Splash Mountain

Make sure you don't go to Disneyland with someone who won't ride the water attractions. On Splash Mountain, you're unlikely to get that wet. Naturally, Splash Mountain is based on problematic source material—the animated segments of Song of the South—and the characters created by Joel Chandler Harris propagate unfortunate stereotypes, as one might anticipate from a 19th-century white southerner's interpretation of African mythology.

But the rollercoaster continues to be a gem of theme park architecture. It's a long dark ride with fantastic animatronics and music that is broken up by a truly terrifying 50-foot drop. But Splash Mountain shows how effective real-world scenery and realistic effects can be, so it's a shame.

Bonus points go to Disneyland's version for a particular scene that occurs just before the ascent towards the final big drop; unlike the Orlando and Tokyo versions, Disneyland's includes a spooky, touching scene of worried mothers, an opossum and a rabbit, singing a sad song of warning to their trembling babies. Splash Mountain is a lengthy, fun, exhilarating bundle that encapsulates everything that makes a theme park ride fantastic.

Drop: 52.5 ft (16.0 m)
Speed: 45 mph (72 km/h)

Height restriction: 40 in (102 cm)

Length: 2640 feet