Now that I've gotten your attention with that list, please allow me to direct that attention to 10 other locations in the resort... ones that I believe deserve a better shake than they've gotten from readers so far.
Again, these are not my picks as the top 10 best locations at Disney World. They are simply the 10 places that, in my opinion, are not rated as highly by readers as I would rate them on my own. I hope that these lists will inspire you to respond with lists of your own, and to browse through our theme park and hotel listings to rate and review the locations you have visited recently. The more readers who participate in our ratings, the more accurate they will be for the general public.
The charming walk-through provide the perfect opportunity for restless kids to tire out their legs while firing up their imaginations. No, it's not an E-ticket. But it is the sort of well-decorated, crowd-absorbing secondary attraction that has elevated Disney parks above their less-well-themed competition. One suggestion for improvement? Disney needs to station a greeter at the turnstiles during all operating hours again, to hold the line of visitors whenever it backs up to the point where people have no space to walk through the treehouse at their own pace.
Here's my theory on why the Harbour House doesn't rank among the top quick-service dining locations at Disney World. Some people can't stand the idea of a QS restaurant where you can't order a hamburger. And some people don't know to walk upstairs here to find a table and eat. But for those of us who appreciate the variety of a seafood quick-service restaurant, and who adore the tranquility and views from its upstairs windows, the Harbour House remains one of the better places to eat at Disney.
8. The Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
As the newness wears off this 2014 ride, I hope that future Disney visitors don't automatically dismiss it based upon the low ratings submitted by guests who didn't think it worth the two to three hours (or more!) than people were waiting to ride it in its first year or so. With its unique swaying coaster trains and a wonderful interior sequence featuring outstanding three-dimensional animation, the Mine Train deserves more love than it's been getting. As the Mine Train's wait times settle to a more reasonable level, I hope that its ratings will rise in turn.
The Inception of theme park restaurants (you're dining next to a Mayan pyramid, while inside a Mayan pyramid!), the San Angel Inn offers excellent Mexican cuisine that looks and tastes nothing like the Americanized, mass-market "Mexican" food that most Disney visitors seem to expect. Unfortunately, improvements in its cuisine and service in recent years have not pushed its average ratings up as much in return, illustrating that a good reputation is lost much more easily than it is regained.
6. Via Napoli
Here's another example of an Epcot restaurant that is suffering by not meeting visitors' expectations — even though it is delivering an experience far superior (in my opinion) to what I suspect most Disney guests expect from a pizza restaurant. Yeah, I'm being a pizza snob here, but I will gladly pay Via Napoli's prices for its well-charred-on-the-outside, chewy-on-the-inside crust, cupped pepperoni, and San Marzano tomato sauce than suffer through eating the other stuff masquerading as pizza from chains such as Pizza Hut and Dominos... or the quick service "pizza" restaurants at the Walt Disney World resort.
Tucked in the back of the Morocco pavilion, Restaurant Marrakesh long as been the go-to location for Epcot visitors without dining reservations and a willingness to try something other than well-established-in-America meat and potatoes or Italian fare. The couscous, lamb, and chicken are all amazing here and well worth venturing off the beaten path.
Nemo doesn't offer the immersive visual spectacle of the more unconventionally-staged Festival of the Lion King, but this original, live stage musical in Disney's Animal Kingdom ought to be considered among the best theme park shows in the industry.
3. Akershus Royal Banquet Hall
So you must take your daughter to a Disney princess character meal while visiting the Walt Disney World Resort? Don't despair when you can't get a table at Cinderella's. Consider it a blessing in disguise, and go ahead a book a reservation at Epcot's Akershus, instead. It's a better value and much less of a hassle (though we can't promise that will remain the same once Anna and Elsa move in next door later this year).
Disney's most impressive Audio Animatronic show, ever. But forget the technical marvel of this amazing complicated production for a moment to enjoy the profound elegance of a show that tells America's story in 30 minutes without ignoring troubling moments in the nation's history. And "Golden Dreams" remains one of the best Disney theme park songs ever written. The American Adventure deserved to be ranked as a Disney classic, alongside other heavyweights as Pirates and Mansion.
