Visitors to Disney parks discover that rides designed by the Disney Imagineers are truly incredible. Six Flags might have bigger drops and faster speeds, but nothing compares to the intricate theming, music, and atmosphere of Disney rides.
In the early years of Disneyland and Walt Disney World, rides were designed around a theme or setting, sometimes becoming so popular that they themselves had movies made after them such as Pirates of the Caribbean, but, in recent years, the trend has switched, and now Disney takes inspiration from its most popular franchises to design rides based on them.
Gadget's Go Coaster
Junior coasters are an important part of theme parks. They're how most coaster enthusiasts are introduced to roller coasters while they're still young kids. At Disneyland in California, and later at Tokyo Disney, as well, parents can take their young riders on Gadget's Go Coaster.
The ride is perfect for first-time riders and is actually Disney's shortest coaster, clocking in at just 44 seconds. Fans of classic Disney cartoons will also love the ride since it's said to be constructed by Gadget Hackwrench, the inventor of the popular show Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers. For fans of the show, all episodes are now streaming on Disney+.
The Incredicoaster
The Incredicoaster was originally opened in 2001 as California Screamin'. It was one of the original rides at Disneyland's new park, California Adventure. The ride held many firsts for Disney. It was the first looping coaster to open at the Disneyland resort, and it is currently the longest coaster at any Disney park. In fact, as per TripSavvy, the Incredicoaster is the 9th longest roller coaster in the entire world.
In recent years, Disney has made a massive effort to theme more rides on Disney franchises. For California Screamin', the Imagineers put the coaster in the Incredibles universe, and riders join the Parr family as they try to chase down their mischievous son, Jack-Jack.
RC Racer
The RC Racer coaster has been built in three Disney parks: Paris, Hong Kong, and Shanghai. The ride is themed after Toy Story and allows riders to hop aboard RC and rush to heights of almost 100 feet above the ground.
Fans of Toy Story will likely remember RC and the famous climax of the first movie when Buzz and Woody use him to catch up with the moving van transporting Andy and his family to their new home. While the RC Racer may be a relatively short coaster, the ability to get inside a giant, re-created RC car from the movie is pretty exciting.
Crush's Coaster
Fans of Finding Nemo are sure to remember two of the audience's favorite characters, Crush and Squirt. One of the most famous scenes in the movie is when Dori and Nemo's father, Marlin, find themselves riding the rushing waters of the East Australian Current, along with Crush and Squirt, who were clearly inspired by the laidback surfer attitude.
On Crush's Coaster at Disneyland Paris, riders get to join along on the journey through the East Australian Current as they race along the tracks of the massive indoor coaster, surrounded by sea life and a great soundtrack.
Slinky Dog Dash
Slinky Dog Dash is yet another Toy Story coaster at Disney parks. It currently operates at Disney's Hollywood Studios in Orlando. The coaster is technically considered a "family coaster" since it never reaches any extreme speeds and has no massive drops, but most riders agree that it's an awesome roller coaster for riders of all ages.
Well-placed helixes, bunny hills, and launches keep the ride thrilling and entertaining. Like other Disney coasters, such as Big Thunder Mountain, Slinky Dog Dash proves that you don't need ultimate speed or height to create an excellent experience.
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
When the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train opened in 2014 at Disney World and 2016 in Shanghai, it was a bit of a shocker. In recent decades, Disney hasn't been investing in its legacy franchises at the theme parks, instead choosing to make rides based on more current movies and shows. However, the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train opened to rave reviews.
Incredible theming and a unique train design—the cars on the roller coaster actually swing—quickly turned the coaster into one of the best rides at Disney World. It combined the mine train elements of Big Thunder Mountain with the animatronic segments of Splash Mountain, creating a ride that's both thrilling and filled with excellent storytelling.
Star Wars Hyperspace Mountain
Space Mountain is one of the most famous and notable Disney coasters ever. It's so popular, in fact, that every park except for Shanghai has one. Disneyland Paris has a very unique version of the ride. First of all, the outside facade was designed in a steampunk Jules Verne style, originally inspired by his stories like From the Earth to the Moon and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.
Inside, however, features the biggest change. Paris has changed the Space Mountain ride experience numerous times, but, most recently, the addition of Star Wars theming has turned the coaster into a destination for fanboys and girls around the globe. Space Mountain's new now puts riders in an epic dogfight between the rebellion and Imperial TIE fighters. Due to the massive success of the ride, Hong Kong's Space Mountain has also gotten the Star Wars treatment.
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril
After acquiring the rights to George Lucas' films, Disney quickly went to work creating rides like Star Tours. Disney fans also got a taste of Indiana Jones with the popular Indiana Jones Adventure dark ride at both Disneyland and Tokyo Disney. However, Disneyland Paris got a unique Indiana Jones ride in the form of a coaster.
Temple of peril is largely based on Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, and riders and zipped through an ancient temple. From the outside, the ride might look tame, but what onlookers can't see is that, behind the temple facade, the coaster zooms down large dips and even goes through a loop. It's still one of the top attractions at Disneyland Paris after almost thirty years of operation.
TRON Lightcycle Power Run
When Shanghai Disney opened in 2016, it was lacking a few of Disney's most famous rides such as Big Thunder Mountain, Space Mountain, and Splash Mountain. The park had a secret weapon, however, that being TRON Lightcycle Power Run. The sleek neon of TRON and the high speeds of the lightcycle were brought to life with this award-winning coaster.
Immediately, Disney and coaster fanatics alike began begging for a version of TRON: Lightcycle Power Run to open in the United States, and, in 2017, Walt Disney World in Orlando announced that they would begin construction. It's currently close to completion and is scheduled to open in 2022. While Tron: Legacy received mixed reviews, the skyrocketing popularity of the coasters could help the long-rumored Tron 3 actually come to fruition.
Coming Soon: Iron Man Coaster
In 1999, MGM Studios in Walt Disney World opened the Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith, a looping indoor coaster themed to the music by the popular rock band. In 2002 the ride was also constructed in Paris. However, in 2019, the Paris version was closed to reconstruct it as an Iron Man roller coaster to be part of the new Avengers Campus opening in the park sometime within the next year or two.
For those who think Iron Man is the best hero in the MCU, this is sure to be awesome news. If the coaster is well-received in Paris, it's possible that Orlando could soon see its own Iron Man coaster very soon.