Ride Count Comparison Between DLR and WDW

[HydroGuy]

Note: Updated February 2020 as rides are being added and removed from both resorts

In another thread going on right now there has been discussion of how many rides are at DLR and WDW. I have a list that I keep and mentioned that, and several asked to see the list. So here it is.

Before I start, please allow me to state some caveats.

1. I am not trying to say anything good or bad about either resort - or that either one is better or worse than the other. Mostly I want to convey that DLR has more rides per park than WDW does to shed some light on the "DLR is so much smaller" mindset of many WDW vets.

2. It is hard to say what exactly is a ride. Disney does not even have rides. They have "attractions". Frankly I do not consider a play area for kids a ride even though Disney calls them attractions. So those are out. Also things that are mostly advertisements are out. Pure movies or shows are out. But movies or shows that have an interactive element are in. Innoventions is not a ride. With that said, it is still hard to say what is a ride and what is not a ride. So my list is highly subjective and you are free to debate and disagree. I do not believe there is any one correct answer.

3. I included Monorail at DLR but not WDW because it is really more of a ride at DLR. It goes inside the park. At WDW it is purely another form of transportation like the boats.


So here goes...

WDW has 61 rides. DLR has 58 rides.

For some historical perspective, when I created this thread the ride count was fairly equal. WDW is ahead right now. Part of the reason is that Disneyland DCA just removed Bugs Land and all 5 rides it had (they are building a "Marvel Land" of some sort there).

Both resorts have new rides coming (balanced by closed rides which has reduced ride count for both resorts temporarily). WDW definitely has more rides in the queue than DLR. A few years from now WDW will pull farther ahead on ride count. For the last 15 years the two resorts have had fairly similar ride counts but as Disney invests for the future, WDW is getting more new rides than DLR so this balance in recent years will be shifting.


WDW MK (30)

1. Astro Orbiter
2. Barnstormer
3. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
4. Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin
5. Carousel of Progress
6. Country Bear Jamboree
7. Dumbo The Flying Elephant
8. Hall Of Presidents
9. Haunted Mansion
10. it's a small world
11. Journey of the Little Mermaid
12. Jungle Cruise
13. Liberty Square Riverboat
14. Mad Tea Party
15. Magic Carpets of Aladdin
16. Mickey's PhilharMagic
17. Monsters Inc Laugh Factory
18. Peter Pan's Flight
19. Pirates of the Caribbean
20. Prince Charming Regal Carrousel
21. Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
22. Space Mountain
23. Splash Mountain
24. Swiss Family Treehouse
25. Tiki Room
26. Tom Sawyer Island
27. Tomorrowland Speedway
28. Tomorrowland Transit Authority
29. Walt Disney World Railroad
30. Winnie the Pooh
31. Tron - opening in 2021

WDW Epcot (11 + 1 coming in 2020)

1. American Adventure
2. Frozen Ever After
3. Gran Fiesta Tour
4. Journey Into Imagination With Figment
5. Living with the Land
6. Mission: SPACE
7. Seas with Nemo and Friends
8. Soarin' Over the World
9. Spaceship Earth
10. Test Track
11. Turtle Talk with Crush
12. Ratatouille - opening 2020
13. Guardians of the Galaxy - opening 2021

WDW Hollywood Studios (9 + 1 coming in 2020)

1. Alien Swirling Saucers
2. Millenium Falcon: Smugglers Run
3. Muppet Vision 3-D
4. Rise of the Resistance
5. Rock 'n' Roller Coaster
6. Slinky Dog Dash
7. Star Tours
8. Toy Story Mania
9. Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
10. Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway - opening in 2020

WDW Animal Kingdom (11)

1. DINOSAUR
2. Expedition Everest
3. Flight of Passage
4. It's Tough to be a Bug!
5. Kali River Rapids
6. Kilimanjaro Safaris
7. Maharajah Jungle Trek
8. Na'vi River Journey
9. Pangani Forest Exploration Trail
10. Primeval Whirl
11. TriceraTop Spin

DLR Disneyland park (38)

