3. Hollywood Tower Hotel

Image: DisneyDebating the best Disney weenies is a complex affair. What draws my eye may not draw yours. Instead, the conversation centers on which sights garner the attention of the largest number of park guests on a daily basis.

I settled on the top three by deciding which ones people notice the most during a visit and remember the best afterward. In the case of the Hollywood Tower Hotel, other landmarks have come and gone at Hollywood Studios. Even though each one’s stated purpose was to become the embodiment of the park, the home of Twilight Zone Tower of Terror claimed the title over time.

The Hollywood Tower Hotel is one of the most impressive structures in Disney history. It towers above the park, but the back of it still maintains the illusion of the Mexico Pavilion at Epcot’s World Showcase. That’s remarkable dedication to immersion on the company’s behalf.

But what I love the best about the Hollywood Tower Hotel in recent years is the holiday overlay. Disney projects yuletide images against the flat surface and fundamentally alters the vibe of the building. Ordinarily, it’s a malevolent overseer. During Christmas season at Disney, it’s a 20-story tall gingerbread house.

2. Cinderella Castle

Image: DisneyWhen The Walt Disney Company planned the Florida Project, they had to honor Walt Disney’s vision for his final major project. Walt Disney World needed the kind of grandeur that would demonstrate it was on the level of Disneyland if not superior to the original. And an integral part of that plan was a castle battle.

The regal construct at Magic Kingdom had to surpass Sleeping Beauty Castle. Decades later, this idea seems laughable, as one is 112 feet taller than the other. Even the most diehard fans of the Happiest Place on Earth recognize that Cinderella Castle is better in almost all aspects.

To this day, Cinderella Castle remains the most impressive weenie at a theme park full of impeccable ones. No park guest’s visit to Magic Kingdom would be complete without a stroll through this castle.

1. Spaceship Earth

Image: DisneyAll of the landmarks mentioned here are marvels of Imagineering. But one towers above the rest, figuratively if not literally. Spaceship Earth is a modified geodesic dome, technically an irregular geodesic polyhedron. Since the structure is also a ride, Imagineers had to add a few maintenance exit points. If not for that, it would be mathematically perfect.

Visually, Spaceship Earth IS perfect. It’s the most stunning structure at any theme park on the planet. Inexorably associated with Epcot, it exemplifies the optimism of Future World and, thereby, Walt Disney himself. It is easily the best weenie at Walt Disney World and one of the most beautiful man-made constructs in the world.