As such we put together a Definitive Ride Guide for Disneyland California, a Full list of all Disneyland Park Rides and Attractions to help you plan out your day and get the best out of your visit to Disneyland California.

To get on the most amount of rides possible you need to make the best use of the Genie+ system. Click our Genie+ guide here to find out everything you need to know.

Disney California Adventure Park Ride Guide

If you are heading to Disney’s California Adventure we have a separate Ride guide for this park here. DCA Park is a more adult-themed park with bigger, badder rides and fewer simple dark rides. We love both parks and find the best way to visit is a Park Hopper Ticket.

Disney California Adventure Ride Guide

Using Our Disneyland California Ride Guide

For each land, we are going to point out the different rides in that area. Most have got their own detailed page giving you more information about each ride. Some are pretty basic family rides and not really worth a full page so we deal with them here.

This Guide covers EVERY ride available in the Park, chances are, unless its exceptionally quiet or you really work Genie+ exceptionally hard you won’t have time to ride everything, there are over 30 rides at Disneyland California along with the many other attractions, character meets, food and drink stands and just amazing things to see. As such we have compiled our list of the Top 10 Rides at Disneyland to give you a “Must-ride” list for those rides you just can’t miss out on.

• Top 10 Disneyland Rides
• Top 10 Disney California Adventure Rides
• Top 10 Disneyland AND California Adventure Park Hopper Rides

There are also attractions in each area, these are not rides but more things to see and do. If something is worth seeing we will point it out. There are also a lot of Character meet and greets available and while some a random there are lots of regular set pieces and we will point these out too.

Disneyland, California Lands:

STAR WARS: Galaxy’s Edge

A Galaxy’s Edge has been Disney’s big project for a good few years now: to the point very little has really happened with regard to new rides, or new areas for several years as they plowed full speed ahead with building a fully realized galactic outpost in the park. After Disney acquired the Star Wars franchise, it made sense to build a new land for Star Wars and Disney fans alike to visit. The area consists of 2 main rides: Millenium Falcon: Smugglers Run and Rise of Resistance.

Full Guide to STAR WARS: Galaxy’s Edge

Rides –

Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run

When I was 7 the thought of piloting the Millenium Falcon would put me in a dizzy spin, now far too many years later, it still does. And the Smugglers run does just that, well for two of the six ride occupants anyway. This interactive adventure takes riders aboard the Falcon and out into the Galaxy on their very own mission where your actions actually affect, loosely, the outcome of the mission – Our Rating 4.5 – Read More…

Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance

The Headline Ride at Galaxy’s Edge, Rise Of the Resistance is Dsineys Show Piece attraction. 18 Minutes long and Transporting you to an Orbiting Star Destroyer, The ride is incredibly immersive and features cutting-edge technology. This is Disney at its absolute best. Unthinkably Brilliant Imagineering and bleeding-edge tech combine to build one of the most compelling and intricate experiences imaginable! – Our Rating 5/5 – Read More…

Main Street, USA

This replica of a classic old-time main street is the first place you will pass as you head into Disneyland. There is not much here in terms of rides but it’s the hub of the park and the location for many of the park’s shows and attractions.

Rides –

Disneyland Railroad

The Disney Railroad is a Narrow gauge railroad that circles the park providing panoramic views, transportation, and pleasant ride to the 4 corners of the park. As a means of transport, it’s pretty rubbish. It can easily take 15-20 mins to get aboard which in most cases is enough time to walk to where ever you are going. That is not really the point, however, and the Railroad is more geared toward pleasure rides. It is a heritage railroad using real steam locomotives and is basically Walt’s fantasy train set brought to life.

The Seating uses a stadium design so everyone gets a great view as the train steams around the park. It’s well worth setting aside a bit of time to enjoy something that brought Walt so much joy and really take in the park.

Main Street Vehicles

Miniature Vintage Vehicles offering rides down the Main Street USA Disneyland – Read More

Attractions –

Magic Happens Parade

• Location: Main Street USA, Disneyland
• Time: 3:30 pm and 6:30 pm Daily
• Duration: 40 Minutes

Magic Happens Parade will return to Disneyland Park on February 2nd, 2024.

Watch the Parade route down Main Street to witness moments of magic from Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar Animation Studios films brought to life with stunning floats, costumes, and beloved Disney music. The Parade has 9 floats and countless performers including dozens of your favorite Disney and Pixar Characters. Expect to see Moana and Maui, Tiana, Cinderella, Elsa and Anna, Ernesto de la Cruz, and of course, Mickey and Minnie!

Make sure you get to the parade route well before the parade starts so you can get a good viewing spot along Main Street. We can’t wait to see the Parade during our next visit to Disneyland! Check the Entertainment Schedule for up-to-date times.

Dapper Dans Live Quartet

• Location: Main Street USA, Disneyland
• Times: 11:00 AM, 11:45,12:35 PM, 1:30 PM, 2:35 PM, 4:30 PM, 5:30 PM
• Duration: 20 Minutes

This barber shop Quartet spins harmonies in pine stripe suits and straw hats performing a selection of American and Disney classics including:

• “While Strolling Through the Park One Day”
• “Goodbye, My Coney Island Baby”
• “I’m Sitting on Top of the World”
• “There’s a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow”
• “When You Wish Upon a Star”
• “America the Beautiful”
• “God Bless America”

Main Street Cinema

Starring Mickey Mouse and other Beloved Disney Characters, these shorts are some of Walt Disney’s original amination. Shown on 6 separate screens throughout the day, expect to find:

• Steamboat Willie, 1928 
• Plane Crazy, 1928 
• The Moose Hunt, 1931 
• Traffic Troubles, 1931 
• The Dognapper, 1934 
• Mickey’s Polo Team, 1936

Adventureland

Adventure land only occupies a small area of the park as far as the concourse goes but the ride areas inhabit a big chunk of the park where the Imagineers have constructed a full living breathing Jungle. There are only two rides here but both are big hitters, along with some interesting attractions and good food stalls including the Tiki Juice bar/Dole Stand, where you can get the world-famous Dole Whip!

Rides –

Indiana Jones Adventure

Fantastic theming and a fun ride through a typical Indiana Adventure make this ride one of our favorites at Disneyland – Our Rating – 4.2 – Read more…

Jungle Cruise

The World Famous Jungle Cruise mixes a pleasant journey around a convincing jungle habitat with some pretty hilarious ride commentary making this one for the whole family – Our Rating – 3.8 – Read more…

Attractions –

Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Rooms

A feast for your eyes and ears, enjoy this tropical show in the air-conditioned ceremonial house in the heart of Polynesia. Including over 225 choreographed Audio-Animatronics performers, this is not an attraction for anyone with a fear of birds! This show features ground breaking technology that in 1962 led the way for Pirates of the Caribbean, It’s a Small World, and Haunted Mansion.

Don’t forget to grab a frozen Dole Whip from the Enchanted Garden while you wait to go in!

Adventureland Treehouse

Adventureland Treehouse, inspired by Walt Disney’s Swiss Family Robinson opened on November 10th, 2023 after a long refurbishment and pays tribute to the Treehouse that Walt and his Imagineers created in 1962.

This new attraction is a home with one of a kind rooms, high up in the trees right next to the jungle river. As you follow the wood rope stairways up you will discover the mother’s music den, the sons’ nature room and an astronomy loft. The home’s iconic waterwheel next to the staircase powers all the magic and innovations of the Treehouse.

Frontierland

A trip back to the old west, or so the area proclaims. Apart from being the home to the Big Thunder Mountain Railway and having a few old-time Midway games (the shooting gallery is great fun!), the theme is a little weak on this one. It’s really an area that you walk through to get to other places or attractions.

That’s not to say the rides and attractions here are to be ignored, not at all, it’s that they are the reason to visit the area rather than the area itself.

Rides –

Big Thunder Mountain Railway

The biggest Coaster in Disneyland and the most thrilling. This runaway mine train is really fun but it is not the scariest ride out there, but that was never the aim – Our Rating – 4.1 – Read More…

Mark Twain Riverboat

A highly detailed, fantastically preserved, and fully functional steam-powered riverboat. The boat is open to ride as she sails along the Rivers of America around Tom Sawyer Island. This attraction has been delighting visitors since the Park Opened and has been replicated in most other Disney parks around the world. It’s a quaint throwback to the park’s original vision and well worth taking some time out to relax about this incredible boat.

Sailing Ship Columbia

Another Replica Ship that lets visitors board and set sail on a mini Voyage around the “Rivers of America”. This time the ship is the 18th Century Sailing Ship Columbia Rediviva, The First American Ship to Sail around the world. The Replica’s journey is somewhat more limited as it takes its guests on a short 12-minute sail around Tom Sawyer Island. However, the Ship does not always sail when the park is quiet, and on such days you can still board and take a look around and check out the small Maritime Museum.

Attractions –

Frontierland Shootin Exposition

Go on, Take Your best shot! Take aim and fire at nearly 100 targets during an old-time Wild West shootout. Additional Free Required.

New Orleans Square

New Orleans is known for several things but the stand-out attraction is the food. With its French influence, the City is probably the foodie capital of America! So it’s no surprise to find some of the park’s best eateries in New Orleans Square.

Other than that it’s all Pirates and Ghosts; as New Orleans is well renowned as the Gateway for most of the Pirates smuggling into the United States in the past.

Rides –

The Haunted Mansion

Update: The haunted Mansion will be closed for an extensive refurbishment after January 21st, 2024. Once the refurbishment is complete guests can expect a new outdoor queueing area with a stately garden theme, complete with a fountain, gazebo, and greenhouse. At the end of the ride, a new Carriage House themed Gift Shop will be the rider’s exit. No re-opening date has been published by Disney at this time.

Classic Disney Magic at its best. Unsophisticated, but delightfully immersive the old-school Hollywood tricks of the light bring the house alive with ghosts and ghouls in a wonderfully Victorian way – Our Rating – 4.0 – Read More…

Pirates Of The Caribbean

Ultra Detailed journey through the golden age of pirating and the inspiration for the Pirates of the Caribbean film franchise Our Rating – 4.1 – Read More…

Attractions –

Pirate’s Lair on Tom Sawyer Island

Travel by log raft across the Rivers of America, wander quiet paths, and enjoy the scenic views of the riverbanks

Critter County

A small section of the park located up in the top right of the park as far from the entrance as possible (Prior to the arrival of Galaxy’s edge that is) This wooded area of the park avoids some of the biggest crowds but does not have too much going for it in terms of rides and attractions.

Update 2024

The Big hitter was always Splash Mountain and we eagerly await the new re-imagined Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, along with the chance to meet Pooh himself along with Tigger and friends is the big draw for those who want to meet the characters from Hundred Acre Wood. Once Splash Mountian was shut in 2023, Critter County has been a quieter area of the park without the draw of the big ride.

Disneyland has now announced that from May 1st 2024, Critter County is going to be undergoing even more renovations in advance of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. The Briar Patch is going to be changed into ‘Ray’s Berets’ a shop stocking headwear, apparel, toys, and more. Firefly Raymond and his friends will be featured in the coziest cabin in Critter County.

The next change slightly affects Pooh’s Corner. Now, fans of Pooh Corner and all its yummy treats including Tigger Tails need not panic! The treat side of Pooh Corner is NOT CHANGING. To the left of the treat side, however, is going to be created into ‘Louis Critter Club’ selling apparel, homeware, and accessories featuring your favorite critters and even Princess Tiana herself!

Due to the extent of the renovations, Critter County will be closed from May 1st 2024 with no current date for re-opening. We do hope that they find another location in the Park to sell Tigger Tails while the renovations are happening!

Rides –

Splash Mountain

Disney’s highly rated and excellently fun Log Flume Ride. The theme is a little obscure but fun and the ride itself is an excellent flume and a great way to cool down on a hot day Our Rating – 4.0 – Read More… UPDATE: Splash Mountain permanently closed on May 31st, 2023 to be refurbished into a new ride inspired by The Princess and the Frog. Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is due to open in Fall 2024.

The Many Adventure Of Winnie The Pooh

A Bizzare and Trippy ride into the world of Winnie the Pooh!

Our Rating – 3.3 – Read More…

Attractions –

Davy Crockett’s Explorer Canoes

Something a bit unexpected at a theme park, the Davy Crockett’s Explorer Canoes is a trip in a real free-floating canoe, powered only by the muscles of the occupants, yep, you are expected to paddle. The Canoes hold 20 Guests and 3 Crew, who are perfectly capable of powering the boat themselves, but that would be cruel! The trip around Swayer Island follows a similar route to the Mark Twain and the Columbia, but unlike the large ships that run on submerged tracks, the Canoes are free-floating.

Kids really love getting out on the water in a real Canoe and it’s quite a change from the rides and roller coasters that all follow set patterns to get out and do something yourself, albeit guided. Life Jackets are available, although to our knowledge no one has ever ended up in the water, and required for younger kids.

Fantasyland

The Heart of the Park! After arriving from Main Street and admiring the Castle from the Central concourse where Mickey and Walt take Pride Of place. The next stop is Fantasyland, where all your dreams come true! And maybe the odd nightmare too!

This is the home to all the quintessentially Disney rides and attractions, where you can walk through Sleeping Beauty’s Castle, Ride a Flying Elephant, Take a trip to Neverland or Wonderland, Journey under the sea to the Great Barrier Reef, or just meet, or even become a Disney Princess.

Geographically it’s a bit all over the place but the heart of the land is centered to the north of the Castle with a huge cluster of kids’ rides. This is where anyone with younger kids will spend a lot of their time.

Rides –

Matterhorn Bobsleds

Disney’s first-ever rollercoaster and the reason Walt allowed more and more Thrill rides into the parks. This ride really is where things started to change for the parks, so take a ride on a piece of history, but don’t expect too much compared to modern thrill rides! Our Rating – 3.3 – Read More…

Peter Pans Flight

A Wonderful Flying Adventure over the Streets of London and Neverland. Disney Imagineering at its BEST Our Rating – 4.0 – Read More…

Dumbo The Flying Elephant

The Quintessential Disney Ride. Iconic Beautiful and fun for all ages. Our Rating – 5 – Read More…

It’s a Small World

A horrifying journey around the world accompanied by the most played and possibly the most annoying song in the world! Our Rating – 3.4 – Read More…

NOTE: The It’s a Small World ride is usually closed for approximately 10 days from the second week in January to remove the Holiday overlay.

Alice In Wonderland

Journey into wonderland on this fun if a little trippy kids ride. Externally the ride looks pretty weak but the internal Dark ride is actually really well put together, featuring all the characters you would expect to find in Wonderland, all brought to life with some really good engineering and technology. While this is definitely one for the kids, adults will still find it quite enjoyable. This might not be the first you list of Disneyland rides but it’s well worth checking out if you have a few minutes to spare.

King Arthur Carousel

An old-school carousel that is loved by all ages. Built in 1922 for a beach park in Toronto, The Carousel was brought to the park for opening day and has remained ever since. The theme is King Arthur and the horses are all Knights Noble Steeds. There are Chariots for disabled guests and parents can ride alongside small children so no one misses out. It is a bit of what you see is what you get, but this is a charming piece of yesteryear!

