Disney Rides, Ranked from Worst to First

Visiting a Disney theme park can be seriously overwhelming: There is so much to see and do, and thanks to crowds growing larger by the year, you’re sometimes lucky to hop on 12 rides over the course of an entire day. With a steep $100 entry fee, it can also be hard to feel like you’re getting your money’s worth.

That’s why those of us in the know visit the parks with a game plan. In addition to understanding the value of a FastPass — Disney’s “reservation” system that allows you to skip the line at select rides — smart park-goers know which rides to prioritize, and which to skip.

The following is a full list of rides at Disneyland in California and Disney World’s Magic Kingdom in Florida, ranked from the least exciting to the absolutely-can’t-miss. (There are myriad other rides at newer parks like California Adventure, Epcot, Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom, but we’re sticking with the classics.)

The list ends with the top five rides that, no matter what, you cannot leave the park without experiencing. And it starts with a ride that will almost surely put you to sleep…

Type: Carousel

Speed: Slow

Height: Any

Park: Magic Kingdom

Thrill level: * (out of ***)

Debuting at the World’s Fair in 1964, this rotating theater show explores the life of the American family between 1900 and modern day. It may have seemed impressive at the time, but today it is utterly boring and feels too out of date.

The show lasts 21 minutes, which is the longest ride you’ll find at the Magic Kingdom. The positive? There’s never a wait, so even when lines are long, you can squeeze this one into your day.

Type: Interactive movie

Speed: Slow

Height: Any

Parks: Disneyland Tokyo and Disneyland Shanghai

Thrill level: *

It’s too bad they ditched the Stitch ride at the Magic Kingdom, as it was a ton of fun. Sitting in the dark, Stitch breaks out and wreaks havoc. What makes it cool? The chairs guests sit in use sound, wind, water and other features to make you feel Stitch is right next to you.

Because of the pitch-black atmosphere, many younger kids found this too scary. (The ride originally began even scarier, with a frightening alien that made his escape; Disney tried to ease up on the fear factor by turning the alien into lovable Stitch.)

In Japan and China, however, the Stitch ride is totally different and far more boring: a 12-minute cartoon where you can talk to and interact with Stitch. Blah!