Walt Disney World, as per Walt's direction and vision, is constantly evolving and changing. We've seen many new additions over the years that have transformed the Disney World landscape both literally and figuratively. As I write this Disney's Hollywood Studios is undergoing a massive change that will render the place borderline unrecognizable to its former self. I, for one, can't wait to see the results of that particular change. However, some of us out there would rather have things stay the same. We lament the losses of our favorite rides and attractions like they were lost old friends, because to many of us they are.
However, the change that has come to Walt Disney World over the decades has been predominantly good. We can all argue over the merits and demerits of systems like Fastpass+ or the Disney Dining Plan and what it has done to the spontaneity factor, but let's focus on the core of the Walt Disney World experience—the attractions.
When I sat down to tackle this particular Top 5 list, one that would try to list the top super headliner attractions, I referred back to the old Disney ticket system that was in place at Disneyland and Walt Disney World. Most of us know of the old alphabet ticket system but for the uninitiated, suffice it to say that Disney attractions were “graded” on an A through E scale. An A ticket attraction was something simple like the Main Street Vehicles. Dumbo and Peter Pan's Flight were both considered C tickets. The E ticket moniker was saved for the best of the best, the top of the list. They were the grandest attractions that Disney had to offer.
So what was considered an E ticket in the early days of Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom? While most of you could buy Jungle Cruise, 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea and The Haunted Mansion as the best the park had to offer, how about “it's a small world” or Tropical Serenade, the precursor to today's Enchanted Tiki Room? I'm a huge fan of “it's a small world” and yes, I actually find the song endearing, but if you consider the fact that a ride like “it's a small world” was considered among the top draws of the whole park, perhaps you can see where I'm going with this story in regards to positive change. The rides and attractions that would be considered E tickets these days have far surpassed that experience that awaited early Walt Disney World visitors.
So, essentially what I'm talking about here today are the best of the best of the best. These are the crème of the Disney crop, the biggest attractions in every sense of the word. The ticket books may have gone away for good, but the top designation still remains. If something is an E ticket, it's the best in its class. Nowadays there are a lot more than five super headliner attractions, but as always, this is a column of lists. Let's take a look at what I think would qualify for my Top 5 Walt Disney World E Ticket Attractions.
5 – The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
I'm pretty sure I've already lost some of you by putting this Hollywood Studios super attraction at the bottom of my list. Trust me, this was a hard list to compose. No doubt, the Tower of Terror is an amazing experience. It encapsulates exactly what it means to be a Disney attraction. It's immersive. It's grand in scale. It's multi-sensory. The queue is a stunning example of Disney's legendary attention to detail.
The opening of the Sunset Showcase at Disney's Hollywood Studios provides a dramatic new angle from which to view the Tower of Terror. Photo by Alan S. Dalinka.
At its core, the Tower of Terror took a simple amusement park staple, the “drop ride,” and to borrow a This is Spinal Tap reference, turned it up to 11. Disney took a ride that everyone else does and made it something truly amazing. The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror personifies the often-used term, the Disney difference.
4 – Expedition Everest
I'm a coaster fanatic. I'm pretty sure I could ride a roller coaster once a day and call that a happy, normal life. I don't discriminate either. I can ride a classic rickety wood beast from the old days and be just as elated as when I tackle one of the super-slick, steel behemoths that populate America's amusement parks these days. Both are equally as thrilling to me. A Disney coaster typically has that extra special something about it though.
The crown of Disney's Animal Kingdom is Expedition Everest. Photo by J. Jeff Kober.
Expedition Everest at Disney's Animal Kingdom is about as perfect a coaster experience as I've ever found. It combines the classic ups and downs of a tried and true roller coaster with the theming and extra special touches that Disney is rightfully heralded for. The area surrounding Everest, the fictional town of Serka Zong, is an attraction unto itself as is the queue, probably the most immersive and well-propped queue on Disney property.
The ride itself is a total blast full of unexpected twists, turns, and drops. The Yeti animatronic hasn't worked exactly right for quite some time now, but to be perfectly honest, that's never really bothered me. To quote my Dad, the one that got me into roller coasters in the first place, as we exited Everest on his first experience, “That was awesome!” When I asked him what he thought of the giant Yeti, his response was, “There was a giant Yeti?” Everest delivers on all counts and is definitely one of Disney's all time top E ticket attractions.
3 – Test Track
The popular Test Track in Epcot's Future World always draws a big crowd. Photo by Alan S. Dalinka.
What typically sets Disney apart from the crowd is innovation. Walt Disney Imagineering has been known for stretching the boundaries of theme park and attraction design for more than half a century. Test Track took the basic rush of speed associated with roller coasters and through innovation and technology married it to the American love of the automobile for a new type of thrill ride and the results were pretty amazing.
Test Track is different and uniquely Disney. The recent reimagining of the attraction and its newer interactive developments only made it that much more distinct and different. It's become a highlight of our trips to Walt Disney World and there's really nothing else quite like it anywhere.
2 – Space Mountain
Space Mountain brought out of this world thrills to the Magic Kingdom. Photo by J. Jeff Kober.
I think Tomorrowland's Space Mountain is the grandest of all Disney roller coasters. For one, it's an absolutely stunning piece of architecture. How many theme park attractions, even Disney attractions, can you actually say that about? I get so excited just approaching the darn thing. I'm drawn to it as I walk through Tomorrowland. The anticipation builds and I know, as I get closer and closer that I'm in for something special.
The queue only reinforces that feeling. I really feel like I've stepped onto the starship Enterprise or something else from a classic piece of science fiction. It's not the fastest or craziest coaster by a long shot, but it doesn't need to be. The darkness, the sound effects, and the atmosphere really do make me feel like I've blasted off on some sort of otherworldly adventure.
1 – Splash Mountain
It may come as a surprise to many of you that this landed in my number one spot, but hear me out. To me, Splash Mountain is the ultimate Disney attraction. The combination of beloved characters from my childhood, classic Disney music, amazing attention to detail, and outright fun make this the top E ticket attraction in my book. It's a masterpiece of design.
Splash Mountain provides a serious laughing place for thrill seekers. Photo by J. Jeff Kober.
What always gets me is the length of the ride. It's long. It really takes a while to unfold, as any good story should. Once again, Disney took something that virtually every amusement park has, a flume ride, and turned it into a whole other fantastic experience; in my opinion, that's what makes it the current and reigning number one E ticket attraction at Walt Disney World. It's Disney at its best.
So, I think it's fair to say that Walt Disney World has come a long way over the years in regards to what are considered their top tier attractions. If you also consider that Big Thunder Mountain, Pirates of the Caribbean, Mission Space, Spaceship Earth, Soarin' Around the World, Toy Story Mania, and the Rock n Roller Coaster could all also be considered E ticket attractions, it's safe to say that this is one area where change at Disney has reaped extraordinary results. I'm not knocking them, because they have a special place in my Disney heart, but the tiki birds were once an E ticket attraction. They were the best that Disney had to offer and for their time, they were a pretty big sensation. However, as Walt Disney World has grown and the Imagineers have continued to punch further and further through the ceiling of creativity, the very notion of what is and what might not be an E ticket attraction has changed as well.
What do we have to look forward to next? Did a ride as advanced as Test Track push Haunted Mansion off the E ticket list? Hard to say. Will something from the Star Wars Experience or Pandora push the limits even further and make us rethink a list like this one? I hope so because then Walt's words of wisdom that the park “will never be completed as long as there is imagination left in the world” will continue to ring true for all of us and for generations to come.