Mad Tea Party

Tea Cup rides have been the heart of theme parks for years and blur the line between boring kids’ rides and fun adult rides. Often the first thrill ride we experience as we grow from toddlers to tweens. While they still operate in nearly all theme parks they have been given elaborate themes and makeovers and no longer resemble the teacups that gave the rides their names. Disney being Disney, they have retained the original essence of the ride and you still swirl and twirl around in oversized teacups from the Mad Hatter’s tea party.

Unfortunately, the breaks have been put on the ride in modern times whereas in yesteryear you could really get these cups spinning in a quite dangerous fashion, but they are still good fun and a surefire way to lose your lunch!

Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride

An open-day attraction, this ride is a Disneyland classic! Ride through Toad Hall and beyond, including the English countryside, the City of London, a courtroom, a prison, and even hell itself! It is a wild ride indeed! The Ride is pretty basic, but clever use of light, sound, moving scenery, and forced perspective make for a pretty thrilling ride. It doesn’t make a whole lot of sense but it is great fun. We are not sure what young kids would make of it as it’s pretty dark really, and this could be quite intimidating to sensitive kids.

Snow White’s Scary Adventures

Photo by Loren Javier on CC2.0

Best Ridden at Night. The exterior of the ride has a spooky appearance that feels scariest once the light has faded. Inside, the adventure starts off with a tour of Snow White’s house complete with the Seven Dwarfs up to their mischief. Things then Turn Dark as the Evil Queen enacts her plan to become the Fairest. This involves feeding a poisoned apple to Snow White and crushing the dwarfs under a large boulder, in the end, the plot is foiled and they all live happily ever after.

Storybook Land Canal Boats

A relaxing canal boat cruise around miniature sets taken from Disney Animated films. Once aboard the boats, you are given a guide who narrated the tour letting you know what you are seeing. The sets are very intricate and accompanied by scores from the movies they represent. A whole host of films are represented including, Aladin, The Little Mermaid, Frozen, Snow White, Cinderella, Pinocchio, Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, and More.

It is not the most thrilling ride, but the relaxing nature means it’s a great break from the madness of the park and the detail and landscaping of the scenes are excellent.

Casey Jr. Circus Train

Walt Really loved trains and as such one full-sized model railway was not enough for Disneyland, he needed a second miniature one too. Themed around the Train from Dumbo, the miniature railway takes a tour of the miniature scenes seen on the Story Book Land Canal Boats. The ride is faster-paced and has no narration, but the added attraction of trains is a big draw for some kids.

Pinocchio’s Daring Journey

Photo by Loren Javier on CC2.0

Another Old School Dark Ride for kids, this time we follow Pinocchio as he escapes the clutches of the evil Stromboli Puppet Master. The Ride is pretty long with a ton of really nice detail in the set and scenes but it’s very much a “look and see” type of ride and not our favorite of this type in the park.

Attractions –

Sleeping Beauty Castle Walk-through

Tomorrowland

Tomorrowland was always Walt’s Baby, while he loved nostalgia and fantasy, his eyes were always on the future and he wanted to give guests to Disneyland a chance to experience that future! Over the years Tomorrowland has needed to be updated as tomorrow became yesterday, and this will continue as nothing in the area is particularly futuristic anymore. It is a wonderful look at how our grandparents view the future though. It is also home to some of the best rides in the park.

Rides –

Space Mountain

Indoor Dark Roller Coaster with a Space Theme, Headline Attraction, and a great ride – Our Rating – 4.4 – Read More…

Autopia

Photo by randomgbear on CC3.0

Nowadays Autopia seems a very odd concept. It is essentially a vision of future transport! In the future, we will all drive our cars on large multi-lane highways known as Freeways, but you don’t need to wait for the future, you can drive a freeway right here, Today! As we said pretty odd, but when the ride was built as a 1955 opening day attraction Freeways really were a thing of the future. Today, they are nearing a thing of the past and who knows in few decades maybe the ride can be re-branded as a “how things used to be” ride while we all zip to work in our personal drones or Hyperloops?

Anyway, like a lot of the Disney classic rides, this one survives mainly on nostalgia and a strong desire to not change Disneyland too much. However the cars are very slow and the steering is largely symbolic so you really are just driving along a freeway, slowly, in traffic…we did that on the way.

Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters

Indoor Dark Ride with Interactive Shooting Element and Toy Story Theme – Our Rating – 3 – Read More…

Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage

Fun Underwater adventure in a partially submerged Submarine themed around everyone’s favorite Finding Nemo – Our Rating – 3.2 – Read More…

Star Tours – The Adventures Continue

3D Motion Simulator set in the Star Wars Universe – Our Rating – 4.3 – Read More…

Astro Orbiter

Essentially a more grownup version of Dumbo the Flying Elephant. The Ride is a simply swirling Carousel with each arm individually height controlled. The Ride is bigger and Faster than Dumbo and from the top, you get great views of the park and the castle.

Attractions –

Disneyland Monorail

Enjoy incredible, one-of-a-kind views on this classic 2.5-mile, 13-minute round-trip journey.

Star Wars Launch Bay– Temporarily Unavailable

Mickeys Toon Town

Mickeys Toon Town is a fun area aimed mostly at kids up in the far north of the park, as the day goes expect the area to be busy with families enjoying the play area and kiddie-themed food on offer. After a lengthy closure, Toon Town reopened in March 2023. The reimagined Toon Town includes Mickey and Minnie Houses, where you can walk around their houses and even meet Mickey in his barn at the back of his house! Donald Duck’s Boat and Goofy’s house where are newly interactive play areas for the young ones to let off steam. ToonTown has 3 rides: Chip and Dales GADGETcoaster, Roger Rabbit’s CarTOON Spin, and the brand new Mickey and Minnies Runaway Railway which opened on January 27th to kick off Disney’s 100-year celebrations.

Rides –

Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway

Opened on January 27th as part of the 100 Years of Disney Celebrations. Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railroad Is a New Dark Ride added to Mickey’s Toontown, one of the first New Rides for the Park in quite a while (excluding the Galaxy’s Edge Expansion). This is Family Ride, with no height restriction, but Disney has really gone all out. Utilizing the Trackless Ride System used in Rise of the Resistance, the Imagineers have gone to town to immerse you in a real Cartoon Adventure. – Our Rating – 4.4 – Read More…

Chip and Dales GADGET Coaster

Chip and Dale’s GADGET Coaster is a fun Family coaster themed on the Chip ‘n’ Dales Cartoon. Do not expect too much as the coaster is very child-friendly but it’s a smooth ride with some fast feeling turns as you enter the spiral dives. If your kids want to ride rollercoasters but are not quite up to the Mountain rides in the park this is a great stepping stone.

Roger Rabbits Car Toon Spin

Roger Rabbits Car Toon Spin has returned now ToonTown has reopened! The classic beloved ride is a really fun experience. The dark ride is certainly very zany, as you career through the sets and scenes based on the roger rabbit film. The unique part of the ride is the cars themselves can spin around the track independently controlled by the Steering wheel. This adds an interactive element to the ride making the whole experience as whacky as you want it. Again, a fun ride for all ages.

Attractions

Mickey’s House and Meet Mickey

Take this self-guided tour of the house of the main mouse himself: Mickey! Spot numerous collectibles as you walk through the rooms including Mickey’s Broomstick from Fantasia. Once you have had a sneak peek of his house, you can meet Mickey in Mickey’s Movie Barn. While you wait to meet him, you can enjoy classic Mickey cartoons before heading backstage to say cheese with the Mouse who started it all.

Minnies House

This is another self-guided tour that you can take at your own pace. Minnie Mouse is the ultimate romantic, and it shows in her home decor. painted in pink, lilac, and cream, her house has all sorts of hearts decorated throughout the rooms. Enter this love dreamland and follow the house through to the kitchen to see what she is cooking! As you leave, make sure you visit the wishing well in her garden and make a wish of your own.

Donald’s Duck Pond

The home of Donald Duck has been turned into a fun water-filled play area for duckings and human kids alike! With towering water lilies, balance beams, and giant rocking toys this is the perfect adventure play area for your little ones. Be warned though, the kids will get wet at this attraction!

Goofy’s How to Play Yard

Another attraction aimed at the little ones is another play area for kids in Toontown, but a lot drier than over at Donald’s place! In Goofy’s neck of the woods, a sound garden awaits with Goofy’s clubhouse high up in the sky. Up there, the kids can enjoy a birdseye view of Mickey’s Toontown.

CenTOONial Park:

Head to the center of CenTOONial Park to find the new fabulous fountain and the wonderous dreaming tree, inspired by the tree Walt himself used to daydream under at his home in Missouri. The tree roots provide a fun-filled play area for kids. Let your imagination run free with a walk in the park, just get there early to avoid the crowds.

Fireworks and Nighttime Shows

Ultimate Disneyland California Fireworks Guide – Everything You Need To Know About Disneyland Fireworks

Have Your Say

Got something to say about our Disneyland Ride Guide? Just fire away in the comments below, or maybe you have a question regarding a particular ride. Again just leave us a comment and we will get right back to you.

You May Also Like

• Top 10 Disneyland Rides
• Disney’s California Adventure Ride Guide
• Disneyland, California Travel Guide

Treat this as a Must do list and get these rides ticked off and you are sure to have a very memorable day. We have included the Shows into consideration (only one made it) as these are something you need to queue for and will cost you time, but are not technically rides.

Alternatively, you can check out our full list of EVERY ride and attraction at Universal Studios Hollywood here. But first a word of warning…

SKIP – Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge

Mario Kart is the BIG new Ride at Universal Studios Hollywood. The Super Nintendo World Expansion is a really big play by IUniversal to set up their Hollywood offering, and combined with the release of the new Super Mario Bros. films lot is riding on its success.

Unfortunately after riding the cutting-edge AR Dark Ride for ourselves, it’s fair to say we were pretty underwhelmed. It does not come close to making the top ten Rides at the park as is overall a horrible mess.

Find out our full opinion here, but we really recommend not queuing upwards of 2-3 hours for the really poor experience. However, we imagine very few people will heed this advice, as after all, it’s the park’s big new attraction, and end up disappointed too…

Super Nintendo World itself is a pretty cool and fun place to explore, it’s just the Ride we didn’t get along with.

10 – Revenge Of The Mummy

In last place on our Top Ten, and only slightly ahead of Mario Kart, is the Revenge of the Mummy The Ride. This is another of the park’s big headline attractions but overall we really do not get on with it. The ride is so violent and jerky, like almost no other ride we have experienced, and generally just find it a painful experience.

This is a Launched Coaster that fires riders through an intense indoor rollercoaster experience. The effects are really cool and large parts of the ride are actually really good, but we just find it too rough to be enjoyable. Some of the most violent parts are completely unsighted and mean you cannot brace for them and combined with the awkward plastic seats they just leave you in pain. It can be so severe we worry about our long-term health.

We are big Coaster fans and have ridden many large, intense, and extreme rides all around the world, but the Mummy just left us cold due to the intense roughness.

We understand this ride has a lot of fans and critical plaudits, The Themeing, queue line, and ride story are all great and it should be right up there but the tight turns, sharp drops, and hard awkward seating mean we come away with more of a grimace than a smile.

Read More Here…

9 – Waterworld Show – Stunt Show

Most people are surprised this show is still running and can’t really figure out why. The film was critically panned, Commercially Catastrophic, and generally a bit of a stinker, and it is now nearly 25 years old so half the people visiting don’t even remember it while the other half choose to forget it! So why has this “stage show” version kept running for over 20 years?

Well the simple reason, unlike its film cousin, it’s actually really very good! It is fairly easy to see Universal could have scrapped this for something far more commercially attractive, so it is really good to see it being retained simply for artistic merit. It’s just too good to can, they even tried and had to reopen due to demand.

It’s 16 minutes of intense stunt action with Fire, explosions, effects, and incredible Stunt work. There is even a crash-landing airplane that will take your breath away. It’s still on a pretty tenuous grasp commercially and it could be replaced soon so catch it while you can.

8 – Flight Of the Hippogriff

This is definitely a family ride. And really it’s not that great of one either. It’s a very basic coaster that offers very little in terms of thrills and excitement, even for quite young children. Being a family ride doesn’t require it to be boring and tame if appropriate imagination is used.

We don’t hate the Flight of the Hippogriff, just wish it was a bit more. However, you do get some of the best views of the Wizarding World and the theming in the ride queue is quite decent. We just wish it had a little more oomph…

Read more Here…

8a – Wizarding World of Harry Potter

Not an actual Ride so we are not giving it a full entry but we have to mention it. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is utterly fantastic. A full recreation of the village of Hogsmeade, Hogwarts Castle looming in the distance, filled with Magic, wonder, food, and Butterbeer, it really is a must-see.

There are currently two rides operating in the area and we will see the second ride a little later on.

7 – Jurassic World – The Ride

A Full Re-theming of the Original Jurassic Park Ride. The Ride is unchanged but the theme and the story are brought right up to date with the new Film Franchise.

Incredible Special Effects, stunning Ananmatronics, and really detailed theming make this a pretty impressive overhaul. But there are a few little points that really let it down in terms of storytelling and suspense.

Read More Here…

Jurassic World at the Park – While the ride has a few issues, it’s still pretty awesome and on top of this there are loads of great Dino attractions to see at the Park. Raptor Encounters, Dino Play, Triceratops Encounter, some nice restaurants, and even a Mosasaurus Aquarium (Of Sorts!). Definitely, a great place to hang out for a while. The raptor encounter can e really funny and give children nightmares for the next 10 years!

6 – Dreamworks Theatre Featuring Kung Fu Panda

This is Universal’s New ultra-high Tech Motion Simulator Theater. Developed to help promote the Newly acquired Dreamworks Studios Properties. Starting with Kung Fu Panda.

The Theatre is set to change the mini-film often based on big releases from the Studio as the technology is in the theatre itself, not the Films. It’s a hell of a piece of kit and immerses you into the world in a really incredible way.

Read More Here…

5 – Despicable Me Minion Mayhem

A Kid’s ride that kicks bottom! Yes, the humor is largely slapstick and crude but the immersion is brilliant and the wacky ride through the crazy world of the minions is pretty hilarious for all ages. The minions were the Star of the Despicable me Franchise and Becoming one of them lends itself perfectly to this sort of ride tech. This is what Family rides can and should be!

Read More Here…

4 – Simpsons Ride

Everyone loves the Simpsons, So a ride is an obvious money-spinner. But with such a no-brainer idea it’s easy to be lazy and come up with something a bit sub-par. Fortunately, this is not the case and the Simpsons Ride is both a technological and comical success. This 3D Motion Simulator romp through the Simpsons universe is phenomenal fun as universal takes aim at all things theme park in a familiar Simpsons style. We love it and the reason it’s “only” at number 4 is simply the quality of the reaming contenders!

