Since it had been 9 years since I’d been to Disney, there were a number of new rides I’d never gone on before, and some that had been refreshed. I took the time to go on almost all of them. (The Slinky Dog roller coaster was down when I had time to go, and when I had another opening, I had to decide between it and Rock n Rollercoaster for a second time. Having seen Slinky Dog in action, it was kind of a non-decision for me. I’ll take the high octane one. Slinky just looked like a glorified kid coaster.)
Here’s a rundown on all of the others:
Na’vi River Journey: Think Small World, but on an alien planet, and take out the ear worm song, and you’ve got this one down. It’s a boat ride in the dark with no drop. Cool effects, and it looks great, but ultimately . . . you’re still floating on a boat. I would never wait longer than 30 minutes for this ride, and now that I’ve been on it, likely not more than 15. I’m glad I went, but I’m good to go. 5/10
Flight of Passage: This one is a simulation ride on steroids. So take Soarin, add 3D glasses, and make it so it feels like you’re actually sitting on a flying dinosaur beast. Honestly, it was pretty incredibly. (Though as with all 3D glasses rides, it’s more problematic for you if you have glasses already, which I do.) I would happily go on this one multiple times in a trip, but the line was really long to go on again, and we only did Animal Kingdom one day. (It’s a very hard park to get to on Disney Transport, as well.) 8/10
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure: The replacement for Splash Mountain was . . . somewhat of a let down. I had a lot of nostalgia for Splash Mountain that just wasn’t there in the new one. It also didn’t do as good of a job of telling a story. I get that it was based on a problematic Disney film, but . . . yeah. Mixed feelings. Still pretty much the same ride, but with less charm for me. 7/10
TRON Lightcycle Run: A rollercoaster where you sit on top of a bike and ride face forward. It’s a blast, though it’s also quite short, which was a bummer. If you’re going to go on it, I definitely recommend riding in the very first car. Having nothing in front of you makes it feel that much more immersive. Loved that. (Tomas said it’s even better at night, as well.) 8/10
Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure: It’s a simulation ride, where you’re the size of a rat, running around after Remy in a kitchen. 3D glasses, and cute. Perpetually long lines. Not my favorite ride, all told, but fun enough. 6.5/10.
Runaway Railway: Take Remy, and now make it Mickey and Minnie, and you’ve got close to the same ride. This one was more charming, and I liked the effects a lot. I missed the Great Movie Ride, however. 7/10.
Smuggler’s Run: You’re in the Millennium Falcon, tasked with going on a . . . smuggling run. It’s a simulation ride, with six people per session. Each gets their own job (pilot, gunner, or engineer), and you spend the ride trying to do your best to get a high score. I loved this one, just based on the feel of being in the Falcon alone. It really felt like you were there. 9/10.
Rise of the Resistance: I expected this to be another simulator, but instead, it was an entire experience. Yes, there are simulated elements, as you’re supposedly rebel volunteers who end up getting captured by the First Order, but it’s totally immersive, as you move from scene to scene, first on foot and then on a ride. The less you know about it, the better, in my opinion. I highly enjoyed it. 8.5/10
Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind: I knew nothing about this ride going into it. It’s in the old Universe of Energy building, which I liked back in the day for the air conditioning. I assumed going into it that it would be along the same lines as Remy. After all: how much could you actually fit in the old Universe of Energy building? So we all got in our cars, put our lap bars on, and I settled in for some simulated fun. Then the car stopped in front of a big movie screen, and instead of moving forward, we rocketed backward at 60mph on a rollercoaster where the cars themselves can spin from side to side even as the whole train is shooting in a different direction. It’s all in the dark, ala Space Mountain, except a 1,000 times smoother, with one of 7 classic 80s songs blasting out for you ala Rock n Rollercoaster. It was an absolutely incredible ride, and easily my favorite roller coaster experience ever. I went on it three times. 10/10. Perfection.