Everyone knows California for its sunshine, epic theme parks, and endless entertainment options. But with the COVID-19 pandemic raging on, Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure were closed to guests for over a year. Disney recently opened its California parks to CA residents and with vaccination rates going up, they're ready to open to more movie fans.
Disney has been adding tons of exciting new rides and attractions over the last decade, and this year thrill-seekers have even more to look forward to at Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure. From Star Wars to Avengers to even Snow White, there's something for everyone at these two parks. Demand seems to be higher than ever and these movie attractions are sure to get your blood pumping.
Web-Slingers: A Spider-Man Adventure
Ride technology has come an unbelievably long way and Web-Slingers: A Spider-Man Adventure is the epitome of that. Riders jump into a WEB Slinger vehicle to help Spider-Man stop the evil Spider-Bots from taking over the Avengers Campus. It's a dark ride where the vehicle moves around to match the action on the screen.
The kicker is that each vehicle is equipped with high-tech motion sensors that are able to track riders' movements. Sitting in the vehicle, riders move their hands like their shooting webs at the Spider-Bots, interacting with characters from Spider-Man: Far From Home.
Guardians Of The Galaxy - Mission: Breakout!
Staying with the MCU theme, Disney has changed the old Tower Of Terror ride (based on the underrated show The Twilight Zone) to a new, updated Guardians Of The Galaxy theme. Although this changeover happened a few years ago, it's getting more recognition with the opening of Avengers Campus in Disney's California Adventure in 2021.
Instead of getting creeped out by ghosts in a haunted elevator, guests now help Rocket break into the Collector's lair to rescue Peter Quill and his friends. It's a stark change from the former theme, but the consensus is that Mission: Breakout! fits better with the Disney canon and is much more family-friendly now that it's been redesigned.
Incredicoaster
Venturing further into Disney's California Adventure, fans will find the Incredicoaster towering above the park's lakefront views. Another re-themed ride, Incredicoaster now follows The Incredibles on an adventure up and down hills, loops, and curves.
It's part of a larger redesign Disney made for Pixar Pier, an area of the park that had started to draw fewer and fewer visitors over the years. Other redesigned rides include Jessie's Critter Carousel, Pixar Pal-A-Round, and Inside Out Emotional Whirlwind. Again, visitors praised Disney for the way it incorporated its more recent movies into the park.
Snow White's Enchanted Wish
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs isn't exactly Disney's most modern movie, which led many Disneyland visitors to skip the old Snow White's Scary Adventures ride entirely. Some thought the witch was too scary and the story was a bit too dark for younger kids. Disney listened to their customers and re-themed the Snow White attraction to Snow White's Enchanted Wish.
The ride now features more color than before and includes animatronic dwarfs moving around their mine. It's brighter and more enjoyable than before, with the witch's surprising appearance downplayed. It's another redesign that's helped Disneyland get with the times.
Jungle Cruise
Jungle Cruise in Disneyland is getting a much-needed makeover in 2021. As of June 2021, it's closed for refurbishment with big changes on the way. Fans have noted that the "natives" in the ride are problematic and Disney agreed that it wants the rides to be more inclusive and diverse.
With the much-delayed Jungle Cruise movie coming to theatres this summer, it would make sense for Disney to incorporate some of the movie's elements into the ride, while also reflecting appropriate values of today's culture. There's no exact timeline as to when the ride will re-open, but it should be later this year.
Pixar Pal-A-Round
Disney's California Adventure got a big lift in 2018 with the addition of Pixar Pier. The biggest ride to get a makeover was the Pixar Pal-A-Round, formerly known as Mickey's Fun Wheel. The iconic giant Ferris wheel was re-themed with Pixar characters on its gondolas, but the huge Mickey Mouse face that visitors know and love was kept intact.
Riders can choose a car that moves when the wheel turns or a stationary car for a more relaxed experience. At night, the wheel is lit up and even changes colors at different times.
Millennium Falcon: Smuggler's Run
Avid Star Wars fans will love Millenium Falcon: Smuggler's Run, the centerpiece of Disneyland's new Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge area. In the ride, each person in your party gets a role, whether it's steering the ship or sitting in the gunner's seat. The frantic action never stops as the Millennium Falcon blasts through the galaxy, avoiding enemies at every wild turn.
It's largely a motion simulator ride but part of Disney's ongoing effort to make their attraction more immersive. By putting riders in the front seat, Disneyland is challenging customers to think bigger and make their trip to Disney more of an experience rather than just a visit.
Splash Moutain
Following calls in early 2020 to re-theme the mainstay Disneyland attraction Splash Mountain, Disney announced that it would indeed change to a more appropriate theme. The ride is based on the movie Song Of The South, an outdated film that many people consider problematic. Disney agreed to change the ride to a theme around The Princess And The Frog, again in an effort to make their park experiences more inclusive and respectful of the diverse culture present in the world.
Unfortunately, the changes might still be a long way off. As of June 2021, Splash Mountain was still open to guests under the old theme. Disney has been pretty quiet about when the ride will undergo refurbishment too. Theming issues aside, Splash Mountain is a great way to cool off in the California sun.
Luigi's Honkin' Haul-O-Ween
Luigi's Rollickin' Roasters is an attraction at Disney's California Adventure where riders get in their car and move around while their vehicle "dances" in unison with other cars to music. It's a slow ride meant for little kids but the high-tech system it employs is quite interesting. It's the first ride at Disney's California parks to use trackless technology, allowing the roadsters to move freely together without crashing.
During the Halloween season, the ride turns into Luigi's Honkin' Haul-O-Ween, complete with spooky lighting and twisted old country songs. With COVID-19 seemingly throwing everything off, it's unclear if the attraction re-theme will happen again in 2021, but Disney's page for Luigi's Honkin' Haul-O-Ween seems to suggest so.
Star Wars: Rise Of The Resistance
Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance at the Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge area of Disneyland is a big hit with fans. Since opening in December 2019, few Disney regulars have been able to try out this new attraction. That will definitely change in 2021 with Disneyland opening to more guests.
With a fully immersive storyline complete with live actors, riders help Finn escape from stormtroopers and ATATs on his way to conquering Kylo Ren. It's a moving animation ride with state-of-the-art auto-animatronics. The ride is so popular this year that the only way to experience it is for visitors to join a virtual queue.