Splash Mountain

Image: DisneyThe visual of Splash Mountain sells the entire concept. When you see that waterfall plunge off in the distance, you know what it means. You’re going to board a raft, and then you’re going to ride it downward on a wave of running water. At the end, you’re going to get very, very wet. Somehow, Disney promises an entire ride experience through a simple set of rocks, grass, and water. It’s an elegant exercise in minimalism and the best possibility marketing for the ultimate splash.

Haunted Mansion

Image: DisneyAs discussed, Disney had a much different plan for Haunted Mansion. Early workers at WED Enterprises pitched a disheveled mansion that would hint at horrors within. Uncle Walt would have no part of that idea. He’d spent a lot of money on the planned New Orleans Square expansion and wanted the first Disneyland expansion to look pristine.

Whereas Indiana Jones Adventure looks abandoned, Haunted Mansion is somehow inviting due to its gothic architecture. Imagineers studied famously spooky mansions across America, particularly the Shipley-Lydecker House in Baltimore and the Winchester Mystery House in San Jose. The giant Doric columns are stately rather than scary, an intentional choice to entice guests to set aside their fears and enter the Haunted Mansion.

Space Mountain

Image: DisneyArguably the most famous building at Magic Kingdom is the one that houses Space Mountain. One of the first names for this attraction was Space Port. While the name didn’t hold, that premise is the basis for the structure. From a distance, it’s intended to resemble an interstellar travel destination, a landing spot for galactic explorers. And while I have no proof of this, as a kid, I always thought it looked like a spaceship capable of spinning out of its foundation and soaring into space, a nice touch for a quasi-futuristic facility.

The glossy metallic design blends perfectly with the Tomorrowland setting at Magic Kingdom. The facility is a recognizable part of the Walt Disney World skyline and a central part of Theme Park View rooms at Disney’s Contemporary Resort. While it’s not THE best show building in Orlando, it’s certainly one of the most memorable…and for the longest amount of time.

Expedition Everest

Image: DisneyThe “new” kid on the block at Walt Disney World, at least in this list, is Expedition Everest. Whereas I dinged Radiator Springs Racers for only partially using the available space of the surrounding mountains, this roller coaster takes guests up an artificial mountain. The instant they see the light at the top of the summit, it reveals its horrifying secret: the tracks are broken…and people are about to scream!

The implementation of the exterior, the Forbidden Mountain, as a foreboding element is fantastic on its own. The ride gets bonus points for the fact that it then reverses course and thrusts guests inside the darkened mountain interior. Sure, it’s the tallest man-made mountain that Disney’s ever constructed, but that’s not what makes it great. It’s standing on the shoulders of man-mountains that came before in that way. The aspect of Expedition Everest that differentiates it is that the mountain comes into play organically for the ride, too.