What ride makes WDW special to you?

[barbiegirl314]

Out of the four WDW parks what ride makes you truly feel that special Disney feeling? You know the one ride that just makes your trip complete.

For me that ride is "Small World". I know that to a lot of people (for example DH and DS 13) it's just a "boat ride", but for me it's a classic MK ride. It was closed for refurbishment one year that we were there and I came home from my trip feeling that my visit was incomplete. It's the first ride I go on in the MK when our vacation starts and the last one before it ends.

Every time I go on I remember the awe I felt of seeing all those beautiful dolls for the first time when I was a little girl and my grandmother took me on.:cloud9:

[PrincessTeresa]

Out of the four WDW parks what ride makes you truly feel that special Disney feeling? You know the one ride that just makes your trip complete.

For me that ride is "Small World". I know that to a lot of people (for example DH and DS 13) it's just a "boat ride", but for me it's a classic MK ride. It was closed for refurbishment one year that we were there and I came home from my trip feeling that my visit was incomplete. It's the first ride I go on in the MK when our vacation starts and the last one before it ends.

Every time I go on I remember the awe I felt of seeing all those beautiful dolls for the first time when I was a little girl and my grandmother took me on.:cloud9:

Mine is Small World as well! Growing up, my parents took me to WDW every year. I remember when it was just the MK and Epcot!! The last time we went it was 1996 ~ then my husband and I surprised my daughter with a trip in 2007! It had been 11 years since I was there last, but Small World still smelt the same! It was wonderful!!!! We're leaving tomorrow morning for a week in the world and I can't wait to ride it again!!!

[jenny1976]

For Dh It Is Peter Pan And Philharmagic. For Me, It's Gotta Be Soarin', It Makes Me Feel Like I Can Fly!!!!!!!!!!

[ali'sdad2003]

I am going to have to go with POTC and the Great Movie Ride. I am not sure why the Great Movie Ride. I just really like it and I could not imagine going to Disney and not going on it. :mickey:

21 Days to Go!!!

[wishiniwasthere]

For the true Disney feel, definitely Small World. Also, I would have to throw in Pirates.

[SBETigg]

Mine is Pirates of the Caribbean. It was one of my favorites from my first trip, then it was one that impressed my husband when we took our Disney honeymoon, and it has been a special ride for us ever since then. It's usually our first and last ride, and we ride it several times more each trip.

[Loweschevy]

Mine is also POTC. I can remember it back from being a little kid. My brother and would sing "yo ho yo ho, a pirate's life for me!"

[Ms. Mode]

Space Mountain :thumbsup:

[goofygirl64]

It is definitely Pirates and Haunted Mansion for me. I distinctly remember HM from my very first visit in 1973 when I was in the 3rd grade. I have loved MK from that moment on!:balloon:

[NJGIRL]

It's a toss up for me. It's the Haunted Mansion & Pirates of the Caribbean. They make WDW special to me.... but they are not my favorite rides:confused:

[offero]

Mine would have to be small world as well.

My first trip to any park was to DL when I was five with my Grandfather and I still remember seeing the big clock with him for the first time. So whether at WDW or DL it still remains its a small world.

[Running_Bell]

Hands down.... Peter Pan's Flight. When my DD was 5 (her first time to WDW) she was so taken with that ride..we rode it 17 times in one day... thank heavens for FPs. I almost cry everytime I ride it now.

[indytraveler]

tough choice to pick 1 but I'll try... Peter Pan.
close seconds were POTC, iasw, Snow White

[Kerry823]

It used to be Spaceship Earth, the Jeremy Irons version. No longer, I would now say it is probably Pirates of the Caribbean.

[redlegwife96]

Haunted Mansion is the ride that completes my Disney vacation. It was the last trip we took with my grandmother, and it was one of her favorites. To experience it with my children brings back good memories.
:mickey:

[VolMickey]

TTA all the way.:number1:

[MississippiDisneyFreak]

Haunted Mansion for me:)

[joonyer]

Wow, It's hard to choose just one. I'd probably say Spl;ash Mountain, since it is our favorite, for many reasons, It's dark ride and thrill ride, with great songs, all in one ride. But I love the "Disney" feel I get from Philharmagic, too.

Overall though, the attraction that makes WDW the most special to me isn't a ride at all. It's "Wishes", the MK fireworks show. If all I could do was walk around the park, but still watch Wishes, I'd still leave full of that Disney "magic" feeling.

[DizNee143]

id have to do with TTA..i love that ride..and just always feel complete when i finally get to ride it..i could stay on there all day and be a very happy person!! lol :mickey:

[Buddy08]

Wow. A definite toss up between Haunted Mansion and Great Movie Ride. I love Haunted Mansion but since GMR was mentioned that definitely makes me think WDW.