Read More Here…

3 – Harry Potter And The Forbidden Journey

As we stated before, We love the Wizarding World Of Harry Potter, and the centerpiece of this part of the park is the Replica Hogwarts Castle, and what is contained inside it. The Queue area for this ride is worth queuing for by itself as you meander through recreations of various scenes from the films.

However, the ride itself is a technological masterpiece that uses Robotics, animatronics, visuals effects, and stunning 3D projections to fully immerse you into the wizarding world as you take a ride on a broomstick around the castle with Dragons, Wizards, Dementors, and more. This is world-class entertainment.

Read More Here…

2 – Transformers The Ride

Transformers is probably our number one overall ride at any theme park in North America let alone Universal Hollywood*! It’s not got the thrills of a big coaster, but the fear factor can put people off those, whereas the Transformers ride really hits all the marks in fun, thrills, theming, immersion, innovation, story, and everything that really just makes a ride fun and exciting. It’s a perfect blend.

Its biggest criticism is it’s standing on the shoulders of “The Amazing Spiderman” ride at Universal Orlando. And, to be fair, yes it is, But you can reach so much higher standing on someone’s shoulders and the Transformers ride really is a fantastic evolution of that ride with better visuals, story, and ride effects. We can never ride it just once and always make use of the single rider line to grab another go.

Read More Here…

It would normally get our top spot but Universal Hollywood has something so utterly unique and brilliant it has to take the top spot. As a ride, Transformers is better, but as an experience, it can’t top our winner.

* It’s a tough call between Transformers and Pandora Flight of Passage at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, which is a truly staggering experience.

1 – World Famous Studio Tour

Easily the Number one attraction at Universal Studios Hollywood. This Is the tour that started it all and is a very unique tour around a real working movie set. Not only is it a wonderfully interesting look at how Hollywood works but it integrates several ride segments and special effects set pieces into the tour. It is really like nothing else in the world and the number one reason to visit the Park. We really cannot recommend anyone visit Universal Studios Hollywood and not Take the Studio Tour. It is that good!

Read more here…

You May Also Like:

• Universal Studios Hollywood Ride Guide – Every Ride
• Universal Studios Home Page
• Where to Buy Cheap Tickets for Universal Studios

Have Your Say

What do you think of our list? Do you agree with our rating? Have we left out your favorite? Do you hate one of our top Rides? Let us know in the comments below what you think. We always love discussing Rides with our Readers.

We went back to the Park to see if the Brand can Survive the Orca Controversy and if it has a future once the Orcas pass away or are rehomed. The Park has been busy rebranding and rebuilding with a host of new rides and attractions to get people through the gates and into the park. We took a trip to see if this can cut it and if it is still worth visiting SeaWorld San Diego. Our Seaworld San Diego Review will take you through everything you need to know to get the best out of your trip to Seaworld and let you know if it is still worth visiting and what the future holds for this iconic attraction.

SeaWorld San Diego

SeaWorld is an Aquatic-Based Themepark Right in the Heart of Misson Bay in Prime San Diego Real estate and has been the Center Piece of San Diego’s Tourism Industry for Years. It built its name and brand on its stunning and captivating Killer Whale Shows Featuring Shamu and people flocking.

As competition Grew it diversified more and more before beginning to introduce more and more theme park-style rides along with its aquarium Displays and Sea Life Shows. In 2016 the Park announced an end to its Orca Breeding Program and a Phased end to its Live Orca Shows. However, The Shows continue to this day albeit in a revised Orca Encounter Format and more reminiscent of natural behaviors There are Still live Orca Shows. Recently a few big-name businesses have Severed Ties with Seaworld and refused to sell tickets, how much this affects the business remains to be seen. So has the demise of SeaWorld been made inevitable or is there life in this Icon of entertainment yet?

How Much Does SeaWorld Cost?

Weekday Ticket – $95.99 Gate – $59.99 Online

Weekend Ticket – $95.99 Gate – $75.99 Online

Front Of The Line Pass – From $25

Where to Buy SeaWorld Tickets?

After Reviewing Most of the different Resellers, many of whom we happily recommend for a lot of attractions, There does not seem to be a huge scope for saving money on Sea World Tickets. This leads us to mainly recommend just going direct.

<<< Book SeaWorld Direct Now >>>

Undercover Tourist – has the best prices, and is one of our top picks for USA Attractions, However, they largely just mirror SeaWorld’s own Pricing. There is however a modest saving as they do not charge the $9.99 Booking Fee that SeaWorld adds to their orders!

Go San Diego Pass – A great way to save money on San Diego Attractions is with the Go San Diego Pass. All Go Passes over 3 Days give access to SeaWorld for the Duration of your Pass. We really love the Go Pass and had a great time using it on our recent trip to San Diego, but it isn’t for everyone. Check Out our full review here.

Controversy

We are going to get this out straight away as you need to make a conscious decision on the morality of visiting the park. Writing this Article has not always been easy as we are a little unsure of our position if we are honest.

In recent years the popularity and attendance of SeaWorld parks have fallen dramatically. This is in part due to negative media representation and the Netflix movie Blackfish. These have all resulted in a collective and cultural shift in acceptance of keeping Orcas in Captivity and forcing them to perform tricks for the public. These sorts of shifts in public perception are nothing new, and what was once acceptable is no longer considered palatable. We once used to gather for public hangings and kept circus animals in horrific conditions. Our culture evolved and our tolerances changed.

This, however, has left SeaWorld in a predicament. What to do with the current animals they no hold in captivity. Even the most ardent environmentalist accepts that these animals, most bred in captivity cannot just be released. As nice as Free Willy is, it’s not a realistic prospect for animals so habituated into captivity. This leaves 2 options.

1 – Continue as we are. The tricks and shows the aminals are forced to perform are pretty essential for their wellbeing. It allows access to vets to help keep them healthy and staves off the inevitable boredom caused by being in captivity. So if they are to remain in the parks as far as we are concerned Seaworld should continue the shows.

2 – The other option is a sea pen somewhere along the coast. Maybe a cove fenced off somewhere, where the whales can live and play and act in a partially natural way. Here they can live out their lives away from the tanks used to cage them for so long. It isn’t a perfect option as they are still caged, a bit akin to allowing prisoners a garden rather than freedom. There are other BIG issues. The Protective and sterile environment in SeaWorld means the Whale’s immune systems may just not be able to cope with the wild.

Here is where you need to make your own personal choices. We do not want to preach, either way, just lay out the facts. To be honest we are partially torn. We wish the animals could be safely released to the wild but this would almost certainly lead to their rapid and untimely demise. The Trainers, doctors, and SeaWorld staff all love and cherish their animals, and seeing them in action did not seem like they were unduly stressed. We tend to apply human emotions to animals too often and it’s impossible to know how they feel.

But let’s be honest the main reason SeaWorld won’t move them to Sea-pens is money. It would cost an awful lot and they would lose a large piece of what attracts people to SeaWorld. But there are issues with the pens and overall the whales are fairly happy as they are. We tend to think of this as just another sad chapter of human history and our interactions with the environment. We don’t judge SeaWorld too harshly as judging actions of the past based on modern sentiments is foolhardy. But we do praise their decision to Phase out the shows. It is an understanding of the shifting of our cultural position and helping us make the future brighter.

Honestly, we saw our visit as the last chance to see the way things used to be and get a glimpse of the future of the Park. SeaWorld is not going away and we wanted to see what the park could offer once the Giant Ampiatheatre has shut down and the whales moved on, one way or another.

But we believe in free choice and would not encourage people who are just unhappy with the way Orcas are being kept, You should make your own decisions and act in a way that makes you feel happy.

For Further Reading on the Subject, we suggest you head to neutral sources. Anything by PETA or the like has an obvious bias and again, SeaWorld’s own defense is naturally biased towards themselves. Wikipedia is a great place to start and has a detailed article about Captive Orca.

We also took a trip to Iceland to see a project run by Sea-Life where they are Attempting to safely move two Beluga Whales from Captive Tanls to a Sea Pen. The process is painfully slow as they make sure the Whale’s wellbeing is monitored at every step.

Remember, we mentioned 2 Options for dealing with the Orca, There is always a third, and push the company too hard and they may just choose to Euthanize them!

Conservation and Research

SeaWorld’s Counterargument to the negative criticism is they are heavily involved in research, conservation, and rescue of injured and sick animals. We don’t really accept this. While it is of little doubt the company does some great work, we commend them for that. It is no defense against animal cruelty, however. You cannot simply keep animals in inhumane conditions but say “Oh it’s okay because we help other animals!”

That is not to say SeaWorld does keep Animals in inhumane conditions. Yes, the tanks are tiny compared to the vast oceans, but the picture painted by the extreme environmentalists is not obvious upon visiting the parks. The point we are making is that is for YOU to decide. And if you do come to that conclusion, then all the good work in the world cannot justify that. It is true their efforts possibly cannot continue without the financial muscle the parks provide, But it is still not OK to be inhumane to some to save others.

The fact is, SeaWorld has begun the complex and difficult process of retiring all their Orca’s. It is a problem that should never really have been faced but while Millions of people queued up to see the Whales the blame can not really be levied on SeaWorld alone but on collective cultural acceptance.

Attractions

With that out of the way let’s look at what is actually still available at SeaWorld and what you can expect from your day out!

Animal Exhibits

As Seaworld San Diego moves from relying on the Orca shows they are diversifying and adding new attractions to the park, mainly in the form of rides, and vying to become a regular theme park. However, their unique selling point is still the many sea creature exhibits and shows at the park.

Orca Encounter

The Current Orca show is very different from the circus-like shows of the past and we did get the impression the Whales genuinely enjoy the performance. The Trainers all show real love and devotion to the Animals and the show now focuses on natural behaviors and is an exhibition of the animals rather than the tricks they can be made to perform.

The show is highly enjoyable. It is seriously hard to not be mesmerized by these wonderful creatures. They playfully jump, wave, and splash the audience as the video presentation explains a little about the Orca’s behaviors in the wild. Being up close to a full-sized Male is awe-inspiring and simply seeing the displacement as he prepares for a jump highlights the enormity and power of the creatures. While seeing them in the wild would always trump a show, it is hard not to be captivated by their sheer magnitude!

Remember the Whales are encouraged to interact with the crowd, and they do this by way of splashing. Do Not assume you will only get a little bit sprayed, in a playful manner. It is quite possible if you sit in the splash zone, you will end up drenched head to toe. Some of the splash antics send gallons of water into the crowd in a random and unpredictable way. Get this wrong and there will not be a dry inch on you. Take extra care with any non-Water Proof electricals as they could potentially be destroyed by the water ingress.

If staying dry is important, just avoid the splash zones. We found sitting front and center in the splash zone kept us pretty dry while still getting the best view. But don’t count on it. If a whale wants you wet, you are getting wet!

It is really not hard to see why the Orca shows have been so successful for SeaWorld. They are a creature beyond compare and one that is so clearly intelligent. You feel them looking at you, understanding what is happening. This truly magical intelligence is exactly why the shows must end. But we still think they are worth catching while a permanent solution is found. The Orca really does not seem under any duress during the performance and even looks to relish some tricks, especially ones that end up with the crowd wet. And the Trainer’s love and respect for the Animals is beyond doubt. It really is hard to reconcile the Blackfish Story with what we saw at the Park!

Dolphins Days Show

SeaWorld’s Dolphin Shows are another big draw to the park and the Daily displays are filled with impressive tricks. Dolphins are hugely playful and show genuine enjoyment in performing their tricks. The Show is far more Circus-like than the Orca Show with more interaction between the Animals and Trainers with a series of Pushes and Rides that get the Trainers interacting with the Dolphins.

As part of the Show, you are also introduced to the Pilot Whales at the Park. Pilot Whales are a Large Species of dolphins but their appearance in the show really ups the ante and they are mightily impressive and great to watch.

While the show is fun to watch there are still nagging doubts about keeping intelligent animals in small tanks. However, it should be noted that SeaWorld no longer takes any Whales or Dolphins from the wild. These are all bred or rescued Animals.

Sea Lions Live

The Sea Lion Show is more of a quirky comedy show with the Animals performing all kinds of tricks and stunts for the crowd. The Park is definitely conscious not to make any of the shows too Circusy or exploitative and this actually makes the show a little drab. The focus is almost more on the human actors to add the laughs with the Sealions taking a more peripheral role in proceedings. It is a shame as the Selions have so much more to offer but this kind of show is clearly kinder to them.

Honestly, we could take or leave the show it’s not the best SeaWorld has to offer. However it is a BIG hit with younger guests, it really is a live-action Kid’s show with sea lions and it goes down a treat. A special mention to the Otters though, If you got rid of the Sealions and the humans and just had the Otters this would be a HIT!

We actually much preferred Sealion Point where the Sea Lions frolic and play on their own time and you can buy small fish to feed them with, assuming the cheeky egrets don’t get there first!

Show Time Tables

There is at least one of each of the shows every day the park is open and more during peak times. SeaWorld lists its full schedule on its website for every day.

Sea Otters

We adore Sea otters and while it’s never great to see them in captivity it would be highly illegal to take them from the wild so these are all rescue animals. The Habitat is fairly poor, however. The Glass is badly scratched and the otters have excellent hiding holes meaning it’s pretty hard to see anything. This is obviously better for the otters but not for visitors. Try and catch them at feeding time or if they are out playing.

Turtles

The Turtle Exhibit was a highlight for us. We are huge Turtle fans and have spent a lot of time in the Oceans of Hawaii observing turtles in the wild. Any chance we get to see turtles up close is a bonus for us. There are many really large adult turtles of several varieties in the exhibit. Green Sea Turtles (Honu), loggerheads, and hawksbill Turtles. All are in great condition (better than a lot of the turtles we have seen in the wild!) and gently floating around their habitat.

On Top of this the Habitat, in general, is a great one, filled with a huge array of large tropical and marine fish. Golden Trevally, Yellow Snapper, Rainbow Runners, and more. It is a great display.

Arctic

The Artic Exhibit is seriously impressive. This was home to the Wild Arctic Motion Simulator Ride, now removed, and also the incredible Beluga Whales and Walrus Exhibits. The walk through the exhibit gives multiple opportunities to observe the animals and it’s hard not to get pretty overwhelmed by the stunning and majestic Belugas.

The Beluga Tank is pretty huge and the majority is underground, simulating the under-ice habitat of the wild. You will need to be patient to catch a glimpse of them but when they do appear, their white shapes coming from the gloom like a ghost, it is all the more spectacular.

The Walruses are seriously big as well. We never really appreciated just how huge these animals are. Giant bally of blubber with huge tusks, Amazing.

However, There was a touch of sadness. There is so much focus on the Orca and the Beluga are just as majestic but seem ignored by the campaigners. There is little information on their source but most appear to be captive-bred or wild-caught a long time ago.

Penguins

The Emporer Penguin Exhibit was another great Exhibit. As the Penguins hail from the Antarctic and their biorhythms are out of sync with the northern hemisphere lighting is kept to the Antarctic schedule. Meaning for most of spring, summer, and autumn Guests will be visiting during their nighttime. This adds a whole new layer of cool to the penguin exhibit as you watch the meter-high Birds frolic about in the Tuxedo’s.