C'mon. If you've been reading Theme Park Insider, you probably should have guessed that I would save my favorite former attraction for the top spot on this list. I made the case for the importance of Tom Sawyer Island in my recent post, What's So Important About the Rivers of America? The greatest theme park attractions inspire visitors to imagine their own stories within the context of what the attraction presents. Tom Sawyer Island is a theme park treasure, and I love it more than just about anything else in this business. Frankly, you can't rate it highly enough... in my humble opinion.
Now, please head over to our listings pages and start submitting your own ratings and reviews! We want to know what you think, too.
Tomorrow: The 10 Rides, Shows or Restaurants from Other Disney Parks That Walt Disney World Needs
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I have to completely agree with 7 Dwarfs Mine Coaster: great ride + awful wait = low rating. Unfortunate.
For me, I'm surprised by the "Time Permitting" status of Test Track. That's one of my favorites. And the "Not Recommended" status of Grand Fiesta and the Living Seas, I also think is a little harsh. Not exactly on the must-do list, but they're not that bad. I find Grand Fiesta quite relaxing, especially after having a multi-layered tequila slushie. And the aquarium is always fun to wander around, after rescuing Nemo.
Over at MGM, I also have to question the Great Movie Ride on the "Time Permitting" list. That ride sets up the whole theme of (what's left of) the destination. Sure it's corny, but it captures the spirit of the entire (1/2) theme park. It needs some TLC and more updating, but it surely deserves to be recommended for a visit.
And I agree 100% about the American Adventure and "Golden Dreams". That song -- and the clips of historic events that play in the middle of it -- gives me goosebumps every time.
I'd add the Sunshine Tree Terrace and their orange/vanilla swirls to the list. I like those originals from my childhood much better than Dole Whips.
Well, it does, sort of. Up until about WWII.
And then it quickly rushes through like the entire Civil Rights Era, Vietnam, and all of contemporary American political history but minus any tricky or thoughtful parts and it lets the song and some pleasant images do the talking.
In other words, I think they calculated they could do honest history until circa about when the older members of the audience was born and pivoted from narrative and story to the full song. I don't think that's an accident, and I don't blame Disney, but you do get the sense they took the 'easy' road out of knotty contemporary American history that could get politicized by the audience.
The Little Mermaid ride is underrated. Many people don't care much for it, but it is quite nice and you can tell the quality with the numerous characters in it. In contrast, the Small World ride lacks dolls, which makes it a downgrade from the other Small World at Disneyland.
But looking at specific things, here is what I feel is underrated at WDW:
All of New Fantasyland-I previously stated that I think 7DMT is overrated, but that's only in terms of the queue line. In terms of critical recieption, this ride is vastly underrated. Enchanted Tales, while nothing too special, is probably the greatest meet n greet ever, the Dumbo ride is better than ever with an updated queue and an extra spinner. And I also don't understand all the hate for Little Mermaid. Yes, it is basically just a book report of the movie, but guess what? So was Peter Pan. And Snow White. And Pinnochio. And Alice In Wonderland. And Mr. Toad. And Winnie the Pooh. Just like Little Mermaid, they are all family-friendly dark rides that are all book reports of their respective movies. But all of their special effects are vastly inferior to Little Mermaid's, yet Little Mernaid gets hated on while all the others are considered classics!
PeopleMover-This is a bit of a weird ride. It has no immersive theming, no intriguing storylines, no groundbreaking special effects, and no big thrills. If this were any other ride, all this simplicity would make for a pretty terrible ride, and yet this is one of my favorite Disney rides! It's simplicity just gives this ride a charm and personality that's all it's own. It always makes for a nice break from all the walking around and all the large crowds.
Stitch's Great Escape-seriously, why am I the only person on this planet who likes this attraction? It's so freakin awesome!!!!
Spaceship Earth-a really anazing dark ride that embodies the heart and soul of everything that makes Epcot so awesome.
Living With The Land-I mostly like this ride because of the greenhouses. As a bit of an environmental nut and I find it to be a really fascinating facility. I highly recommend it to anyone who is into agriculture and herbology.
