Disney’s California Adventure has undergone many changes since it first opened on February 8, 2001 as the park has completely remade its image. Soarin’ Over California, however, has been one of the park’s mainstays and remains to this day one of its most popular attractions. Even as the park as a whole was seen as somewhat of a disappointment when it first opened, Soarin’ received tremendous praise for offering Guests such a unique ride experience. In fact, its great popularity led to the replication of the attraction in Epcot’s Land pavilion just four years later.
While California Adventure’s and Epcot’s versions of the attraction are exactly the same, the edge goes to California for fitting much better into the park’s overall theming. Condor Flats is themed around an airfield in tribute to California's golden age of aviation and the aeronautical achievements of the pilots and engineers from the 1940s to the mid-1960s. The attraction takes Guests over some of California’s most beautiful locales and iconic monuments and has always felt much more at home in California Adventure rather than being shoehorned into the existing Land pavilion at Epcot.
While the attraction provides stunning visuals, it is the technology of the ride system that makes the attraction so unique. Soarin' was first conceptualized in 1996 as "Ultra Flight,” which was to feature an IMAX screen with an inverted track. The attraction would have had three load levels and the system would operate on a horizontal cable, much like a dry cleaner's rack. This plan was abandoned, however, when it was determined that the construction and labor costs for that design would be far too high. Imagineering later developed a different idea for the ride vehicles and used (of all things) an Erector Set to create a working model. This design would allow Guests to be loaded more efficiently on one level instead of three, thus cutting construction and labor costs greatly.
To help complete the illusion of flying over California, Soarin’ is a complete sensory experience. Combining scents of pine and oranges along with wind effects and the subtle swaying of the carriages, Guests really feel as though they are flying. The screen itself is enormous and scenes were shot with an IMAX HD frame rate of 48 frames per second, twice the conventional output for regular films. With a ride duration of just under five minutes, Guests wish the experience could last longer because it is the likes of which cannot be found almost anywhere else. Combining a unique ride experience with impressive technology, Soarin’ is a testament to the creativity of Disney Imagineering and worthy of the #14 spot on the top fifty countdown.
#13: Test Track, Epcot
Replacing the beloved World of Motion at Epcot, this next attraction had big shoes to fill. Whereas World of Motion was a whimsical look at the history and achievements in transportation, showing scenes from the invention of the wheel right up to the present day, Test Track would be higher on thrills and provide Guests with a completely different ride experience. Even though its opening was delayed more than two years, Test Track opened to much fanfare on March 17, 1999 (over three years after the closure of World of Motion).
Although one of Epcot’s most popular attractions, Test Track underwent a lengthy refurbishment from April through December 2012 to update and upgrade the experience. While the ride system itself remained the same, the whole premise and theming of the attraction was changed. The result was an attraction that looks and feels completely new, while still providing Guests the same thrilling experience. One of the criticisms of the original Test Track was its theme of being put through a series of automotive tests never jived well with the overall theming of Future World. The new Test Track, on the other hand, has a much more futuristic look and feel while its new theming that focuses on the design aspect of the automotive process makes for a much more relevant and timeless experience.
One of the biggest improvements of the new version of Test Track is the addition of the design studio. This new interactive element adds a lot to the attraction by giving Guests the opportunity to create their own custom car design. What’s more, Guests can see how their creations perform throughout the entire course of the ride and then have more fun with their designs in the post-show area. This new element really helps add to the re-rideability of the attraction. Guests can now return time and time again and create completely different designs; not only does this allow them to see if they can improve upon the scores of their previous designs, but they can continually compete with other members of their family to see who can score higher.
One of the criticisms of the new version of Test Track is that it removed many of the tangible set pieces and replaced them with projections. I would counter this criticism by saying that it is all part of the more futuristic theming of the pavilion. The original Test Track was meant to make Guests feel as though they were at an actual test facility, while the new Test Track makes them feel as though they are inside of a computer testing out different designs before the cars are actually built (with the track even being referenced as the “sim track”). Overall, Test Track today now feels much more in line with the original spirit of Epcot, looking forward at the future rather than the present. The attraction continues to provide thrills while the new interactive design elements add even more to the experience. Thus, Test Track ranks #13 in the top fifty countdown.
