Let’s Go to All the Disney Parks in the World!
Okay, we’ve already taken virtual tours of EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Magic Kingdom. We’re halfway done with Disney’s North American theme parks. However, before we finish them, let’s do something different. Let’s all go to Disney parks around the world! Don’t worry! You won’t need your passport for this trip. We can teleport wherever we want.
Hong Kong in the Morning
Yes, Disney theme parks around the world feature some of the same attractions. Still, a lot of variation exists from park to park. We’re going to hit the highlights today. You’ll want to click all of these videos because some of these rides will blow your mind.
Let’s start at Hong Kong Disneyland, where some familiar names will surprise you. For example, this park’s version of Toy Story Land includes several rides you’ve probably never seen before. Here’s RC Racer:
And here’s Toy Story Parachute Drop:
Finally, you may think that you know all about Slinky Dog rides, but you’re wrong. This park hosts Slinky Dog Spin:
Doesn’t that look strange? It’s not the only ride that’s different, either. Let me introduce to the shininess of Hyperspace Mountain:
And here’s the variant on Buzz Lightyear, only it goes by a much different name. This is Ant-Man and the Wasp: Nano Battle!
Hong Kong Disneyland also operates another Avengers ride that I hope we get in the United States. It’s Iron Man Experience:
Spectacular, right? You’ll also find two other variant concepts of beloved Disney attractions here. One of them is a roller coaster called Big Grizzly Mountain Runaway Mine Cars that should look somewhat familiar:
Then, there’s the Hong Kong Disneyland attraction that’s so great that it justifies a trip in and of itself. Here’s Mystic Manor:
On to Shanghai!
Shanghai, China, is actually almost 800 miles away from Hong Kong. However, we’re going to blink our eyes and teleport to Disney’s newest theme park. I strongly encourage everyone to watch vlogs of full days at this place, as it’s sublime. For now, we’re only going to pick five attractions to highlight, though.
For starters, here is the roller coaster that Magic Kingdom will add in 2021:
TRON Lightcycle Power Run is visually stunning, isn’t it? Then, there’s this boat ride, Roaring Rapids, a river rapids experience with a remarkable Audio-Animatronic.
Scary, huh? Meanwhile, Stitch fans will adore the Stitch Experience at Shanghai Disneyland:
I’m an ardent proponent of replacing Stitch’s Great Escape! at Magic Kingdom with this attraction. Similarly, Disney fans will adore this water ride, Voyage to the Crystal Grotto:
That’s like Disney’s greatest hits, isn’t it? Still, one attraction towers above the rest at Shanghai Disneyland. I’m speaking of one of the most popular new rides on the planet, Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle for the Sunken Treasure. This video will drop your jaw to the floor:
You understand why it receives so much hype now, don’t you?
Off to Paris!
Since we don’t need to worry about travel times, let’s depart from Asia for now and stop in one of the most romantic cities on the planet, Paris. Well, technically, Disneyland Paris is outside the city in Marne-la-Vallée. Still, it’s close enough that vacationers combine the sights of Paris with a Disney vacation.
This park features one signature attraction that EPCOT will soon duplicate. However, it still hosts several others worthy of trying.
For starters, there’s a terrific themed roller coaster called Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril. Despite the similar names, it has little in common with Indiana Jones Adventure at Disneyland. You can compare them here:
Disneyland Paris Imagineers are also incredibly proud of this park’s version of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, as shown in The Imagineering Story. It’s loooong.
This park has also hosted some outstanding versions of Space Mountain. Here’s the Star Wars overlay:
If you’d prefer, I can show video of Space Mountain: Mission 2:
And here’s some 20th-anniversary celebration footage:
Speaking of celebrations, Disneyland Paris recently re-opened Phantom Manor, this park’s version of Haunted Mansion. Here’s the before:
And here’s the brand-spanking-new one:
Finally, here’s the one ride that you don’t want to miss at EPCOT this summer. It’s Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure:
I cannot WAIT to ride this once it opens at the France pavilion.
Tokyo at Last!
Theme park critics around the world share a surprising consensus on one topic. They universally agree that Tokyo Disneyland and its sister park, Tokyo DisneySea, are destination locations for Disney fans.
Both places are incredible. Honestly, I could have done a full batch of ride videos from these two parks alone. However, I’ve limited our final park to six must-do attractions. Let’s start with the show.
Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room is a beloved classic in America. In Tokyo, it’s the basis for a variant presentation starring Stitch. Here’s The Enchanted Tiki Room: Stitch Presents Aloha e Komo Mai!:
Why do international Stitch attractions seem so much more entertaining than Stitch’s Great Escape!? Another child-friendly ride that this park does better than an American counterpart is Monsters, Inc. Ride & Go Seek:
Kids also love Aquatopia, a clever aquatic take on a Disneyland classic, Autopia:
If it looks familiar, it shares some design similarities with Luigi’s Flying Tires, which Disney California Adventure closed because it was a maintenance nightmare. Here’s a reminder about it:
You’ll also discover a fascinating take on Tower of Terror here:
And that leads us to the two Tokyo Disneyland Resort attractions that are the best of the bunch. Pooh’s Hunny Hunt became the first trackless ride in the world when it opened in 2000. It remains brilliant today:
Finally, the park features a modified take on Radiator Springs Racers and Test Track that will blow your mind. Here’s Journey to the Center of the Earth:
Wasn’t that impressive? As you can see, Disney operates a lot of remarkable attractions around the world. The sun never sets on its theme park empire, yet we just covered all its international resorts without leaving home! Virtual park visits are a fantastic way to pass the time, aren’t they?