4. Shanghai Disneyland

1. Buzz Lightyear Planet Rescue
2. The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
3. Peter Pan’s Flight
4. Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle for Sunken Treasure
5. Roaring Rapids
6. Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
7. TRON Light Cycle Power Run
8. Voyage to the Crystal Grotto

Not yet counted: Unnamed Zootopia attraction (2022)

Shanghai Disneyland opened in 2016 as the legacy-leaving landmark of Bob Iger’s tenure, finally bringing a permanent Disney installation to the highly-guarded mainland China and its rapidly-expanding middle class, ready to consume Disney stories and products. More importantly for fans of Imagineering, though, the Chinese government’s majority stake in the park allegedly added an interesting caveat to the park’s design… In addition to removing the Americana inherent in the “Disneyland” formula (i.e. no Main Street or Frontierland), the Shanghai park was reportedly required to feature only original anchor attractions, not copies of stateside classics.

The result is a Disneyland more untethered from Walt’s 1955 standards than we’ve ever seen before – one without a Jungle Cruise, Haunted Mansion, “small world,” or any “Mountains.” The park’s three “classic” dark rides – POOH, BUZZ, and PAN – are all upgraded with new aesthetics and projection mapping, while new age thrills – like SEVEN DWARFS MINE TRAIN, ROARING RAPIDS, and TRON LIGHTCYCLE POWER RUN – integrate dark ride scenes into unique attractions. The park’s oddest ride is probably VOYAGE TO THE CRYSTAL GROTTO – a sort of mix between a Jungle Cruise, World of Color, Mickey’s Philharmagic, and a parade with a single true “dark ride” scene as its finale.

Blacklight Award: Though TRON Lightcycle Power Run captured the attention of audiences immediately, there’s no doubt that the park’s coolest ride is PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: BATTLE FOR SUNKEN TREASURE. Based on the Pirates film series and little more than an homage to the classic theme park ride, this new age ride is pretty much a modern masterpiece. Battle for Sunken Treasure blends massive physical sets with totally-integrated, impossibly-scaled projection and stunning Audio-Animatronics. 

3. Magic Kingdom

1. Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
2. Haunted Mansion
3. “it’s a small world”
4. Jungle Cruise
5. Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh 
6. Peter Pan’s Flight
7. Pirates of the Caribbean
8. Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
9. Splash Mountain
10. Tomorrowland Transit Authority Peoplemover
11. Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid
12. Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress 

Not yet counted: TRON Light Cycle / Run (TBD)

Based on its ride collection and dark ride list, it’s hard to argue that on paper, Magic Kingdom is the least interesting of the “Castle Parks.” Its dark ride collection is quite literally the standard set shared by nearly every Disneyland-style park plus the Little Mermaid dark ride (copied from Disney California Adventure) and the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train (which easily meets our requirements for a dark ride thanks to the charming dark ride scenes that serve as its second act). It’s a quality line-up, just not an exceptional one. 

That said, very notable are the Peoplemover and Carousel of Progress – neither of which really sets out to be a dark ride primarily, but both of which fit the definition when you get right down to it. Both are also pretty legendary, and certainly standouts in Magic Kingdom’s otherwise much-duplicated set. TRON won’t be a Magic Kingdom exclusive, but it’ll at least give the park a distinctive quasi-dark-ride E-Ticket! In the meantime, the Blacklight Award has to go to a classic…

Blacklight Award: Though Magic Kingdom’s dark ride lineup isn’t particularly inspiring on paper, its HAUNTED MANSION is. Pretty inarguably the superior of the three Haunted Mansions, Orlando’s version was designed at the same time as Disneyland’s, but is a more complete experience with added scenes and notably, much more consistent care and upkeep. If ever you question the artistry or sincerity of Magic Kingdom’s version of the ride, may we direct you to Foxx Nolte’s Boundless Realms – a love letter to the ‘71 Mansion that begs to be read on your next flight to Florida, and a must-have for Imagineering aficionados. 

