Top 3

Disneyland is a magical place filled with wondrous rides that make you feel like a kid no matter what your age may be; I have chosen my top three favourite rides to discuss. I have critiqued these rides based on originality, thrill, and popularity. The top three that I have chosen are Indiana Jones, Splash Mountain, and Space Mountain.

Indiana Jones is a rustic ride that takes you on an wild adventure. As this ride lacks in originality because it is based on a movie, it makes up for in precision. Throughout the ride it feels as though you have been placed into a very surreal Indiana Jones film. Monstrous snakes attempt to strike at you, while arrows are being shot your way. All these elements make this a very thrilling ride due to the anticipation of what is going to come at you next. The ride is a fairly meandering roller coaster, more for the effect of the surroundings than huge upside down loops, but near the end of the ride when a huge boulder is swiftly rolling towards you the wooden cart quickly drops below it giving you that "classic roller coaster thrill" as well. Indiana Jones is a very popular ride, because it is something people of most ages would enjoy. Being so popular the lines can be quite long to stand in, although after the fireworks at night the ride is still open for those few sneaky people to race through for a few extra (line free) rides.

Splash Mountain is a ride that is sure to wet your appetite for fun. This is a ride that screams originality, from the log that you are seated in, to the unique characters surrounding you from either side. As well as original, it is full to the brim with thrilling excitement. Sitting in the log as it climbs up the slope, clunking the whole time anticipation builds in the pit of your stomach cooling for a moment as you come to the top, until you start barrelling towards the ground instead hitting a cold pool of water (very refreshing on a hot day in California). Having this be a very traditional Disney ride lines are long to wait in, especially since the ride is so quickly over. Although it is nice to wait in the line and be rewarded with the splash of water when the temperature is near boiling outside.

Lastly comes Space Mountain. A ride filling your head with stars and planets, while making your stomach flip and flop. The creator of this ride gets a 10 out of 10 on originality for this ride. Getting into the roller coaster in the pitch black pavilion forces you to focus on the beautiful (not to mention realistic) planets and constellations, distracting you from the drops and sudden twists and turns of the ride. This also adds to the fantastic thrill of the ride. As many times as you make go on the ride you'll never be able to predict which way you'll turn next or when you'll suddenly drop into the dark abyss. Once again this is a very popular ride, but is more targeted towards a little bit more of an older crowd because it is a roller coaster and may scare children or make some nauseous. The long line is definitely worth the wait, having no disappointment in the end.