Shark Encounter

The Shark Exhibit is always a big draw but we were a little disappointed. The Tank was large and well-stocked, and there was a nice tunnel walkthrough but the sharks themselves were all quite small bottom-dwelling type sharks, Lemon Sharks, nurse sharks, and such. We much prefer to see the typical ocean-going sharks. But we guess it’s not a terrible thing these are out in the ocean rather than in a tank. It is not a bad shark display but nothing out of the ordinary and not a reason to visit SeaWorld, but is a good addition and obviously a big hit for the kids.

Others

There are also many other smaller aquariums and displays, some pretty typical such as Reef Tanks and Tropical Displays, and others much more niche and to us are very interesting. There were Large Spider Crabs, Octopus, and a good number of Moray Eels, and even the Prehistc Nautilus and Horseshoe Crabs were on display. We have visited aquariums all over the country and some of the displays here, in obscure and overlooked corners, were actually some of the most unique we have come across. And we nearly got eaten alive by cleaner wrasse in the touch pool!

Overall the Animals on display were far more diverse and impressive than we envisaged or remembered from childhood. Obviously, everyone is painfully aware of the Orca, Dolphins, and Sea Lions used in the Shoes, but there is SO much more on offer. We would struggle to justify the entry fee for just these if you ignore the shows and the rides, but it would rank as one of the better aquarium exhibits we have visited, not on the Monterrey Bay, Georgia, Or Shedd Aquarium level, but not that far behind.

SeaWorld San Diego Rides

Seaworld seems to be opening almost a ride a year at the minute with Electric Eel in 2018, Tidal Twister in 2019, and Emperor coming in 2021, It’s clear the direction SeaWorld is taking to recover from the damage of its Orca breeding program.

We take a brief look here at all of SeaWorld’s Rides, but we take a closer look at the Ride Line-up here as SeaWorld is starting to look more and more like a Ride-Based Theme Park.

Emperor

Emperor – Review

Emporer is a Bolliger & Mabillard Floorless Dive Coaster, similar to Kraken (but with an added 90°drop!) over in Orlando (Regular in the Golden Ticket Top Rollercoaster awards). Bolliger & Mabillard make all our favorite rides and Emperor is a stunning ride. 152ft, 63mph, and a vertical drop. Its track is ultra smooth and the cars soar around the track and through its 4 inversions.

The Ride was heavily delayed due to the pandemic but it is now open and one of the best Rides on the West Coast. – Our Rating – 4.4 – Read More…

Arctic Rescue

Arctic Rescue – Review

The Latest Ride at Sea World San Diego. Based on an Arctic Rescue Mission aboard Snow Mobiles this Triple Launched Straddle Coaster sees you ride your very own Snow Mobile around the lightly themed Outdoor Track. This is great fun and not too intense making this more of a family coaster – Our Rating – 3.9 – Read More …

Electric Eel

Electric Eel – Review

Opening in 2018 Electric Eel is the biggest and fastest coaster in the San Diego Area. However, this coaster would hold up at any location and is a serious beast of a machine – Our Rating – 4.0 – Read More…

Manta

Manta – Review

Manta was Seaworld’s first foray into the rollercoaster world and began its transformation into a full theme park rather than a glorified aquarium. Manta is a launched coaster with very few big drops and instead gets its speed from the twin LAunches the ride makes as it works its way around the park.

It is a fairly decent coaster, not overly scary and it is a low-level coaster, and 42mph top speed makes it pretty family-friendly. There are no inversions but a 48-inch height limit means it’s still not for the younger kids. It is a very enjoyable coaster and the long track length that covers a large part of the park is very appealing. – Our Rating – 3.5 – Read More …

Tidal Twister

Currently Closed…Possibly permanently

We were really psyched about Tidal Twister. The hype and the promo around the ride made it seem like a serious new ride. The Futuristic track design the dueling nature and the continuous loops with a Zero-G roll all looked very promising. What we seem to have got is a glorified fairground ride.

In the Promo the track appeared to be some kind of electrified rail and something from the future but the reality is nothing of the sort. As the ride clunks and bangs its way around the track it seems more reminiscent of carnivals of yesteryear than the future.

Yes, the ride has a Zero-G Roll which elevates it slightly above a Carnival attraction but the whole thing looks like it could fit on the back of a truck … complete with shoddy announcers and powered along by rotating car tires. The initial response from most people was “Is that it?” It isn’t fast, it isn’t scary and it’s not even particularly fun.

It seems a poor choice to us and not what the park needs to get back up to the old days. To be fair the Park is opening a ride a year and last year’s ride, Electric Eel was a corker, Emporer Magnificent, and even the Family Raide Arctic Explorer really fun, but this was oversold quite a bit. We get that rides are expensive, and this is clearly a “Cheap” Option, but they could definitely have added something more exciting than this for the budget. – Our Rating – 2.6

Journey to Atlantis

Journey to Atlantis is Seaworld’s Boatacoaster! If you don’t know what that is we are not surprised as, as far as we know, we just made that up. But it is a very odd but surprisingly effective cross between a roller coaster and a boat ride. It starts off as a typical theme park water ride. You climb up the lift hill before a big drop into a water splash. You then float around on the waterway before entering a building. After a shot Dart ride segment, the ride is lifted vertically on a lift system before heading out onto the roller coaster segments. These are not the greatest ride sections but the very fact you are in a boat makes them more thrilling than you would expect. – Our Rating – 3.4

Shipwreck Rapids

No theme park is complete without a River Rapids ride and SeaWorld is no exception. The Shipwreck Rapids is a fairly standard river rapids ride and only features Rapids and not any real drops. You can expect to get fairly wet but not Orca Splash Zone standards. The ride is actually pretty well-themed something not seen on most SeaWorld Rides where they normally just get a nautical name and that is about it. – Our Rating – 3.1

Riptide Rescue

A spinning ride themed around lifeboats/rescue boats. This is the standard fairground ride where the outside rider gets awfully squashed as the G-forces mount up and the ride car’s momentum slows at the edge of each spin.

Paid Rides

For the Life of us, we can’t tell you why, but there are a couple of attractions at Sea World San Diego that require additional Purchase. We know Theme Parks Charge for everything but we have never experienced them charging for RIDES…That’s why we are here after all!

Bayside Skyride – $6

The Skyride is a scenic cable car ride along the bayfront. It is a very beautiful roundtrip with some incredible views. We see no logic in charging extra other than pure profiteering and keeping numbers down. The Ride no longer goes anywhere and you simply get 12 minutes of relaxing and stunning views for your $6

SkyTower -$6

The Sky Tower is another charged ride here the capsule rises slower to the height of 320ft, rotating as it goes giving the most incredible views of the surrounding area. It would ordinarily be something we would recommend to everyone, however, we don’t know if you noticed from our tone, but charging extra for rides at a theme park really pisses us off!

Other Rides

There are also a host of small-scale family-friendly and kid’s rides. These are all nothing special but appeal to young kids and can keep them entertained for an hour or so while you wait for a big show.

Sesame Street’s Bay Of Play

Abby’s Seastar Spin – A small Tea Cups Style Ride

Elmos Flying Fish – Spinning ride where the height of the Ride car is controlled by the riders, similar to Dumbo at Disney.

Oscars Rockin Eel – A large spinning, sliding side-to-side thing…hard to explain but actually quite fun!

Ocean Explorer

Sea Dragon Drop – A drop tower ride, but child-sized and very kid-friendly

Aqua Scout – a really small-scale spinning ride where the cars bump up and down randomly.

Octarock – A small powered swing-set ride

Tentacle Twirl – A Twirling Swing ride themed around jellyfish

SeaWorld’s sister park in Orlando has some serious rides, rides that rank highly in the Golden Ticket Awards and are simply some of the best rides in Orlando, against some stiff competition. SeaWorld San Diego has a long way to go to match these.

The Rides at SeaWorld San Diego are a mixed bag. Some are really good top-quality rides others are a little average. The Park has a long way to go to make it worth visiting the park without the Main Attraction – The Orcas. 2021 sees the addition of the Emporer, A B&M Floorless Coaster. This promises to really up the ante as B&M does not make bad rides!

Dining At Seaworld

Dining options a limited at best. It’s all Cheap Fast food with very limited healthy options. So expect Burgers and Chicken Tenders and Fries with Everything. We ended up in the Caylyso Smokehouse that did average Smoked meats for around the $15 mark. It was OK for Themepark food.

Other Options are really just more of the same and there is no one stand-out option. Really we recommend a hearty breakfast, making it through the day with snacks and stopping somewhere afterward. San Diego has such great dining options we struggle to recommend the SeaWorld options. They are not bad, just not great.

There is the all-inclusive Dining option for $39.99 but then you will be stuck dining solely, all day at SeaWorld and really that is not an appealing thought.

<<< Book SeaWorld Direct Now >>>

Sea World Going Forward!

Apart from the Incredible, but Controversial, Orca Shows there is no one thing at SeaWorld that makes it worth your time or effort. Just about everything could be found elsewhere. But the combination of all the rides, exhibits, and shows really does make it a fantastic day out. We seriously enjoyed our day here far more than we expected. We kind of came to say goodbye to an icon of the past and home to some childhood memories but found a Park desperately trying to rebuild and rebrand for the Future.

Signs are good, and while some rides are clearly not “hits” with us, others are, and we hope they can add just one or two more big hitters to really elevate the ride line-up (RMC Please!).

If the Decision came to “can” the Orca Shows overnight and rehome the Whales to Sea Pens then we think the Park is in a Good Place going forward. There is a lot to do and see and most of the animal attractions are still really fun. We know the Orca will not be around forever and we hope they have a happy and healthy retirement somewhere.

One thing that did stand out to us was the general appearance. Maybe we have spent too long at Disneyland and Universal Studios but the once Jewel in San Diego’s crown looks just a bit shabby. A touch run down. It has the feel of a park in its twilight years, not one that is on the up and rebuilding for the Future. Some Serious TLC and, sorry Disney, but, Imagineering is needed. Between visits things are improving, a lot of money is being spent and we see more and more signs of revival.

We Certainly think SeaWorld can Survive, which will be great news to those with fond Childhood Memories but not to the Strong Environmentalists who think the company deserves to shut down for its treatment of Whales. We are somewhere in between, The Orca Situation no longer sits well with us, but demanding immediate release or rehoming is not necessarily the right choice either. A Slow, Phased end to the shows is the best option as long as that is a genuine target and not just an appeasement by the company. If they work to that aim and the park can re-establish itself and continue the excellent conservation and research it carries out and funds then we would like to see that happen.

Attendance to the park has slowly risen up until the Pandemic and looks to be shaping up to continue that trend on the other side of it, so we imagine SeaWorld will be the Centre of San Diego’s Entertainment world for some time!

Have Your Say

We hope to raise a little debate about this review in the comments. We may in the coming days strip out the controversial parts and address these in a separate article. But we do feel if you are thinking of visiting some thought should be taken on the ethical side of the park. Some people are adamantly against the park’s treatment of Orca and while we welcome your input we won’t tolerate any abuse or Trolling. So while we often give suggestions as to what to leave in the comments for this article we leave it open, just fire away on anything you have to say about the Article or SeaWorld in General.

You May Also Like:

• SeaWorld San Diego Ride Guide
• Discount Sea World San Diego Tickets
• San Diego Zoo
• San Diego Cruise
• San Diego Attractions Guide

While not quite an original launch day ride the Haunted Mansion certainly feels that way. While its old musty interior and ride mechanics feel from the 50’s it all adds to the appeal. This is an absolute classic not to be missed.

• Location – Disneyland Park – New Orleans Land
• Type – Ghost Train
• Duration – 2 Mins 5 Secs
• Height Restriction – None
• Average Queue time – 10 mins – 60 Mins
• Genie+ – YES
• Additional Info – Classic 1969 Ride

What is the Haunted Mansion?

The Haunted Mansion is a classic dark ride utilizing state-of-the-art technology and techniques to bring to life the haunted mansion. When we say State of the art …we mean for the ’60s. Although it is quite incredible what they could actually do back then.

The Ride Starts off as a walkthrough ride before you board a “Doom Buggy” that winds its way around the castle.

Queue

The Queue is pretty good as far as queue lines go. The line enters the Mansion grounds and winds its way around the grounds where you will find a pet cemetery and the “graves” of the ride’s creators. You then head inside.

Once inside it is hard to know if the ride has started or this is more queue. As there are several set pieces intended to heighten apprehension and build the mood. These feature eerie music and sounds and creepy voices and lighting effects, and pretty cool perspective effects. All culminating in a jolly old hanging!

The Highlight is the expanding hall, where the walls stretch before your eyes and the pleasant family portraits turn into more sinister and disturbing scenes! While the tone is somber and eerie there are clear elements of humor in here so parents should not be too concerned about terrifying their little ones, although the dark and ominous setting can be a bit upsetting.

We have to be honest this is the scariest part of the ride. There are no Jump Scares, it’s just the foreboding music, macabre tones of the Ghost Host, and the, at times, pitch black that can be unnerving! Finally, you enter the loading area where you board your “Doom Buggy”

Ride Experience

The ride itself is very very tame. There are no drops or thrills or anything at all exciting from that point of view. It is nothing more than a slow conveyer around the building. The thrill comes from the special effects and apparitions that you are confronted with throughout the mansion.

In all honesty, the ride is not very scary at all. The tech is so dated and there is no real intent to “scare” anyone, it is more of a nostalgic saunter around the castle witnessing how entertainment used to be. Theming is incredibly thorough and every millimeter of the house is converted into creepy and macabre.

While the effects are dated they are still quite cool. To witness just how much was possible to trick the mind and convinced you of an illusion even many decades ago is pretty enlightening.

Ghostly apparitions appear and float around the sets, even dancing around the great hall in one of the ride’s final climactic scenes. It really is a fun and engaging look at the way rudimentary lighting and effects can be used to such incredible effect!

Overall

We love the Haunted Mansion. Yes, it is very dated and provides no real thrills or excrement but it’s just so quaint and nostalgic it is really pretty fabulous. It evokes a feeling of Victorian culture and a glimpse of how things were done in yesteryear. With this in mind, the effects are pretty staggering, as you really do see apparitions roam about the house before your eyes.

Disneyland would just not be the same without rides like this. Come October every year, the Haunted Mansion is transformed for Halloween with A Nightmare Before Christmas overlay and ride-theming. The Holiday transformation is so popular that wait times soar, especially around Halloween. As there is a long debate on whether A Nightmare Before Christmas is a Halloween or Christmas Film (we say Halloween), the overlay is kept up until after the holiday season in January. Possibly a controversial opinion but we love the Nightmare Before Christmas Haunted Mansion version more than the original! This may be because the overlay is a novelty and only available for a few weeks of the year but it definitely adds some much-needed update to the beloved ride. Although, it’s probably for the best that it is a temporary change to a classic attraction.

Have Your Say

Have you ridden the Haunted Mansion? What did you think? Quaint and nostalgic or had its day? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below. Or fire away if you have any questions.

