9. Avatar Flight of Passage – 13 points

Image: DisneyI believe that all of the attractions mentioned from this point forward are masterpieces. For this reason, I can’t complain about the positioning for any of them. Even so, I feel like recency works against theme park attractions at Walt Disney World. Slinky Dog Dash deserves a lot more praise than it’s gotten from these lists, while Avatar Flight of Passage is currently the gold standard in theme park attractions. It’s a stunning triumph of Imagineering, as Pandora comes to life right in front of your (augmented reality goggled) eyes. This one should be in the top five at a minimum. People tend to cling too much to the classics (says the guy who loves Spaceship Earth the best).

8. Toy Story Mania! – 16 points

Image: DisneyIn this scoring system, the tenth best ride gets one point while the top attraction receives 10 points. In compiling the votes, several tiers emerged. Eight other attractions received at least some level support while the first three listed here are a bit more popular. We’ve now entered the middle tier, as the next five titles are only separated by seven total points.

Out of all the rides listed here, I think Toy Story Mania! is the only one that’s ranked just about where I’d expect it. Virtually everyone loves this gamified attraction. The lines here were perennially long since its introduction, eventually forcing Disney to build a third ride queue. Now that it has improved throughput by 50 percent, its lines…are still long.

Everyone loves to compete with their friends for the highest score, guaranteeing large crowds and thoroughly entertained guests. At its core, it’s still primarily a carnival game, though. That limits its ability to compete with some of the better reviewed attractions here.  

7. Splash Mountain – 18 points

Image: DisneyI demand a recount! Yes, I’m demanding a recount of my own scoring system, but how is this possible? Splash Mountain is better than the seventh best ride at Walt Disney World. I’d pick it as one of the seven best rides in the entire world, probably top five. I think it gets taken for granted since it’s not as “famous” as the two attractions ranked immediately ahead of it. This ranking is a travesty. Splash Mountain is pure joy.

6. Space Mountain – 20 points

Image: DisneyThree of the remaining attractions are iconic classics closely associated with Disney theme parks. The other three are a bit newer; they’re mostly ones you would expect, though. While I’d quibble with a some of them getting listed over Splash Mountain (so, so bitter), my greatest surprise is that Space Mountain didn’t do better. It’s the genre-defining attraction, the alpha that triggered the coaster wars that have come since then. If anything, it’s undersold here, but you’ll quickly appreciate how tough the competition is above it.

5. Pirates of the Caribbean – 20 points

Image: DisneyTechnically, Pirates of the Caribbean is tied with Space Mountain. I gave it higher placement because it received a first place vote on one ballot, something Space Mountain can’t claim. The ride that spawned a multi-billion dollar movie franchise is inexorably linked with Disney theme parks. It’s the epitome of a dark ride and one of the most stylish ever created. Who could argue with Pirates of the Caribbean being one of the best attractions at Walt Disney World?