2. Tokyo Disneyland

1. Buzz Lightyear’s Astro Blasters
2. Enchanted Tale of Beauty and the Beast
3. Haunted Mansion
4. “it’s a small world”
5. Jungle Cruise: Wildlife Expeditions
6. Monsters Inc. Ride & Go Seek
7. Peter Pan’s Flight
8. Pinocchio’s Daring Journey
9. Pirates of the Caribbean
10. Pooh’s Hunny Hunt
11. Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin
12. Snow White’s Adventures
13. Splash Mountain
14. Western River Railroad (with Grand Canyon Diorama and Primeval World)

In the development of Tokyo Disneyland, executives from the Tokyo-based Oriental Land Company reportedly visited both Magic Kingdom and Disneyland, compiling a “wish list” of rides to copy from both. That’s pretty clear in its dark ride lineup – Tokyo Disneyland has many of Magic Kingdom’s dark rides (Buzz, Mansion, “small world,” Peter Pan, Splash, and Pirates) plus several of Disneyland’s (Pinocchio, Snow White, and Roger Rabbit).

What makes the park a real must-visit for U.S. fans, though, are its three one-of-a-kind dark rides. The newest – Enchanted Tale of Beauty and the Beast – was much-anticipated by Disney Parks fans, but received mixed reception when it defied expectations and established a whole new genre of dark ride: basically, a ride-through sing-along. A full-scale recreation of Monsters Inc.’s headquarters may be an outlier in Tomorrowland, but Ride & Go Seek is an absolutely delightful interactive dark ride that’s collaborative, not competitive! But the highlight must be…

Blacklight Award: Opened in 2000, POOH'S HUNNY HUNT was the first of Disney’s increasingly standard trackless dark rides. Unthinkable at the time (and still pretty darn cool), the ride sends guests whirling through the storybook pages of the Hundred Acre Wood, zig-zagging around sets, hopping along with Tigger, and seemingly randomly dancing through trippy dreamscapes filled with Heffalumps and Woozles. While the ride’s tracklessness isn’t so much the “gee-whiz” factor it once was thanks to the technology’s widespread use today, it’s still an absolute marvel of Imagineering… especially if you’re used to the bland, bumbling versions of a Pooh ride in Disney’s other “Castle Parks.” 

1. Disneyland Park

1. Alice in Wonderland
2. Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters
3. Disneyland Railroad (with Grand Canyon Diorama and Primeval World)
4. Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage
5. Haunted Mansion
6. Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Forbidden Eye
7. “it’s a small world”
8. Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
9. Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride
10. Peter Pan’s Flight
11. Pinocchio’s Daring Journey
12. Pirates of the Caribbean
13. Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin
14. Snow White’s Enchanted Wish
15. Splash Mountain
16. Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance

Not yet counted: Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway (2023)

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the original Disneyland reigns supreme. Yes, despite being one of the smallest Disney Parks on Earth, Walt’s original magic kingdom still manages to top our “By The Numbers” series and its lists of Ride Counts and E-Ticket Counts, now adding the crown for the number of Dark Rides, too. 

In addition to having all three of its 1955 originals – Snow White (closed in Florida), Mr. Toad (closed in Florida), and Peter Pan’s Flight – the park’s tiny, storybook Fantasyland also contains Pinocchio’s Daring Journey and the one-of-a-kind Alice in Wonderland. That’s all a testament to Disneyland’s more guarded, historic, preservationist lineup and the reverence and respect that guests, Imagineers, and executives have for the park.

On top of its Fantasyland lineup, Disneyland also has The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (in Critter Country) and Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin (in Toontown, soon to be joined by Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway), plus the last-of-its-kind Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage and the original Haunted Mansion.

Blacklight Award: Among its legendary lineup, Disneyland has three pretty introvertible “best in the world” dark rides. The first and most obvious is PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN. Disneyland’s version of the ride – the original – is often regarded as Walt Disney’s personal magnum opus. It’s truly the definitive ride of the ’60s (and for comparison’s sake, clocks in at about twice as long as Magic Kingdom’s version). Disneyland’s Pirates is pretty unanimously considered one of the best classic dark rides on Earth.

On the other end of the spectrum, Disneyland is also home to STAR WARS: RISE OF THE RESISTANCE – by most counts, among the best modern dark rides on Earth. Phew! Since Pirates won our Decade Award and Rise already snagged a Blacklight Award, let’s instead highlight Disneyland’s one-of-a-kind E-Ticket that serves as an anchor for the resort… 

Opened in 1995 – the height of the “Ride the Movies” era – the INDIANA JONES ADVENTURE was unlike anything that had been seen before. Debuting the cutting edge EMV ride system, the attraction sends guests deep into the heart of the Temple of the Forbidden Eye, where the lost god Mara promises eternal youth, Earthly riches, or future sight… but with a catch. The off-roading ride is one of the most incredible attractions ever developed by Imagineering – a breathtaking, captivating, and mesmerizing E-Ticket that’s pretty unmatched in scale and scope.