DISNEYLAND ATTRACTIONS
DISNEY-SMILES HOME CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE ATTRACTIONS
This is a list of attractions found in Disneyland with a few comments thrown in. They will also link you back to their place on the official Disneyland website.
= Great, the best 
= Fun
and very enjoyable 
= Maybe
fun & interesting 
= A
snoozer 
= Don't even
bother
Disneyland Park Attractions
Amusements
Autopia
I haven't been on the Autopia for a long time mostly
because I know how to drive. Kids love it though....
Davy
Crockett's Explorer Canoes No thanks.
I'm not going to Disneyland to engage in some strenuous "work".
The walking is tough enough....
Frontierland
Shootin' Exposition This arcade shoot-'em-up
has been there forever - maybe its time for something else. Once inside
the main gates I have a problem paying for anything but food or souvenirs.
Mad
Tea Party
Still a fun spin after all these years......
Roger
Rabbit's Car Toon Spin This is the best thing in
ToonTown (if you are over 6) but sometimes you get so focused on getting the car to spin that you
forget about scenery and story that's being played out. Pay
attention! Great queuing line...
Starcade
A video arcade and a waste of valuable Disney time.
Go to Chuck E. Cheese if you want to play games!
Tarzan's
Treehouse™ Never went up there but
pictures on the internet actually show some interesting things up in the tree.
If you make it to the top you might get some great photo opportunities.
Some day maybe.
Pirates
Lair at Tom Sawyer Island Tom and
Huck are pretty much out and pirates are now in. There are actually some
pretty interesting things over there including your best chance to get a picture
with Jack Sparrow...
Big Thrills
Big
Thunder Mountain Railroad A good, fun, mid
thrills coaster but you can get tossed from side to side quite a bit.
Great theming. This might be something to try at night for a different
perspective.
Indiana
Jones™ Adventure
This is a Disney favorite for many but once again the car
bumps, jumps, and turns to the point of sometimes getting distracted from the
actual story. Still - it's a winner. Not for those with chronically
poor backs.
Matterhorn
Bobsleds A fairly tame low thrills coaster
but it is a Disney classic. There are two tracks - a Fantasyland side and a
Tomorrowland side. Lisa and I tend to believe the Fantasyland side is a
little smoother ride. No FastPass so the lines can be long.
Space
Mountain A true thrill ride with a coaster
flying through almost complete darkness. The darkness gives the illusion
that you are probably going faster than you really are. A great ride and a
must-do for any Disneyland visit. The long refurbishment completed in 2005
makes the ride much smoother. Lines can be long be sure to get a
FASTPASS early or head over there when the park opens.
Splash
Mountain
You can flip a coin as to which
"mountain" is the best - Splash Mountain or Space Mountain. Put
it this way, Splash Mountain is great fun for all ages except the very
young. Very well themed and immensely entertaining and to top it off, you
will get wet. Definitely get a FASTPASS.
Star
Tours Loosely based on Star Wars, this space
simulator was THE ride in Disneyland 20 years ago. Now it appears to be a
bit tired and dated and in definite of an upgrade. Still fun though and
the best part is the lines to get in are now fairly short.
Character Greetings
Aladdin
and Jasmine at Aladdin's Oasis Saw
this once. That was enough. Mostly for kids.
Meet Your Favorite Disney Princesses
Mickey's
House and Meet Mickey
I just finally went into Mickey's house and didn't
realize all the fun stuff was actually in here. A must see even if Mickey
is nowhere to be found.
Minnie's
House Girl's stuff...and
much smaller compared to Mickey's digs next door.
Winnie
the Pooh & Friends Probably the best
character photo opportunity in either park can be found in Pooh Corner.
Discovery
Innoventions
I just don't get it. This immense building can be
put to so much better use. The Honda robot is suppose to be interesting
though.
Main
Street Cinema Old time Mickey cartoons
including the original "Steamboat Willie".
