Coasters have been a part of the Disney Park experience ever since the Matterhorn Bobsleds opened at Disneyland, and they are now a part of every Disney Park in the world except Epcot (for now). But not all coasters are created equal. Here is a ranking of all the roller coasters currently operating at Disneyland Resort ranked from worst to best. This is just my personal opinion so your mileage may vary.
Goofy's Sky School
This is the only coaster on this list that can be definitively descirbed as just bad. It is an off the shelf ride, lightly themed after a classic Goofy short. This ride can be found at numerous parks around the country, and it isn't even that good, with sharp turns and painful breaks making for a very uncomftorble ride.
Gadget's Go Coaster
This ride is great for what it is. It is a lightly themed children's coaster based on the classic Chip and Dale Rescue Rangers TV series. But when surrounded by all the coasters later on this list it just doesn't measure up, not having the expansive themeing of something like Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, or the thrills of Incredicoaster. It is a short off the shelf ride that is great as an intromductary coaster for young children, but that's about it.
Matterhorn Bobsleds
This coaster should be higher on this list. The two different tracks, the theme, the history, Harold. It holds untouchable status in Disneyland for a reason. The problem is that with age it has become nearly unrideable. The track is among the first steel roller coasters ever built and is showing its age. It bangs you around so much you can barely enjoy the animatronics or show scenes as you zip past them on your journey down the mountains. The pain inflicted simply takes away a lot of the enjoyment that should come from this attraction.
Incredicoaster
This ride, theme aside, remains just as thrilling as California Screamin'. The launch and inversion make this undeniable the most thrilling ride at the resort. Yet the recent retheme ends up making the ride feel half done. There are no animatronics, the show scenes aren’t lit well except at night, and there is a unforgivable lack of Frozone! Its still a great coaster and the Incredibles retheme works in theory, but it's just missing some of that classic Disney magic.
It is much better at night though.
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
This ride has everything a Disney roller coaster should. A basic story, a ride experiencing thats thrilling enough while still being accessible to families, and tributes to what came before it. This ride takes you back into Rainbow Ridge from Mine Train Through Natures Wonderland, but this time the trains have been possesed by ghosts of the gold mine, sending you off on the wildest ride in the wilderness. This ride is a Frontierland stapel as it should be.
Space Mountain
This ride is the best coaster at Disneyland. Since its retracking in 2005 it has been the perfect mix of theme and thrill. In its simple darkness it transports you to space with its great sountrack and upgraded effects. The darkness makes the coaster a unique experience that improves the coaster beyond its track layout. Seasonal overlays like Ghost Galaxy and Hyperspace Mountain put great temporary spins on this classic without betraying its original theme. This ride really jumpstarted the growth of the Disneyland mountain range and constantly has the highest wait times in the park (besides Galaxy's Edge of course) despite being over 40 years old.
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