It’s time to revisit an old debate between Disneyland and Walt Disney World fans – which resort has the most rides! Folks often assume that the much larger Disney World offers more rides. But, as we saw in our 2014 edition, that’s not necessarily true. This feature isn’t about which resort is best, it’s about which has the most rides. We’ll also break it down by park.
Let’s see which resort comes out on top in 2020 . . .
Which Disney Park in the US Has the Most Rides?
You learn the lingo pretty quick if you grew up near a Disney Park… instead of “rides” it’s “attractions and adventures.” But you never really stop saying “ride” do you? It’s just the way of life, and RIDES is what we’re going to focus on today. While adding up every attraction can seem like an impressive listing when researching a theme park, it can also be a bit misleading. Believe it or not, it’s the rides that really draw people into theme parks and amusement parks around the world. Guests typically don’t plan a trip around a parade or show (okay, Fantasmic!, people, I hear you) but rides make headlines, as the recent announcement about Splash Mountain’s major retheme proves. Rides create excitement. From the artistry of a Fantasyland dark ride, the thrill of Space Mountain, or the ingenuity of something like Rise of the Resistance, rides are the ultimate Disney storytelling device. So for the kid and the kid within all of us, let’s see which Disney Resort delivers the most rides between Disneyland and Walt Disney World.
When we last visited this topic, it was 2014. The Seven Dwarfs Mine Train had yet to open in Magic Kingdom’s new Fantasyland and the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror was still scaring guests at Disney California Adventure. The announcement that Marvel or Star Wars-themed areas would be built and expanded upon in the parks was still light-years away and we were still years away from seeing how Pandora – The World of Avatar would take shape at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. We had concluded in that study that while smaller, Disneyland Resort with its two theme parks had more rides than Walt Disney World with a count of 57. Walt Disney World’s four theme parks totaled only 50 rides, including those that would open that summer. So, what does six years do to a place? Let’s find out!
To read the original article, see below.
Walt Disney World Vs. Disneyland
We’ll start with tallying all the thrill rides (motion simulators, roller coasters, rides that have… you know… a thrill) in each resort.
Walt Disney World Thrill Rides: 17 (*11 unique)
- Avatar Flight of Passage*
- Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
- Dinosaur*
- Expedition Everest*
- Kali River Rapids*
- Mission Space*
- Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s run
- Primeval Whirl* (Seasonal)
- Rock n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith*
- Seven Dwarfs Mine Train*
- Slinky Dog Dash*
- Space Mountain
- Splash Mountain
- Star Tours
- Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance
- Test Track*
- Twilight Zone Tower of Terror*
Disneyland Thrill Rides 13 (*7 unique)
- Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
- Goofy’s Sky School*
- Grizzly River Run*
- Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission Breakout!*
- Incredicoaster*
- Indiana Jones Adventure*
- Matterhorn Bobsleds*
- Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run
- Radiator Springs Racers*
- Space Mountain
- Splash Mountain
- Star Tours
- Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance
Well, would you look at that! When we last looked, Walt Disney World’s thrill count was at 12 and Disneyland at 11. That’s a huge jump! That list will only get bigger when Walt Disney World adds their Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind and TRON: Lightcycle Run attractions in the coming years.
Now, technically, if you want to double up on Mission: Space, Florida’s Space Mountain, and Matterhorn Bobsleds, since they technically have different tracks or versions, the count would look like this: WDW: 19, Disneyland 14. But that doesn’t really feel right, does it?!
ALL Disneyland Resort Rides
Here’s a look at ALL of the rides at Disneyland Resort and then Walt Disney World Resort:
Disneyland Resort Rides (alphabetical order): 57 (Disneyland: 39; DCA: 18)
- Alice in Wonderland
- Astro Obitor
- Autopia
- Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
- Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters
- Casey Jr. Circus Train
- Davy Crockett’s Explorer Canoes
- Disneyland Monorail
- Disneyland Railroad
- Dumbo the Flying Elephant
- Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage
- Gadget’s Go Coaster
- Golden Zephyr
- Goofy’s Sky School
- Grizzly River Run
- Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT!
- Haunted Mansion
- Incredicoaster
- Indiana Jones Adventure
- Inside Out Emotional Whirlwind
- “it’s a small world”
- Jessie’s Critter Carousel
- Jumpin’ Jellyfish
- Jungle Cruise
- King Arthur Carrousel
- The Little Mermaid – Ariel’s Undersea Adventure
- Luigi’s Rollickin’ Roadsters
- Mad Tea Party
- Main Street Vehicles – Fire Engine
- Main Street Vehicles – Horse Drawn Street Car
- Main Street Vehicles – Jitney
- Main Street Vehicles – Omnibus
- The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
- Mark Twain Riverboat
- Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree
- Matterhorn Bobsleds
- Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run
- Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue!
- Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride
- Peter Pan’s Flight
- Pinocchio’s Daring Journey
- Pirates of the Caribbean
- Pixar Pal-A-Round
- Radiator Springs Racers
- Rafts to Pirates Lair on Tom Sawyer Island
- Red Car Trolley
- Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin
- Sailing Ship Columbia
- Silly Symphony Swings
- Snow White’s Scary Adventures
- Soarin’ Over California
- Space Mountain
- Splash Mountain
- Star Tours – The Adventures Continue
- Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance
- Storybook Land Canal Boats
- Toy Story Midway Mania!
ALL WDW Rides
Walt Disney World Resort Rides (alphabetical order): 55 (Magic Kingdom: 28 / Epcot: 9 / Disney’s Hollywood Studios: 9/ Disney’s Animal Kingdom: 9)
- Alien Swirling Saucers
- Astro Obiter
- Avatar Flight of Passage
- The Barnstormer
- Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
- Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin – Pixar
- Dinosaur
- Dumbo the Flying Elephant – Disney
- Expedition Everest
- Frozen Ever After – Disney
- Gran Fiesta Tour Starring the Three Caballeros – Disney
- Haunted Mansion
- “it’s a small world”
- Journey Into Imagination with Figment
- Jungle Cruise
- Kali River Rapids
- Kilimanjaro Safaris
- Liberty Square Riverboat
- Living with the Land
- Mad Tea Party – Disney
- The Magic Carpets of Aladdin – Disney
- Main Street Vehicles – Fire Engine
- Main Street Vehicles – Horse Drawn Trolley
- Main Street Vehicles – Jitney
- Main Street Vehicles – Omnibus
- The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh – Disney
- Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway – Disney
- Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run – Star Wars
- Mission: SPACE
- Na’vi River Journey
- Peter Pan’s Flight – Disney
- Pirates of the Caribbean
- Primeval Whirl* (Seasonal)
- Prince Charming Regal Carrousel – Disney
- Rafts to Tom Sawyer Island
- Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith
- The Seas with Nemo & Friends – Pixar
- Seven Dwarfs Mine Train – Disney
- Slinky Dog Dash – Pixar
- Soarin’ Around the World
- Space Mountain
- Spaceship Earth
- Splash Mountain
- Star Tours – The Adventures Continue – Star Wars
- Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance – Star Wars
- Test Track
- Tomorrowland Speedway
- Tomorrowland Transit Authority People Mover
- Toy Story Mania! – Pixar
- TriceraTop Spin
- The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
- Under the Sea – Journey of The Little Mermaid – Disney
- Walt Disney Railroad
- Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress
- Wildlife Express Train
The listing of rides of both resorts doesn’t get more concrete than that. Disneyland still comes out ahead, but barely! Disney California Adventure’s ride count took a small dip as they shuttered A Bug’s Land, which had a handful of kid-sized rides. The new Avengers Campus was intended to open this summer with “Web Slingers: A Spider-Man Adventure” that would further push Disneyland ahead. The only other rides slated for Disneyland as of this writing is a clone of Disney World’s “Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway” coming in 2022 and a major Avengers Campus addition in the future.
Walt Disney World has quite a few attractions coming to beef up its overall count. We’ve already included Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway (replacing The Great Movie Ride) but we have yet to include Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind (replacing Ellen’s Universe of Energy), Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, and TRON: Lightcycle Run. If we add these to the overall count right now along with Disneyland’s upcoming additions, both resorts would be close to tied, but Disneyland ekes out a small victory at 59 to WDW’s 58!
As a point of clarification, we counted the Monorail as a ride at Disneyland. The same does not apply to Walt Disney World’s boats, busses, Monorail, or Skyliner Gondola, which do not require admission to any park and are not contained within a park.
ALL the Rides at Disney Parks Worldwide!
While we’re here, let’s take a world-wide look at the Disney Parks and their ride count – Just for fun!
Tokyo Disney Resort
Tokyo Disney Resort Rides (alphabetical order): 45 (Tokyo Disneyland: 24 / Tokyo Disney Sea: 21)
- 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
- Alice’s Tea Party
- Aquatopia
- Beaver Brothers Explorer Canoes
- Big City Vehicles
- Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
- Blowfish Balloon Race
- Buzz Lightyear’s Astro Blasters
- Caravan Carousel
- Castle Carrousel.
