Best Disney Style rides in non Disney Parks?

[EricMontreal22]

Slightly off topic, but I think it's relevant here...

What are some people's fave rides that they think are at least *almost* up to Disney standards in terms of theming, or audio animatronics or whatever else? I'm always disappointed by how loosely the term theme park is used now--to me Magic Mountain is an amusement Park--I don't see enough theme to give it more... That said some rides, particularly Universal's are definetly approaching Disney quality...

[Loomis]

I guess it depends on what you mean by 'Disney style'. In many cases, they have almost written the book on most ride styles, so we probably have free reign to discuss anything here.

The motion simulator is not one Disney uses a great deal - outside of something like Star Tours - but I think the Klingon Encounter at the Star Trek Experience in the Las Vegas Hilton has it beat. After walking into a standard ride load room, the lights go out and you hear a familiar hum. You then find yourself standing on the trasporter pads of the Enterprise-D. Led up the recreated corridors, to the authentic bridge, we are told of the mission via viewscreen before being taken into a turbolift and into the hanger.

THIS is where the ride proper begins. Into the motion simulator, a shuttlecraft battles its way through Klingon craft and back in time to Las Vegas where is crashes into the Hilton and delivers you back to where you started. There is even a janitor who arrives and says "How did you folk get down here?".

Klingon Encounter creates a whole world for you to inhabit before you hit the ride, and continues the story to explain how you return to your world. In this sense, it is very Disney-like. It maintains the illusion to the point that you could almost have had a space adventure without fully knowing it.

[brownie]

I would consider a "Disney" ride to be one that actually somewhat of a storyline to it. Universal Studios/Islands of Adventure has a lot of rides like that.

[EricMontreal22]

Right--that's basically what I meant about Disney--ie even if it's a rollercoaster, it's so well themed that it doesn't just look like a rollercoaster with maybe some loose Batman icons like at Magic Mountain (which is why I'm kinda disappointed in a few Disney rides like the Indiana coaster in Disneyland Paris--even though I'm sure it's fun)

I remember when I was 8 and first came back from Disneyland I became pretty obssessed with dark rides (out of all the rides that really grabbed me at 8--oddly it wasn't Pirates, the Haunted Mansion was actually a bit too creepy for me too, but I loved, LOVED the Fantasyland, simpler dark rides), and tracking them down at small amusement parks, etc--and I quickly realized how even those relatively simple rides were far more accomplished at Disney than at most parks.

I love reading about some of the failed attempts at Disney style parks--Pacific Ocean Pier in particular (which had a pirate dark ride nearly ten years before Pirates and had the infamously classic Banana Boat Train)--I wish there were more photos of thoase old rides--they sound like valiant attempts (and the park wqas a huge success, rivaling Disney for its first five years). E Ticket has covered some.

Or there are the three parks designed by that guy who helped design Disneyland but then was sorta dumped from Disney's history books because of many reasons--Cornelius Wood
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cornelius_Vanderbilt_Wood) his most famous being the Bronx's Freedomland which only lasted a few years. his thre parks were known as being lesser Disney parks. but some of the dark ride concepts are interesting--a recreation of the San Fransciso earthquake (which ran till the late 90s at Kennywood where it was moved I believe)--ANOTHER pirate dark ride (which makes me realize that pirate dark rides were not a Disney original idea but very common) and a twister/cyclone ride that ran for years at another park and is maybe being refurbished (there's a website devoted to pictures from it--it's pretty cheap looking but...)

