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Twilight Zone Tower of Terror

Image: DisneyI was tempted to choose Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission – BREAKOUT! instead. After all, it’s all shiny and new. I just don’t think that it possesses the same cachet and stature as the original. The Hollywood Tower Hotel fits well on this list for reasons previously discussed. In a way, it’s the version of Haunted Mansion that Imagineers wanted, the one that Uncle Walt eschewed.

From a distance, this hotel is far from inviting. Instead, you’ll feel a sense of dread when you see it in the right light. On a rainy day, the ride building almost takes on a life of its own, somehow mimicking the gloomy weather. At night, it seems like the type of place that could swallow your soul, a vibe that is the antithesis of Disney…yet it feels right at home as the signature wienie at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. As other former landmarks have vanished, Tower of Terror has sustained its status as THE building of import. 

Matterhorn Bobsleds

Image: DisneyWhen I pitched this list, two show buildings immediately came to mind. One is the granddaddy of them all, the Matterhorn. While Disney has since built 17 other man-made mountains (and counting), nobody ever forgets their first. Way back in the 1950s, Walt Disney had the most ambitious of ideas for a new ride. It would become the first of its kind, a steel roller coaster that embodied the sensation of riding a bobsled down a mountain.

Only one problem existed. Disneyland lacked a mountain. Imagineers had to build one, and its presence on the skyline fundamentally altered the perception of the park. From that moment forward, fans would expect more of Disney. In a way, Matterhorn Bobsleds represented the first true plussing of the Happiest Place on Earth. On the day it debuted, it became the first E-ticket attraction (along with two others).

Park officials had to introduce an entirely new tier of ticket pricing to pay for their new mountain. Guests gladly ponied up since this new ride seemed like the future of theme park attractions. Even today, roughly 60 years later, it still feels special, primarily because it holds a sacred place in theme park lore. Matterhorn Bobsleds is no longer the best, but it will always be the first. Several of the other structures listed here wouldn’t exist without this man-made mountain serving as a proof of concept.

Spaceship Earth

Image: DisneyI mean, come on. There’s not a lot of debate about which Disney ride building is the most impressive. How many theme parks in the world can claim a geodesic sphere as a wienie? You can search this site for the term “geodesic sphere” to read our many, many fawning examinations of the greatest of this structure. In a way, I’m repeating myself by bringing any of these points up again.

To me, the most impressive part of Spaceship Earth is how Imagineers used the space. The exterior is visually stimulating in a rare and profound way. It’s legitimately one of the 100 coolest looking buildings in the world. It’s also customer-friendly, with a sublime design that prevents rain from dripping onto guests. Without that feature, no one would want to approach Spaceship Earth during a rain Florida day…and ALL Florida days are rainy. The building also seems to change color when light refracts against it at certain times of day or during specific weather conditions.

While the interior doesn’t specifically apply to its first-place ranking, I still feel that Imagineers deserve a great deal of credit for building a circular dark ride that spins inside this giant globe. When you’re in the darkness of Spaceship Earth the ride, you sometimes forget that you’re traveling up and down the walls of one of the greatest buildings ever assembled. Imagine if someone had turned one of the pyramids into a roller coaster. That’s the only logical equivalent to what Disney has down with Spaceship Earth.

All Disney buildings display tons of forethought and creativity. These nine are the best of the best, however, and Spaceship Earth elevates itself that much more above the rest.

 
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