Family Adventures
Finding
Nemo Submarine Voyage The
line can be long so you kind of have to pick your time but the Disney did a
great job in bringing the tired faded old submarine ride back to life with
something very special. This is one of the handful of a attractions that
defines what Disneyland is all about.
Astro
Orbitor
I've never been on this as it seem to be designed
for the 12 and under age group. Looks good in a picture though.
Buzz
Lightyear Astro Blasters
Great fun for a modern "dark" ride. Make
sure you email your photo home when you're through.
Gadget's
Go Coaster Kids only - but a 30 minute wait for 30
second ride? No way!
Haunted
Mansion Probably the most detailed theming of any attraction in
the park but at this point I get kind of bored. I prefer the Haunted Mansion Holiday
overlay version myself.
"Honey,
I Shrunk the Audience" An entertaining 3-D
experience. Can be frightening for younger children.
Jungle
Cruise
This is a Disneyland original based on the movie
"The African Queen" - bad jokes, hit or miss scenery, great fun, and
the backside of water. A must-do for all ages.
Mr.
Toad's Wild Ride
Also a Disneyland original but one of the worst of
the "dark" rides. It's not very "wild". Has
anybody ever seen the Disney movie with Mr. Toad in it?
Pirates
of the Caribbean
The best ride in either park simply because its imaginative
and a work of genius in so many ways. You can't go on this attraction too
many times. It never seems to get old. It may be the one ride that
keeps bringing people back to the park. Maybe there is something in the air down
there.
Snow
White's Scary Adventures See Mr. Toad -
same deal here. At least people know who Snow White is and everyone loves
a dwarf.
Fun For Little Ones
Alice
in Wonderland Only a small step above Mr. Toad,
Snow White, and Pinocchio. Again, kids will get a little more fun out of
this lame ride.
Casey
Jr. Circus Train This rides kind of covers the
same territory as Storybook Land Canal Boats but I find it a little more
"fun".
Chip 'n Dale Treehouse Kids Only
Donald's Boat Kids Only
Dumbo
the Flying Elephant
Kids absolutely love this ride. Wait times can be a
little long so get there early.
Enchanted
Tiki Room Adults will probably enjoy
this show more than kids. Very imaginative and entertaining. It's a
Disneyland classic. See it
with a Dole pineapple float.
"it's
a small world"
From the outside, this is
an impressive sight, especially at
Christmas, but once you're inside it's 13 minutes of dolls singing the same
song. Yikes - get that song out of my head!!!!
King
Arthur Carrousel An exquisitely detailed
merry-go-round. Beautiful just to look at.
The
Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
This is a fairly new very brightly colored "dark"
ride that you can't help but leave with a smile on your face. Supposedly
the "Pooh" ride in other Disney parks is even better.
Peter
Pan's Flight
The very best of all the Disney "dark" rides
because you get to look down from above instead of side to side. A must
if you can put up with the wait on a very slow loading ride.
Pinocchio's
Daring Journey If Peter Pan is the best,
Pinocchio may be the worst. Check that - it may be slightly better than Mr.
Toad.
Storybook
Land Canal Boats You either love this one or
absolutely hate it. Either way, you could miss it and not feel bad about
it.
Getting Around
Disneyland®
Monorail Whether
used for transportation to Downtown Disney & back or a pleasant trip around
the resort, everyone loves a ride with the monorail. Two new trains have
been put into service.
Disneyland®
Railroad Always an entertaining way get around
the park and valuable transportation for tired feet. You'll miss it if it's not running.
Mark
Twain Riverboat It's exactly what it appears
- an enjoyable relaxing trip around the Rivers of America. No thrills but
extremely pleasant.
Sailing
Ship Columbia This runs in
conjunction with the Mark Twain when crowds dictate two ships running.
This is interesting if you haven't been on it but overall I prefer the Mark
Twain because you can sit down and enjoy the scenery.