While Tron’s lighting up Tomorrowland and Splash Mountain’s getting a Princess makeover, some rides at Magic Kingdom are stubbornly stuck in the past. Let’s count down the top 10 attractions that have apparently found the fountain of youth (or just missed the memo about renovations).
We’re ranking these from “classic charm” to “please, for the love of Mickey, update this!”
10. Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress
- Pro: A perfect air-conditioned napping spot for exhausted parents
- Con: You might wake up thinking it’s actually 1994
- Our Opinion: It’s still the best! Those songs will be stuck in your head all day long.
9. Mad Tea Party
- Pro: Still spinning strong after all these years
- Con: Your stomach’s “It’s a Small World” song is about to become “It’s a Spinning World”
- Our Opinion: Jill still likes it, so I tend to be the official photographer from the outside in order to save my stomach for more dole whips.
8. Prince Charming Regal Carousel
- Pro: A whimsical classic that never goes out of style
- Con: The only ride where you can pretend you’re royalty… going absolutely nowhere
- Our Opinion: It’s there for a reason. Enjoy the trip through history and feel like a kid again.
7. Peter Pan’s Flight
- Pro: You can still fly over London and Neverland!
- Con: The queue is longer than Peter Pan’s entire character arc
- Our Opinion: We do this early in the day to check it off the list.
6. The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
- Pro: Riding in a giant honey pot is still oddly satisfying
- Con: Missing the old attraction, because the technology fails often and makes you wish for a better time.
- Our Opinion: Save it for the end of the day and walk right on. It’s not worth using a Lightning Lane.
5. Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
- Pro: Fulfilling your space ranger dreams since 1998
- Con: The only place where your dad’s bad aim is suddenly “top score” material
- Our Opinion: Toy Story Mania is the same idea, but with new technology.
4. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
- Pro: Still the “wildest ride in the wilderness”
- Con: Getting bumpier than a wagon ride through the actual Wild West
- Our Opinion: At least they added new padding on the sides of the train cars for absorbing the impact.
3. Space Mountain
- Pro: In the dark, you can pretend it’s 1975 and this is cutting-edge.
- Con: Occasional lights-on rides reveal more tracks than Times Square subway terminal.
- Our Opinion: Tron’s better, but if you want to get a chiropractic adjustment, then you’re good to go.
2. Tomorrowland Speedway
- Pro: Where else can you drive without a license, besides Alberta?
- Con: Tesla’s least favorite attraction. Yesterday’s tomorrow, today!
- Our Opinion: Why bother? Even if there’s no line, it won’t ever be a memory that you’ll want to revisit years from now.
1. Tom Sawyer Island
- Pro: A perfect escape from the crowds… if you remember it exists
- Con: The only place in Disney World where “interactive experience” means “find your own fun, kid”
- Our Opinion: Bon Voyage! Visit it one more time to say goodbye.
And the nice thing about this list, is that it’s CONSTANTLY evolving. The last article had the Frontierland Shooting Gallery, and the next one won’t have Tom Sawyer Island as the Disney Company announced that WDW is getting it’s own version of Cars Land.
There you have it, folks – Magic Kingdom’s top 10 rides that are aging like fine wine (or maybe more like that forgotten cheese in the back of your fridge). Whether you’re swooning over the nostalgia or scratching your head at the outdatedness, these attractions are pure Disney magic… from a certain point of view.
Remember, your Magic Kingdom adventure is all about making memories. So embrace the kitsch, laugh at the outdated effects, and enjoy your trip through Disney’s accidental time machine. Who knows? By the time you finish reading this, they might have finally updated one of these classics. (But don’t hold your breath – we’re looking at you, Carousel of Progress!)
P.S. If Disney Imagineers suddenly swoop in and modernize any of these rides, we’re totally taking credit. You’re welcome, Disney!