- DisneySea Electric Railway
- DisneySea Transit Steamer Line
- Dumbo the Flying Elephant
- Flounder’s Flying Fish Coaster
- Gadget’s Go Coaster
- Haunted Mansion
- Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Crystal Skull
- “it’s a small world”
- Jasmine’s Flying Carpets
- Journey to the Center of the Earth
- Jumpin’ Jellyfish
- Jungle Cruise: Wildlife Expeditions
- Mark Twain Riverboat
- Monsters, Inc. Ride & Go Seek!
- Omnibus
- Nemo & Friends SeaRider
- Peter Pan’s Flight
- Pinocchio’s Daring Journey
- Pirates of the Caribbean
- Pooh’s Hunny Hunt
- Raging Spirits
- Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin
- Scuttle’s Scooters
- Sinbad’s Storybook Voyage
- Snow White’s Adventures
- Soaring: Fantastic Flight
- Space Mountain
- Splash Mountain
- Star Tours: The Adventures Continue
- Tom Sawyer Island Rafts
- Tower of Terror
- Toy Story Mania!
- Venetian Gondolas
- Western River Railroad
- The Whirlpool
Disneyland Paris Resort
Disneyland Paris Resort Rides (alphabetical order): 35 (Disneyland Paris: 27 / Walt Disney Studios Park Paris: 8)
- Autopia
- Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
- Blanche-Neige et les Sept Nains (Snow White)
- Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast
- Cars Quatre Roues Rallye
- Casey Jr. – le Petit Train du Cirque
- Crush’s Coaster
- Disneyland Railroad
- Dumbo the Flying Elephant
- Horse-Drawn Streetcars
- Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril
- “it’s a small world”
- Le Carrousel de Lancelot
- Le Pays des Contes de Fees (Storybookland)
- Les Tapis Volants – Flying Carpets Over Agrabah
- Les Voyages de Pinocchio
- Mad Hatter’s Tea Cups
- Main Street Vehicles – Fire Engine
- Main Street Vehicles – Limousine
- Main Street Vehicles – Mercer
- Main Street Vehicles – Omnibus
- Main Street Vehicles – Paddy Wagon
- Orbitron
- Peter Pan’s Flight
- Phantom Manor
- Pirates of the Caribbean
- RC Racer
- Ratatouille: The Adventure
- Slinky Dog Zigzag Spin
- Star Tours: The Adventures Continue
- Star Wars Hyperspace Mountain
- Studio Tram Tour: Behind the Magic
- The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror – A New Dimension of Chills
- Thunder Mesa Riverboat Landing
- Toy Soldiers Parachute Drop
Hong Kong Disneyland
Hong Kong Disneyland Rides (alphabetical order): 20
- Ant-Man and the Wasp: Nano Battle!
- Big Grizzly Mountain Runaway Mine Cars
- Cinderella Carousel
- Dumbo the Flying Elephant
- Hong Kong Disneyland Railroad
- Hyperspace Mountain
- Iron Man Experience
- “it’s a small world”
- Jungle River Cruise
- Mad Hatter Tea Cups
- Main Street Vehicles – Main Street Taxi
- Main Street Vehicles – Omnibus
- Main Street Vehicles – Paddy Wagon
- The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
- Mystic Manor
- Orbitron
- Rafts to Tarzan’s Treehouse
- RC Racer
- Slinky Dog Spin
- Toy Soldier Parachute Drop
Shanghai Disneyland
Shanghai Disneyland Rides (alphabetical order): 16
- Buzz Lightyear Planet Rescue
- Dumbo the Flying Elephant
- Explorer Canoes
- Fantasia Carousel
- Hunny Pot Spin
- Jet Packs
- The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
- Peter Pan’s Flight
- Pirates of the Caribbean Battle for the Sunken Treasure
- Rex’s Racer
- Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
- Slinky Dog Spin
- Soaring Over the Horizon
- TRON Lightcycle Power Run
- Voyage to the Crystal Grotto
- Woody’s Roundup
Disney Parks Ride Summary
And there you have it. While many things are the same, many things are very, very different. Just because Shanghai Disneyland only has 16 rides, it’s still an amazing place and worthy of a visit. And while Disneyland’s castle may be smallest, it is the original AND has the most rides in a very compact space. I know many who still refuse to believe that Disneyland Resort has more rides than Walt Disney World, but I digress.
Make Future Magic
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Let’s Hear From You
That’s a lot of rides! How do you feel after seeing all the rides listed out? Did the totals surprise you? Disneyland park’s lead is commanding vs. any other Disney park. Were you surprised? But even with 4 parks, Walt Disney World still doesn’t have as many rides as the Disneyland Resort, at least for now. Yes, Walt Disney World is massive, with many more overall “attractions” such as shows and spectaculars, but we were just looking at rides today. Let us know what you think in the comments below.
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