And the Best Disney Ride is....

Space Mountain continued its dominating run with a 9-2 victory over Expedition Everest!  It was the top overall seed heading into the tournament and it was never really threatened at any point.  The average margin of victory for Space Mountain's six wins was seven votes.  That may not seem like a lot, but we typically only had between 5-10 votes each round.  Three of those victories were shutouts, too.  

I'm not really surprised by Space Mountain's victory.  It is always a fan favorite with long lines.  In my opinion, it is the most fun ride I've ever been on.  I never have a bad time on Space Mountain.  And, for my money, the Disneyland version is better than the Disney World version.  Even though both made the Final Four, the best one won.

I'm happy that Space Mountain won, and I want to thank everyone who voted.  This was a fun bracket to do.  Disney Parks has done a similar bracket for the past few years called March Magic, where people can vote on Facebook.  Surprisingly, Space Mountain has never won that bracket.  Pirates of the Caribbean, twice, and Tower of Terror have been the winners.  That's very different from our results, which I find fascinating.  And this is why I do what I do!  Can't wait until next year's bracket!  If anyone has a suggestion for what next year's bracket should be, feel free to pass it my way!

One of my favorite pins!

Best Disney Ride - Championship!

It's the time you've all been waiting for, time to see which two rides will go head to head for the right to be called the best Disney ride.  One ride from each coast has made it to this point, but only one can give bragging rights to its respectful park.  The championship match is a battle of mountains, but maybe not the mountains everyone thought.  On the Disneyland side, Space Mountain continued its dominating run with a 7-2 win over Indiana Jones.  But on the Disney World side, Space Mountain did not fare as well, falling to Expedition Everest 6-2.

So here is your championship matchup!!
Space Mountain

 vs.
Expedition Everest

I was a little surprised to see Everest make it this far.  Not because it's not a great ride, which it is, but because it is newer and I thought the more classic rides would have an advantage.  But this is a great matchup and it will be interesting to see which ride prevails.  You probably all know where my vote is going as I've never been shy about my love of riding through space.  So let's get to the voting!

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And here's the bracket

Best Disney Ride - Final Four!!!!

Here we are!!  The Final Four is set!!  After an exciting Elite Eight, there are four teams left to duke it out for the right to say they are the best Disney ride.  On the Disneyland side, Space Mountain pitched a shutout against Toy Story Midway Mania.  It was another dominating performance for Space Mountain, which has won three out of four matchups via shutout.  Their opponent in the Final Four will be Indiana Jones, which ended the cinderella run of Soarin'.  That sets up a high powered matchup between two of the most popular rides in Disneyland.  Those two rides consistently have the longest lines and use up their Fast Passes the quickest.  It should be an interesting matchup.  Space Mountain has been dominant, while Indiana Jones has had some close calls.  Both are thrilling, but only one will be able to compete for the championship!

And on the Disney World side, Space Mountain was a winner once again, setting up the possibility of an all Space Mountain championship.  But that won't be easy, as it will have to face off against Expedition Everest, which took out Splash Mountain in the closest vote of the round, 4-3.  I think Splash Mountain at Disney World is really great, so to see it go out against Expedition Everest tells me that ride has a chance to pull another upset versus Space Mountain.  I expect another close match because as far as roller coasters go, Everest is incredibly unique and a ton of fun.  But Space Mountain is a classic, so I think it's a toss up.

Now let's get to the real reason you're here, the voting!!  As usual, if you are on a mobile device use the following link.
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Here's what the bracket looks like now.

Best Disney Ride - Elite Eight!!

The Sweet Sixteen has come and gone, and for the most part, the higher seeds dominated.  The top seeded Space Mountains and Splash Mountain all advanced easily.  The Seven Dwarfs Mine Train also advanced handily over Rock 'n' Roller Coaster, and Expedition Everest ended the Cinderella run of Spaceship Earth.  And in what is an upset in seed only, on the Disneyland side, Toy Story demolished Radiator Springs Racers in the 2-3 matchup.  There were only two close matchups and they both occurred in the Matterhorn region.  Soarin' continued its miracle run, winning 6-4 over California Screamin'.  And Indiana Jones had to scratch and claw its way to victory over Pirates of the Caribbean, winning via tiebreaker, 5-5.  That sets up an intriguing Elite Eight.