[CAS]

It used to be Spaceship Earth (Walter Cronkite edition) and World of Motion, but now I'd have to say Haunted Mansion or Pirates.

[Bean Bunny]

For me, it's Peter Pan's Flight. I love listening to "You Can Fly" as you sway over the city. It was also my son's favorite ride on his first trip last year which helps make it that much more special for us. It is always our very first ride when we get to Magic Kingdom - it doesn't feel right doing anything else first!

[stitchaholic]

space mountain

[Disney4us2]

I have several for different reasons:)

The first are Country Bear Jamboree, TTA (aka People Mover from DLR),and Carousel of Progress, because they are no longer at Disneyland.

The seconds are Philharmagic, Test Track and everything else that Disneyland does not have. Those are really the ones that make the trip to WDW special.:mickey:

[johnO]

There is so much that makes WDW great, I can't honestly say ONE experience makes it great or not so great. To me WDW is a mixture of great experiences, places, sights, smells that add up to a great trip. Over the years my collective memories of WDW add to my experience everytime I go. It becomes more sentimental and nostalgic everytime. My list would be long and not limited to rides.....

[prprincess]

Mine is the Haunted Mansion. When I was a kid I was horrified to go on it, and my aunt begged me and told me that it wasn't scary, but funny. I rode with her but hid my face in my Mickey ears the entire time. At the end I was terrified when I heard that one of the ghosts was going to come home with me, but my aunt just laughed hysterically and kept moving my hat away from my face because she wanted me to see.

Years later when I rode as a teenager I finally did get to see that it was fun and not scary, and it really brought back good memories of that time with my aunt.

[goofball]

I am going with the flow here and I have to say Haunted Mansion and Pirates. They are classic Disney to me and by far my favorites.:mickey:

[Tigerinvestigator]

Like many others, mine is POTC. Some of my earliest memories involve this ride and everytime I get near it those memories come flooding back. I know that I am at WDW when I hear those cannons, and hear the music. POTC also has a smell that makes it special as well. Kinda musty but still pleasant (where else could musty be pleasant).:thumbsup:

[Mushu11756]

Mine has to be POTC! I feel like a kid again when ever I'm on it!:mickey:

[TikiLounger]

For me...Haunted Mansion, Pirates and Thunder Mountain. Also...just walking though Frontierland at night...with the lanterns flickering...but...I know that's not a ride. Feels SO Disney, though.

[magicofdisney]

TTA all the way.:number1:
I'll second that :thumbsup:

plus

Carousel of Progress

and at Epcot it's Spaceship Earth

[mousetrapper]

For me, it's the rides that remind me of what I knew of Disney when I was little (during the late 60s and early 70s). Our family never went to Disneyland or WDW - wasn't even in the realm of possibilities for us. I guess it just wasn't something my parents ever considered doing for some reason. (Maybe because we were a big family of five kids! :D)

But we did always watch the Wonderful World of Disney - I think on ABC every Sunday? I remember the opening with that great music, and Tinkerbell and the fireworks over the Castle, and then the show itself.

The shows that stand out for me in my memory were the ones with Walt Disney himself hosting. Here's what I remember (although my memory may be sketchy - if someone else remembers this, please confirm!): I recall that they had a special tour of Disneyland and they filmed inside the rides, including POTC and the Haunted Mansion. I was amazed by the animatronics and the realistic ways they portrayed everything, as well as the dancing ghosts!

Even though we never went to Disneyland or WDW, watching that show made me feel as if I had ridden those rides. It is absolutely magical to me when I get to ride them for real now.

So, they will always be the most "Disney" to me. :mickey:

[SandmanGStefani24]

Spaceship Earth is the one for me. It has always been one of my fav rides, but the more I ride it, the more special it becomes. I ride it on the last day of my trips, and each time I ride it I feel like that same 15 year old kid that rode it on my 2nd trip. I travel through time, and each time it feels new and different to me. I feel that way about most WDW attractions, but this one takes the cake.

[Giggy]

It isn't so much one particular ride but the atmosphere of Mickey's Toontown Fair and Tomorrowland. The former may seem a slightly strange one for me to pick but we always start here so with the beginning of my vacation I've come to associate this with having an energy of excitement and anticipation of my time at WDW. Finishing the area with a ride on Goofy's Barnstormer to warm me up for the rest of the roller coasters. In that sense I'll find it a little sad if Toontown does in fact disappear due to the renovations 'leaked' recently. Tomorrowland has similar reasons as this is where we head to next and though I wouldn't say I'm a major sci-fi enthusiast I have always found futuristic spacey themes cool and exciting. Thethings such as being able to hear the TTA annoucements overhead ( "AND BELIEVE IN THE PROMISE OF TOMORROW") all over adds to this. If I was going by this excitement then if I were to pick a particular ride it would be Walt Disney World Railroad as this is what we go on first. The scenery, the narration and the announcements echoing through Mainstreet strike home that I'm there.

