Which Disney Rides Honor the Spirit of the Story?
Not every Disney story receives a theme park attraction.
Sometimes, Imagineers take a long time or miss their window.
![Treasure Planet](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Treasure-Planet.jpg)
![Treasure Planet](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Treasure-Planet.jpg)
Photo: Disney
For instance, Treasure Planet rumors abounded in the time around the film’s release, but you never hear them now.
We didn’t gain a true Beauty and the Beast ride for 29 years, and Tangled needed 14 years.
![question mark](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/f2d54c8b-601c-41ec-8db1-6c2aa1dfd9a9.jpg)
![question mark](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/f2d54c8b-601c-41ec-8db1-6c2aa1dfd9a9.jpg)
Photo: Playbuzz.com
Disney takes its time to get everything right. That objective evaluation of the parks raises a question.
Which Disney rides honor the spirit of the story the most?
Avatar Flight of Passage
![Avatar Way of Water Ilm](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Screenshot-2023-01-23-at-10-22-08-The-Avatar-Ride-At-Walt-Disney-World-Had-An-Avatar-2-Easter-Egg-The-Whole-Time-_Film.png)
![Avatar Way of Water Ilm](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Screenshot-2023-01-23-at-10-22-08-The-Avatar-Ride-At-Walt-Disney-World-Had-An-Avatar-2-Easter-Egg-The-Whole-Time-_Film.png)
An Ilm can be spotted on Avatar: Flight of Passage
I toyed with whether this one belonged because Avatar wasn’t technically a Disney release.
By taking such a narrow approach, I would have excluded Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, all Star Wars content, and even park-exclusive stories.
![Flight of passage](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/images.jpeg)
![Flight of passage](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/images.jpeg)
Photo: Facebook/Imagineer Podcast
So, I decided not to limit my options, which made Avatar itself a tough call.
One of the attractions at Pandora – The World of Avatar belongs, but there’s a debate about which one better honors the story.
![Banshee](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/flight-of-passage008.jpg)
![Banshee](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/flight-of-passage008.jpg)
Photo: World of Walt
Imagineers worked closely with James Cameron, who created Avatar when he was still in high school.
Cameron spent a lifetime envisioning Pandora and had strong ideas regarding its appearance.
![Na'vi River](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Navi-River-AK.jpg)
![Na'vi River](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Navi-River-AK.jpg)
Photo: TouringPlans.com
Disney honored those by creating a forest stream for Na’vi River Journey that feels straight from the film.
However, Avatar Flight of Passage includes CGI footage of Pandora itself, and that realism differentiates itself.
![Flight of Passage](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Flight-of-Passage-ride.jpg)
![Flight of Passage](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Flight-of-Passage-ride.jpg)
Flight of Passage
You honestly believe you are living out the same general story as Jake Sully in the first film. It’s hypnotic.
Frozen Ever After
![Frozen Ever After](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Frozen-Ever-After.jpg)
![Frozen Ever After](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Frozen-Ever-After.jpg)
Photo: Disney
Sometimes, Disney doesn’t retell the story itself as much as it creates a “greatest hits” version of the premise.
That’s the case with Frozen Ever After, which occurs on Summer Snow Day.
![Disney Genie pricing](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Frozen-Ever-After-Disney-World.jpg)
![Disney Genie pricing](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Frozen-Ever-After-Disney-World.jpg)
Photo: Disney
By this point, Anna & Elsa have already earned their happily ever after from the first film.
So, a recounting of those events unfolds, and it’s somehow perfect.
![Frozen Ever After](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Elsa-Frozen-Ever-After.jpg)
![Frozen Ever After](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Elsa-Frozen-Ever-After.jpg)
Photo: Disney
Disney encapsulates all the reasons we love each character in Frozen, including Sven, who shouldn’t have licked the ice.
Most importantly, this attraction emphasizes the brilliance of “Let It Go,” building a significant part of the attraction around that moment.
![Frozen](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/frozen-ever-after-norway-epcot-walt-disney-world-005.jpg)
![Frozen](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/frozen-ever-after-norway-epcot-walt-disney-world-005.jpg)
Photo: Disney
This ride feels like a trip to Arendelle and a check-in with Anna & Elsa.
Peter Pan’s Flight
![Peter Pan](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Peter-Pan.jpeg)
![Peter Pan](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Peter-Pan.jpeg)
Photo: Disney
You fly away from London into the skies above. Then, you soar like you can fly until you arrive at your destination.