Breaking down the four matchups, let's start on the Disneyland side.  First, we have Space Mountain, which has been absolutely dominant, facing off against Toy Story Midway Mania.  This was a matchup on the Disney World side in the last round and Space Mountain advanced easily.  I expect the same here.  In the Matterhorn region, Soarin' continues its cinderella run against Indiana Jones.  At this point, I think the Soarin' supporters might take it into the Final Four.  Either way, I think this will be a close match.

On the Disney World side, we have two 1-2 matchups dominated by Magic Kingdom rides.  Space Mountain goes head to head against Seven Dwarf Mine Train.  This will be an interesting matchup.  It's a classic roller coaster versus the newest roller coaster.  Space Mountain Disney World isn't as good as its Disneyland counterpart, but it still has a good chance to make it to the Final Four.  Finally, in the Splash Mountain region, the top seed faces off against Expedition Everest.  Both of these rides are great and I could see either one winning.  It will depend on whether people prefer a watery drop or an icy thrill.

But enough of my rambling, let's vote!  Use the following link on a mobile device.
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Best Disney Ride Sweet Sixteen!!!

The second round is officially over!!  After the conclusion of voting in the Disney World regions, the Sweet Sixteen is now set.  The last round of voting saw a lot of close matchups with four results determined by one vote.  But at the end of the day, there was only one real upset.  Spaceship Earth upset Test Track.  And, unfortunately, my sentimental favorite, the Tomorrowland People Mover, came up one vote short against the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train.  It was a valiant effort and all People Mover fans should be proud.

But now it is time to look ahead as we are down to the top 16 rides!  On the Disneyland side, the Space Mountain region is the only one to see all top four seeds advance to this round.  Top seed Space Mountain faces off against 4-seed Big Thunder Mountain.  So far Space Mountain has rolled through the competition and I expect nothing less in this matchup.  The 2-3 matchup features Radiator Springs Racers and Toy Story Midway Mania.  I think this will be a very close race as both rides are extremely popular.  The Matterhorn region features two cinderellas in Soarin' and Pirates of the Caribbean.  Can either of them keep their magical run going?  I think they both have a chance.

On the Disney World side, Space Mountain might have a little bit of a fight against Toy Story Midway Mania.  In the bottom half of that region, we have an all roller coaster matchup featuring Seven Dwarfs Mine Train against Rock 'n' Roller Coaster.  This might be the closest matchup.  And in the Splash Mountain region, the top seed faces off against Star Tours.  I could see Star Tours fans making this close.  And, finally, we have Spaceship Earth, which looks to continue its own cinderella run against Expedition Everest.

A few things I've noticed about the Sweet Sixteen teams is that they are comprised mostly of the bigger thrill rides.  This isn't too much of a surprise as these are usually the most popular rides.  Some smaller fan favorite rides pulled off upsets in the first round, but most of them couldn't sustain their success in the second round.  Also notable is the absence of Tower of Terror and Haunted Mansion on both sides of the bracket.  It really surprises me that neither of those rides made it through considering how popular they are.  I guess that goes to show how tough this bracket really is.  But enough of my yammering, let's get to the voting!

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Best Disney Ride Round Two - Disney World Regions!

Well, we have our first major upset in the tournament.  Matterhorn went down to Soarin' by a score of 6-5.  I'm utterly shocked by that result.  I hold the Matterhorn in such high regard as one of the best rides in the park, but apparently not every one feels the same.  I will be interested to see if Soarin' can build off the momentum of this upset in the next round against California Screamin'.  That's right, it's an all California Adventure matchup in the next round, one of two such matchups.  In the other region, Radiator Springs Racers and Toy Story Midway Mania each took out a classic Disneyland ride, Haunted Mansion and Jungle Cruise, respectively, to advance to the next round.  There was one other upset in this round with Pirates of the Caribbean winning easily over Tower of Terror, 8-3.  I'm not all that surprised by the result, by rather by the score.  The other matchups in this round were all won by the higher seeds with Space Mountain, Thunder Mountain, and Indiana Jones all advancing quite easily.  It should be quite an interesting Sweet Sixteen!

But before we get ahead of ourselves, we have to finish Round Two in the Disney World regions.  In my opinion, there are quite a few tough choices to make in this round.  Starting in the Space Mountain region, the top seed faces off against The Great Movie Ride.  This should be an easy win for Space Mountain.  The 4-5 matchup, however, features a battle between Mission: Space and Toy Story.  I'm a big fan of Mission: Space, but I think Toy Story will win this one.  The last two matchups in this region feature a couple potential Cinderellas in the People Mover and Peter Pan.  They were each upset winners in Round One, but now they are up against two top seeded roller coasters in Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and Rock 'n' Roller Coaster.  Sentimentally, I want to vote for the underdogs, but those are two really good roller coasters.  It's a battle between fast and slow!