Great Movie Ride-I am a massive movie geek. The world of cinema and how it influences our culture has always fascinated me. And I owe a lot of that to DHS. They showed me the power of movie magic and all of it's intriguing themes and characters. And Great Movie Ride really was the heart of it all. Just like Spaceship Earth has always been the physical embodiment of the true spirit of Epcot, so has Great Movie Ride been the same for DHS. Unfortunately, all of the park's movie magic will be all but gone by the time all of the refurbrishments open, this ride will be the last remaining testament to everything the park used to stand for. So I hope this ride lasts for many generations to come.
DAK's animal exhibits-again, bit of an environmental nut, so these exhibits are right up my alley. In addition to showcasing some really amazing animals, they also have some of the best landscaping in any Florida park.
TSMM, Soarin, RnRC, and Philharmagic-I know that these are all really popular attractions, but I was really surprised that quite a few people on this website (especially Mr. Niles) don't find them worthy of their popularity. To avoid repeating myself, I will instead refer you to the comment I posted in the Most Overrated Things in Walt Disney World article if you must know why I love them.
Disney's transportation system-look, I don't care if the buses aren't magical or have weird sitting arrangements, or if the monorail looks too dirty. All I care about is that they get me to the park before lunchtime and that they get me back to my hotel before sunrise. They're always able to do that, ergo I've nothing to complain about. Personally, I've always loved the diverse transportation options Disney gives you. You could take a bus, a monorail, a ferry, a riverboat....and you know what the best part is? IT'S COMPLETELY FREE!!!!!!!!
I cannot agree with 7DMT. The cars barely swing, so the one aspect of the coaster that makes it unique in the coaster world is minimized to the point of imperceptibility. If you think waiting 60+ minutes is a "reasonable level", then I guess you could consider it a middle of the road attraction, but Disney's newest roller coaster rarely has waits below 40 minutes, even on the slowest days. The coaster is still plagued with downtime, and the queue, while certainly prettier than many roller coasters around the world, is pretty generic by Disney standards.
Akershus has to appear for me on this list. It's a princess meal that is far more accessible than CRT, and the food is exponentially better than 1900 Park Fare. Even if you're not into princesses, the food alone is worth using a table service credit on the DDP (maybe not worth paying cash for because it's still over $50, but very few character meals are worth paying cash for these days IMHO).
Flame Tree BBQ is still one of my favorite counter service restaurants in all of WDW because of the quality and value provided. It's one of the few CS restaurants where a couple can legitimately split an entree and get a decent lunch for under $15 total. The ratings are good for it, but I think people forget sometimes how good this place is, and once DAK attendance starts growing with Rivers of Light and Avatar, it will probably be a great place to get away from the Pandora crowds or grab a quick bite to eat before watching the new nighttime show.
One more point. For the few who I know that actually like Mission Space I don't know one who tries to re-ride it. It's a one and done attraction. A successful theme park attraction attracts repeat rides.
Disney absolutely failed with Mission Space. It has nothing to do with our lack of fascination with otter space.
(No clue if that technology would work in an enclosed space.)
I disagree with this. There were no less than three huge movies that showcased space travel. Space continues to be popular. Many aerospace companies are working on the developing the next commercial spacecraft after the demise of the Space Shuttle. We will continue to experience interest in space exploration.
The problem with Mission: Space is it has a reputation of making people sick. That's the reason I avoided riding it ever. I didn't want to lose my expensive lunch at the Akersus.
So you're making a judgement about a ride that you've never actually experienced. I don't doubt that many people get sick on the ride - heck, people used to get sick on the Maelstrom or China 360 after drinking around the world. However, it doesn't change the fact that this ride is one of the most accurate simulator rides ever created. Not everyone can be an astronaut, and not everyone can ride a roller coaster or other intense rides without getting sick or feeling nauseous. That doesn't change the fact that the ride is really good to those that can tolerate the forces and have enough common sense to follow the instructions and not turn their head to the side during the experience.
It's clear the reputation of the ride as a vomit inducer has tempered its popularity, as Anon as exemplified, which is exactly why I think it is an underrated attraction. The ride's reputation (along with all the warnings during the pre-show) prevents guests from experiencing it, who may not have any issue with the simulation.
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