#12: Toy Story Midway Mania, Disney’s California Adventure
While Toy Story Midway Mania may be the signature attraction at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, with wait times usually anywhere between one and two hours in length, the version of the attraction at California Adventure holds the advantage solely based on its location and theming. Toy Story Mania at California Adventure was an early part of the park’s image-changing refurbishment, opening in June 2008 (less than a month after the attraction opened at Hollywood Studios). The attraction has since been a little overshadowed by other new attractions and the opening of Carsland and Buena Vista Street. Despite this, Toy Story Mania remains one of the park’s more popular attractions and great fun for Guests of all ages.
Paradise Pier at California Adventure is based on that of Victorian boardwalks that were once found along the coast of California in the mid-1920’s. As such, the midway-style games of Toy Story Mania are a perfect fit. While the Hollywood Studio’s theming of Pixar Place, with the toys taking over a replica of the Pixar studios, is very clever and well-done, the attraction just feels like a much better fit on Paradise Pier. In addition, moving Mr. Potato head from inside the queue at Hollywood Studios to a more prominent position near the attraction entrance at California Adventure helps to better draw-in Guests and more immerse them in the theming.
The ride itself is actually one of the more technologically advanced ride systems ever developed by Disney Imagineering and cost an estimated $80 million to design and build. What is most significant about the ride, however, is that it took interactivity to an entirely new level. While Disney had already developed a similar attraction in Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin, Toy Story Mania would take this to the next level by not only making it 3-D but also giving Guests more control over what happens throughout the ride. The genius of Toy Story Mania is that Guests really never get the same ride experience twice. Depending on what targets are hit, the order in which they are hit, or how quickly they are hit, Guests are able to trigger different effects and experiences throughout the ride. While Guests compete against the people they are riding with, some of the games also rely upon working together as a team to help trigger different “bonus” effects.
As a result of its interactivity, Toy Story Mania is the type of attraction that can be ridden over and over again without it getting old. Added to this is the competition aspect, which really gets Guests wanting to come back to see if they can improve upon previous scores. When you combine the actual ride experience with great theming and memorable characters from one of the most popular Pixar movies, what you have is a definite recipe for success. As a result, Toy Story Mania comes in at #12 in the top fifty rankings.
#11: Kilimanjaro Safaris, Animal Kingdom
This next attraction is one of the most ambitious projects ever undertaken by Disney Imagineers. This is not necessarily due to the technical components of the ride, but rather because of the scale of what was being undertaken. In addition, the inclusion of live animals adds a component not present in any other Disney attraction. Kilimanjaro Safaris is the headliner attraction at Animal Kingdom. Nearly every Guest who sets foot into the park experiences this attraction; it really is what the park is all about. While the attraction has undergone some tweaks and changes over the years, the overall ride experience has remained the same and it continues to provide Guests with some of the most amazing scenes and moments found in any park.
At over 800 square miles, Kilimanjaro Safaris is the largest attraction ever built in a Disney park. In fact, the entire Magic Kingdom could fit inside the attraction’s borders. The attraction so effectively immerses Guests into its surrounding that it is easy to forget that you are in the middle of Florida at a theme park. Throughout its stunning visual landscapes, the safari is home to a wide variety of animals. Ranging from the well-known giraffe, elephant, and rhino to less common animals such as okapi, bontebok, and addax, with all the animals seen on this attraction it is probably the closest thing to actually going on a safari in Africa.
Along with seeing a plethora of animals, the attraction also has an important educational component as well. At the core of Animal Kingdom’s overall theming lay the ideals of conservation and living in harmony with nature. Kilimanjaro Safaris addresses the conservation message throughout the attraction. Even though the storyline has changed drastically since the attraction first opened, loosing Big Red, Warden Wilson, and the poachers, there is still a strong message of conservation and protecting the wild animals and their habitats found throughout the ride (even though it may not be as overt as before); it is an attraction that is able to both educate and entertain Guests simultaneously.
Kilimanjaro Safaris is another attraction on which Guests never have quite the same experience twice. There might be times that many of the animals are resting or hiding in the shade while other times they could be walking right up to the safari trucks and blocking the middle of the path. This component of having live animals in their natural habitats gives Kilimanjaro Safaris the type of realism and authenticity that cannot be found anywhere else. It is truly one of the most immersive and unique attractions in any Disney park. As such, Kilimanjaro Safaris ranks #11 in the top fifty countdown.
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