The Splash Mountain Region is really interesting because each matchup features rides from the same park, with all four parks represented.  Splash Mountain versus the Jungle Cruise representing Magic Kingdom, should see Splash Mountain advance.  The Hollywood Studios matchup between Tower of Terror and Star Tours should be a close one.  Animal Kingdom is represented by Expedition Everest and the Kilimanjaro Safaris, and I predict a win for Everest.  And Test Track faces off against Spaceship Earth to represent Epcot in what is one of the tougher choices for me to make.  I think Spaceship Earth is absolutely magical, but Test Track was very fun.

And with all that said, let's get to the voting!  If viewing on a mobile device use the following link.
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Here is what the bracket looks like after the latest round of voting.

Best Disney Ride Round 2 - Disneyland Regions

The first round is complete!  The last region of voting in the first round didn't feature any major surprises or upsets.  Star Tours won a close match against Pirates of the Caribbean, but that was the only real surprise.

And now we move on to Round 2!  We start the voting in the Disneyland regions, which have some very intriguing matchups.  In the Space Mountain region, the top seed faces Mr. Toad's Wild Ride.  These are two of my favorites so this is a tough choice for me.  But I don't see Space Mountain going out this early.  The 4-5 matchup features Big Thunder Mountain versus Star Tours.  Both rides are great and it will be interesting to see who prevails.  Will the power of the dynamite chewing goat win out over the power of the Force?  And in two battles of new versus old we have Radiator Springs Racers against Haunted Mansion and Toy Story against the Jungle Cruise.  I feel like nostalgia will be a very powerful factor in these matchups.  Although, the two newer rides are really popular and a ton of fun.

The Matterhorn region features the top seed against Soarin'.  Soarin' is a fun ride but I don't see it getting by the Matterhorn.  Another heavyweight 4-5 matchup features California Screamin' versus Splash Mountain.  This is actually a battle of the two fastest rides in their respective parks.  That's right, the drop on Splash Mountain is the fastest ride in Disneyland.  We shall see if it's fast enough to get by Screamin'.  And in two more classics versus modern matchups, Indiana Jones faces off against It's a Small World and Tower of Terror meets Pirates of the Caribbean.  I believe Small World faces an uphill battle because of the negative feelings people have towards the song, but it really is a great ride.  It will be interesting to see if Pirates can pull the upset against Tower of Terror.  I think it has a chance.

But there's only one way to find out.  It's time to vote!  Let your voice be heard!  Use the link below on a mobile device.
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And here's what the bracket looks like after Round 1.

Best Disney Ride Round 1 - Disney World Splash Mountain Region

Well, the first Disney World region featured a couple exciting upsets.  The Tomorrowland Transit Authority People Mover won its matchup against Dinosaur, a result that makes me very happy.  I can't express how much I love the People Mover, and how much I miss it at Disneyland.  While it faces an uphill battle in the next round, I am happy it won.  In a more stunning upset, Peter Pan's Flight beat out Big Thunder Mountain by a score of 3-2.  I will admit that Thunder Mountain at Disney World is fun, but not as good as the Disneyland version.  And I had an absolutely amazing experience on Peter Pan when I went, so this result makes me smile.  In other results, Space Mountain, Rock 'n' Roller Coaster, Toy Story, and Seven Dwarfs Mine Train all won going away.  And one of my other favorites, Mission:Space, won a close match against Journey into Imagination, which was really surprising to me.  The next round in this region shapes up to be quite entertaining.

But let's move on to the final region in the first round.  The top seed in this region is Splash Mountain, which is supremely better at Disney World than at Disneyland.  There are some interesting matchups in this region, the most notable of which is Star Tours against Pirates of the Caribbean.  While Star Tours is the same at both parks, Pirates is far inferior at Disney World, resulting in this being a first round matchup as opposed to one in the later rounds.  The Haunted Mansion versus the Kilimanjaro Safaris should also yield an intriguing result.  And with that said, let's get to the voting!

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Here is what the bracket looks like after the last round of voting.