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After a year-long wait for the much-loved classic area to re-open, expectations were high when Mickey’s Toon Town re-opened. But has the newly refurbished Toon Town lived up to expectations? Here is our full Mickey’s Toon Town Disney California review for 2023.

What is Mickey’s Toontown?

Mickey’s ToonTown has been at Disneyland since 1993. With its bright, colorful cartoon exteriors, it has always been the perfect area of the Park for families with young children. In 2019 Disneyland announced a refurbishment period for ToonTown, where the existing rides and attractions of GADGETcoaster, Goofy’s Play Yard, and Donald’s Duck Pond would be reimagined.

CenTOONial Park, Goofy’s Play Yard, and Donald Duck’s Pond are all areas in ToonTown where younger Guests can have fun, play in their own way, and choose to play together. This Land was designed with an environment that allows Kids to see, hear, feel, and interact with one another in many different ways. The Walt Disney Imagineers designed this area with kids’ play in mind, removing any barriers to play, creating lots of open green for kids to play and the land is curb-free to help guests with different abilities.

The General feel of the land is really cool. When you walk in the feeling of being inside a Cartoon is pretty strong. The tall facades of Rolling Hills blend perfectly with Los Angeles’s perfect Blue Skys to just make you feel you are in a cartoon. The Old Toontown was a little more than a few cute houses where you could Meet Mickey, Minnie, and Friends, but the re-imagining is next level. This feels like a real corner of Walt’s imagination and has really utilized his rules of never being able to see another part of the park.

It’s a really cool achievement and really helps celebrate the 100-year anniversary of the Company.

While at first sight, the area does seem to be aimed at younger guests, Mickey’s ToonTown has both Mickey and Minnie’s Houses where you can meet the main mouse himself, therefore becoming a much-visited area by any Disney Guest who wants some one-on-one time with either Mickey Mouse. The Houses and the Meet and Greets were missed by Guests during the refurbishments and wait times for the Houses can reach ****

If that wasn’t enough of a reason for Disney Adults to visit the area, Disneyland has opened a new ride specifically designed to be fun for all ages: Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railroad. The ride has been designed specifically with no age/height restriction, so families can travel together, whatever their age or height.

Mickey and Minnie’s Houses

Ignoring the elephant in the room that Mickey and Minnie don’t actually live together despite being a couple for nearly 100 years (but then again, maybe the secret to their successful lengthy courtship is having separate houses?!), here in ToonTown you can visit the homes that each belong to the worlds most famous cartoon couple.

The self-guided tour leads you through each house which each reflects the personality and hobbies of its owner. Minnie’s house is decorated in soft pinks, lavender, and cream, with little hearts in the decor all throughout the house. The kitchen is clearly her favorite room in the house and she also has a wishing well in the back garden where you can make your very own wish.

Mickey’s house is just as brightly colored and is filled with mementos from his career including the Broomstick from Fantasia. There is even Plutos Dog House outside as well as Mickey’s Movie Barn where you can watch short screenings of cartoons and meet the main mouse himself! This is every Disney fan’s chance to interact, take photos, and hug the mouse that started it all.

Character Meet and Greets

As well as the Mickey Mouse meet and greets over at his house, there are many of their friends roaming around ToonTown for guests to meet, interact, and take photos with! For the first time ever at Disney Park, Mickey Mouse’s arch nemesis Pete makes an appearance. Be sure to keep an eye on the villain, he will be no doubt up to mischief!

Other Character Meet and Greets in ToonTown include:

• Minnie Mouse
• Donald Duck
• Daisy Duck
• Clarabelle
• Goofy
• Pluto

Depending on the popularity of the character, these wait times for the Meet and Greets can reach 60 minutes!

Rides

Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway – Review

A relaxing train ride turns into a chaotic journey through different cartoon scenes on this newly opened dark ride. With no height restrictions this fun-for -all ride is super popular so wait times can get pretty high. Individual Lightning Lane entry can be purchased if the line is too long for you – read more HERE As you queue for the ride you are guided through ‘Mickey through the Ears’ where you can explore this magic movie star’s career with movie props and memorabilia.

The Ride Itself is a seriously impressive feat of imagining. We knew this was a really family-orientated ride, so didn’t have high hopes, We are not the target audience really, but we were actually pretty blown away. The tech deployed to create this ride is pretty monumental, For a basic dark ride the Imagineers brought out all their biggest guns. This is nearly on the scope of the Rise Of The Resistance, with their very expensive Trackless Ride Syatem and just fantastic sets that immerse you into a cartoon world with seamless 2-D Screens and Real 3-D Modelling. It all brings the Vartoon to life and is far more impressive than we imagined.

Read Our Full Review Here

Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin

This ride is so loved by Disney fans that Disneyland chose to include it in the newly refurbished Mickey’s ToonTown. The classic ride based on Who Framed Roger Rabit is a really fun experience. The dark ride is very zany, as you career through the sets and scenes based on the Roger Rabbit film. The unique part of the ride is the cars themselves can spin around the track independently controlled by the Steering wheel. This adds a different and fun element to the ride making the whole experience pretty whacky as you would expect.

Chip ‘n’ Dale’s GADGETcoaster

Aimed at the little ones, this is another ToonTown classic that remains after the re-opening. Chip and Dale’s GADGET Coaster is a fun Family coaster themed on the Chip ‘n’ Dales Cartoon. Do not expect too many thrills as the coaster is very child-friendly but it’s a smooth ride with some fast feeling turns as you enter the spiral dives. If your kids want to ride rollercoasters but are not quite up to the Mountain rides in the park yet this is a great stepping stone and will keep them entertained for hours (or as many times as you can face queuing!)

Attractions

CenTOONial Park

As you enter ToonTown Land, you are faced with CenTOONial Park, centered around a beautiful water fountain, designed for sensory play and for kids to enjoy. Nearby is a dreaming tree- which is a replica of the tree Walt Disney used to sit under in Missouri while dreaming up his great ideas. The tree roots provide a perfect play area for Kids and the open space is perfect for older guests to relax.

Goofy’s How to Play Yard

Another attraction aimed at the little ones is another play area for kids in Toontown, but a lot drier than over at Donald’s place (see below)! In Goofy’s neck of the woods, a sound garden awaits with Goofy’s clubhouse high up in the sky. Up there, the kids can enjoy a birdseye view of Mickey’s Toontown.

Donald’s Duck Pond

The home of Donald Duck has been turned into a fun water-filled play area for duckings and human kids alike! With towering water lilies, balance beams, and giant rocking toys this is the perfect adventure play area for your little ones. Be warned though, the kids will get wet at this attraction!

Food and Beverages

There are 2 new eateries in Mickeys ToonTown featuring family-friendly, comfort food.

Cafe Daisy

• Quick Service
• Price: $14.99 and Under
• Mobile Service Available
• Menu

Get your fill of comfort food with a menu with food for Families, Adults, and Kids alike, all acclaimed by the amazing Chef Daisy Duck. This menu has diner classics for all ages including hot dogs, cheesy pizzas, corn dogs, and mac n cheese. Remember to save room for Daisy’s famous homemade donuts with cinnamon sugar!

Good Boy! Grocers

• Grab and Go
• Price: $14.99 and Under
• Mobile Service not Available
• Menu

Located in ToonTown Farmer’s Market, Good Boy! Grocers sell healthy snacks and treats to refuel after all that playtime. This snack menu’s highlight is the Perfect Picnic Basket, which includes a choice of three snack-sized items for the kids to enjoy alfresco.

Shopping

Engine Ears Souviners

It would not be a Disneyland without a souvenir shop and of course, Disney would never miss an opportunity to sell you something! The Engine Ears Souvenir is a bit of a mouthful, but just say it out loud and you will get the clever joke.

The Store is Filled with Mickey, Minnie, and Friends merchandise including lots of stuffed toys, clothing, and a cute Radio-controlled Runaway Railway

Overall

Overall the newly re-imagined Toontown is a lot of fun for the younger audiences. But there is still lots going on for the big kids among us. The New Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway blew our expectations out of the water, and the whole way the land immerses you into a Cartoon world.

The renovation and Re-Imagining of the land was designed to coincide with the 100-year anniversary of Diney and it really has captured the essence of the original Dinsey Ethos perfectly.

Toon Town used to be a “skip-it” kind of location, reserved for the younger audiences, but we feel it’s now an essential part of the Park!

Have Your Say

Let us know your thoughts on the all-new Toontown at Disneyland California. What did you do on your visit to the land? Did you ride Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway? Did you meet the Mouse himself? what else did you get up to here? Let us know your thoughts in the comments and if you have any questions just free away in the comments

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Families with younger children will find far less to do in the Disney California Adventure. But mixed age groups will definitely appreciate the more high-octane rides and thrills available in the park. While Space Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain Railway are about as White Knuckle as it gets over in Disneyland, in DCA these would hardly break the surface. But it is not all Thrill rides and Screams, there are fun family rides, Character meets, great places to eat, and things to see and do.

Disneyland Park Ride Guide

Heading to Disneyland Park too? Well, you can find our Disneyland Ride Guide below. Every Ride in the park and there are over 30+ rated and reviewed in our ultimate Disneyland Ride Guide:

Disneyland Park Ride Guide

Using Our Disney California Adventure Ride Guide

We have Separated Rides into the different land they occupy in the park. With the Bigger headline attractions of each land at the top. Most Rides have their own detailed page, containing all relevant information and our opinion on the ride, and what to expect. The Smaller family rides, those that are little more than spinners may not have a full page all to themselves.

This Guide covers Every Ride in the Park, and while there are not that many rides, the long queue times can mean it is impossible to get through every ride on offer. So we have put together a Disney California Adventure Must Ride List, these are the Top 10 Rides and Attractions in the DCA that you really cannot miss. We also have a compilation list of the best 10 rides in both parks for those on Park Hopper Tickets.

• Top 10 Disneyland Rides
• Top 10 Disney California Adventure Rides
• Top 10 Disneyland AND California Adventure Park Hopper Rides

Disney California Adventure Lands:

Avengers Campus

Arriving in 2020, the Avengers Campus intended to hugely expand on the Marvel Universe presence in the Park. This was Disney California Adventure’s big new opening while Disneyland had Galaxy’s Edge. Delayed until July 2021, The Campus is now open and home to 2 rides: Guardians of the Galaxy- Mission Breakout and the new Webslingers: A Spider-Man Adventure. You will also regularly bump into an Avenger, with characters from the franchise regularly just hanging around the campus. So keep your eyes peeled for your favorite Avenger and be sure not to miss out on Spider-man’s height-defying show!

Rides-

Guardians Of The Galaxy – Mission: Breakout

One of Our All-time Favorite Disney Rides the Tower Of Terror has had a Marvel Makeover. Find out if the Guardians Of The Galaxy Re-Theme lives up to the old Tower of Terror attraction. – Our Rating – 4.3 – Read More…

Web Slingers: A Spider-Man Adventure

The New Marvel ride arrived with quite a bit of anticipation and when it was announced it was a shooting gallery-style ride, we were pretty disappointed. The game tech is pretty cool but this is just an oversized video game rather than a real ride. The Huge Queues and separately charged lighting lane are also a letdown! – Our Rating – 3.5 – Read More…

Buena Vista Street

This is the first part of the park you hit after the Turnstyles and there is really very little here. It is more of a welcome area and a place you pass through to access the other lands. Themed around 1920’s L.A. there are plenty of shops and cafes lining the street and the Red Car Trolley takes you through the area to the far side of Hollywood land.

Pixar Pier

Themed around an old Victorian Era Midway Promenade with a Pixar twist, the Pier is a great place to spend some time. With some of the best rides in the park and the Iconic Disneyland Imagery of the Big Wheel and Looping Incredicoaster, it is hard to miss the Pier. If the Big rides are not your thing then there is still plenty to do with Pixar Character meets and Pixar Themed Midway Games and snack stands. It really is the heart of the California Adventure.

Rides –

Incredicoaster

Disneyland’s only proper steel rollercoaster and the only inverted ride at Disneyland California. Luckily this is a fantastic coaster and one for any big ride fan – Our Rating – 4.3 – Read More…

Pixar Pal-A-Round

As soon as you walk into the Park the Giant Pixar Pal-A-Round Mickey stares you in the face. This classic Big Wheel has a devious twist and is actually a pretty terrifying experience as the Gondolas move independently of the ride! If that’s too much, you can pick the non-Swinging which is just the classic Ferris wheel experience Our Rating – 3.8 – Read More…

Toy Story Midway Mania

4-D Virtual shooting game themed around midway-style shooting galleries featuring your story favorites. Basic in Premise but enthralling and spectacular in Execution! – Our Rating – 4.3 – Read More…

Inside Out Emotional Whirlwind

Simple family ride where riders twirl around in balloon carriages themed around the Inside Out franchise. UPDATE: the ride will be closed from January 30th, 2023 for refurbishments. Re-open date TBC.

Jessie’s Critter Carousel

Our least favorite Disney Character gets her very own ride. The premise is very simple and it’s a classic carousel themed around Toy Story 2 and featuring some pretty random critters not from the film at all. It is all a bit random and weird, but kids don’t tend to notice these things, right?

Attractions –

Games of Pixar Pier – A selection of Midway-style carnival games themed around Pixar Characters and themes

Hollywood Land

Hollywood land is one of the main areas in Disney California Adventure. Themed around the Golden age of Hollywood the area is like taking a walk back in time to the Hollywood of old, assuming the Hollywood of old had thousands of tourists roaming around.

The area features some of the real highlights of the park and is home to top rides and some great shows and attractions, along with tons of character meets and some good dining locations.

Rides –

Turtle Talk With Crush

Come have a Chat with Crush, Star of Finding Nemo in the incredible live-hosted chat show with a real-life digitized Crush! Kids will love it and even adults will laugh along with Crush’s hilarious banter! Our Rating – 3.8 – Read More…

Monsters, Inc. Mike and Sulley to the Rescue!

Take a trip through Monstropolis and watch the events from the first film unfold before your eyes in this very static Dark Ride – Our Rating – 3.2 – Read More…

Sorcerers Workshop

Beasts Library by Loren Javier on CC2.0

Interactive Walkthrough of the Sorcerers Workshop. A Collection of all things sorcery and Witchcraft from the enchanted world Of Disney’s fairy tales. Check out Beasts Library, look into Snow White’s Evil Queens Mirror, and enter Ursala Grotto! Remember this is a walkthrough attraction that will likely have no queue, but the interactive elements may require short waits but can be bypassed.

You can find Beasts Library until December 10th in the Sorcerers Workshop and then it will be gone for good!

Mickey’s PhilharMagic

Mickey’s PhilharMagic Performance featuring, you guessed it…Donald Duck…erm. The Show is a 4-D cinema showing off this clever little piece of Disney animation. Approx 4 minutes long and features 3-D Animation, Water effects, and even scents. This is a re-working of some of your most-loved Disney scenes, such as Beauty and the Beasts dining scene, Little Mermaids, Part of that world, Lion Kings I Just Can’t wait to Be King, Peter Pan, Aladdin’s A Whole New World, and of course Fantasia’s Sorcerers Apprentice, all with Donald as a hilarious interloper.

