9. Hyperspace Mountain

Image: Disney

Disneyland's Modern Marvel: Space Mountain is another attraction with regular and anticipated seasonal overlays. The long-running Space Mountain: Ghost Galaxy transforms the coaster into a dash through the cosmos escaping from a galactic ghoul, with projections throughout the mountain having the creature slash at guests, chase them around turns, and more. Then there's Hyperspace Mountain, a Star Wars overlay that turns the classic journey into an intergalactic battle when guests' ships are ambushed by Imperial cruisers.

To be direct: those overlays are possible at Disneyland because the ride is incredibly different from Disney World's version. Not only is Disneyland's a single track that passes through more enclosed show scenes during its ascent, but (like Big Thunder) was rebuilt from scratch in 2005, at which time new trains with synchronized on-board audio were installed (whereas Magic Kingdom had music added in 2005 as well, but it simply plays over speakers in the dome and isn't synced to the ride or easily heard by riders). At the same time, the capacity for projecting show scenes was added throughout the ride. Disneyland's Space Mountain, as a result, is smoother, significantly faster, more intense, and show-ready.

Image: Disney

Interestingly, Hyperspace Mountain (and Haunted Mansion Holiday and "it's a small world" Holiday) are presented because Disneyland's largely-local followers theoretically like to mix it up with new, limited-time draws that become annual family traditions... yet all three are the subject of much frustration for those same local fans, who largely admit to preferring the classic versions over their seasonal overlays.

Meanwhile, Disney World visitors seem to be begging for seasonal redesigns, as evidenced by Disney's ever-so-slight changes to Space Mountain and Pirates of the Caribbean exclusive to the upcharge, after-hours Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party. New this year, Magic Kingdom's "Deep Space Mountain" essentially swaps the ride's usual ambient soundtrack for a more menacing one and keeps the mountain darker by turning off special effects tunnels... admittedly, not quite on the level of Ghost Galaxy or Hyperspace Mountain.

10. Critter Country

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Ah, the elusive Critter Country – the little land Magic Kingdom doesn't have, but probably should! Basically, as Disneyland developed, its Frontierland stretched entirely along the southern half of the Rivers of America, with the Indian Village in the northwestern-most space. As we know, New Orleans Square soon moved in, cutting the Indian Village off from the rest of Frontierland. In 1972, the area was officially annexed and became the park's seventh land, Bear Country, with the Lost Legend: Country Bear Jamboree as its anchor (the first attraction ever copied back to Disneyland from Florida rather than the other way around).

Fittingly, the land was reimagined as a dense forest in the Pacific Northwest; the perfect place to put Splash Mountain – another folk-tale style attraction with singing animals. As such, Bear Country became Critter Country. Eventually, the Country Bears moved out and Winnie the Pooh moved in, but the hunny-loving bear feels just as at home in the folksy Pacific evergreen forest. And through it all, the grassy, forested Chickapin Hill acts as the land's centerpiece with babbling brooks, waterfalls, rustic vine-covered buildings, and Cascadian rockwork encapsulating the land.

Image: Disney 

Critter Country, while small, fills in the park's Rivers of America (now, circulating riverboats drift from the Old West to Jazz era New Orleans and on to the misty Pacific Northwest) and, perhaps most importantly, gives Splash Mountain a custom-built land. 

Meanwhile, in Magic Kingdom, the musical water ride of singing animals is... in an 1860s Western mining town? For Disneyland visitors, the sight of seeing Splash Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain right next to each other earns a double take. There, Disney Imagineers at least tried to downplay Splash Mountain's greenery and re-recorded its famous songs with more banjos and twangy instruments, but it's only once you know that Critter Country is supposed to exist that you realize how weird it is to have Splash Mountain in the otherwise historic and realistic Frontierland. 

11. World of Color

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Though Disneyland's Fantasmic will probably always be the golden standard of nighttime spectaculars, designers working on the reimagining of Disney California Adventure knew that their park needed an equivalent. Paradise Bay – the bean-shaped body of water the park's Pier area is built along – had been earmarked for a nighttime show since the park's early concepts, but the infrastructure to make it happen was one of the first things cut during the park's (infamous) development, leaving only a wave machine to make the pool simulate the ocean's movements.

Image: Disney

During the park's billion-dollar renovation, the lagoon was drained and 1,200 "dancing," programmable fountains were added, each with its own LED light ring capable of creating thousands of colors, and some capable of blasting water 200 feet high. The show was also equipped with flamethrowers, a 300-foot-long continuous water screen, a tiered Victorian leisure park viewing garden with fountains hidden in planters, and an LED lighting package on the Mickey-faced Ferris wheel residing along the bay. Unlike Fantasmic's story leading guests through Mickey's imagination, World of Color is essentially plotless (or as its detractors call it, "a clip show"), bookended by the iconic intro song to Disney's World of Color TV show. Over 20 minutes, the show brings Disney music and visuals to life.

World of Color is moving, compelling, and emotional. What's more, it's perfect for California Adventure. While it lacks the story of Fantasmic or the scale of Illuminations, the show is exactly what it was meant to be: a "kiss goodnight" after a day at California Adventure, perfectly complementing Fantasmic as Disneyland's.

12. Nighttime entertainment

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It's been quite a few years since a nighttime parade has marched its way through a Walt Disney World park... meanwhile, Disneyland has seen at least three in the last decade alone, and many over its lifetime!

It all started with the fabled Main Street Electrical Parade, which began playing at Disneyland all the way back in 1972! The parade "glowed away" forever in a dramatic promotional send-off in 1996... but only to make way for the ill-fated and short-lived Light Magic nighttime show. Despite the hubbub about its retirement, the Electrical Parade returned in 2001, but at Disney's California Adventure – part of Disney's attempt to lure people into the new park after bad word of mouth had seen its opening crash and burn. After nine years, the parade again "glowed away" forever.

Image: Disney

In 2015, Disneyland opened Paint the Night – a 21st century "electrical parade" with contemporary Disney and Pixar characters. After two years, Paint the Night closed to be replaced by... the Main Street Electrical Parade. It played for a single summer – its third "glowing away" campaign. In 2018 it was replaced by... Paint the Night, at Disney California Adventure. After lower-than-expected attendance at the launch of Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge, Disney pulled out the big guns to lure guests back to the resort. You guessed it. The Main Street Electrical Parade, back from the grave for a two month "glowing away" encore – its fourth.

Be it the Electrical Parade, Paint the Night, Magic Happens, Fantasmic!, World of Color, or fireworks, Disneyland is constantly refreshed with new parades and entertainment designed for after sunset. Meanwhile at Disney World, the Main Street Electrical Parade went dark in 2016... and hasn't been replaced. Fans would kill for a copy of Paint the Night – which currently sits in storage. It's likely that once Paint the Night is refurbished, it'll be returned to Disneyland or California Adventure once again.