If I were about rides that feel very Disney (for lack of a better description) to me then I'll start with Splash Mountain, my all time favourite ride which has near enough everything good to it that I associate with Disney. Disney has a knack for making a roller coaster or a thrill ride more than just a roller coaster or a thrill ride. In the same way I think Big Thunder Mountain, Space Mountain and Tower of Terror definitely also deserve a mention.

In terms of rides that aren't thrill rides that have the same Disney-effectof everything being made just right to make each ride feel like a real experience. Following on from what i said about the theming of Tomorrowlan I'm gonig to first mention Carousel of Progress and Tomorrowland Transit Authoirty. Elsewhere I'm going to mention Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Carribean, Spaceship Earth, Kilomanjaro Safari.

I'm gonig to stop now or at this rate I will end up mentioning every ride at WDW! :blush:

[doombuggygal]

For me it's Haunted Mansion. Some of my very earliest childhood memories include some of the scenes from HM including Madame Leota and the hitch hiking ghosts. I think that HM is probably the best example of a total immersion experience in all of WDW.

[Lightning McQueen]

I have to go with Splash Mountain. :mickey:

Honorable Mention:

Space Mountain
TTA
Spaceship Easrth
Tower of Terror

[Kathy Jetson]

I can't pick just one. I love almost every ride there!:cloud9:

[cather74]

That's a toughy. When I was little I loved Mr. Toad's Wild Ride at Mk and my family loved Horizons At Epcot. Sad to say they are both gone.

Now it would have to be Splash Mountain. I love when you first get in the boat and you go outside the Mt and see all the little houses and here the music. Then when you turn the corner...there is the castle! Love it! That's always my first ride.

Space MT was closed last time and that is always our ride we do the most. Definitely missed it!:magic::coaster:

[Jim&AngieMarriner]

Must say that it used to be both Haunted Mansion and POTC since they are my favorite rides. But on our last trip I had such a Magical time on Dumbo that it is forever special to us. It was our last day in the World and we were waiting for ther last showing of Wishes when my DSD(then 8) wanted to ride Dumbo. No one else wanted to wait in line for it, and believe me the line was huge. We get in line and just before we board the ride, the fireworks start. I felt like I was in a commercial for WDW. We rode Dumbo while the fireworks were going off and it was SOOO awesome. That was totally worth the 45 min line. :mickey::mickey::mickey:

[markatdisney]

This may not be what most would call an "attraction" but it is the monorail for me. It is always soooo exciting to board the monorail for that first trip to the Magic Kingdom.

[Darbylew]

I have 2 favorites in each park...
MK - POTC and HM
Epcot - Soarin - Maelstrom
DHS - Great Movie Ride and Toy story Mania
AK - Kilimanjaro safaris and Dinosaur
FIRST TRIP 1972 :mickey:
LAST TRIP MARCH 2009 :thumbsup:
NEXT TRIP NOVEMBER 2009 :D
IN THE WORKS MAY 2010 :)
AND MANY TRIPS IN BETWEEN

[bruin1344]

1. Splash Mountain

close seconds
POTC, Spaceship Earth

[AdventurerKim]

1. Haunted Mansion
2. Dumbo
3. Tomorrowland Raceway

[kemps@wdw]

:pirate:

[markatdisney]

I love "It's A Small World" but I think "Splash Mountain" edges it out by a fraction.

[Trev&Ev Mom]

Rock n'Roller Coaster....nothing beats flying through the pink icing donut listening to Aerosmith!!

It also brings a smile to my face at home whenever I hear "Dude Looks Like a Lady" :cloud9:

[Lakin]

Probably either Splash Mountain or Soarin'. I know that Soarin's a weird choice, considering it's in EPCOT and normally the staple attractions that scream 'Disney World!' to people are in MK, but something about the theming of Soarin' screams Disney to me. Maybe it has to do with the fact that I like flying and the only time I ever really get to fly is when my family goes to Disney World.

[Septbride2002]

I didn't like It's A Small World until our first trip with my daughter. At the time she was 18 months and thus far nothing at Disney had really grabbed her attention. But when we went on Small World she was completely focused. The entire ride she kept signing the word "more" and when it was over she looked at us and said "PLEASE!" Like Please can we go again. Which of course we did. Now I have to go on Small World because it takes me back to when my now sassy 5 yeard old daughter was just a babe in my arms.

