FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail

3. Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle for Sunken Treasure

Image: Disney

Opened: 2016
Location: Shanghai Disneyland (exclusive)

If you think you know the "Disneyland" formula like the back of your hand, give Shanghai Disneyland a visit. Famously dispensing with the tried-and-true standards most of us expect from a Disneyland-style park, Shanghai was a total reinvention. First, the park shuffled the tried-and-true layout that's been passed through every "castle park" for sixty years. The lands that remains were entirely redesigned aesthetically and functionally. And then, the park intentionally omitted any E-Ticket attractions seen at other Disney Parks and instead opened with a one-of-a-kind ride lineup. Among those groundbreaking new stars was Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle for Sunken Treasure.

Overtly themed to the Pirates of the Caribbean film series (with mere homages to the original Pirates rides in Anaheim, Orlando, Tokyo, and Paris), Battle for Sunken Treasure begins familiar enough, with boats sailing past lantern-lit restaurants and through treasure-filled caverns. But in an instant, it transforms. Using massive sets and enormous screens, guests appear to sink deep into the ocean where a concealed feature of the ride system allows the boats to drift sideways and backwards through shipwrecks and grottos. The integration of screens here is so perfect, it's the rare ride that's heralded for its projection rather than denigrated.

The scale of Pirates of the Caribbean in Shanghai is absolutely unprecedented... except, of course, by Disneyland's original. Still, the idea of a true 21st century reinvention of the Pirates ride concept came full-force in China, and the resulting attraction is absolutely, positively stunning. Regardless of your thoughts on the film series, it's impossible to leave this E-Ticket without feeling that it's redefined the capabilities of Imagineering... and set a new gold standard that should be the high watermark for all projects going forward.

2. STAR WARS: Rise of the Resistance

Image: Disney

Opened: 2019
Location: Disneyland and Disney's Hollywood Studios

Hold your pitchforks... at least for a moment! It's true that on this list, we've made the controversial choice to call Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance only the second best ride of the century so far. To be clear, part of that has to be the ride's abysmal operations, which we just can't factor out. Nearly a year out from its opening, the ride is still hemmed in by catastrophic downtime which prevents anything resembling normal operations. The Boarding Group system the ride requires is, as we've argued, a totally-necessary evil and by far the best way to deal with the ride's... temperament. It's not uncommon for guests to be led down backstage hallways, bypassing pre-shows just to keep the ride from flatlining for the day, and there's yet to be a day when Boarding Groups don't "sell out" within a minute of park opening, leaving thousands of guests heartbroken. Put simply, the current state of the ride is simply unacceptable, and the crushing, frustrating, and vacation-ruining race to get on board shows no signs of changing anytime soon.

That said, there's absolutely no arguing that if you make it on board, Rise of the Resistance is – at least for fans of Star Wars or Disney Imagineering – life-changing. Nothing Disney has ever created before has gotten anywhere close to matching its scale. Not Shanghai's Pirates. Not Journey to the Center of the Earth. Not even Indiana Jones Adventure. Rise of the Resistance is more than an E-Ticket. (We've suggested it's an "ultra-E-Ticket" – a U-Ticket.) Truly an experience, it's hard to know when the "ride" itself begins. During the course of the attraction, guests technically engage with no less than three separate ride systems, witnessing some of the most sophisticated effects – both practical and projected – ever designed.

In fact, Rise of the Resistance plays like a "best of," accumulating every stellar effect and mind-blowing moment of every Disney Parks E-Ticket from the last thirty years and mashing them all together in one massive, complex experience. In fact, all of Galaxy's Edge revolves around the lore of Rise, with the ride literally allowing guests to take part in a distinct moment that shapes not only the land's "original world," but the mythology of Episode IX. That's not to say Rise isn't without its detractors, and it's fair to criticize elements of the experience itself. But from opening to closing, there's literally nothing else in the world quite like Rise of the Resistance.

So what ride do we think beats it, at least until Rise's operations are running smoothly?

1. Mystic Manor

Image: Disney

Opened: 2013
Location: Hong Kong Disneyland (exclusive)

If you're keeping track (and trust us – many fans are), Disney World hasn't recieved an IP-free original E-Ticket since 2006's Expedition Everest; Disneyland since 2001's California Adventure originals. It would be understandable if you believed that the Pixarification and Marvelization of Disney Parks are simply the law of the land from here on out, and that we may never again see a truly original, in-house IP purposefully designed for a Disney Parks E-Ticket. At least, not in America.... 

In 2013, the underbuilt Hong Kong Disneyland marked the end of a multi-year expansion with the opening of a third of three mini-lands: Mystic Point. Set deep in the rainforests of Papau New Gineau, the land is truly the estate of the eclectic explorer Lord Henry Mystic and his monkey sidekick Albert who've spent decades adventuring across the world and collecting ephemera and artifacts. The whimsically odd manor serves as their personal archive, with Lord Mystic all too happy to invite travelers in to tour his collections... including the newest arrival: an ancient music box whose enchanted tunes are said to grant life to the lifeless. What happens? Our suggestion is to make your way to our Modern Marvels: Mystic Manor feature to find out on a tour through the home's enchanted collection... and the designers who created it.

