3. Space Mountain

Image: Disney

In terms of roller coaster history, there are two Disney attractions of tremendous historical significance. We already covered the Matterhorn Bobsleds, but that’s a coaster whose fame isn’t universal. Disney fanatics and coaster historians know why it’s so special. To everyone else, it’s just a fun older ride.

Space Mountain is different. Space Mountain is seminal. Space Mountain is a part of the pop culture zeitgeist. Everyone knows what Space Mountain is. There are people living in caves. They one have vague plans to leave their current lifestyle behind one day and grab a FastPass for Space Mountain. It’s almost intrinsic to humanity to want to take a ride on Space Mountain.

Ranking the ride against modern roller coasters is tricky. It’s more than 40 years old. And it has a dirty little secret. The most famous of all coasters maxes out at…28 miles per hour. The clever use of darkness causes a disorienting effect. Because of this confusion, you can’t get a sense of how fast you’re going. Space Mountain feels faster than what it is, and this illusory sensation is brilliant. It just can’t compete with the top coasters in terms of overall ride quality.

2. The Incredicoaster

Image: Disney

Everything old is new again at Disney California Adventure. Paradise Pier has split in two, and the better half is now Pixar Pier. It’s the home of four Pixar-related neighborhoods. One of them is based on The Incredibles.

To sell the changes, Disney shut down a previously great roller coaster, California Screamin’. They repurposed it in a general sense, leaving the ride tracks and coaster cart basics intact. The new changes to bring alive the Incredicoaster were largely cosmetic. The coaster carts got a paint job, and Disney added a new area at the start of the ride. Its purpose is to set up the story.

On the Incredicoaster, Edna Mode fails in her babysitting duties of Jack-Jack Parr, the Incredibaby. The premise of the ride is that the other members of the Parr family must employ their superpowers to retrieve Jack-Jack. The catch is that he has more than 15 superpowers of his own, several of which are on display during the attraction.

The whole exercise is an excuse to jazz up California Screamin’ with tighter theming. Amazingly, this special blend of Parr family magic elevates the roller coaster dramatically. Whereas California Screamin’ was a kickass coaster, the Incredicoaster is that plus impeccable storytelling. This ride is the gold standard in plussing an existing attraction into something much better. It could rightfully stand as the best Disney roller coaster, but I happen to prefer one slightly more.

1. Expedition Everest

Image: Disney

Explaining the genius of Expedition Everest is easier than most of the other titles on this list. You go straight up through an Everest-esque mountain, eventually reaching 199.5 feet in the air. From the equivalent of the 20th floor, you know that you’re in trouble when you see broken tracks up ahead.

Moments later, just when you’ve almost caught your breath from the fear of this sight, you zoom backwards at 50 miles per hour. At some point during this journey into darkness, you come face to face with the sole inhabitant of this mountain. It’s a Yeti that doesn’t remember inviting you into their home. This beast is just about to take a swipe at you when you hit another gear and escape the cavernous interior.

Disney Imagineers aren’t prone to take victory laps, and they shouldn’t with Expedition Everest anyway. It does have a critical design flaw that can never be repaired. Beyond that quibble, however, this is as great a roller coaster as anyone has ever built. It has everything: an engaging story, terrific views, dazzling set pieces, a visual wienie, and a true villain. Plus, it’s the best Disney attraction in the world for adrenaline junkies. In short, it’s THE best Disney roller coaster in existence today.