You’ve reached Neverland, and you will witness all the sights.
![Peter Pan's Flight](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/peter-pan-flight-00.webp)
![Peter Pan's Flight](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/peter-pan-flight-00.webp)
Photo: Disney
At various points, the Darling children will run into trouble.
Pirates are a thing in Neverland, and this Captain Hook gentleman is problematic.
![Peter Pan's Flight WDW](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/peter-pans-flight-gallery03.webp)
![Peter Pan's Flight WDW](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/peter-pans-flight-gallery03.webp)
Photo: Disney
Thankfully, the nefarious pirate receives his comeuppance after a regrettable reptilian encounter. So, you fly away safely.
The joy of Peter Pan’s Flight is that it somehow distills the brilliance of J.M. Barrie stories into a brief three-minute ride.
Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure
![Ratatouille](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/2021-11-02-20_29_58-Enter-the-Disney-Remys-Ratatouille-Adventure-Sweepstakes-for-the-Chance-to-Win-.png)
![Ratatouille](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/2021-11-02-20_29_58-Enter-the-Disney-Remys-Ratatouille-Adventure-Sweepstakes-for-the-Chance-to-Win-.png)
Photo: Disney
One of my favorite film scenes of the 21st century is the ‘rats in the kitchen cooking’ scene in Ratatouille.
You can imagine my joy when I learned that the Ratatouille ride would include a variation on that concept.
![New sign at Remy's Ratatouille Adventure](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Josh_DAmaro_on_Instagram_“Great_experience_watching_our_Imagineers_at_work_installing_the_Gusteau’s_marquee_tonight_for_the_upcoming_Remy’s_Ratatouille_Adventure…”_-_2020-01-13_21.35.27.png)
![New sign at Remy's Ratatouille Adventure](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Josh_DAmaro_on_Instagram_“Great_experience_watching_our_Imagineers_at_work_installing_the_Gusteau’s_marquee_tonight_for_the_upcoming_Remy’s_Ratatouille_Adventure…”_-_2020-01-13_21.35.27.png)
Photo: Josh D’Amaro/Instagram
Disney has taken the delightful step of adding 4D elements, making the oven area feel like a place that might accidentally serve fried rat.
Okay, that’s a little dark, but you understand the point. Imagineers have personalized the idea for the ride.
![Disney attractions preschooler](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/4-3.jpg)
![Disney attractions preschooler](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/4-3.jpg)
(Matt Stroshane, photographer)
Now, you can feel what the experience would have been like for Remy’s friends as they helped him cook that meal.
They were in peril, but they loved Remy enough to try to save the day. And they did!
![Virtual Queue](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Josh_DAmaro_on_Instagram_“Great_experience_watching_our_Imagineers_at_work_installing_the_Gusteau’s_marquee_tonight_for_the_upcoming_Remy’s_Ratatouille_Adventure…”_-_2020-01-13_21.35.40.png)
![Virtual Queue](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Josh_DAmaro_on_Instagram_“Great_experience_watching_our_Imagineers_at_work_installing_the_Gusteau’s_marquee_tonight_for_the_upcoming_Remy’s_Ratatouille_Adventure…”_-_2020-01-13_21.35.40.png)
Photo: Josh D’Amaro on Instagram
Living out those events provides me with true joy.
The Seas with Nemo & Friends
Again, this isn’t technically the story of Finding Nemo. As with Frozen Ever After and Ratatouille, it takes place afterward.
Somehow, the events largely unfold in the same manner, though.
That careless Nemo has once again forgotten his promise to his dad and accidentally wandered off.
As we know from Finding Dory, that’s how very bad things can happen.
Fortunately, on this ride, everything works out well in the end.
First, Nemo meets some new friends, one of whom is a shark named Bruce, who may just be friendly for all the wrong reasons.
![Pixar](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Seas-with-Nemo.jpg)
![Pixar](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Seas-with-Nemo.jpg)
Photo: Disney
Later, Crush takes Nemo surfing on the East Australian Current, and I consider this one of the greatest Imagineering feats ever.
The Omnimover perfectly aligns with the action onscreen even though it’s one of the longest digital monitors in the world.
![](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/The-Seas-with-Nemo-and-Friends-1.jpg)
![](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/The-Seas-with-Nemo-and-Friends-1.jpg)
Photo: Disney
Eventually, the ride ends with everyone humming In the Big Blue World while parent and child reunite. It’s just perfect.