So yah--I mean rides like that. While I think Knott's is no Disney I have to admit I still appreciate their old themed rides--namely the Calico Mine Ride and the Log Ride even if they are VERY rough technology wise they still get that really fun feeling from

Obviously Disney's huge rival is Universal at least ever since the late 80s when they really went all for immersive Disney style rides. I still really miss the ET Ride (and hope it stays open in Florida and Japan) and can't believe they closed it--I thought it was wonderful (though I heard they let it get into disrepair a bit). Jurassic Park is wonderful, I think Spiderman, Dudley Do Right's Log Flume, even Cat in the Hat at Islands of Adventure likewise look like rides I'd love to try. Of course that Disney magic is missing but they're pretty valient attempts and I can't think of any comparable parks (for about 8 years Las Vegas had MGM Grand Adventure which was a huge flop of a park where they tried similar rides--a boat ride thru a temple with monsters in the water, etc, but apparantly they all seemed a bit cheap from reading reviews of the time).

Otherwise I can think of a few rides that, from what I've read, are pretty amazing but they're more rarities in parks filled with the more standard carnival flat rides and odd rollercoaster.

Europe and Asia seem to still appreciate dark rides more than N America-- Holland's famed Efteling (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Efteling) in particular apparnatly has some wonderful Disney style rides (when EuroDisney7 opened they even actually asked them for some advice about the European market)--would love to ride their themed myth coaster or the fairy flying ride

[Fidget1234]

Spiderman @ IOA is by far my fav attraction off Disney property.
Not too many others I'm too impressed with for "disneyish standards".
I like Journey to Atlantis @ Seaworld too, but it seems like I get kinda lost during it. Does the fish you take along with you tick off the Atlanteans when it's jumping around so they drop u, or what?

[EricMontreal22]

Yeah one prob with many attempts at Disney style rides by other parks is lack of coherent storyline. For a long time Universal's often impressive rides still had the basic story (and to be fair Disney has used this too) "Leisurely tour--oh no something's gone wrong!" (think Jurassic, Jaws, Earthquake, Kong, Mummy to an extent, etc)

One park that makes their own rides and many consider Disney worth is De Efteling (http://english.rides.nl/parken/attracties/5 for ride videos and pics) and some fo the rides look great. I think Fata Morgana is often called the best Pirates of the Carribean tyle ride outside Disney

[QueenRahel]

have to agree...spiderman at universals IOA is best off property attraction with a storyline like most disney rides...MIB at universal is also i think a better laser shooting ride than the buzz lightyear ride not that i like to say universal is EVER better than disney...i used to work in both universal parks and it sucked...would love to work at disney i wish i could be the tinkerbell that flies down the cable before the fireworks at cinderellas castle

[brownie]

Spiderman @ IOA is by far my fav attraction off Disney property.

I agree. I don't remember it very well, but it was a lot of fun.

[DisneyFanatic]

My favorite was E.T. at Universal in California. You rode on a bike with about 4-5 other people. You would go through the forest and E.T.'s home planet. It really reminded me of Disney's style. Of course it closed!!!! Now it is the Mummy ride which is good but not the super fun awesome E.T.

[QueenRahel]

here in orlando we still have the ET ride and we took out king kong for the mummy! i still miss king kong though!

[Prince Charming 12]

I would agree that the term "Theme Park" is being misused now-a-days or the defination has "soften" over the past ten years(take your pick).When a place like Great Adventure starts using it, I think you can consider it diluted.

These other parks just lack the astomphere that Disney presents each and every day so well. From the characters to the intricate design of structures, with an attention to detail that just cannot be rivaled. The continued use of and development of new technology is unparalleled. I guess the old saying, "often imitated, but never duplicated" was coined for Disney! Like Walt said, "welcome to all who visit this happy place".

Univeral Florida has some rides that are neat like: The Mummy, Spider-man, maybe the Shrek virtural reality ride, Dueling Dragons coasters etc., but I don't find visiting there as fulfilling.

[Flanger-Hanger]

Cat in the Hat, Ultimate Adventures of Spider-Man and Dudley Do-right's Ripsaw Falls at Islands of Adventure

Back to the Future at Universal Studios

Spongebob Squarepants 3D at Canada's Wonderland (it's funny!)

[QueenRahel]

as far as i know back to the future is going to be changed into a simpsons ride....probably the same concept with a different movie....but i am not really sure....