Best Disney Ride - Disney World Space Mountain Region

Voting in the first round of the Disneyland regions is done!  The Matterhorn region showed that the heavyweights were just no match for the smaller rides.  Five of the eight matchups were shutouts, and two more were won by a 5-1 result.  The closest result was the 8-9 matchup which saw Soarin' take down the Grizzly River Rapids.  That's not too surprising because I don't think every one likes water rides.  I believe the second round matchups in both Disneyland regions will be much more competitive.

But now it's time to get to the Disney World brackets, starting with the Space Mountain region.  Yes, Space Mountain in Disney World is also a 1 seed.  This shouldn't be surprising.  There are some intriguing matchups in this region, however.  The 8-9 and 7-10 matchups could both be close.  In the 8-9 matchup Soarin' goes up against the Great Movie Ride.  Both rides have their charm and they are both great for all audiences.  Meanwhile, the 7-10 matchup pits one of my favorites, the People Mover, against Dinosaur, which is a fun ride that utilizes the same ride system as Indiana Jones.  I think my recent experiences on some of these rides might sway my voting a little bit, but that's ok because choosing the best ride asks you to take into account not just the ride itself, but the experience you have riding the ride.  I encourage you to think about all your ride experiences when making your selections.

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Here is what the bracket looks like after the last round of voting.

Best Disney Ride Round 1 Part 2

One region is in the books, and, there weren't too many surprises.  Space Mountain, Thunder Mountain, Star Tours, and Haunted Mansion all swept their respective matchups.  Radiator Springs Racers and Jungle Cruise also won pretty big.  The most surprising result in this region would have to be Mr. Toad's Wild Ride beating Peter Pan.  While Mr. Toad's is one of my favorite rides, I actually expected Peter Pan to win because it is more popular based on ride length every time I go to Disneyland.  But apparently other love the wacky adventures of Toad, Badger, and Rat as much as I do!

And now we move on to the next Disneyland region, the Matterhorn Region.  I suspect the top seeds will again advance easily in this region, but that's why we vote!  So let's get right to it!

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And here is what the bracket looks like after the first round of voting.

Best Disney Ride March Madness Style!!!!

Many of you are used to me doing my own take on March Madness.  Past brackets have crowned the Best Cartoon Character, Best TV Sitcom, and Best Disney Movie.  This year I've decided to stay with the theme of Disneyland versus Disney World which has been the subject of my recent posts.  So we are going to crown the Best Disney ride!!

I wasn't able to put as much time into compiling the bracket as I have in the past.  My detailed breakdowns and analysis of the seeding process pretty much boils down to which rides I like best and think are most popular.  You may not like where some of the rides are seeded, but that's why you have the opportunity to vote!

I broke the bracket into two halves, the Disneyland side and the Disney World side.  I seeded the rides on each side from 1 to 32.  (Don't pay attention to the overall seed numbers on the bracket site that I used.)  So when we get to the end of the tournament, there will be two rides from Disneyland and two rides from Disney World in the Final Four, with the championship pitting the best from each coast against one another.  I realize that Disney is doing their own version of this very bracket, but I know you all would much rather vote in mine.

Without further ado, let's reveal the bracket and open the first region of voting!!




I'm starting the first round of voting on the Disneyland side in the Space Mountain region.  Space Mountain is naturally the top seed on this side of the bracket and should be considered the favorite.  The rest of the region has some tough choices, though, especially in the 8-9 matchup with Mr. Toad's and Peter Pan.  I look forward to seeing how the voting plays out!

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Disneyland vs Disney World Part II

In my last post I focused on the differences between the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World and Disneyland.  In this post I will look at the remaining parks in both resorts.  For WDW, that is Epcot, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom.  And for Disneyland, that means California Adventure.

Let’s start with some of the rides that are similar between the two resorts.  Star Tours at WDW is located at Hollywood Studios.  The ride itself is exactly the same as it is at Disneyland.  The one major difference, though, is the line queue.  You get to walk through the forest moon of Endor complete with AT-AT at WDW.  It’s pretty cool!  Toy Story Midway Mania is also the same in both parks, with the line queue being more exciting in Florida.  The ride itself is great!  It’s totally worth the wait in both places!  Advantage Disney World for the line queues, but a draw for the rides. 