It really is a neat and fun piece of Imagineering and animation combined and well worth your time. Any fans of Disney’s animations will adore the show, and let’s be honest as we are at Disneyland that’s all of us! Plus it’s a chance to sit down in an Air-conned theater for a few minutes. UPDATE: Mickey’s PhilharMagic will be shut from January 24th, 2023 for refurbishments. Re-open date TBC.

Red Car Trolley

Red car Trolley Disney California Adventure by Harshlight on CC2.0

Attractions –

Disney Junior Dance Party – a dance and sing-along show with Disney Junior Characters

Animation Academy – Draw your very own Disney Character under the guidance of a real-life Disney animator! For all ages and experience levels, no reservations needed, classes occur every 30 minutes. View Times Here

Cars Land

Not the most obvious Franchise of Pixars to create a whole land around, but actually considering the mythical Radiator Springs is based on locations not too far out into the desert on Route 66 then we suppose it makes sense really.

The land is a really well-thought-out and put-together place and includes some of the best theme park theming in existence, along with a contender for one of the most fun rides in Disney. Cars land is a real hit, especially with young ones.

Rides –

Radiator Springs Racers

Possibly the best ride in Disneyland Resort California and up there with one of the best in all Disney parks! Radiator Springs Racers is packed with fun thrills from start to end, Do not miss out! – Our Rating – 4.7 – Read More…

Luigi’s Rollickin’ Roadsters

A Bizarre but strangely enjoyable ride. The Ride tech is incredibly advanced and the ride vehicles are amazingly detailed and well-made for what is essentially a glorified kid ride that does not really do much. The ride cars use a trackless ride system that enables them to dance. The ride is almost better enjoyed from the sidelines than onboard as the beautifully recreated roadsters dance around choreographed to music. it is all very odd really!

Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree

Everyone’s favorite Cars Character takes you on a hillbilly hoedown in his cool drifting tractors. The ride is a traditional tea-cup style ride but the riders sit in the trailers while the tractors drive the circular circuit and the trailers regularly drift out of line in a really fun and exciting drift fashion. Ever dreamed of drifting in the back of a trailer? No us neither, but now you can!

Attractions –

Character Meets– Mater and other Cars Characters can often be spotted in Radiator Springs. Check your Disneyland App for up-to-date info.

Paradise Gardens Park

Across the water from the Pixar Pier is Paradise Gardens Park. A sort of extension to the victorian seaside theme in this area would be the seafront promenade. Populated by some fairly tame Midway-style rides the land lacks some of the wow of the other themed areas. It does, however, have a more relaxed feel and is a great place to escape for a breather with stunning views across the water to the Pixar Pier.

The area is also the primary viewing point for the Nighttime Show – World of Color- ONE

Rides –

The Little Mermaid ~ Ariel’s Undersea Adventure

Head under the sea with Ariel in this modern-era, old-school dark ride. Retelling the events of everyone’s favorite Dinsey mermaid film! Our Rating – 3.8 – Read More…

Golden Zephyr

A Simple but quite beautiful ride, apparently themed on Early Sci-Fi Space ships but they look a lot like airships to us? Our Rating – 3.4 – Read More…

Goofy’s Sky School

Goofy’s Sky School is a classic Wild Mouse Coaster, but is it any good, and should you bother queueing for it? Find out in our Goofy’s Sky School Review – Our Rating – 3.6 – Read More…

Jumpin’ Jellyfish

A bit like the Tower of Terror (make that Guardians of the Galaxy Mission Breakout) only a lot tamer. And we mean a lot tamer! The actual ride movement is about all this kid-friendly jump tower has in common with the TOT. The ride swings only go about halfway up the fairly short towers and do so at a very pedestrian speed. The view is nice from the top and the ride should not trouble even fairly frightenable kids. Anyone with a severe fear of heights might be best to skip, along with people who want an exciting ride!

We can’t help but like the colorful design, and kids do enjoy it.

Silly Symphony Swings

Silly Symphony Swings by Hawaiian717 on CC3.0

When I was younger I could ride any ride at any theme park with no fear or worry about anything, except these terrifying, clearly unsafe monstrosities. Dangling from a chain thousands of feet in the air, being spun at hundreds of Mile Per Hour, was how they felt to me! Most people find this ride far less intimidating than I, however.

The theme is a little vague and goes something along the lines of Mickey orchestrating a tornado or something like that. It’s a basic Wave Swinger, however, nothing special but a solid little ride offering pleasant views of the park.

Attractions –

World Of Color – This is the Nighttime show at Dinsey California Adventure. Set in the Paradise Lagoon against the backdrop of Paradise Pier this light and fountain show is quite the spectacle.

Most evenings at 9:pm (Check the Schedule) The Paradise Lagoon is transformed for 22 minutes by over a thousand Fountains and dazzling lights. A bit like a Bellagio fountain show, but less thunderous and more beautiful and set to Disney Music. The fountains utilize Spray Mist technology to allow images to be projected onto the fountains and numerous Disney numbers are replayed on the watery screens.

While the Nightime Fireworks in Disneyland will always win out if you have seen those before the World of color is a wonderful and unique alternative.

The Show also has various Holiday versions that change up the experience to fit the season such as Season of Light (Christmas) and Villainous (Halloween). Disney’s 100-year celebrations kick off on January 27th, 2023, and World of Color has a special ONE version to celebrate the 100 years of wonder.

Read our full Disney California Adventure World of Color: ONE Guide HERE

Grizzly Peak

Tucked away in the upper left of the Park Grizzley Peak takes guests away from the Towns and Cities and out into the remote mountains of States national parks. Here you will find the park’s only Water Ride and the incredible Soarin.

The tree-lined remote feeling of the area is a welcome break from the madness of Hollywood land and Pixar pier and while the crowds are still plentiful just the trees and shelter from the sun help take the pressure off.

Rides –

Soarin’ Around the World

A Giant Motion flying simulator taking you on a journey around the world taking in some of the greatest landmarks and natural wonders of the planet Our Rating – 4.6 – Read More…

Grizzly River Run

No Themepark is complete without a Rapids Ride and this is Disneyland’s version. Set in the Northern California River Valleys – Our Rating – 3.7 – Read More…

Grizzly River Run is usually closed for refurbishments from the first week of January for refurbishments until the Spring of that year.

Attractions –

Redwood Challenge Trail – An Adventure trail area for kids of all ages. There is plenty to do in this Redwood forest-themed play area. Zip-Lines, Slides, Rope bridges, Wall Climbs, and lookout towers.

Big Kids () may get some odd looks if not accompanying little kids but are still welcome, but not on the Zipline that has a 62in MAX height limit (and a 42in Min)

San Fransokyo Square

Formally Pacific Wharf, a recreation of the port in San Fransisco, San Frasokyo Square opened in 2023, themed around the fictional city in Big Hero 6, home of Hiro and Baymax. Fans of Big Hero 6 have been excitedly been waiting for this update to Pacific Wharf. Disneyland has cleverly updated and renovated the area with subtle changes transforming the traditional San Fransisco area into San Franokyo, a hybrid of San Fran and Tokyo.

Pacific Wharf cafe has been transformed into Aunt Cass Cafe, keeping traditional San Fran Boudin bakery items on the menu with a Tokyo twist. Enjoy a selection of Karl Strauss beers at the brewery’s beer garden in the Port of San Fransokyo Cerveceria. Other new dining experiences include Cocina Cucamonga Mexican Grill, Lucky Fortune Cookery, and Rita Turnbine’s Blenders which has amazing frosted Margaritas on offer. For fans of The Ghirardelli Chocolate shop, good news: the original shop from Pacific Wharf has remained after the area’s transformation.

Rides – None

Attractions –

Meet Baymax – Stop by to meet the huggable healthcare robot and even Hiro too brand new in his new location.

Boudin Bakery Tour – The world-famous San Francisco Baker has an actually on-site bakery that produces the Sour Dough Bread for the park, ready to be filled with clam Chowder ala San Francisco’s Pacific Wharf. The Bakery Tour takes you into the Bakery and Explains the Secrets to the Boudin Sourdough magic! You will also receive FREE sour Dough!

Have Your Say

Got anything to say about our Ride list? think we have missed something or made a glaring omission or mistake, feel free to drop us a comment. Or maybe you have a question or are unsure about something again fire away below

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The Large coaster features double launches and steep backs without actually inverting riders, making this a fairly low-thrill ride perfect for large numbers of people not daring to ride more aggressive thrill rides. Its large track layout takes in large swathes of the park making it an unmissable part of the park’s layout. Our Manta SeaWorld San Diego Roller Coaster Review takes a deep look a the Coaster to see how good of an attraction it is and if the ride is worth the visit to SeaWorld San Diego or if you should spend time queueing when there.

• Type – Twin Launch Coaster – Mack
• Duration – 1:55 Secs
• Height Restriction – 48 In
• Average Queue time – 15 mins – 60 Mins
• Skip The Line – Yes $24.99
• Additional Info – Twin Launch coaster, covering 2,835ft at over 42 mph.

Whereas the Electric Eel’s intimidating appearance and boisterous display of might as it thunders through the loading station, has more timid guests tuning and running (literally), And Emperors towering vertical plunge is not for the faint of heart, The Manta has a much more inclusive feel.

The Manta is still a really good coaster, the launches feel a lot faster than the measly 42mph advertised and the track layout is really fun with plenty of steep banks and good airtime. There are strict restrictions on building heights in the San Diego Bay Area and the ride was designed to overcome these while still being exciting and thrilling. We think it is a triumph of engineering.

The Ride Starts off indoors with a short Preride Show before firing you out of the underwater cave Shotgun style (very reminiscent of a Dive Site we frequent in Maui, Hawaii). As you accelerate into the bright California Sunshine the rides banks hard then over a series of Air time Hills, head slicers, and other tight banks. After the ride begins to run out of steam you reach the second Launch that again thrusts the train off over another section of banks and hills. It is far from the scariest ride but its long length, smooth ride, and fun ride elements make it a really fun experience. Younger kids and less brave adults can still jump on and ride as the focus is on fun rather than white knuckles.

It still offers some real thrills though, and probably ranks a 3 out of 5 on the scare rating!

What is Manta

The Manta is a Twin Launched Steel Rollercoaster. It uses LSM Technology to launch the coaster out of the station for the first track run, before utilizing a second LSM Launch halfway around for a second kick, doubling the ride length and giving an almost 2-for-one experience. Despite being an older ride the LSM Tech of Manta is far more advanced than Arctic Rescue’s Tyre Drive Launch.

The Train layout is fairly standard, it’s a seated coaster with secure lap bars. Seating is 2 across with 2 rows per car, with the rear seats elevated to help see over the riders in front. There are 5 cars per train, so 20 riders in total. The cars are styled moderately to look like a manta ray, but it’s a pretty abstract form!

The Ride is quite long, around two minutes and over 2,800 ft in length giving really good value for money. There are no inversions just steep banked turns, airtime hills, and a few head-choppers. The Coaster only reaches a top speed of 43 mph, but it feels a lot faster than the quite low top speed feels The LSM Launches are fast but not savagely so. There are no large drops or really intimidating elements it’s just a fun fast romp around the park!

All in all, this makes the coaster a pretty Family-Friendly Ride. Obviously, the 48-inch ride height and the fact it is still a pretty grown-up coaster mean it’s far from the family ride category, but it’s great for kids who are ready to ride a big Coaster without throwing them on the large and lairy Electric Eel or Towering Emperor, that will probably scar them for life!

Queue

The Queue is one of the worst in the Park. This is to be expected as the ride caters to a lot of tastes and there are still relatively few rides at the park. However, riding at the opening or later on, could see the queue evaporate to nothing. It is also likely to drop around Show times too as guests flock to see the Orca Shows.

The Queue line is not the most exciting but it’s not exactly bad either. It relies pretty much on just the natural beauty of the park. Situated on elevated wooden walkways as it winds around the wooden structures and water gardens that make up the Manta Queueing area. It’s a very nice place to be and gives great views of the ride as it fires around the track. With a 1400 riders per hour throughput, the queue also moves nicely and quickly.

As the ride is one of the few good rollercoasters at the park you are going to want to queue regardless of time, but anything over 30 minutes feels like a poor return on investment. We would certainly consider coming back at another time if the queue length exceeds this!

Ride Experience

The Ride starts off in an indoor show area that simulates an underwater Cavern. As the water effects swirl around, an opening appears in front of you and daylight pours in. This is all very reminiscent of an underwater Shotgun Exit, something we experience in Maui, while scuba diving off Lanai! Just like that exit the Coaster now shoots out of the exit, propelling the riders forward to the Rides top Speed as you burst out into the California Sun.

Acceleration is firm but not over the top and only mildly pins you in your seat. At the end of the LSM Straight, there is a tight angled right-hand bend that is over 90°s and almost a semi-inversion. You drop under a bridge, minding your head then another right bank, sweeping into a left bank, then over a moderate Airtime-hill, then another dip and back up over a lesser airtime hill as the ride runs out of steam.

You meander onto what looks like a break-run, something that would usually indicate the end of the ride, but in fact, this is the second LSM Run and the Manta is back up to speed in a jiffy. The Second run is slightly slower and hits a brake run early on, but it’s still good fun, with a long sweeping 180°+ banked turn a particular highlight.

Overall

It’s a fun-filled two minutes with nothing really to induce fear or elevated heart rates just straight-up rollercoaster thrills. It’s got enough fun elements and is smooth and exciting that Roller Coaster fans can still enjoy it, without being intimidating to less bold riders.

We think this blend of decent roller coaster elements, but a mild manner makes the coaster a perfect addition to a family park. Amongst checking out the amazing Marine animals and catching a show the Mants is a perfect distraction. Is it worth visiting the park just for Manta, no, not even close, but it might be the highlight for some of your family members and a worthwhile experience for anyone while you are there.

If you are looking for something a little more thrilling, Electric Eel is a fully-fledged thrill ride and Emperor a big full-blooded Coaster. If you are looking for a little less thrill, both, Journey to Atlantis and Shipwreck Rapids, are much tamer. There is also The new and pretty fantastic Arctic Rescue which delivers a similar thrill level as Manta.

Looking for Discount Tickets? Take a look at our guide here

Have Your Say

Let us know our thoughts on the Manta at SeaWorld San Diego. Do you find it mild-mannered or an intimidating proposition? Did you find it a fun smooth ride or a clinky slow coach with nothing going for it? Whatever your thoughts just fire away in the comments.

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• SeaWorld San Diego Guide
• Best Rides at SeaWorld San Diego
  • Emperor
  • Arctic Rescue
  • Electric Eel
• SeaWorld Orca Show (Youtube.com)
• San Diego Zoo Guide

Orca Shows would no longer be the main attraction of the park and instead, a sustained series of rides opening was scheduled. heralding the transition from Autatic Marine Park to an ocean-based theme park. This has already been successfully achieved over in SeaWorld Orlando which houses some of the best riders in the States however there was a lot of work to be done at San Diego, this started with the addition of Manta, Electric Eel, then Tidal Twister, and the soon to be Emporer. This is in addition to a good number of existing attractions and rides already at the park making the line-up ideal for a really fun day out. This Guide takes a look at the Best SeaWorld San Diego Rides so you can see what awaits you at this Iconic SoCal Attraction.

