Every Disneyland Resort Ride Ranked

When Disneyland opened on July 17, 1955, it was dubbed "Walt's Folly" because of several issues, including rides breaking down. But it survived, growing from one park with 20 "attractions" — Disney-speak for rides, shows, and other experiences — to two parks, three hotels, and the Downtown Disney shopping district, all collectively known as the Disneyland Resort. Disney's California Adventure, the second park, opened on February 8, 2001, and was rededicated in 2012 as Disney California Adventure, though avid park-goers refer to it simply as "DCA."

Taken together, the parks boast 91 attractions, though Disneyland has more than Disney California Adventure. Only 14 of the original Disneyland attractions from 1955 remain — 13 rides plus the Main Street Cinema, which runs classic Mickey Mouse cartoons. Disney California Adventure has undergone similar changes, having revamped its aesthetic entirely in 2012 from celebrating California to a more Disney-themed affair, and more recently, replacing A Bug's Land with Avengers Campus.

Though everyone has a favorite ride, these rankings are based on Touring Plans, a popular site for Disney fans which conducts extensive research on all Disney parks, including attendee surveys and theme park experts' opinions. Where there were ties or no expert rating, we reviewed average attendee rankings, wait times, and ride load capacity per hour (and maybe a little insider knowledge from the author's long-time standing as an Annual Passholder) to break the ties. Here, then, are all the rides at the Disneyland Resort ranked from least favorite to most.

Main Street Vehicles come in four old-timey varieties: the horse-drawn trolley, the jitney, the fire engine, and the double-decker omnibus. 

All four rides are one way and slowly take you up or down Main Street. The drivers are generally congenial, and the ride is very much like winding down the main drag of a sleepy town. Not a huge thrill, but it's immersive enough in Americana that everyone should try it at least once. It's also a good way to bypass the shops on Main Street if you're trying to avoid spending whatever money you have left after getting through the admission gate.

Occupying the space where the Maliboomer once stood, Inside Out Emotional Whirlwind is a reskinned Flik's Flyers from the old A Bug's Land, but built up on a platform so you fly higher than before. 

Riley's Emotions from "Inside Out" are depicted on the baskets which are connected to Riley's memory balls, resembling a balloon ride. The tower tilts from the top as the ride spins around, giving an "up and down" sensation similar to the Silly Symphony Swings, but without that ride's chaotic nature.

Gadget, a character from the "Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers" cartoon, has made a small-fry-friendly steel-track coaster that packs in a few turns and drops for such a small footprint. 

A cartoon hand cranks the gears taking the acorn train up the first hill. Other fun touches include a cartoon frog spitting water over the tracks. Though each car is designed to hold one adult and one child, don't be surprised to see two adults crammed in together. It may be a kid's ride, but it's fun for kids of all ages.

The Mad Tea Party from "Alice in Wonderland" is a spinning ride where visitors ride an oversized teacup on a rotating platform and control how fast their individual cup spins or doesn't. 

Sometimes you'll see a family in their cup taking it easy, while other cups are a whirling blur of flying arms feverishly turning the control wheel. Dozens of lanterns dangle overhead for a colorful time. In the eyes of some die-hard Disneygoers, this fun and crazy ride, with its looped "The Unbirthday Song" piping in, would be much higher in the rankings.

Pinocchio's Daring Journey is a dark ride that debuted in 1983 as part of Fantasyland's overhaul. 

The ride follows the trajectory of the Disney film "Pinocchio," as the little wooden boy is taken by the evil Stromboli and forced to perform as a living puppet. Pinocchio's conscience, Jiminy Cricket, tries to help, but Pinocchio's a bit of a blockhead. The best part of the ride is nearly getting swallowed by Monstro the Whale. The lack of line most days compared to the other rides in Fantasyland is a big clue as to why this ride ranks so low.

Although Autopia's been through multiple changes since it debuted on July 17, 1955, some things remain the same, such as the noxious gas fumes emanating from the backs of the cars as they travel the winding Disney "freeway." 

While not as bad as before Honda became the sponsor in 2016, they remain a little stinky. The cars travel a whopping six miles per hour along a guided track, though riders may control the pedal and steering wheel to a degree. This one's more for kids, but adults can have fun playing bumper cars, which we totally don't advocate doing.

The Red Car Trolley has four stops along Buena Vista Street and Hollywood Land, and like its Main Street Vehicle counterparts, is a bit of nostalgia for guests who want a short ride on a vintage-looking transport. 

The trolleys are also used for a song and dance show throughout the day, which may be the source of the ranking for this ride. If you don't feel like walking from near the park's entrance to Hollywood Land, hop the Red Car Trolley and roll down the street in style.