And, then there’s Tower of Terror.  It is similar in both places, but the Florida version adds an extra twist when the cars move along a track before getting to the big drop.  At first I thought it was cool, but then it takes you into an unsettling dark room and I wasn’t a fan of that.  The second time I rode it at WDW, I focused more on the details of the ride and what I realized is that the story is not as tight as it is in California.  The story, as told on the ride, is much stronger at Disneyland.  And for that reason, I like the Disneyland version better.

Now for some differences, starting with Epcot.  Epcot is a beautiful park which is split into two areas, Future World and World Showcase.  Future World features two really innovative rides.  Test Track is a really cool ride in which you get to design your own car and then simulate the specs while on the ride.  It’s a fun slot car race type ride.  I thought the whole premise was clever and the ride is a lot of fun.  Also in Future World is Mission:Space, which simulates a mission to Mars.  I absolutely loved this ride!!  The ride vehicle is very detailed and actually gives each rider a task as if you really are a flight crew.  And you really feel the G Forces if you choose the Orange side.  You can choose the Green side if you get motion sickness, so you can still enjoy the ride.  These two rides are a definite plus for WDW.  The rest of Epcot just continues to add to the mystique.  Spaceship Earth, which is the ride located in the big geodesic sphere, is also a ton of fun and gives guests a chance to put themselves in a video that they can send to themselves.  The Seas pavilion in Future World has a wonderful aquarium and two Finding Nemo inspired attractions, which can also be found at Disneyland. 

After you finish exploring Future World, though, you head over to World Showcase and proceed to sample all kinds of delicious food and drink.  Walking around this section of the park is incredibly relaxing and romantic.  Nothing at Disneyland can compare to this.  It is really geared more towards adults, however, so don’t be surprised if the kids get bored in this section of the park.  But overall, Epcot gives a huge edge to WDW.

I’ve already discussed a few rides from Hollywood Studios, but there’s one more big one that’s a lot of fun.  Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster is a thrilling indoor roller coaster complete with an Aerosmith soundtrack.  It’s definitely a must.  The Great Movie Ride is another unique ride to the park and is a must see for any movie lover.  The rest of Hollywood Studios includes some fun stunt shows and a great Fantasmic experience in its own theater.  Although, I will say the best thing we saw at this park was the Star Wars fireworks show which was absolutely beautiful.  Everyone should see that show if possible.

The final park at WDW is Animal Kingdom.  The feature here is the animals.  So the Kilimanjaro Safaris is an absolute must.  It is a 20 minute ride through an open animal encounter.  You get to see everything from lions and cheetahs to giraffes and elephants.  After getting your zoo fix you can then ride Expedition Everest, a really unique mountain roller coaster.  I don’t want to spoil anything for you, but there are definitely some surprises on this ride!  Also at Animal Kingdom is Dinosaur, a ride back in time to the prehistoric world.  The ride vehicles and track is pretty the same as Indiana Jones, but not as good.  I love dinosaurs, but this ride is just ok.  The rest of Animal Kingdom has some really amazing shows including Lion King and Finding Nemo.  I’m not usually a fan of shows, but these two were totally worth it.

So now let’s switch coasts and look at the second park at Disneyland, California Adventure.  This park features a unique blend of adult thrills and children’s fun.  I’ve already discussed Tower of Terror and Toy Story, but another feature ride of the park is California Screamin’, an amazing outdoor roller coaster.  I’m pretty sure this is the longest coaster ride in any of the Disney parks and includes a loop and lots of air time.  I always have fun on this ride.  The other big ride is Radiator Springs Racers, which is located in the beautifully designed Cars Land.  This ride is similar in style to Test Track, but takes you through Radiator Springs in a really fun dark ride atmosphere before going outside for a race through the hills.  When you’re done riding the Racers, you should make sure you enjoy Cars Land, because it is really beautifully done.  Another unique attraction at California Adventure is World of Color, the nighttime show.  It is a blend of water show, light show, and video show.  It’s really cool.

Other rides at California Adventure include Soarin’ over California, a fun flight simulator type ride, and Grizzly River Rapids, a water ride.  Both rides are fun and have counterparts in Florida, but they were closed when I went so it is hard to compare them.  Other parts of the park are similar to Epcot in the sense that you can sample some good food and get your drink on at places that are unique to California such as a Napa Valley winery and a bread factory.  It’s a nice way to relax during the day.

Ride-wise, it’s easy to give the edge to WDW because there are just more of them spread among the four parks.  The rides there are innovative and fun and really do a much better job keeping guests entertained while in line.  The rides at Disneyland are also fun, but they just can’t compete with the quantity at WDW.

