Mickey Madness Winner Revealed!

When we started Mickey Madness, 64 Walt Disney World attractions had a chance to emerge victorious.

Any of them theoretically could have become THE best Disney attraction.

Three rounds later, only eight attractions remain, and they’re all rides.

Now, we’ve reached a point where the best of the best have emerged…but which one will win?

We’re about to find out as we’ve reached the Elite Eight. From this point forward, every matchup is a coin flip.

About the Elite Eight

As a reminder from last time, here are the remaining attractions.

As you can see, only two of the top seeds remain. Also, a pair of two seeds remain, as do a pair of three seeds.

Oddly, the four seeds have all been wiped out, yet a couple of five seeds remain.

Blame the selection committee for being too optimistic about the four seeds initially.

The top overall seed in the tournament, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, is not just alive but absolutely dominant thus far.

Meanwhile, Expedition Everest and Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway are the remaining Cinderellas.

During the initial rankings, I only slotted them as 19^th and 20^th, yet here they are in the Elite Eight!

Now, we reach the fun part, as the best of the best compete for the title. Let’s get started!

Best of the Regions

In the East Region, the two remaining rides are Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance and Twilight Zone Tower of Terror.

As mentioned, Rise of the Resistance has run roughshod over the competition, never facing a serious threat.

Conversely, Tower of Terror is battle-tested after difficult matchups with Na’vi River Journey and “it’s a small world.”

Last round, Tower of Terror pulled off the upset in defeating “it’s a small world,” the two seed.

But as much as we all adore Tower of Terror, I doubt anyone would argue that it should best Rise of the Resistance.

We officially have our first Final Four entrant, as Rise of the Resistance wins the East Region.

The Star Wars ride will square off against the winner of the West Region, which will be a surprise winner.

Tron Lightcycle / Run, the top seed in this bracket, fell last round.

So, we have a surprising matchup of Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway versus the Disney classic, Pirates of the Caribbean.

Both these attractions faced stellar competition last round, with Runaway Railway knocking off Tron.

On the other side of the bracket, Pirates of the Caribbean survived a serious struggle against Frozen Ever After.

Alas, I consider that matchup tougher than Pirates of the Caribbean versus Runaway Railway.

So, we have our second member of the Final Four. Pirates of the Caribbean wins the West Region, which shouldn’t be a surprise.

The Other Side of the Elite Eight

On the flip side of the bracket, we’ve got roller coasters aplenty.

Three of the remaining four rides on that side are coasters…and VERY good ones at that.

In order of seeding, we’ve got Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, and Expedition Everest.

Poor Haunted Mansion is the only non-thrill ride on this, which I think may play to its advantage.

When we compare roller coasters, the discussion grows nuanced, and there’s rarely One True Correct Answer.

For example, the perception I’ve had since the bracket reveal was that Cosmic Rewind would cruise into the Final Four.

But the EPCOT attraction catches a matchup nightmare here against Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, the anchor of Magic Kingdom.

So, I’m kinda stunned to say that Cosmic Rewind is going out of the tournament.

I honestly believed it would cruise into the Mickey Madness Finals…but here we are.

Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, a three seed, is the surprise winner of the Midwest Region.

Finally, we have an odd pairing in the final round of the South Bracket.

Expedition Everest, one of Disney’s top thrill rides, squares off against Haunted Mansion, which is…not that.

Honestly, this is one of the trickiest evaluations of the entire bracket, as I struggled in deciding how to compare the two.

Ultimately, I decided that Haunted Mansion is an equally great ride that everyone loves, AND it has more historical significance.

So, I favor Haunted Mansion, securing it as the winner of the South Region and the last entrant in the Final Four.

We have our last bracket, everyone! It’s going to be Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance vs. Pirates of the Caribbean on one side.

On the other side, Haunted Mansion will battle Seven Dwarfs Mine Train.

One of these four attractions will be the best of Disney!

The Final Four Showdown

Here’s the updated bracket with the Final Four matchups.

I debated splitting the Final Four into another article…but why wait?

You should have already developed firm opinions about what should win, as have I.

At this point, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train has knocked off some titanic attractions like Toy Story Mania! and Space Mountain.

In another coaster war, the mine train upset Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind.

So, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train has staked its claim as Walt Disney World’s best roller coaster.

Despite this fact, I cannot give it a spot in the final. Haunted Mansion is simply too strong a contender.

For my money, Doom Buggies beat Mine Carts every time.

Haunted Mansion has a 50/50 chance of winning Mickey Madness.

The question becomes what it faces, and the answer is one of Pirates of the Caribbean or Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance.

And here’s where I lose a lot of you. I tried and tried to justify how Rise of the Resistance could win this round. Really, I did.

I looked at this one from every angle, but it’s once again a matchup nightmare for a one seed.

As phenomenal as Rise of the Resistance is, I simply cannot envision it winning in a heads-up battle against Pirates.

We’re talking about arguably the most iconic of all Disney attractions. If it’s not this one, it’s probably Haunted Mansion.

In a stunning turn of events, that’s going to be the final.

Either Pirates of the Caribbean or Haunted Mansion will win Mickey Madness.

Pirates vs. Ghosts. Who Ya Got?

There it is, folks. That’s the final.

We have two of Disney’s most recognizable attractions battling for supremacy.

Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean, a pair of two seeds, have outlasted the rest of the field to reach the end.

Now, we have a Clash of the Titans for the title of the first winner of Mickey Madness.

So, what should win? Can we all agree that there are no wrong answers here?

Even if some attraction you prefer was previously eliminated, I suspect you’d concede that these are two of Disney’s best rides.

I don’t just mean right now, either. Since the inception of Walt Disney World, these attractions have anchored the park.

When guests visit Orlando, trips feel incomplete without a ride on Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean.

Which one is better? I mean, great is great, or, in this specific instance, perfect is perfect.

We’re discussing flawless rides that optimize Disney storytelling.

But here’s what I’ll say. My wife wears Haunted Mansion gear regularly. Haunted Mansion merch adorns our walls.

And she was the one who quickly stated, “Pirates of the Caribbean has to win.”

As exceptional as Haunted Mansion is, Pirates of the Caribbean is ever so slightly better. It’s the ultimate Disney attraction.

That’s why Pirates of the Caribbean reigns supreme as the winner of Mickey Madness! Congratulations to the champion!

Can something unseat it? Check back next year when a few new attractions join this list, most notably Test Track 3.0.

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