at this point, kept alive by nostalgia and Instagram photos more than by the ride itself.
About Mad Tea Party
A spinning teacup ride themed to Alice in Wonderland, where riders can spin their own cup faster using a central wheel.
- Land
- Fantasyland
- Opened
- 1955
FF Tier: Walk, don't ride
It's a Small World
The song will be in your head for the rest of the day whether you want it there or not, and that's really the whole review. It's historically important and the exterior clock show is genuinely lovely, but as a ride it's slow, long, and mostly just a vehicle for that one song on a loop.
About It's a Small World
A slow boat ride past hundreds of Audio-Animatronic children singing the same song in different languages. It originated at the 1964 World's Fair before moving to Disneyland.
- Land
- Fantasyland
- Opened
- 1966
How we ranked them
We weighed ride quality (theming, story, technical ambition), rewatchability/rerideability, how well each attraction has aged, and its cultural weight within the Disneyland canon. Nostalgia counts for something, but a ride that's just old doesn't automatically rank above one that's actually good. We also factored in wait-time-to-payoff ratio, because nobody wants to hear "it's a classic" after 90 minutes in the Nevada sun.
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Rank these yourselfFAQ
What is the best ride at Disneyland?
Fan and critic consensus points to Indiana Jones Adventure, Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted Mansion, and Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance as the top tier, with no single clear winner among them.
What is the longest ride at Disneyland?
The Disneyland Railroad and Jungle Cruise run longer than most attractions since they're full loops or river tours rather than quick dark rides, though exact ride times vary by trip.
Is It's a Small World worth riding?
It's more of a historical and visual experience, especially the exterior facade and clock show, than a thrilling ride. Worth seeing once, not a must-repeat.
What replaced Splash Mountain at Disneyland?
Tiana's Bayou Adventure, based on The Princess and the Frog, opened on the same ride system and layout as the old Splash Mountain.
Which Disneyland rides are good for small kids?
Dumbo the Flying Elephant, Casey Jr. Circus Train, King Arthur Carrousel, and Storybook Land Canal Boats are all gentle, low-intensity rides built with younger kids in mind.
Is Space Mountain scarier than Big Thunder Mountain?
Space Mountain is faster and in total darkness, which makes it feel more intense, while Big Thunder Mountain is a milder, more family-friendly coaster experience.
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Image credits
- Indiana Jones AdventurePhoto: Dick Thomas Johnson, CC BY 2.0 (via Openverse) · License · Source
- Pirates of the CaribbeanPhoto: Riku Lu, CC0 (Wikimedia Commons) · License · Source
- Haunted MansionPhoto: Elisa.rolle, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons) · License · Source
- Star Wars: Rise of the ResistancePhoto: Jeremy Thompson, CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons) · License · Source
- Big Thunder Mountain RailroadPhoto: SolarSurfer, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons) · Source
- Space MountainPhoto: Contributor19, CC BY 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons) · License · Source
- Matterhorn BobsledsPhoto: Kingofthedead, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons) · License · Source
- Millennium Falcon: Smugglers RunPhoto: Benoît Prieur, CC0 (Wikimedia Commons) · License · Source
- Mickey & Minnie's Runaway RailwayPhoto: Benoît Prieur, CC0 (Wikimedia Commons) · License · Source
- Jungle CruisePhoto: User:Jonnyboyca, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons) · Source
- Tiana's Bayou AdventurePhoto: Jeremy Thompson, CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons) · License · Source
- Peter Pan's FlightPhoto: Jeremy Thompson, CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons) · License · Source
- Buzz Lightyear Astro BlastersPhoto: Rob Young from United Kingdom, CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons) · License · Source
- Roger Rabbit's Car Toon SpinPhoto: Contributor19, CC BY 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons) · License · Source
- Finding Nemo Submarine VoyagePhoto: HarshLight from San Jose, CA, USA, CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons) · License · Source
- Snow White's Enchanted WishPhoto: Jeremy Thompson, CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons) · License · Source
- Star Tours – The Adventures ContinuePhoto: Statikuz, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons) · License · Source
- Disneyland RailroadPhoto: Tom Arthur, CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons) · License · Source
- Enchanted Tiki RoomPhoto: User:Jonnyboyca, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons) · Source
- Mr. Toad's Wild RidePhoto: Contributor19, CC BY 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons) · License · Source
- Pinocchio's Daring JourneyPhoto: Freddo, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons) · License · Source
- Alice in WonderlandPhoto: SolarSurfer, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons) · Source
- Storybook Land Canal BoatsPhoto: SolarSurfer, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons) · Source
- King Arthur CarrouselPhoto: Anthony Giorgio, CC BY-SA 2.5 (Wikimedia Commons) · License · Source
- Casey Jr. Circus TrainPhoto: Dogman15, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons) · License · Source
- AutopiaPhoto: Randomgbear at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons) · License · Source
- Dumbo the Flying ElephantPhoto: Jeremy Thompson, CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons) · License · Source
- Disneyland MonorailPhoto: Hawaiian717, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons) · License · Source
- Mad Tea PartyPhoto: Ellen Levy Finch, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons) · License · Source
- It's a Small WorldPhoto: HarshLight from San Jose, CA, USA, CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons) · License · Source