So let’s look at some other aspects of the resorts.  WDW has over 150 restaurants on property.  That’s a ridiculous amount of options and you can pretty much find any type of food that suits you.  Disneyland can’t compete with that.  But with all those parks, rides, restaurants, etc., WDW is just plain huge.  And with that sheer size comes some issues.  Trying to park hop or even get back to your hotel takes a lot of time.  Even walking within the parks is a huge task.  The Disneyland resort is much more intimate and much more conducive to seeing in a short amount of time.  I can understand why people spend a week at WDW, whereas it is perfectly feasible to spend a weekend or even a day at Disneyland and do it all.  For that reason I give Disneyland the edge.

One other thing I was surprised about at WDW was the lack in merchandise diversity.  It seemed like every store was filled with the same stuff, even across the four parks.  I assumed there would be a lot more choice, especially when it came to the pins.  As an avid pin collector I was looking forward to see what WDW had to offer.  What I found was quite disappointing.  I really feel like the pin selection at Disneyland is much more diverse and you see something different in every store.  Also, the pin displays at WDW were much smaller compared to Disneyland.  I expected the opposite to be true considering everything else is bigger there.

And, finally, Disneyland has a sense of history that WDW just can’t contend with.  Walt had a hand in everything with Disneyland, but unfortunately he passed away before WDW was finished.  When you walk through Disneyland you know that you are walking in Walt’s footsteps, and that is something that is just indescribable.  Maybe it’s because I grew up going to Disneyland, but I really do think it is the better park.  Don’t get me wrong, WDW is incredibly fun and you will have an amazing time there, but after going there recently, I would be ok with not going again for another decade.  As fun as it is and as magical a time as I had with my wonderful girlfriend, it’s just so overwhelming.  And I really would only want to go during off-peak times anyway.  Disneyland, on the other hand, I could go at anytime, and when I leave I’m ready to go back again immediately. 

So if I had to pick one, I would choose Disneyland.  I hope you enjoyed my comparison.  Please feel free to comment with your thoughts.

Disneyland vs Disney World Part I

Recently, I went on a trip to Walt Disney World.  It was my first time there in over 21 years.  There have been quite a few changes since I was last there.  And there are many differences to Disneyland, which I consider my home park.  Now that I’ve been to both resorts within the last year, I feel qualified to discuss the differences between the two and the pros and cons of each park.

Let’s start with the Magic Kingdom, which is essentially a copy of Disneyland.  First, the Magic Kingdom is a lot bigger than Disneyland.  Disneyland is essentially a circle which is pretty easy to navigate, and you don’t have to walk more than a few feet to get from one attraction to the next.  Magic Kingdom is not like that at all.  There were stretches when we were walking and the only thing nearby were restaurants or shops.  And with all the forks and different paths, it was quite easy to get lost or not know where you were.  We almost missed an entire section of the park because we couldn’t figure out how to get there.  Advantage: Disneyland

Now let’s look at the individual rides within the park, starting with the big rides.  Space Mountain at Disneyland is my favorite ride.  It is so much fun and I have the entire experience memorized.  Space Mountain at Magic Kingdom is very different than its California counterpart.  First, there are two tracks in Florida, which are slightly different than each other and very different from Disneyland’s.  I have to say they are much better.  Disneyland’s track is very circular, to say the least, while Magic Kingdom offers two tracks that have much more variety.  Secondly, the cars are quite different between the two.  Disneyland cars can sit riders side by side and have music in the headsets that is timed to the ride making it seem more thrilling.  The Magic Kingdom cars sit riders single file, have no music, and are rather uncomfortable.  Finally, the Magic Kingdom takes your picture at the beginning of the ride, while Disneyland snaps it at the end.  Overall, I have to give the edge to Magic Kingdom due to the longer and better track, although I much prefer the cars at Disneyland.

On to another mountain ride, Splash Mountain.  The edge here is clearly with Magic Kingdom.  First of all, the logs are much more comfortable in Florida, and you can sit side by side.  Also, they don’t sit so low in the water, so water doesn’t constantly splash in from the sides.  It makes riding at night much more pleasant.  Finally, the ride is a little longer and the storytelling feels a little more complete.  Disneyland’s Splash Mountain is a fun ride, but I enjoyed it a lot more at Magic Kingdom.