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
![](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/sevendwarfsminetrain.webp)
![](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/sevendwarfsminetrain.webp)
Image: Disney
When Imagineers conceptualized this ride, they wanted to pay tribute to Disney’s first full-length animated feature.
All the essential storyline elements appear, including a breathtaking tour of the workspace where the Seven Dwarfs live.
![Seven Dwarfs Mine Train](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/seven-dwarfs-mine-train-line-queue.jpg)
![Seven Dwarfs Mine Train](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/seven-dwarfs-mine-train-line-queue.jpg)
Photo Credit: Matt Stroshane
The shine on these gems is totally mesmerizing, while the mine tracks feel charmingly bouncy.
Then, the attraction culminates in a retelling of a witch knocking on a cabin door in the wilderness.
![Seven Dwarfs](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Seven-Dwarfs-Mine-Train-Disney-World.jpg)
![Seven Dwarfs](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Seven-Dwarfs-Mine-Train-Disney-World.jpg)
Credit: Disney
She’s ready to offer Snow White fruit, but the Disney Princess cannot hear the knocking because everyone’s too busy singing and dancing.
Part roller coaster and part dark ride, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train packs plenty of story into a relatively short ride.
Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance
Give Disney plenty of credit on the Star Wars front.
All three Walt Disney World attractions honor the overriding vision of George Lucas.
I could have just as easily picked any of the others, and I say that even though they all tell slightly new stories.
Rise of the Resistance exemplifies this fact, drawing the rider into a fully immersive journey.
![Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/star-wars-rise-of-the-resistance-hangar-16x9-1.webp)
![Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/star-wars-rise-of-the-resistance-hangar-16x9-1.webp)
Photo: Disney
You choose The Resistance, and The First Order attempts to make you regret that decision.
You’re pursued, captured, and eventually imprisoned.
The First Order deems you the enemy and goes so far as to taunt you about it.
Don’t worry, though! You’re fighting on the side of the angels, one of whom rescues you despite the attempts of Kylo Ren.
The evil grandchild of Darth Vader tries to thwart your escape, but you’ve got the power of Rey on your side.
Doesn’t that just sound like a Star Wars movie? Exactly.
Under the Sea ~ Journey of the Little Mermaid
![journey of Little Mermaid](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/under-the-sea-journey-of-the-little-mermaid-new-00.jpg.webp)
![journey of Little Mermaid](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/under-the-sea-journey-of-the-little-mermaid-new-00.jpg.webp)
Photo: Disney
I’ve raved about Journey of the Little Mermaid before, and I’ll readily acknowledge that may be my bias talking.
The Little Mermaid is my favorite of the Disney Renaissance films.
![The Little Mermaid](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/28-Journey-Little-Mermaid.jpg)
![The Little Mermaid](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/28-Journey-Little-Mermaid.jpg)
Photo: Disney
Even if it weren’t, I’d still admire the structure of this attraction, which provides a subtle touch right at the start.
Once you’ve explored the land for a moment, your clamshell ride cart (almost) literally takes you under the sea.
![Journey of the Little Mermaid](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/littlemermaid1-700x483-1.jpg)
![Journey of the Little Mermaid](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/littlemermaid1-700x483-1.jpg)
Photo: Touringplans.com
This Imagineering trick involves the size of the clamshell vessel in front of you.
Disney projects sea foam onto the ride carts to make it seem as if you’ve submerged.
While underwater, you run afoul of Ursula, but there’s not much she can do.
That’s because you get to “Kiss the Girl” before King Triton appears.
![Ariel](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Ariel-in-Under-the-Sea-Journey-of-the-Little-Mermaid-1536x1152-1.jpg)
![Ariel](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Ariel-in-Under-the-Sea-Journey-of-the-Little-Mermaid-1536x1152-1.jpg)
DVC Shop
This ride condenses all the optimism and joy of The Little Mermaid into a delightful Omnimover dark ride.
Once you’ve ridden this one, you’ll know the story of The Little Mermaid, even if you haven’t watched it.
![Journey of Little mermaid.j](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Journey-of-Little-mermaid.jpg.avif)
![Journey of Little mermaid.j](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Journey-of-Little-mermaid.jpg.avif)
Disney Parks
That’s when you know Disney has truly honored the story’s spirit.
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