There is more to SeaWorld San Diego than Rides

While the Park has fallen out of fashion of late due to the outcry over the Orca Shows there still is a lot to love about this marine-based theme park apart from just Rides. We take a deep look at everything SeaWorld has to offer in our Full SeaWorld Review.

The Orca Shows are still present, however in a much more muted and less showy experience, while several other shows run through the day such as Dolphin, Sealion, Otter Presentations, and Evening Fireworks Shows. There are also a host of incredible Aquariums filled with some of the most incredible sea life from around the globe.

We actually still prefer the Marine-based attractions of the park to the Rides, but the line-up is getting stronger and stronger and there are some really top Rides now available at the park. We take a look at these and let you know which are the best and which you can Skip.

Thrill Rides:

1- Emperor

• Location – Seaworld – San Diego
• Type – B&M Floorless Dive Coaster
• Duration – 1:10 Mins
• Height Restriction – 52 In
• Average Queue time – 5 mins – 30 Mins
• Skip The Line – YES – $24.99 -Unlimted
• Additional Info – 2,411 ft long, 153ft high, 143ft Drop 63+MPH

The latest ride announced in the Park resurgence is the Emperor Roller Coaster. After the disappointment of Tidal Twister, SeaWorld has taken the plunge and gone with a coaster that is all but guaranteed to be a success. They have achieved this by attaining the services of B&M Probably the best Roller Coaster manufacturer in the World! SeaWorld has three B&M Coasters over in Orlando, with Mako, in particular regularly attaining rave reviews and high ranks in the Golden Ticket Awards.

The Park has opted for a Dive Coaster, one of B&M’s rarer installations, and one of the most thrilling. The Ride Cars will teeter, 150ft above the ground, before plunging vertically towards the terra firma, reaching 63mph before completing the 2400ft track length featuring 4 inversions including a 123ft Dive Loop.

Of course, we have to wait until March 2022 to see if the ride lives up to the hype but we very much doubt it can possibly disappoint as much as Tidal Twister! B&M occasionally makes bad coasters, rarely, but occasionally. This will be the only dive coaster on the West Coast and should be a big draw for thrill-seekers.

Full Review

2 – Arctic Rescue

• Location – Seaworld – San Diego
• Type – Triple Launched Straddle Coaster – Family
• Duration – 1:30 Mins
• Height Restriction – 48 In
• Average Queue time – 15 mins – 60 Mins
• Skip The Line – YES – $24.99 – One Skip
• Additional Info – 2,800ft Longest Straddle Coaster on the West Coast. 40Mph and 3 Launches.

The Latest ride at SeaWorld San Diego is Arctic Rescue. A Straddle Coaster where you ride along on your very own Snow Mobile. The Coaster is Tripple Launched. And has some really fun Ride elements including Wave Turns, Mile Air Time, and some steeply banked Switchbacks.

We call it a Family Coaster, but it’s really an intermediate Coaster, while the specs are fairly tame, only 40mph and no inversions, the Atraddle Coaster design means it feels a lot more intense than it really is. The Exposure of sitting on the ride rather than in it really helps with the intensness of the experience.

It’s also super smooth and the launches are pretty savage considering the pretty primitive Tyre Launch system used, but this should add in reliability and overall it’s a great addition. Not every ride can be a Huge Thriller, and not every Ride should. Parks need these kinds of rides to appeal to more customers and give riders a break from the super high-octane rides. We also love the integration into Wild Arctic and the theming is better than some of the recent additions.

Full Review

3 – Electric Eel

• Type – LSM Launch Coaster – Premier Rides, Sky Rocket II
• Duration – 55 Secs
• Height Restriction – 54 In
• Average Queue time – 5 mins – 60 Mins
• Skip The Line – YES + from $24.99
• Additional Info – Multi-Launch coaster, topping out at 62Mph and 150ft, Tallest and Fastest Coaster in San Diego.

The Electric Eel is one of the park’s most Thrilling Rides. Its massive structure dominates the Skyline skyline for quite a distance and is certainly an imposing Ride Structure. The Ride was added as the first stage of an aggressive expansion designed to help turn the park around.

The Ride certainly lives up to its billing and is a really good white-knuckle thrill ride. The Ride is a launch coaster of the same family as Superman: Ultimate Flight at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom. The TRack runs in a loop and is launched multiple times to achieve the 62mph needed to get up the first hill. This means the trains thunder through the station several times in a really intimidating fashion for the riders waiting in the queue line.

Once up the Launch hill, the train is now moving really slowly as it enters the heartline roll, 150ft above the ground. This is a heartstopping roll as the low speed and huge drop really are terrifying. There is a lot of air between you and the ground and not a lot seemingly holding you in place!

Once out of the roll the car enters a non-inverting loop and delivers you back to the station. The ride is only 55 seconds long but it’s a thrilling and fun-filled time. The speed height and terrifying roll all add up to a world-class thrill ride worthy of any park!

Our only criticism is the ride-through-put. At quiet times the ride has almost no queue but with only 700 riders an hour throughput, it does not take long before the queue becomes unbearable. At current visitor levels, this is no issue but if the park begins to recapture its past then this could spell trouble. The theme is also very weak, apart from the name there is nothing oceanic about the ride, it sits in a wide-open empty space and is really just a bland steel rollercoaster.

Fortunately, it has more than enough thrill to make up for this and is a great first step to getting SeaWorld back to the top! Easily the best ride in the park and one of the best thrill rides on the West Coast!

Full Review

4 – Manta

• Type – Twin Launch Coaster – Mack
• Duration – 1:55 Secs
• Height Restriction – 48 In
• Average Queue time – 15 mins – 60 Mins
• Skip The Line – Yes $14.99
• Additional Info – Twin Launch coaster, covering 2,835ft at over 42 mph.

The Manta was the First of the large Casters installed as part of the Sea World Resurgence. In fact, this coaster was not installed as a response to the Blackfish film and was always on the billing as part of the park’s natural upgrades and improvement process. The Ride is impossible to ignore as it twists and turns around almost the whole park! With no inversions, no big drops, and a shorter minimum ride height the caster is more fun than thrill and appeals to most demographics in the park.

Whereas the Electric Eel’s intimidating appearance and boisterous display of might as it thunders through the loading station has more timid guests tuning and running ( literally ) The Manta has a much more inclusive feel.

The Manta is still a really good coaster, the launches feel a lot faster than the measly 42mph advertised and the track layout is really fun with plenty of steep banks and good airtime. There are strict restrictions on building heights in the San Diego Bay Area and the ride was designed to overcome these while still being exciting and thrilling. We think it is a triumph of engineering.

The Ride Starts off indoors with a short Preride Show before firing you out of the underwater cave Shotgun style (very reminiscent of a Dive Site we frequent in Maui, Hawaii). As you accelerate into the bright California Sunshine the rides banks hard then over a series of Air time Hills, head slicers, and other tight banks. After the ride begins to run out of steam you reach the second Launch that again thrusts the train off over another section of banks and hills. It is far from the scariest ride but its long length, smooth ride, and fun ride elements make it a really fun experience. Younger kids and less brave adults can still jump on and ride as the focus is on fun rather than white knuckles.

It still offers some real thrills though, and probably ranks a 3 out of 5 on the scare rating!

Full Review

CLOSED – Tidal Twister

• Type – Unique figure of 8 looping coaster
• Duration – 2:00 Secs
• Height Restriction – 48 In
• Average Queue time – 5 mins – 40 Mins
• Skip The Line – Yes $14.99
• Additional Info – Disappointing Flat Ride, up to 8 inversions, often broken

Tidal Twister was the next in line of new attractions in the Re-Vamp and came with much fanfare. Promotional imagery and Marketing promised a revolutionary Coaster with high-energy thrills and incredible loops and turns. The track looked ultra-futuristic and a cross between a Roller Coaster a Monorail and a Maglev Train.

The Company responsible, Skyline Attractions, also produced the Harly Quinn Crazy Coaster at Six Flags, Discovery Kingdom, which is of a very similar style. The Skywarp Ride system caused some big waves in the Themepark world for the revolutionary concept it was employing.

What was delivered was essentially garbage! The Harley Quinn Crazy Coaster was universally hated by the few who got to ride it between breakdowns, and the ride was unceremoniously removed 2 years later, The Tidal Twister has faired slightly better, it’s not quite as noisy, rough, or prone to breakdowns, but it is still pretty bad. The worst part is what was delivered compared to the promotional hype. The ultra-futuristic Roller Coaster Hybrid was basically a glorified Fairground flat Ride…Actually, it’s not even that glorified, the cars are propelled by car tires no less!!!

Let’s BackTrack a little, The ride is actually okay, in fact, it’s quite a good fairground-style flat ride. The Ride takes guests on a short figure of 8 track in the highly overengineered ride cars. the first crossover goes over a small airtime hill, and the second does a zero-g roll. So the ride only offers a single inversion, but as you will do several laps you get up to 4 Zero-G rolls per sequence. The Airtime hill only offers minor negative G and only for the fastest passes, which top out around 30mph. The Ride also has two Trains, but only one can load and unload per sequence. This means you get two sequences per ride! one forward, one Backward (so don’t worry about which way your seat faces)

Overall this makes the ride a fairly fun flat ride attraction and definitely worth queueing as long as the line is short..treat it as you would any Fairground ride as opposed to a theme park attraction!

Our big issue with it really is the disappointment compared to what was promised. We are not sure if SeaWorld and SixFlags were also duped a little by the firm as large sums were spent to bring the ride to the Park and it has provided nothing but poor to moderate reviews and a large amount of downtime!

The Ride is currently closed and we would not be surprised to see SeaWorld Follow Six Flags lead and consign the SkyWarp to the Garbage bin, just 4 years after installation!

Full Review

5 – Journey to Atlantis

• Type – Water Coaster – Mack
• Duration – 5:25 Secs
• Height Restriction – 42 In
• Average Queue time – 5 mins – 40 Mins
• Skip The Line – Yes $14.99
• Additional Info – Hybrid Ride, Roller Coaster elements mixed with a traditional water ride, special effects, and large drops.

The journey to Atlantis can be hard to describe, and this is because it is basically two rides in one. The Ride Starts off as your typical boat drop ride. The Boats climb up the lift hill before dropping down a 60ft flume into a pool. Riders will get moderately soggy here but it’s not a particularly soaking experience. The boats then carry on a merry sail around a dogleg while you enjoy watching others plunging down the flume. The Ride then enters the Atlantis Tower and things take a turn.

The Ride now begins its Dark Ride Element as the boat is lifted up the 95ft tower ready for the Rollercoaster section. The ride plunges down a 70ft banked turn before climbing a small hill for another smaller backed drop before splashing back down in another water pond. This impact develops a little more splashback than the first and riders can expect a good level of drenching, especially in the front of the boat.

It is undoubtedly a fun and pretty unique experience. The Initial Boat section is pretty standard. The Drop is big but not horribly so and is definitely family-friendly. The second roller coaster section we find more unnerving as the big cumbersome boats really do not belong on a roller coaster track!

It is not a stand-out attraction but is well worth riding and really quite fulfilling for rollercoaster enthusiasts due to its unique nature.

6 – Shipwreck Rapids

• Type – River Rapids – Intamin
• Duration – 3:30 Secs
• Height Restriction – 42 In
• Average Queue time – 5 mins – 20 Mins
• Skip The Line – Yes $14.99
• Additional Info – You will get wet!

There is nothing better than a good river rapids/raft ride and Shipwreck Rapids is one of the average ones, unfortunately. The ride is your Typical 9-seat Rubber ring raft, floating down a turbulent river. The Raft spins and bumps its way down the watercourse occasionally hitting a breaking wave and showering the occupants with, often quite chilly, river water.

It is great fun, even if it is only an average take on the experience, and really a Themepark is just not complete without a River Rapids. It is certainly a wet one as well. While there are several sag points that can drench certain sides of the raft the biggest spills come from the waterfalls and jets that make staying dry an impossibility!

While the ride is pretty average the theming is really good, especially for SeaWorld, whose theming tends to be pretty lapse. The Ride really lives up to its name and several large actual ships are marooned around the perimeter of the ride, these make for interesting backdrops during the less exciting parts of the ride.

So yeah, it’s not the best river rapids, but it’s not a bad one, and at least you won’t get as wet as you will at the Orca Shows.

Extra Cost Rides:

While we find it pretty abhorrent that SeaWorld Charges extra for some rides they are both more experienced than rides. These can easily be missed, but they are both there for the full SeaWorld experience.

Bayside Skyride

• Type – Bayside Cable Car ride
• Duration – 6 mins
• Height Restriction – None
• Average Queue time – 0 mins – 10 Mins
• Additional FEE! – $6

The Bayside Skyrise is a leisurely cable car ride across Perex Cove out to the old “Sea World Atlantis Restaurant” ( long closed) and back again. The Skyride is one of the original attractions from the park’s opening and has been wowing guests ever since 1967.

The Cars glide along the cables slowly offering fantastic views of the bay area. The gondolas are open-top and a bit rickety and swingy, making this potentially a pretty frightening experience. The Cable run is particularly long and dangles riders up to 80ft above the bay, it makes for a stunning birdseye perspective as you soar over the boats and yachts harbored up in the cove.

We think it would be one of the nicest rides in the park but the $6 fee really irks us!

SkyTower

• Type – River Rapids – Intamin
• Duration – 6 Mins
• Height Restriction – None
• Average Queue time – 0 mins – 10 Mins
• Additional FEE! – $6

Another relaxed Lesuire ride, this time straight up in the air via the 320-foot rotating Skytower. Another very early attraction, although given a modern makeover in 2007, the Ride capsule very slowly rises you the tower, gently rotating as it goes to give occupants wonderful 360° panoramic views of the Mission Bay area.

Again, we just fail to see why there is an added charge, but you do get an incredible view of the bay and the park. It’s especially cool to look down on the Dolphins and the Orca from this stunning vantage point.

Overall

The next few rides are all kiddie rides so are never going to be make-or-break as far as making SeaWorld a stand-out park, but we wanted to include them for completeness. Skip to our summary here

Family Rides:

Riptide Rescue

• Type – Spinning Flat Ride
• Duration – 1:15 Secs
• Height Restriction – 45 In
• Average Queue time – 5 mins – 40 Mins
• Skip The Line – No

A basic Fairground style spinning ride. The Ride Vehicles are themed to represent Rescue Boats and the ride lifts and tilts to add extra movement to the spin. Overall it’s a pretty tame ride but will appeal to younger kids not ready to take the plunge on the more thrilling attractions at the park.

Sesame Street’s Bay of Play

The Sesame Streets Bay of Play is the all-new Kids Zone themed around Sesame Street. There are several rides available here along with meet and greets for several Sesame Street Characters. The Age Range is definitely matched to the intended Viewership of the show, but we all have fond memories of the cast and it’s cool to see the characters whatever age you are, but maybe leave the rides to the kids!

