We LOVE going to Disneyland, but that doesn’t mean we’re in love with every ride…
Disneyland Park is home to TONS of attractions, and we’re BIG fans of most of them. We’ve ridden every single ride (many times), and while there are some we’ll never skip, there are a few that we pass on for various reasons. Whether the novelty’s worn off, the wait times are too absurd, or the ride causes too much pain, these Disneyland attractions have experts saying, “No thanks!”
While these Disneyland rides aren’t necessarily bad (in fact, they are all worth riding at least once), Disneyland experts have a tendency to skip them.
Matterhorn Bobsleds
Disneyland’s Matterhorn Bobsleds ride is iconic both historically and visually. Towering above the park, the Matterhorn is a sight to behold. Known as the first tubular steel coaster with two tracks, this thrill ride does offer plenty of fun but is often skipped for one big reason.
It’s a super jolty experience. Every dip and turn throws you around and makes you bump against your seat. It’s not particularly fast, nor does it have any big drops, but the Matterhorn still scares plenty of potential guests off, thanks to its ability to cause pain. It also doesn’t help that it breaks down frequently and has consistently long lines.
Still, it’s absolutely worth riding once — although if you have any medical condition that would be made worse by a bumpy experience, it may be best to just watch a ride-through online instead.
Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage
Tomorrowland’s Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage is a pretty inoffensive ride that actually is quite beautiful and serene. However, it’s not for everyone.
Lots of folks skip this one thanks to claustrophobia, or fear of enclosed spaces. While this ride lacks any serious thrill (the angler fish scene can be a tad frightening), it can still be scary as it packs several people into a tiny semi-submersible without much space to move around.
While many who ride this ride get lost looking out their window and are taken in by the scenic surroundings, if you’re worried about feeling like you’ve been crammed into a sardine can, skip this attraction.
Dumbo the Flying Elephant
We might get a lot of flack for this one — considering it’s one of the most famous theme park attractions EVER — but Dumbo the Flying Elephant is totally skippable.
If you’re a kid, then yeah, this ride is great. But if you’re a Disneyland expert, it’s really nothing special and DEFINITELY NOT worth the long wait times it can rack up.
Similarly, Peter Pan’s Flight could also be skipped for similar reasons. You’ll hardly ever find a short wait for that Fantasyland ride, although it does offer a more unique and cooler experience than Dumbo should you be deciding between the two.
Casey Jr. Circus Train
Another ride catered towards small children, Fantasyland’s Casey Jr. Circus Train offers great looks at Disney miniature villages, but it’s not ideal for adults.
We don’t mean to poo-poo Dumbo-based rides, but yeah…this one’s a skip, especially if you’re not a tiny human being. The ride is quite literally built for children, and while grown adults can ride, the spaces are tight and way too compact to be comfortable.
If you still want to see the miniature towns from classic Disney animated films, check out the Storybook Land Canal Boats for an up-close boat tour of the models. This ride offers similar looks and much more space.
 Chip ‘n’ Dale’s GADGETcoaster
Disneyland has some great coaster-like attractions, but Chip ‘n’ Dale’s GADGETcoaster is simply “meh”.
The ride is a great intro to coasters for kids and folks scared of big thrill rides. However, the whole ride experience lasts less than 1 minute and the queue can be VERY long, making this an easy skip.
Davy Crockett’s Explorer Canoes
“You know what would be extra fun during our vacation? Putting in an upperbody workout for no reason whatsoever!” — said no one ever.
This Disneyland ride has guests row their own boat — and you’ll work up a sweat in the process. It is scenic and very unique for a theme park attraction, but there’s a reason it hardly ever has a wait.
If it’s a hot day (which is frequent in Southern California), you might want to reconsider your choices before hopping aboard this theme park workout attraction.
Autopia
Many Disneyland experts — this writer included — live relatively close to the Anaheim Resort area. This means we’re all VERY familiar with Los Angeles metropolitan area traffic, unfortunately. Sitting in traffic stinks, and we certainly don’t want to do that at Disneyland.
Autopia is a great attraction for kids, but if you drive regularly, you may not get much out of it. Waiting in line to do something you can do whenever seems kinda pointless, no? With all that said, if you’re visiting with kiddos and they meet the height requirements, this could wind up being their favorite attraction if they drive, so while we might skip it, you and your family don’t have to!
Do you agree with our list? Which Disneyland rides do YOU skip? Let us know in the comments and continue to follow us at DFB for more Disneyland tips, updates, and reviews!
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What Disneyland rides do you refuse to go on? Let us know in the comments!
Well, these attractions serve a purpose. Some are filler attractions. They divide up the crowds, so that lines are manageable. Shows and parades perform the same function.
They’re supposed to be doing a major refurb on The Matterhorn, so hopefully it’ll be a much smoother ride…unless they’re adding bumps 🙂
Secret hint about the Nemo Submarine. If you don’t want to be crammed in the submarine, go to the exit line, ask the cast members there for the accessible room. You see the show all from the comfort of a large room with benches. We did it for our 14 month old daughter so she didn’t have to leave her stroller.
One attraction I’ll definitely skip is The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh! This ride is a blemish of the Paul Pressler/Cynthia Harris era of Walt’s Magic Kingdom! The ride is cheap, tacky, and the story is not as structured as Magic Kingdom’s/Hong King’s/Shanghai’s. Not only does it NOT fit into Bayou Country, but it took away an attraction so dear to my heart that DOES and SHOULD fit into the land – The Country Bear Playhouse! Sure, it didn’t get enough attendance as Pooh does, but it was made with genuine talent and effort, AND IT WAS MY FAVORITE! A part of me wants to like this attraction and move on, but I just can’t look past the tackiness of it all! Disney, if your reading this, please please PLEASE retire this ride and bring back the bears!
Had a panic attack on the submarine ride…. not a good time…. they have or had it’s been awhile a room where you can sit and watch a bigger “porthole” and see the same show as the folks on the submarine. It’s still a packed room but bigger than a submarine.
Love the autopia as a kid… why don’t they use electric engines now?? The smell is killer as is the noise. My Grandkids love the ride so it’s a must ride.
I agree with the Matterhorn… used to love it now the back, knees and rib cage aren’t up to the bruising.
I kind of disagree with actually only one of the rides listed. That would be the Davy Crockett Canoe ride. It was the last day for the Splash Mountain ride before it closed down for good. We had totally exhausted ourselves standing in line for the “last” ride for about an hour and a half, again! We rode then the crew wanted to ride it again. My son and I decided we were done baking in the sun and went to sit in the shade for awhile. Well, as we approached the area, there was the Davy Crockett Canoe Hawkers trying to get people onto the canoes. So we went on the ride. It was one of the best ride experiences of the day. Interactive yes but we were all in the same boat, pun intended. And after 50 years of Disneyland trips, that was my first time to ride the canoes. Give it a try folks, you might find that you’ve missed a real fun ride.
Finding Nemo has a viewing room that gives you a “ride along” experience of the ride in a nice big comfy room.