Grab a paddle as you and 19 other guests all row your way down the Rivers of America in a real canoe — though the truth is, your guides are capable of doing most of the job. 

You'll get in some arm work to balance all the walking at Disneyland, plus you may ride alongside the occasional duck, as several besides Donald, Daisy, and Donald's three nephews live in the park. However, the amount of paddling does tire some people out, which is probably why the ride is ranked at number 39.

The ride that started it all — sort of. 

King Arthur Carrousel, one of the original 1955 opening day rides, was inspired by the Griffith Park Merry-Go-Round in Los Angeles that Walt Disney used to love visiting with his children. It was also the scene of a key moment in the 2013 film "Saving Mr. Banks." 

It's a majestic creation with ornate jumpers (the horses that go up and down), a bench for sitting, and jaunty organ music. The Carrousel may be a lower-ranking ride probably because it's the type of attraction you can find in, well, a regular park — but it's an old-fashioned classic that's the most "Disney" ride in all of Disneyland.

The Silly Symphony Swings features individual and tandem swings that whirl you through the air over Paradise Bay. 

The telescoping tower undulates as it spins, giving a more exciting ride than the static Golden Zephyr rockets. It's not uncommon to see riders with their arms extended as though they are flying while the "William Tell Overture" from the Disney cartoon "The Band Concert" plays. Though it's the type of ride you could find at a carnival or county fair, this one has extra Disney magic that kicks its rank up.

Jessie's Critter Carousel is a smaller merry-go-round than the King Arthur Carrousel that features various varmints from the "Woody's Roundup" cartoon in "Toy Story 2" instead of horses. 

Guests can hop on a bunny if they like, for instance. It used to be King Triton's Carousel of the Sea and featured fish and seahorses, but after the area was rebranded as Pixar Pier, that theme no longer fit. The ride is more geared towards kids and revolves slower than its Disneyland counterpart but it's pretty cute, all told.

Leave it to Goofy to take a "wild mouse"-style coaster and make it sillier. 

Goofy's Sky School is a reskinned version of Mulholland Madness, but with a somewhat smoother ride and nicer individual cars. Goofy's Sky School is a bit wilder than Gadget's Go Coaster, though much tamer than the Incredicoaster. Still, it does have scary moments because each sudden turn makes it appear the "plane" is about to go flying off the tracks. Adults and more adventurous kids will probably prefer the larger coasters.

The Disneyland Railroad has four rankings on Touring Plans, one for each of its stops — Tomorrowland, New Orleans Square, Mickey's Toontown, and Main Street Station, in that order. 

The trains are steam-powered and can take guests around the parks in 18 minutes, though most people hop on and off to get from one land to another. The Tomorrowland stop tops the list because between it and Main Street, guests are treated to scenes from the Grand Canyon and the Primeval World. Yep, you get to see dinosaurs fighting at Disneyland.

Filled with animatronics and so many doors, this ride is based on 2001's "Monsters, Inc." 

It replaced one of Disney's least-successful rides ever, Superstar Limo, in which you were a paparazzo trying to take pictures of celebrities. Instead of that baffling premise, one where you follow Mike and Sulley on their adventure getting baby Boo back to her own bedroom is a much better fit, especially once the park started leaning into its Pixar partners. The line for the ride is filled with cool Monsters touches as well.

Based on 1988's "Who Framed Roger Rabbit," Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin combines the fun of a dark ride with two connected cars that can be spun independently. 

Benny the Cab drives you through Roger's adventures while Judge Doom's hench-weasels try to erase you with Dip. Part of the ride's repeatability is going back to see the things you missed if you've spun your cab too fast. It's a boisterous, wacky ride that almost always has a long line, but with plenty of Toontown-based items to view while you wait.

This boat ride features animatronic children and animals from all over the world singing "It's a Small World (After All)" on a loop that will inevitably become an earworm you'll be humming the rest of your day at the park.

Though the ride experienced a controversial upgrade in 2008, it's essentially the same, with an exterior display every 15 minutes. The ride gets an annual Christmas overlay, with animation projected on the façade at night. Though there are some Disney fans that hate it, most seem to adore it, given the line can get up to 90 minutes or longer on crowded days.

This dimly-lit ride is based on the 1977 film of the same name, with A. A. Milne's stories set to songs and brought to life with projections and animatronics, and a palpable whimsy sure to delight. 

A wobbling beehive car takes a guided track through three tales as Pooh tries to get his beloved honey and his friends plan him a heartwarming birthday celebration. Though it's ranked the same as the Matterhorn Bobsleds, it just edges that ride out because of its cuteness — and the fact that no height limit means even babies can ride.