There is also the Big Bird Bistro (Snacks only), Storytime shows, and the Sesame Street “Let’s Play Together Show”

Abby’s Seastar Spin

The classic Tea-cups ride, in a very sedate and small child-friendly format.

Elmo’s Flying Fish

Probably the best Kid’s Ride in the area, the Flying Fish is a Dumbo-style spinning ride where the riders can control the up-and-down movement of the car. It’s still a very gentle and slow ride but the interactivity is really appealing to most kids. The varied Elmo-themed carriages are all a bit odd though!

Oscar’s Rockin’ Eel

This is a slow and steady Tugboat ride. A bit like a Pirate ship but less exciting, it also spins as the boat rocks back and forth.

Ocean Explorer

Ocean Explorer is a Kid’s realm that features a number of rides and playground equipment. Like Sesame Street it caters to a very young audience.

Aqua Scout

Submarine-themed spinning ride with fun bouncing action on the Submarine-themed cars. Very sedate ride for the very young.  

Octarock

A very small Swingin ride that does not get very far off the ground, again a great ride for the very young.

Sea Dragon Drop

This drop tower is really small and the drops are very sedate but still step things up slightly from the Aqua Scout and Octarock, but only just.

Tentacle Twirl

This Swing Ride is actually a few sizes larger than the above and almost qualifies as a kid’s thrill ride. It spins moderately fast and has a fair amount of exposure under the swings, definitely a step up from the real kiddy rides.

Overall – Is SeaWorld Ready to Stand Up as a Ride-Based ThemePark?

The Line-up is looking pretty strong now, it has 4 strong coasters along with a good few ancillary rides to back up the line-up. ” There are 2 big thrill rides, Emperor and Electric Eel, while Manta and Arctic Rescue are fun and family-friendly. Ship Wreck Rapids and Journey to Atlanric add some water-based fun.

This is still a few short of rivaling the best West Coast Themeparks, Both Six Flags (Discovery Kingdom and Magic Mountain) have a good few more top coasters per park and even Knotts Berry Farm would outrank it in terms of ride count. But it would still out-ride Disney’s California Adventure and Universal Studios!

To really get up to a Level where the Park can be a Coaster Destination in its own right, we think it just needs one more headliner. If we were Head Of Ride Development at the Park, we would be looking squarely at RMC…That is a VERY exciting thought, especially if the Likes of Iron Gwazi is under consideration.

NOTE – We wrote in 2019 that the Park needed to add a Large Coaster and a Modern Replacement for Wild Arctic, Both of these happened in the guise of Emperor and Wild Arctic, so maybe someone is listening..?

It is a shame Tidal Twister didn’t work out but that is what you get for going cheap. But if they can just add one more top-of-the-line Coaster, things would be looking Very Rosy.

However, we really cannot stress enough that you should not view SeaWorld as a Ride-Only Theme Park! There is so much to see and do there with the countless animal attractions that rides are only part of the experience. But as the Park adds more and more attractions the proposition just gets better and better.

We can safely say that if the Park finally condemned the Orca Shows to the Dustbin of Ethically Dubious History we think the park would easily still be worth the entry fee, especially with the huge myriad of other Marine Attractions housed at the Park.

Check out our Full SeaWorld Review here

Or if you are sold on the Rides Alone then have a look at our Discount Ticket Page where we show you how to get the best prices on SeaWorld Tickets.

Discount Sea World Tickets

Have Your Say

What are your favorite Rides at SeaWorld? What did you make of the Electric Eel? How did you find Tidal Twister? Are you looking forward to Emperor? Or are you more into the Animal attractions at the Park? Whatever you have to say just let rip in the comments and if you have any questions just fire away!

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• Location – Seaworld – San Diego
• Type – LSM Launch Coaster
• Duration – 55 Secs
• Height Restriction – 54 In
• Average Queue time – 5 mins – 60 Mins
• Skip The Line – YES – $24.99
• Additional Info – Multi-Launch coaster, topping out at 62Mph and 150ft, Tallest and Fastest Coaster in San Diego.

What is The Electric Eel

The Ride is a Skyrocket II, the same as the Superman: Ultimate Flight Ride at Six Flags Discovery Kindom. This is a tried and tested ride and perfect for SeaWorld due to its compact size and relatively inexpensive construction. However, the ride is not for the faint-hearted. At Parks such as SeaWorld, rides are often a little watered down compared to some of the best. But Electric Eel is nothing of the sort! It is a top-shelf coaster that would fit into any lineup at any theme park.

The Launched coaster is seriously intimidating and causes quite a few Queue line back-outs. The Ride features really solid ride elements that are genuinely thrilling. Honestly, we didn’t expect such a great ride to be lurking in SeaWorld and it really is a great surprise and one that bodes well for SeaWorld’s Future. If they keep adding rides like this to the lineup they will have a great attraction for years to come, well after the Orca have moved on!

Queue

The Queue Theming is non-existent. You meander around a Sparse garden area with a few cacti and other desert plants before reaching the main loading area. Here you start to get exposed to the full impact of the ride as the Train blasts through the station. We have never seen so many people queue for a ride and back out right at the station. We think as people are at SeaWorld and not at a Sixflags they do not expect a ride of this magnitude and getting up close to the train barreling through the station at approaching 60 MPH sends them running!

The big problem with the Electric Eel is its single carriage and the fact the entire ride needs to perform its sequence before unloading and then re-loading. When the Park gets busy this leads to horrendous wait times and if the Park rebuilds its image and consumer trust it could become un-rideable due to intolerable wait times. As it was the park was very quiet when we visited and we pretty much walked on. But with only 18 Riders per sequence and a tiny throughput of 500-700 per hour MAX, any serious numbers at the park and things will become terrible.

Ride Experience

The Ride itself is a serious beast of a ride. The LSM Launch system is not actually strong enough to accelerate the trains up the initial lift hill so you get an initial launch, a stall mid-way up the hill, you roll back and receive another launch in reverse, and then stall right at the top of the Non-Inverting loop. For this reason the Back Row is by far the best position. You are almost inverted and VERY high at this second Stall point and it adds a lot to the experience. The Front’s as always is great but at this stall you are pretty low and still upright.

The final pass through the station where the final kick gets you up to 60+mph and over the top. This is a really powerful blast of electric power and it really feels like you are moving now, The train RAORS through the station, and it’s very unnerving to those waiting in line. You fly up the lift hill through a barrel roll and onto the top hat.

The Train is now 150feet up but the process of getting up the hill has scrubbed off most of the speed so when you hit the Zero-G roll, it’s a slow agonizing roll with 150ft of space between you and the ground and only a lap bar holding you in place! It is quite a rush! You then enter the non-inverting loop where the speed rebuilds and while you don’t actually go upside down through this section it feels very much like it and is another thrilling part of the ride.

The final roll gets you back to the station where the train is slowed down, heads back up the first hill, stalls, and arrives back into the station backward, where it is brought to a halt.

The ride itself is silky smooth, with no bangs or jolts just effortless smooth loops and rolls. There is a little tension on your waist while you are suspended upside down at the top, but really that’s the least of your concerns as you just hope the lap bar holds and stops you falling 150ft to the ground…or maybe that’s just me.

Overall

Overall the Ride is a very solid piece of engineering, The Skyrocket II has a few different versions now up and running around the world and is a well-respected and admired ride. It really has a lot going for it as a ride system. The issue is its limited capacity and the lack of any real theme. Yes, it’s blue and is called the Electric Eel, but that’s about it. It is also very much a thrill ride. It is big, intimidating, and properly scary. Only real fans of high-octane rides will enjoy or even entertain this ride. We travel the Country and ride everything, and there has not been a single ride we have balked at, So for us, Electric Eel was just damn good fun, but other people were simply fleeing in terror!

While SeaWorld has always been seen as a Family Animal Park, it is transitioning fast into a fully-fledged themepark and Electric Eel is front and center of this evolution.

The fact it is a copycat ride is also not a big draw for the park, you can ride this in quite a few places, with the best still being Superman: Ultimate Flight Ride at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom. So this is not a banker to get people into the park just for the rides. But it’s a solid addition to what is already a fun and interesting place to visit.

In Short, it’s not a reason to visit the park, but it’s definitely something to not miss if you do decide to visit.

Looking for Discount Tickets? Take a look at our guide here

Have Your Say

Have you Ridden Electric Eel? What did you think? Did it take you a bit by surprise being this badass in SeaWorld? Or did you actually find it a bit tame? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below. If you have any questions fire away as well, we would love to hear from you.

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• Best Rides at SeaWorld San Diego
  • Emperor
  • Manta
  • Arctic Rescue
• SeaWorld Orca Show (Youtube.com)
• San Diego Zoo Guide

The Biggest and most eagerly anticipated is Emperor. A huge B&M Dive Coaster that plunges 142ft vertically before taking riders through 4 inversions. This is easily the park’s biggest attraction and infact ranks as one of the biggest and fastest coasters on the West Coast. Does this colossal ride have what it takes to draw in coaster fans and help turn the park into the Ride-focused destination it wants to be? We finally got over to have a Ride on this epic Coaster and we are happy to report, it’s absolutely amazing!

• Location – Seaworld – San Diego
• Type – B&M Floorless Dive Coaster
• Duration – 1:10 Mins
• Height Restriction – 52 In
• Average Queue time – 5 mins – 30 Mins
• Skip The Line – YES – $24.99 -Unlimted
• Additional Info – 2,411 ft long, 153ft high, 143ft Drop 63+MPH

What is Emperor

All you need to know is Emperor is a Floorless Dive Coaster manufactured by B&M with a 143ft Drop with 4 inversions.

We are coaster geeks and that sentence sums up the ride perfectly, however, not everyone is fluent in Coaster-Geek-Talk and that sentence might sound like complete Gibberish. So What is Emperor to those who speak English?

A Dive coaster is a type of Roller Coaster, made by Bolliger & Mabillard, that literally plummets the riders down a steep vertical drop. Emperors drop is a true, 90° Face First free fall down 14 stories or 143ft. Add into that, the ride’s 2,400ft Track Layout then takes you upside-down 4 times, through large loops, rolls, and spins, at over 63MPH making this the tallest and fastest Dice Coaster in the State. It’s fair to say this is a BIG thrill ride and one of the best coasters on this side of the country.

B&M is probably our favorite Coaster manufacturer and we have rarely ridden a bad example, and Emperor seems to have ALL the right ingredients going for it. So we are really excited to see how this one rides.

Queue and Theme

The Theme of the Ride is Emperor Penguins. However, apart from the odd sign, we are really stretched to see how this is borne out. The Theme is totally underwhelming and this is the perfect example of a Rollercoaster in an empty parking lot vibe. The Ride was originally earmarked to be called Mako and would be shark-themed but this was dropped in place of the Penguin theme.

The Ride is outdoors and the queue line runs through some pretty dull and innocuous landscaping that has a very desert feel about it. There really is nothing to suggest this ride is in any way Penguin-themed. They have used a little bit of whitish stone to look a bit like snow we suppose but it’s very tenuous and overall, this is just a roller coaster with a cute name…Forget the theme.

There is also very little in the way of Queue themig The line just runs under the ride and is largely devoid of interest. The only exception is the Ride itself, you can certainly spend your queue time watching the riders before you plunge down the 143ft vertical drop.

There is a separate Queue line near the end that allows you to queue for the front. This takes an added time and can be longer than the actual overall queue. We stood in line for the front while others literally walked on. But it’s worth the added time.

The Quick-Queue at SeaWorld is a bargain at $24.99 but being honest that is often not needed as we rarely see queues for this over 30 minutes due to the great throughput of the ride. Turnaround time is just over 2 minutes due to the two cars. One loads the other scares. The Quick Queue gives unlimited rides on Emperor and most other rides with just one FastPass to Arctic Rescue.

Ride Experience

The Ride Vehicle is a Floorless carriage, meaning your legs are dangling above the track, or thin air on the side carriages. This is most pronounced on the front row. There are three rows and six people in each row. Restraints are the Lap Belt kind with added soft shoulder pads. These are really comfy and avoid any headbanging as the ride goes round. These are being used more and more and we really like them and love the lack of headaches we get afterward.

The ride starts with the Chug up the 153 ft lift hill. From the top, the view is really spectacular, and you get stunning views of the park and Mission Bay, off in the distance. You do not get long until you round the top bend and can see the drop looming large. As the carriage tips over the edge, you are ready for the fall, and then…it stops!

The carriage is stopped and held at an approximately 75° angle over the drop. For the passengers in the front, this feels essentially face down, your legs swinging over 150+ feet of nothingness. It holds for 2-3 seconds but this feels an indeterminable amount of time, your weight held up against the restraints and just begging for the drop to come!

When it does, it’s an insane rush. The weight of the carriage easily out accelerating a human free fall and pushing you down toward the ground hitting the 63mph top speed. As you get there the fall is caught by the track and you are whisked off and up into the first inversion, an Immelmann Loop. This starts as a regular loop but twists you out of it whilst upside down, a regular Fighter Pilot Move from WW2.

The Second inversion is a Hammerhead Turn, which is only 90% inverted, This flows into a Barrel Rools and then a Corkscrew, which are both pretty similar. There is then a banked turn and the ride then hits the break run. It’s pretty short once loose from the drop, but it’s intense and really fun.

The Ride is silky smooth. Accompanied by the Trademark B&M Roar as the ride screams around the track. There is very little roughness and lots of fast-flowing thrills. There is not much in the way of airtime or anything overly aggressive, more of a flowing flying style of ride. But the lack of any jerkiness is a real plus for us.

Overall

We have to admit we are always a little biased when it Comes to B&M. They just always make the coasters that we find the most agreeable. Every time we ride something from the B&M stable it’s a fantastic ride. Even the more basic and old rides are still absolute corkers. Emperor is pretty much the perfect case point. It’s not game-changing or record-breaking, but it’s executed so well. It’s Silky Smooth, completely headache-free, and just awesome fun.

Intermin makes some of the craziest coasters out there, but there is always an element of rawness, whereas B&M is just perfection…usually. And then there is RMC, which is a whole other kettle of fish.

The lack of any discernable theming is disappointing for us, There are now two arctic-themed rides at San Diego, in the desert, and Emperor has no real Penguin features at all. We are really not sure why they dropped the Mako Theme, it would work much better.

But on the whole, we can easily ignore that. Emperrr is a mighty addition to the Park. It’s worth heading to San Diego just for a ride an elevates SeaWorld SanDiego up the West Coast Themepark list quite away. It’s still behind Magic Mountian and Knotts Berry in terms of Pure Ride Count and Quality, but it is closing in.

Two more big hitters, maybe even just an RMC and it’s right up there.

Have Your Say

Have you ridden Emproer Yet? What did you think of the Ride? Was it a terrifying While Knuckle, or a fun and thrilling blast? How did you find the Hold? How was the drop? And was the ride worth the Queue? Whatever you have to say about Emperor, just fire away in the comments and if you have any questions we are happy to answer if we can.

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