13. Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln

Image: Disney

Maybe this is the living embodiment of why "bigger" isn't always "better." Though Walt always dreamed of building a "Hall of Presidents" (as part of a Main Street expansion he called Liberty Street), the nation's 16th president was all that came of it back then. In fact, Mr. Lincoln was created for Disneyland while the original figure was still entrancing guests in the Illinois pavilion at the 1964-65 New York World's Fair! Lincoln has been upgraded many times since then, but still resides prominently in the Main Street Theater.

During the gripping and emotional presentation, the Lincoln Audio-Animatronic figure speaks of the power of America, the essence of our union, and how the combined military might of Europe, Asia, and Africa could never topple the country.

Image: Disney

"At what point, then, is the approach of danger to be expected? I answer, that if it ever reach us, it must spring from amongst us; it cannot come from abroad. If destruction be our lot, we ourselves must be the authors and finishers." Lincoln's speech about division is, of course, still salient. But the highly-regarded and storied president is a figure beloved by all.

Though Magic Kingdom did recieve Walt's bigger idea – the Hall of Presidents – Disney's controversial decision to have Audio Animatronics of whomever the current president is stand and speak has meant that, for the last few decades, any visit to the attraction is tinged with political frustrations no matter what side of the aisle your beliefs reside on. Politics, it turns out, is dirty business. While guests bristle during the Hall of Presidents or even endure guests shouting or chanting, Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln is instead a unifying and emotional experience, just like it should be.

14. Cars Land

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The undisputed anchor of California Adventure's billion-dollar redesign was Cars Land – really, only the second "Wizarding World" style land after Hogsmeade itself. The land meticulously recreates the Route 66 town of Radiator Springs precisely as it's seen in the film, giving guests to chance to explore the neon-lit streetscape themselves. They can dine at quick-service Cozy Cones or in the doo-wop dining room of Flo's V8 Cafe, shop in Ramone's Body Shop, or experience family flat rides Luigi's Rollickin' Roadsters and Mater's Junkyard Jamboree.

Image: Disney

Even though the town itself is spectacular, the highlight of the land must be the soaring Cadillac Range, the cartoon-yet-somehow-believable mountains shaped like Cadillac tail fins that cradle the land and the expansive Ornament Valley desert of hubcap-shaped buttes. The banked blacktop roadways of the land's E-Ticket Modern Marvel: Radiator Springs Racers dart through the desert.

Set aside any hestitation you may have about Cars as the subject of a full, permanent land at Disney Parks. Cars Land is the envy of the themed entertainment design world. It's an absolutely astounding land in every single way, singularly putting California Adventure on the international map and proving the park's long term balancing roll in the resort. Fans schemed and dreamed that Cars Land may eventually make it to Disney's Hollywood Studios, and insiders began to report that it was possible... but with major cuts and edits. Ultimately, the purchase of Star Wars just a few months after Cars Land's opening re-routed the Studio park's future, but boy would Cars Land have been a big win for the Florida resort.

15. Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage

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Though Walt Disney World has dozens and dozens of closed classic attractions, there may be none as legendary in the memories of Magic Kingdom fans than the Lost Legend: 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. That underwater dark ride really did place guests below the water to gaze out into submerged scenes of ancient cities, mermaids, and sea monsters, culminating in an encounter with a giant squid, inspired by Disney's 1954 film (which was in turn based on Jules Verne's world famous adventure novel). 

20,000 Leagues closed forever in 1994 without so much as a warning. Four years later, the Disneyland original that had inspired it – the Tomorrowland-set Submarine Voyage – followed. The tragic "sinking" of the two sister sub rides was a pinnacle of a dark time in Disney Parks history. Until...

Image: Disney / Pixar

In 2007 – as part of the resort's 50th anniversary celebration – Disneyland's ride re-opened! The new Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage might not have featured the spectacular physical sets or practical effects of its predecessor (replaced with clever underwater screens allowing the characters to "swim" alongside guests), but at least the Pixarification of the ride allowed a treasured ride system Walt was so proud of (debuting in 1959!) to survive.

So while the ride experience of the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage and Magic Kingdom's 20,000 Leagues might not have much in common, at least Walt Disney World guests can marvel at the preserved ride system and add context to their childhood memories of diving deep beneath the surface.

16. Avengers Campus

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Avatar who? The highest grossing film of all time is Avengers: Endgame, the 22nd film in the epic, unprecedented, and record-shattering Marvel Cinematic Universe... and that massive superhero story shows no signs of slowing down. Given that Disney owns Marvel and has shepherded the MCU and its combined (ready for this?) $22.4 billion gross through "phase 4's" 23 films, you'd expect the heroes to have earned a theme park presence exceeding Galaxy's Edge in richness and detail.

That's not quite the case... instead, Hong Kong Disneyland has a "Stark Expo" sub-land within Tomorrowland (featuring an Iron Man simulator and an Ant-Man overlay of the park's Buzz Lightyear dark ride), while Disney California Adventure and Walt Disney Studios Paris are soon to gain Avengers Campus lands. These hero-lands will be fit into their respective park's stories by being cast as "recruitment centers" set up for finding the next generation of heroes.

Image: Disney 

So rather than building out a mountainous Wakanda or Asgard, Avengers Campus will follow that "reclaimed warehouse" look Disney's gotten too good at over the last few years. In California, it'll have Web Slingers: A Spider-Man Adventure, the existing Guardians of the Galaxy - Mission: BREAKOUT!, and an announced phase II dark ride featuring the full Avengers team.

Sorry to tell you, but neither the Avengers Campus nor anything more ambitious will be coming to Walt Disney World. It's fairly well-known that Disney's biggest competitor in the theme park market, Universal, snatched up the exclusive rights east-of-the-Mississippi to feature Marvel heroes in their parks – an agreement we explored in-depth in our AVENGERS: Custody War feature. While Disney squeaked by with Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind at Epcot, you won't find Iron Man, Thor, Spider-Man, Black Widow, Captain America, or any other Avengers team hero in Florida.

Image: Disney 

Put another way: Walt Disney World visitors have every right to be jealous of Disneyland for its upcoming Avengers Campus, even if the land probably won't be what the heroes fully deserve. What's worse, Avengers Campus (or that ambitious Wakanda or Asgard land) would be a perfect fit for Disney's Hollywood Studios... But alas, if you want to join Spider-Man in all the web-slinging action, Disney World guests will either need to book a flight to California... or venture a few miles up the freeway to a ride that will doubtlessly make both Disney World and Disneyland fans jealous...

Jealous yet?

Forget "Walt stepped here" or "It's comfortable and cozy." Even the tiny, miniscule Disneyland has some real exclusive features that Disney World fans have to be jealous of... But before fans of Disney's Californian campus get too cocky, you may want to make the jump to our companion list of 16 Disney World Exclusive That Should Make Disneyland Fans Jealous, where we similarly list out can't-miss Orlando exclusives that even Disneyland fans acknowledge might be worth the flight to Florida...