5. Pirates of the Caribbean

© Disney

Location: Disneyland Park (1967)
Position in TPT100: 5
Other: Magic Kingdom (TPT#86), Disneyland Paris (TPT#30), Tokyo Disneyland

Talk about a classic. Populated with 120 Audio-Animatronics (mostly human, with a few pigs, cats, and skeletons for good measure), Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland is often cited by enthusiasts as the best dark ride ever, period. Theme Park Tourist readers more or less agree, giving it a near-perfect score that puts it neck-and-neck with the other top 5. The attraction was duplicated in some form to resorts in Japan, France, and Paris, though only the Californian original is a whopping 16 minutes long (with Florida’s clocking in at about half of that). The ride was the jumping-off point for the wildly successful film franchise. The films then circled back and inspired the addition of Jack Sparrow animatronics in 2008.

4. Soarin’ Over California

© Disney

Location: Disney California Adventure (2001)
Position in TPT100: 4
Other: Epcot (TPT#99)

When Disney California Adventure opened in 2001, it was to abysmal reviews, microscopic attendance, and poor word of mouth. The park had only two major attractions. To be fair, both were unique. But Soarin’ Over California proved to be the park’s greatest success story. The unusual simulator ride sends guests hang-gliding over California’s vast and varied landscapes. From oceans to snowy peaks, Redwood forests to buzzing cities… The ride’s impossible-to-describe mechanics hoist visitors into a domed-screen where wind and smell effects absorb guests into an emotional and moving musical tour of the state.

The ride proved so popular, it was duplicated at Epcot in Florida where “Over California” was dropped from its name, despite the ride film being the same. It seems that California’s many ecosystems are so diverse, they can reasonably stand in for the entire country and no one notices! The under-construction Shanghai Disneyland is expected to open with a more global version of the attraction (called "Soarin’ Over the Horizon"), which will then be exported back to California and Florida. Meanwhile, the unique ride system is rumored to be the backbone of the starring attraction at Animal Kingdom’s new PANDORA – The World of Avatar. 

3. The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror

Location: Disney’s Hollywood Studios (1994)
Position in TPT100: 3
Other: Disney California Adventure (TPT#11), Walt Disney Studios (TPT#14), Tokyo DisneySea (TPT#66)

“Hollywood, 1939. Amid the glitz and the glitter of a bustling young movie town at the height of its Golden Age, the Hollywood Tower Hotel was a star in its own right. Now, something is about to happen that will change all that.” There’s something about the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror at Disney’s Hollywood Studios that simply can’t be beaten. Looming over Sunset Blvd. and perched high up on an overgrown hillside, the Hollywood Tower Hotel has seen better days. Of course, the thirteen-story building is really concealing one of the most innovative rides ever built.

Sure, what goes up must come down. But guests boarding Tower of Terror and expecting a single plunge would be wildly mistaken. The queue – which is as much part of the ride as the elevator itself – winds through the dusty hotel’s lobby, library, and boiler room. The ride itself retells the chilling events of Halloween Night in 1939. The elevator visits three separate floors of creepy and unexplainable effects, while the ride vehicle – which seems to be an average elevator – does distinctly un-average things. Ever seen and elevator move horizontally out of its shaft? The often-duplicated but never-matched ride has been reborn in three countries with three different styles (all three of which rank highly on the TPT100), but none have the pizzazz of the original.

2. Haunted Mansion

© Disney

Location: Disneyland (1969)
Position in TPT100: 2
Other: Magic Kingdom (TPT#24), Tokyo Disneyland

“Your cadaverous pallor betrays an aura of foreboding!” The ominous narration of the darkly humorous Ghost Host can only mean one thing: you’ve stepped into the dimly lit halls of Disney’s Haunted Mansion. The attraction – one of the last conceived by Walt, even if it changed drastically after his untimely passing – has always been a Disney classic, and is arguably present in some form at every Disney Resort on Earth. From the bleak séance to the swinging wake, most every scene from this Omnimover-based dark ride has a cult following… and for good reason.

Disneyland’s ranks highest on our TPT100, but that may simply be because it’s the original and for its festive Haunted Mansion Holiday from Halloween through Christmas, when Jack Skellington and the cast of Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas bring two fervent fan bases together. Even if it lack’s Jack’s touch during the holidays, Magic Kingdom’s has been upgraded through the years with new details and scenes that compliment Imagineers’ early illusions.

1. Radiator Springs Racers

© Disney

Location: Disney California Adventure (2012)
Position in TPT100: 1

Currently voted the number one attraction in the world (and certainly the number one dark ride) on the TPT100, Radiator Springs Racers opened at Disney California Adventure in 2012 as part of the park’s grand re-opening. It signaled a new start in many ways, re-igniting the park after a decade of distaste from fans while also showing that Disney has still ‘got it' when it comes to designing outstanding dark rides.

The racing attraction (utilizing the same slot-car technology as Epcot’s Test Track) sends guests into the sleepy, dusty town of Radiator Springs for up-close encounters with some of the most incredible Audio-Animatronics ever built in preparation for Race Day! While it’s the side-by-side outdoor race around Ornament Valley that gets all the attention, the dark ride half of the experience is above and beyond what fans had come to expect from Disney, and it’s certainly a leading experience in the world.

Conclusion

There you have it! Fifteen of the top dark rides as determined by you. Did the community get it right? Or are there some big omissions on this list (keeping in mind the three caveats we began with)? And remember, while we ranked these attractions by your ratings, all of the top 15 scored between 4 and 5 stars - sometimes with just microscopic decimal-point differences, especially in the top 5! So this list is not set in stone... 

And in fact, if you disagree with the way things ended up, then be sure to click over to the TPT100 page. Go down our list and rate each attraction you've been on (making sure you're looking at the right park) with a single click! The list is live-updating, so re-freshing the page will readjust the rankings if your scores have made any differences. As it is, we think this list is a pretty fair and balanced look at the top dark rides as of July 2014, and it'll be interesting to see how things change by next summer.

And don't forget to check out our list of the Top 15 Coasters - As Voted By YOU!