Image: Disney

So why does Mystic Manor rank as our personal choice for the best ride of the century so far? Simple. It's the most Disney thing Disney's done this century. It's an extended homage to the Haunted Mansion, wrapped in 21st century technology that's skillfully hidden in plain sight. It's a fusion of original characters, storytelling, and scenic design unmatched since the Lost Legend: Journey into Imagination; it's a perfect combination of music, magic, monkeys, and mayhem; a jaw-droppingly perfect dark ride in every respect. Its connection to the astounding mythology of S.E.A. – Disney's secret Society of Explorers and Adventurers – is merely the cherry on top.

Mystic Manor is entrancing. It's beautiful. It's fun. It's smart. It's intimate. It's magical. It has literally all the ingredients of the best Disney Parks classics; the timeless, original, transformative, and generaiton-defining dark rides of yesteryear, fused with the highlights of today. And while we'd love to see this E-Ticket experience make its way to California Adventure's Grizzly Peak or Magic Kingdom's Adventureland, the fact is that it's almost too perfect to be cloned. It represents the pinnacle of modern Imagineering; the height of Disney storytelling; the breath of fresh air fans needed to know that when Imagineers are given free reign, they can create the kind of ride that inspires guests of all ages. By our account, Mystic Manor is the single best product of Walt Disney Imagineering this century... And if you disagree, you've at least got to give it credit.

Runners-up

Naturally, it's impossible to compile a "Best Of" list that'll please everyone, so we did our best in this countdown to blend our personal favorites with the unspoken consensus of the Disney Parks community and your own input here on Theme Park Tourist. That said, we'd be remiss if we didn't mention the runners-up that certainly deserve consideration, and may very well be included in your personal list... or even top it! 

Off the top of our heads, totally legitimate contenders for the top ten best rides of the century so far could include:

Image: Disney
  • Radiator Springs Racers: Omitting the Modern Marvel: Radiator Springs Racers from our list wasn't an easy choice. The now-anchor attraction at Disney California Adventure, the high-speed dark ride served as the pivot point in the park's story, the anchor of Disney's first "living land," and a ceremonious return to massive E-Tickets after a period of relative inactivity at Imagineering. Would it make your list?
  • Star Tours: The Adventures Continue (2011): A robust reinvention of the '80s original that breathed new life into Star Wars' presence in Disney Parks, Star Tours "2.0" brought with it re-rideable, randomized destinations throughout the Star Wars universe, high-definition 3D, and some great one-liners. While it may be an "update," it's radical enough to be its own ride in our books. It would be entirely understandable if Star Tours made your list of the best rides of the century; it almost made ours!
  • TEST TRACK "2.0" (2012)In our look back at the Lost Legend: TEST TRACK, we laid out our official stance that the 2012 reimagining of the original counts as a new ride entirely thanks to its focus on the engineering design process, its reinvented, TRON-esque aesthetic, and its future-ready style and substance. In fact, we'd probably argue that the "new" Test Track is the stand-out E-Ticket at Epcot, best encapsulating its current mission and vision.
Image: Disney
  • TRON Lightcycle Power Run (2016): The subject of its own in-depth Modern Marvels: TRON Lightcycle Power Run feature, Shanghai Disneyland's launched coaster uploads guests into the Grid for a neon race through a virtual world. Its duplication at Magic Kingdom is set to make this thrill ride a household name, but whether you consider it one of the best rides of the century is up to you.
  • TOMB RAIDER: The Ride (2002)While you may not have personally experienced the Lost Legend: TOMB RAIDER - The Ride, this mysterious, multi-sensory dark ride was truly unlike anything on Earth, period. While long gone, those who took a ride still beg for it to be reborn, and given the IP wars we find ourselves in, there's never been a better time. We're looking at you, Islands of Adventure!
  • Revenge of the Mummy (2004): Perfectly placed between Universal's "creature feature" era and its modern (over)reliance on screens, the Modern Marvel: Revenge of the Mummy is one of Universal's best attractions ever. That probably means that it's worth considering among the century's best!

There are plenty more rides to consider... So give us your top 10 in the comments below! 

 

 
FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail

Add new comment

About Theme Park Tourist

Theme Park Tourist is one of the web’s leading sources of essential information and entertaining articles about theme parks in Orlando and beyond.

We are one of the world’s largest theme park guide sites, hosting detailed guides to more than 80 theme parks around the globe.

Find Out More About Us...

Plan Your Trip

Our theme park guides contain reviews and ratings of rides, restaurants and hotels at more than 80 theme parks worldwide.

You can even print them.

Start Planning Now...