1. Abe Lincoln - Great Moments
2. Alice in Wonderland
3. Astro Orbitor
4. Autopia
5. Big Thunder Mtn RR
6. Buzz Lightyear
7. Casey Jr. Train
8. Davy Crockett's Canoes
9. Disneyland Railroad
10. Dumbo
11. Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage
12. Gadget's Go Coaster
13. Haunted Mansion
14. Indiana Jones
15. it's a small world
16. Jungle Cruise
17. King Arthur Carrousel
18. Mad Tea Party
19. Mark Twain
20. Matterhorn
21. Millenium Falcon: Smugglers Run
22. Monorail
23. Mr. Toad's Wild Ride
24. Peter Pan
25. Pinocchio
26. Pirates Lair on Tom Sawyer Island
27. Pirates of the Caribbean
28. Rise of the Resistance
29. Roger Rabbit
30. Sailing Ship Columbia
31. Snow White
32. Space Mountain
33. Splash Mountain
34. Star Tours
35. Storybook Land Canal Boats
36. Tarzan's Treehouse
37. Tiki Room
38. Winnie the Pooh
39. Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway - opening in 2022

DLR California Adventure (20 + 1 coming in 2020 - note Disney removed the entire Bugs Land which had 5 rides to make way for the new Spiderman ride - so the DCA ride count went way down in late 2018)

1. Golden Zephyr
2. Goofy's Sky School
3. Grizzly River Run
4. Incredicoaster (formerly California Screamin')
5. Inside Out
6. Jessie's Critter Carousel
7. Jumpin' Jellyfish
8. Little Mermaid
9. Luigi's Rollickin' Roadsters
10. Mater's Junkyard Jamboree
11. Monsters Inc
12. Philharmagic
13. Pixar Pal-A-Round
14. Radiator Springs Racers
15. Red Car Trolley
16. Silly Symphony Swings
17. Soarin' Over the World
18. Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout
19. Toy Story Mania
20. Turtle Talk With Crush
21. Spider-Man Slingshot - opening in 2020

 

[OKW Lover]

Interesting list. Thanks!

 

[kellietony]

This is awesome. Thank you so much for the comparison. It does show what's there for those of us not as familiar with one or the other.

 

[starjazz]

Cool list - thanks!

First off the cuff thing I'd mention: If Country Bears, Hall of Pres and Abe are rides, I'd include the stunt shows at HS. But personally, I don't think any of them are "rides", per se.

 

[lilbuddy88]

Sorry if this is a bit off topic....but are the two Star Tours fairly similar. I don't care for the one at HS and can bypass the one at DLR if they are even remotely alike

 

[Blue32]

Sorry if this is a bit off topic....but are the two Star Tours fairly similar. I don't care for the one at HS and can bypass the one at DLR if they are even remotely alike

rides are identical.

 

[HydroGuy]

Sorry if this is a bit off topic....but are the two Star Tours fairly similar. I don't care for the one at HS and can bypass the one at DLR if they are even remotely alike

Yes.

Here are the rides which are identical:

• Star Tours (DL/DHS)
• Toy Story Midway Mania (DCA/DHS - much better queue and pre-ride experience at DHS)
• It's Tough To Be a Bug (DCA/AK)
• Little Mermaid (DCA/MK - much better queue and pre-ride experience at MK)
• Soarin (DCA/Epcot - although the queue and pre-ride experience at DCA gives the ride a whole different - and better - feel than at Epcot)

 

[Butterfly123]

Fantastic list...thanks for posting!

 

[Thumper_Man]

Yes.

Here are the rides which are identical:

• Star Tours (DL/DHS)
• Toy Story Midway Mania (DCA/DHS - much better queue and pre-ride experience at DHS)
• It's Tough To Be a Bug (DCA/AK)
• Little Mermaid (DCA/MK - much better queue and pre-ride experience at MK)
• Soarin (DCA/Epcot - although the queue and pre-ride experience at DCA gives the ride a whole different - and better - feel than at Epcot)

4 more that could possibly added to this list are Haunted Mansion, Splash Mountain, Space Mountain and Tower of Terror.

