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Epcot

Image: DisneyI fervently believe that all of the E-ticket attractions at Epcot, the one in the top FastPass tier, are exceptional. I know that Maelstrom loyalists take issue with some aspects of Frozen Ever After. Others vent about the technical glitches in Soarin’, and everyone accepts that Test Track will break down from time to time. They’re phenomenal rides, though. So, picking an overrated attraction isn’t that easy.

Mission: SPACE

Image: DisneyAfter a bit of internal debate, I decided that Mission: SPACE deserves the title of most overrated Epcot attraction. I feel this way because it’s never lived up to its hype.

Imagineers worked closely with NASA officials and actual astronauts. Their intended goal seemed reasonable. Disney could create the greatest space simulation ever, giving its guests insight into the challenges of becoming an astronaut.

Alas, all that they really proved is that most people don’t have the right stuff. Space travel humbles all but the most impressive physical specimens. And nobody visits Walt Disney World to feel bad about themselves.

Even after a decade of frequent modifications, this ride still doesn’t work particularly well. I view it in the same light as the current version of Journey into Imagination with Figment. It’s just not very good, and that’s unacceptable for a Disney attraction.

Gran Fiesta Tour Starring the Three Caballeros

Image: DisneyHey, it’s my list! Okay, I realize that some people will roll their eyes at this one, which is fine. To me, Gran Fiesta Tour has evolved into the improved version of It’s a Small World. While the older and more storied attraction receives all of the acclaim, the staple of the Mexico Pavilion is a lot more fun.

No matter how wonderful and artistically impressive Mary Blair’s puppets are, It’s a Small World will always feel a bit repetitious, at least until Disney finally honors the Geneva Convention and takes the song off a continuous loop. Gran Fiesta Tour is nowhere near as repetitive.

Each of its set pieces features a different look and style. Plus, the Three Caballeros cartoons inject a dose of silliness into the proceedings. Donald Duck’s the frequent recipient of slapstick cartoon violence, and I love the musical accompaniments as he suffers in various hilarious ways.

To a larger point, Epcot’s not a place where many attractions feel underrated, either. I think that the perception of every ride at this park is just about right.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Image: DisneyThis park remains in flux at the moment, although the recent additions of Toy Story Land and Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge have certainly improved it dramatically. I could make an argument that three or four attractions are perennially underrated here, but I only feel that one is even a viable consideration as overrated.

Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith

Image: DisneyI’m going to start this by stating in unequivocal terms that I love Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster. I think it packs a wallop and dwarfs Space Mountain in terms of Disney coaster quality.

Even so, I have to be honest about what it is. Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster is a very short ride. In impolite terms, if you had a physical encounter this brief, you would not go back for seconds. You would totally ghost the person.

Depending on what you define as the start, this roller coaster takes as little as 80 seconds. That’s…not great, especially for something with an average wait-time of nearly an hour. That’s too much foreplay and not enough cuddling.

Alien Swirling Saucers

Image: Disney

Sometimes, Disney fans frustrate me with their rush to judgment. Toy Story Land suffered through a smear campaign before it ever opened. Once it did, critics assailed one of the attractions for seeming cheap and pointless. They perhaps predictability abbreviated Alien Swirling Saucers down to three letters, and the idea has stuck than it’s not very good.

I don’t get that at all. Alien Swirling Saucers is an absolute joy to ride. When two people sit together in a single alien spacecraft, the ride becomes a form of Human Demolition Derby. It’s like Disney has given you a legal excuse to smash into your friend. I suspect that some of the genius of the sensation falls apart with three riders, which may be why so many folks don’t like it. But I’m right while everybody else is wrong about Alien Swirling Saucers. It’s one of the best rides at Hollywood Studios.

 
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Comments

Yeah, Im gonna be the person that calls you out about Flight of Passage. And to use the arguement immersive is astounding. The river journey is sitting in a boat surrounded by a lot of pretty colors. Dont get me wrong, its gorgeous to look at but tends to have a decent wait for it too and I would not choose to wait nor wasted a fast pass on it. If the wait time is low then yes. As for Flight of Passage, anyone with more than two brain cells fast passes that ride. Judging by the 2 hour waits, not a lot of people fit that bill. When I first rode this ride I was in awe like a kid in a candy store. It is so visualling stunning, my eyes could never pick just one place to look. Its like the beauty of the river journey but zipping through it on the back of a banshee. You dip, soar, twist and turn on the back of your banshee. Which breathes by the way. The machine freaking breathes! It doesnt get anymore immersive than that. Soarin' could never. Lets be real, Avatar was only as successful as it was because of the beauty of its world and people. Definitely not the plot. You want to feel like you really are flying through all of that beautiful landscape on the back of banshee, you ride this ride. It transports you of Disney, out of Florida, out of this world.

Great picks! You're not the only one who find Flight of Passage less than amazing. I was much more emotionally involved in Universal's giant screen ride "Back to the Future." And Peoplemover doesn't get enough credit for being a multi-sensory journey that cruises around/through Tomorrowland just like the monorail sailing through the Contemporary Resort. I also love Gran Fiesta Tour but might give EPCOT's most underrated ride award to Living with the Land, a ride that never fails to delight. Thanks for this thoughtful list!

Disney has slowed down Space Mountain at least 9 times, and the ride is not as dark as it used to be. I know this because I used to be a vendor at Disney and one of the ride engineers told me that. Put the ride back to it's original speed and darken the room and watch people love it again. The problem with doing that is this is the Magic Kingdom. They slowed the ride down and lightened the room because people were complaining it was "too fast and scary".

I FIND EVERYTHING AND ANYTHING PERFECT AT DISNEY

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