The Disneyland Resort in California and Walt Disney World in Florida have a lot of the same rides as each other, but even those same rides can be different. Some are different lengths, have different queues, or holiday overlays. These are the rides that a lot of guests think are better at Disneyland than Disney World.
Pirates Of The Caribbean
Pirates of the Caribbean is similar at Disneyland and Magic Kingdom, but the Disneyland version is much longer. This ride at Disneyland is 16 minutes long and the Disney World version is 8.5 minutes long.
Haunted Mansion
Haunted Mansion is pretty similar at Disneyland and Disney World. One of the biggest differences is that the Disneyland version turns into Haunted Mansion Holiday for Halloween and Christmas. This is where the ride basically gets redone to be a Nightmare Before Christmas ride with Jack Skellington, Sally, Oogie Boogie, and more.
Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway
Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway is the same ride at Disneyland and Hollywood Studios in Disney World, but the exterior of the ride and ride queue are very different. The Hollywood Studios version took over the building that once was The Great Movie Ride, so they didn’t have as much room to work with, but the Toontown version in Disneyland got a whole new building built so they were able to do more with it. The ride queue in Disneyland has so many fun things to look at.
Space Mountain
Space Mountain at Disneyland isn’t crazy different from Space Mountain in Magic Kingdom, but there are some differences that make the Disneyland version preferred. First of all, the side by side seating at Disneyland is nicer than sitting one in front of the other like in Disney World. Also, it’s fun how it turns into Hyperspace Mountain with a Star Wars theme at Disneyland.
Mad Tea Party
Mad Tea Party in Disneyland is uncovered with greenery and hanging lanterns above the teacups. The aesthetic is unbeatable and looks like it does in the movie. In Disney World, this ride is covered with the lanterns hanging from the covering. This is because the ride has to close when it rains and it was closing so much that it needed the cover.
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is a roller coaster in Frontierland in Disneyland and in Magic Kingdom. The Disneyland version has better theming and a much more immersive queue that you wait in.
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is pretty similar at Disneyland and Disney World. The Disneyland version is a little shorter though, which is nice. The Disney World version is longer, creating some empty space in the ride since it doesn’t have extra animatronics or anything.
It’s A Small World
It’s A Small World is a great ride in both parks, but the outdoor facade of the Disneyland version is much better than the Magic Kingdom one. Also the Disneyland one is much longer with a ride time of 15 minutes, while the Magic Kingdom version has a ride time of 10 minutes.