Best Ride

I read a lot of Disney websites – and I mean A LOT.  And I always see forum threads that ask questions like “What is the best park to visit?” or “Which is the best ride in Disneyland?” stuff like that.  I bet you could go right now to your top five Disney website forums and find a similar question on at least two of them in a very short amount of time.  It is a recurring theme.

So what is the best ride when you go to Disneyland?” – I know the answer.

But let’s have a look at some of the ones that aren’t quite number 1.

Indiana Jones – one of the greatest theme park rides around.  It is modern storytelling with special effects and no expense spared.

Space Mountain – innovative indoor roller coaster with a wonderful soundtrack and space visuals – IMHO better than WDW’s original.

Tea Cups – a Wonderful World of Disney TV show classic – who doesn’t get nostalgic for those evenings in the 1970′s watching the opening of that show when you are in the parks spinning in those cups?

Monorail – as above! An iconic ride made even more famous by TV.

It’s a Small World – so many of us lampoon it, but every time we visit, we ride it!

Pirates – Brilliant, storytelling genius.

Haunted Mansion – another classic attraction with special effects that look as good today as they did when most of them debuted in the late 1960′s.

So, these are some of the losers, and there are many more I didn’t list.  But the best ride when going to Disneyland is…

…the bus trip from LAX down Interstate 5 to Harbor Blvd.  Seeing those Disney signs as you get closer to the resort and the anticipation of the next few days/weeks ahead.  The knowledge that you are about to step out of reality, leaving your normal life of paying bills, cooking dinner, driving to work, picking up the dry cleaning, and all those day to day tasks behind.  It is the promise of fantasy, adventure, excitement, thrills and happiness – that is the best ride.