Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT! – 45 minutes

Image: DisneyHere’s my confession. I’m not a huge fan of the Guardians of the Galaxy movie franchise. I liked the second film more than the first, but I find them both pretty weird and off-putting in tone. Still, I adore the characters, as they are some of the most fully realized in the history of comic book cinema. For that reason, I’m an ardent supporter of this attraction.

The new Guardians attraction has the bones of The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, but Imagineers updated it to have a hipper theme. Plus, the incorporation of rock music really adds some oomph. If anything, I’m amazed that the wait for Mission: BREAKOUT! is only 45 minutes. It would be at least twice that at Walt Disney World. You definitely want to wait for this one.

Space Mountain – 55 minutes

Image: DisneyOut of the attractions listed here, this one is the trickiest call. Space Mountain is the most historically significant roller coaster ever built, a marvel of advanced computing at a time when computers had no place in theme park design. It’s also the most recognized brand in the roller coaster industry, a name that basically everyone in North America knows.

Despite its significance, the ride is more than 40 years old and definitely not for everyone. Space Mountain delivers a jarring ride experience that can upset your stomach and thereby ruin your day. I recommend it, even with the extensive wait, as a must-do attraction. You don’t want to tell your friends that you went to Disneyland but didn’t ride Space Mountain. Having said that, you’re much better served getting a FastPass.

Radiator Springs Racers – 60 minutes

Image: DisneyI previously declared that Test Track was definitely worth standing in line for an hour. And I also argued that Radiator Springs Racers is better than Test Track. You can do the math from there. Just in case you want the dots connected, I’ll spell it out, though.

Test Track is a masterful ride that has several exciting “ride safety” elements. Then, it ends with an explosive burst into the open air of the outdoors. During this phase, your coaster car accelerates to 64.9 miles per hour.

Radiator Springs Racers is almost exactly the same ride, only it supplants the “ride safety” elements with different, better theming. It immerses you in the world from the Cars movie franchise. All of the vehicles you encounter have (creepy) eyes and are anthropomorphic. You’re visiting a sleepy little town rather than a manufacturing test facility, and that makes all the difference.

I love Radiator Springs, and I’d gladly wait an hour to take a ride through town. This is one of Disney’s best attractions ever in terms of theming. You’ll love it and should wait as long as it takes to visit Radiator Springs.

Yes, that’s right! All of the rides with the longest wait-times at Disneyland are worth it!