~Amanda

[Zawadi]

ToT, Soarin' and the TTC to MK ferry.

That first sight, back in 1998, of the castle coming into view on our very first day in WDW opened our eyes to the magic.

[sneezyone]

For my husband, it's Peter Pan. My husband is very stoic so serious, he never watched any cartoons as a child and never saw any of the Disney movies before me (SHOCKING) So when we went on Peter Pan and we swung out over the london cityscape to see his face light up in wonderment was amazing.

For me, I love Haunted Mansion. It's just the end-all-be-all for me. Since we got annual passes there are times where we'll drive over for dinner and the only ride I ride is HM.

had it not changed, I would have said the Journey into Imagination. I loved the room with all the paper animals and the applause meter...

[Dickson Thunder]

I would have to say Splash Mountain. It is my daughter's favorite ride and once she discovered she was brave enough to ride it, the other big rides soon followed. My wife and I like it as well.

:cool:

[wdwfansince75]

Only mentioned once...the Monorail! POTC is a close second, but I have so many special memories of getting on the monorail for our first visit to MK.

[WDWCrazyKaren]

Mine is Spaceship Earth. Epcot is always our first park and SE is always our first ride. Standing in line (well, usually no lines to be had there-but you know what I mean) that first ride of the trip, makes me realize that I have my entire vacation in front of me. It's when I can finally breathe deep, and feel the tension of real life leave me, if only for a week.

[Auroring Good Time]

Monorail all the way. It's not Disney without a ride on the monorail.

[twinboyz]

I would have to say BTMR at MK. Love it!!!!!!:mickey:

[barnaby]

There are quite a few to chose from for me. Attractions that you cannot experience anywhere else like POTC, Space Mtn, Splash Mtn, Spaceship Earth, TOT.

But for me the attraction we go on the most and makes WDW special is the Haunted Mansion.

[TinkerbellFan16]

For me, no trip is complete without Tomrrowland Transit Authority/ People Mover. It is just such a staple for my family. Unfortunately we have had quite a few problems (getting stuck for 45 minutes, getting stuck and having to evac in Space Mountain, and most recently a bumber cars version of the ride) but I really hope it never goes away. The bird's eye view of all the excited kids and families just makes me smile. :mickey:

[mom2morgan]

Definitely Splash mountain for us! It was the one we always saw on TV ads and such (LOL - I still vividly remember first seeing a picture of Lady Diana and the Princes on it!) and it was the first ride we ever rode when we got there :-)

[c&d]

Dumbo. When DS was about 3 he went on it with DH and as he came down the ramp he looked at me and said "This is the best day ever, now on to the next ride." I'm so lucky to have captured that on the video camera.

[jwallace378]

Pirates of the Caribbean. It was the first ride my parents ever took me on and it was my father's favorite. It was always the 1st ride we went on when we got to the park. Now, I take my own son on PotC as our 1st ride. What makes it even more special is that it was one of my dad's last rides he went on. He passed away in 2009 after getting sick in WDW (he had been sick for a few years) :( But I know he passed away peacefully after visiting the Happiest Place on Earth:) PotC will always have a special place in my heart

[goofy-4-disney]

For me, the ones that really make me think about WDW are Splash Mountain and Spaceship Earth. Both of those are always rides that I have to ride multiple times each trip.

[BWayGrl]

It used to be Spaceship Earth (Jeremy Irons version), but now it's POTC. It's a classic and I just have really good memories of riding it with my family. Even remembering waiting in line with my brother brings back good Disney feelings :mickey:

[ANG]

The Haunted Mansion. I smile the entire ride, every time

[KatrinaJ91]

There is so much that makes WDW great, I can't honestly say ONE experience makes it great or not so great. To me WDW is a mixture of great experiences, places, sights, smells that add up to a great trip. Over the years my collective memories of WDW add to my experience everytime I go. It becomes more sentimental and nostalgic everytime. My list would be long and not limited to rides.....

THIS is the perfect answer....just what I was thinking! There are so many special memories attached to so many different rides and experiences that I couldn't pick just one!! The things that make WDW special has changed through the years...from the time that I was 10 years old on my first trip to my last trip over Christmas this year. There are so many special memories for many different reasons....Disney is just a magical place! It's all special! :blush:

[LudwigVonDrake]

Haunted Mansion.

[ronandjulie]

For me....Pirates! My absolute FAV ride in all of the world! It just screams Disney!