Although slightly different on the outside, I seem to recall the same patterns on the inside for each of these rides. I know Space and Splash have different ride vehicles, but other than this difference; they seem pretty similar to me as far as the ride itself.

 

[HydroGuy]

4 more that could possibly added to this list are Haunted Mansion, Splash Mountain, Space Mountain and Tower of Terror.

Although slightly different on the outside, I seem to recall the same patterns on the inside for each of these rides. I know Space and Splash have different ride vehicles, but other than this difference; they seem pretty similar to me as far as the ride itself.

Similar but nowhere near being identical. There are many similar rides between WDW and DLR.

 

[Thumper_Man]

Similar but nowhere near being identical. There are many similar rides between WDW and DLR.

Point out how they're not identical. I can't think of any differences.

 

[MATTERHORN]

To start, Space Mountain is an entirely different track, and MUCH smoother at Disneyland.
Tower of Terror at DCA does *not* move forward before it does it's drop sequence.
As for Haunted Mansion, the MK version has the ghost footprint staircase room. Also, in Disneyland, you are in line for the moving busts and changing pictures, while at MK you are already on the ride for those parts and they are different!

Andrea

 

[Susie63]

Thanks HydroGuy. You should add this to the stickie for WDW vets.

 

[ktlm]

Interesting! Thanks for sharing.

Based on your definition of needing an interactive element and the inclusion of things like Captain EO, Country Bears, Hall of Presidents, Muppets and Abe Lincoln, I think Enchanted Tales with Belle at MK at WDW probably deserves to be on the list. I wouldn't call it just a show. There is the workshop, Magic Mirror, Interactive Wardrobe, Interactive Lumiere, and the kids participate in a play. I think it is an interactive "attraction" - it's not really a meet and greet, not really a show.


Should Muppet Vision 3-D be on the identical list- aren't they the same?

We love both places!

 

[gerilyne]

Really awesome list!!!

Sent from my DROID4 using DISBoards

 

[DoughR]

Space Mountain at MK is probably more similar to the Matterhorn than Space Mountain in DL. lol Same ride vehicle, two tracks, and super bumpy!

Tower of Terror at DHS has the hallway scene where the vehicles load into the shaft. It has more of a track-like sequence for its vehicles for the purpose of loading and unloading. I believe it has four loading zones with each pair sharing one of the two elevator shafts. The DCA version has three shafts and six loading zones, three on the ground floor and three above. The vehicle only moves back before the ride begins and unloads in the same area as the loading. Because of this there is no hallway scene. Supposedly the DCA version doesn't have the random drop sequencer. From my experience I think this is true.

Splash Mountain at MK has more animatronics but overall the differences are within the varying scenes. The story is similar. Different ride vehicle as well. Seats 8 as opposed to DLs 6-7.

 

[mikedoyleblogger]

Similar but nowhere near being identical. There are many similar rides between WDW and DLR.

I wouldn't even call Space Mountain similar between Magic Kingdom and Disneyland. Different track. Different layout. Different trains. Different effects and effects technology. Different soundtracks. Different soundtrack technology. Completely different on-ride experience. To me, the only similarity is that they're in the dark. I love them both, but they're pretty much completely separate rides.

 

[lpizzuro123]

Thanks for the list, this is great. I am going to print it out to see just what we have done at WDW and what we need to do at DL.

Linda

 

[RadioFanatic]

If you were a WDW oldie and really only spending one day at each DL park and its your first time, which DL attractions we you say were "must do's"?

 

[OKW Lover]

If you were a WDW oldie and really only spending one day at each DL park and its your first time, which DL attractions we you say were "must do's"?

That would be us.

In DL; Indiana Jones, Pirates, Haunted Mansion, Small World (yes, Small World, its a bit different), ride the Mark Twain, Great Moments with Mr Lincoln.
In DCA: Radiator Springs Racers, walk through all of CarsLand - then do it again at night, Grizzly River Rapids, ToT (a bit different from DHS), Aladdin Stage show,