Next up, we have Thunder Mountain.  This ride feels almost identical in both places, with one glaring omission.  There is no dynamite chewing goat at Magic Kingdom.  For that reason alone I have to give the edge to Disneyland.

Pirates of the Caribbean is next on the list.  Pirates at Disneyland is iconic and a wonderful ride.  It’s an 18 minute cruise with some fun drops and state of the art animatronics.  Pirates at Magic Kingdom is a five minute rushed copy that doesn’t come close to living up to the original.  It’s a very disappointing ride.

Jungle Cruise at Magic Kingdom, however, is a slightly longer cruise than Disneyland.  I love the Jungle Cruise.  It’s one of my favorite rides.  Both rides are very similar with only small differences between the two.  For instance, there are no piranhas at Disney World.  And even with the added length, many of the scenes were the same at Magic Kingdom.  But I have to give the edge to Disneyland for a couple reasons.  First, it’s the original, and second, I’ve never had a rude guide there before.  Our guide in Florida was kind of rude and sarcastic in a mean way.  It really ruined the experience and we never made it back to try it again.

The next ride to compare is Haunted Mansion.  I kept hearing how the Haunted Mansion at Disney World was much better than Disneyland, but, honestly, they felt pretty much the same to me.  The order of some of the scenes was a little different, but both rides are equally enjoyable.

Comparing It’s a Small World is another clear advantage for Disneyland.  That ride is a classic, and as annoying as you might think the song is, you can’t deny the charm and good feelings the ride produces.  Bringing the ride from the 1964 World’s Fair, it was a remarkable achievement for its time, and it has withstood the test of time.  The ride at Magic Kingdom is a disappointing copy.  It’s shorter, darker, and less charming.

The Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin is an interesting ride to look at.  The rides are nearly identical in both places with only a couple noticeable differences.  The first is that the laser guns at Magic Kingdom are affixed to the cars whereas the guns at Disneyland are tethered by a cord and can be moved around easier.  Magic Kingdom, however, does have one video scene that is fun and adds a layer of storytelling to the ride.  But the guns on the Disneyland version give it the edge in my book.

The Tomorrowland Autopia at Disneyland and the Tomorrowland Speedway at Magic Kingdom are really only similar in the fact that you get to “drive” cars around a track.  But the track at Disneyland is far superior and much more enjoyable than Magic Kingdom.  There is more scenery and props and it feels longer.  Another notch for Disneyland. 

The final ride I will be comparing in this post is Peter Pan.  I rarely ride Peter Pan at Disneyland because the line is always long, but from what I remember, it is identical to the one at Magic Kingdom.  So this one is a wash.

The standings after looking at rides that appear in both parks is 6 for Disneyland, 2 for Magic Kingdom, and 2 ties.

Now, there are some rides and attractions which are only featured in Magic Kingdom.  These attractions include the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Monsters Inc Laugh Floor, and Stitch’s Great Escape.  There are also two attractions which used to be at Disneyland but no longer are like the Country Bear Jamboree and the Peoplemover.  The Seven Dwarfs Mine Train is a great ride and gives Magic Kingdom a significant boost.  The Monsters Inc Laugh Floor is also very fun and interactive and something I would be inclined to do again.  Stitch’s Great Escape is not very enjoyable overall.  I would not do that again.  And I very much miss the Peoplemover and Country Bear Jamboree at Disneyland.  Peoplemover was one of my favorites and I continue to lobby to bring it back.  Overall, this set of rides gives an edge to Magic Kingdom.

But I would be remiss if I didn’t look at rides at Disneyland which are not featured at Magic Kingdom.  That list begins with Matterhorn and Indiana Jones.  Those two right there should be the cherry on top for Disneyland, but then you add Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride on top and you make an even stronger case.  These are three of my favorites with the Matterhorn being such an iconic experience at Disneyland that it felt weird without it at Magic Kingdom.

Taking all this into account, I have to give Disneyland the overall edge in this instance.  If I had to choose between just Disneyland and the Magic Kingdom, I would choose Disneyland.  That doesn't mean I didn't love my time in the Magic Kingdom, as sharing the visit with my lovely girlfriend made the entire experience absolutely incredible. There will be more on that and looks at the other parks that make up both resorts later, but for the sake of time, I will end this post here and call it Part I.  Look for Part II sometime in the near future.  I hope you enjoy and feel free to leave your opinions and thoughts in the comments.