10. Star Tours: The Adventures Continue
Disney's Hollywood Studios
Star Tours: The Adventures Continue revamps Disney's original Star Tours ride with a 3D projection system and multiple, randomly-selected scene options during your flight from the pursuit of the evil Galactic Empire.
9. Splash Mountain
Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom
Fans love this musical romp with fun characters, some nifty twists and bumps, and its soaking wet, 40-miles-per-hour, 52-foot drop.
8. Test Track
Epcot
While you wait to board, you'll get to choose some of the elements of a new car that will be tested during your ride. Once on board, you'll ride in a six-seat "test vehicle" as unseen engineers test your car for traction, response, efficiency, and, of course, speed.
7. Jurassic Park River Adventure
Universal's Islands of Adventure
"Oooh, ahhh... that's how it always starts. Then later there's running and screaming." Sure enough, the velociraptors escape, the meat-eaters are running loose, and, oh, is that a T-Rex trying to eat you? Hang on, because it's all downhill from there.
6. Soarin'
Epcot
Board one of three massive "hang gliders" for a flight around the state of California, breezing along above river rafters, orange groves, golf courses, national parks, and even an aircraft carrier. For the finale, you'll skim above a downtown Los Angeles freeway on your way to a fireworks display at Disneyland, making this the only theme park attraction whose climax is a scene from... another theme park.
5. Haunted Mansion
Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom
This Dutch Gothic Revival New England mansion looks innocent enough on the outside, but 999 "happy haunts" reside inside. The Haunted Mansion long has been one of Disney's most popular attractions at theme parks around the world, with its deft use of stagecraft to create a variety of illusions.
4. Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
Disney's Hollywood Studios
Themed to an "Old Hollywood" resort from the late 1930's, this elaborately themed drop ride offers multiple drop sequences, so you'll probably not get the same ride twice.
3. Pirates of the Caribbean
Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom
Walk through the Spanish fortress and step into a bateau for your ride into a mysterious cavern. Be sure to "keep your ruddy hands in board," though, for "there be rough seas ahead," ones that will drop you into a musical pirate adventure.
2. The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man
Universal's Islands of Adventure
J. Jonah Jameson's hired you as an intern at the Daily Bugle, to test its new automated news-gathering vehicle, the SCOOP. But, of course, news breaks and everything goes “terribly wrong,” and you're soon twisting and spinning around the city as a collection of villains torments you with fireballs, floods, and even a 100-story drop.
1. Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey
Universal's Islands of Adventure
Professor Dumbledore has opened Hogwarts Castle to Muggles for the first time, and you're invited. Step inside the castle for a walking tour of the dungeons, greenhouses, and Dumbledore's office, before Harry, Ron and Hermione catch up to help you board a flying bench for an airborne tour of the castle and grounds. Now if only you could get away from that nasty dragon that keeps chasing you....
What is your favorite theme park attraction in Orlando? And which one have you gone on the most over the years? Tell us, in the comments.
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Well, there's the Simpsons ride...but that isn't a *real* theme park.
For many years, the Muppets 3-D attraction at California Adventure (now temporarily closed) was showing the same ending at the Magic Kingdom. Come to think of it, The Muppets 3-D was showing at MGM/Disney Studios with the ending of the Magic Kingdom too. Thus, this theme park attraction has a climax from scenes from another theme park at both locations.
Even at DCA, where do people go at rope drop? RSR, the RSR FP line...and TSMM. Endlessly popular. And when we go to ride TSMM there, we usually wait about 40-45 min., even on school days.
I also don't particular see what is so amazing about Splash Mountain. I've ridden it. It's cute. But Bluto's Bilge ride is a much more entertaining water ride, in my opinion.
My soft spot at Disney is the Haunted Mansion, but it's on the list, so I have no qualms about it.
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Maybe the only ride on this list that I feel pretty lukewarm about is the updated Test Track. It seems like it has lost its focus in the renovated version. What am I looking at, a bunch of shapes and colors? Not sure.
Also, can't wait for a new favorite to be built one day soon. What is it going to be? King Kong? Something further in the future? There's nothing like taking that first ride on a new attraction and just being blown away by the technology enough to suspend disbelief for a couple of minutes (until many, many re-rides reveal all of the intimate details of how it's done). Most recently I felt this way with Forbidden Journey - had never experienced anything like that before.