Formerly an underwater attraction with mermaids and a goofy-looking sea monster, the Submarine Voyage was closed and eventually updated with a Pixar theme. 

Leaps in technology led to Imagineers using underwater projection to present characters from 2003's "Finding Nemo" going about their daily lives as guests view them from the submarine's portholes. The ride can be a bit claustrophobic and the seats are small, but it's also really cute. The line for this is generally long because it takes a while to load and unload the submarines, but guests find it worth the wait.

Peter Pan's Flight is the highest-rated ride in Fantasyland, as well as the last of the original 1955 rides on this list. 

It's the kind of ride that Disney fans flock to as early as possible in the day in order to ensure a short wait time because once that time hits about 40 minutes, it doesn't ever seem to go down. Sail the skies over London to Never Land with Peter and the Darling kids. The ride has small drops for excitement, and the forced perspective makes it feel higher than it really is.

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad isn't just a runaway mine train — it's a haunted one. 

The engineer-less "train" races through pitch-dark tunnels, over hills and around banked corners at a top speed of 36 miles per hour that feels faster at night and will also have you sliding side to side if you don't hang on. It's a rush-and-a-half and includes a mine explosion, as well as benign and dangerous critters on the side of the tracks watching you go by. Watch out for snakes — and skunks ready to spray!

If you've ever wanted to see if you can beat the Kessel run in less than 12 parsecs, you can pilot the Millennium Falcon at Disneyland for practice. 

The cockpit seats six: two each of pilots, engineers, and gunners. Each smuggling run is different, depending on the skill set of all involved. The ride is like a video game, as you earn or lose credits based on what you steal and how much you damage the ship. There's also a hack to unlock "Chewie Mode" if you're fast enough. Everything about it is really well-done.

Grizzly River Run is a whitewater raft ride where you may get a little wet — or soaked to the bone. The hotter the day, the longer you'll have to wait to board, too. 

Each raft holds eight riders and floats freely in the rushing river. The rafts are designed to spin, especially on the final drop, which adds to its unpredictability. It's probably safe to say no two rides are ever alike. All that's keeping it out of the top ten is its longest average wait time, which is 20 minutes less than its closest competitor.

Toy Story Midway Mania! is another combination ride/game, but in 3-D and with a toy cannon you operate by pulling a rope. 

How fast you shoot depends on how fast your arm gets tired. Each game presented is different than the last, and the ride only spins between games. The ride is so popular that the usual lowest average waiting time is 45 minutes. Like many of the rides in the top ten, you want to hit this ride as soon as you get into the park or you will have a long wait.

This indoor coaster has a surprise drop and deeply banked curves to simulate hurtling through space in a rocket. 

Because it's mostly in darkness, Space Mountain's top speed of 35 miles per hour feels much faster, especially when sitting in front. There are speakers in each seat playing music timed with the ride, and a great special effect in the beginning that makes it feel as if the ride is slowly spinning before launch. The ride has had two overlays: Halloween's Ghost Galaxy and the Star Wars-themed Hyperspace Mountain. The wait for this popular coaster averages 45 to 160 minutes.

Yo ho, yo ho, a Pirates ride is ranked 5! 

The darkly-lit boat ride lasts 16 minutes as you witness various pirate shenanigans, with an occasional sighting of Jack Sparrow from the "Pirates of the Caribbean" film franchise. Though the ride has undergone updates and additions throughout the years to keep it fresh and modern, the pirates still plunder and the ride still has a couple of good drops to boost your adrenaline — and the long lines in New Orleans Square that frequently exceed the ride's actual queueing area attest to its popularity, arr.

Slot car toys come to life in this combination dark ride/"coaster" that is themed to 2006's "Cars." 

Drive through beautiful Ornament Valley and past several of the "Cars" characters, after which your vehicle is prepped in Luigi's Casa Della Tires or Ramon's Body Shop before a side-by-side race over rolling hills. The biggest race, however, may be trying to grab a FastPass for this ride before they're all gone. Otherwise, unless you use the Single Rider option, you'll wait an average minimum of 70 minutes to board. The ride came out of the gate popular, and that has not abated.

Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance is hidden away in Batuu's forests to avoid detection by the nefarious First Order. 

It is really like five rides in one, including flight simulation, trackless GPS, and ... well, we don't want to give it all away. Suffice to say it is one of the best attractions ever devised. When the virtual queues go live in the parks, you can feel the anticipation as people try for boarding groups, after which cheers of jubilation mix with moans of defeat as groups are randomly assigned.