Weekly Top 10: The Best Themed Rides in the World

June 29, 2015, 8:19 AM · This Friday, we will announce the winners of the 14th annual Theme Park Insider Awards, honoring our readers' collective selections as the best of the theme park industry. One of the awards will be for Best Themed Ride, and your reader ratings of the attractions listed here on Theme Park Insider will determine the winner.

As of today, here are the Top 10 highest-rated themed rides (with a minimum number of votes) on Theme Park Insider. Barring any last-minute surge by another ride, one of these will be your winner. Here they are, in alphabetical order, along with a comment on each from a Theme Park Insider reader. Please help us select our winner by taking a few moments to rate any of the attractions you're experienced in the past year — just click to their listing pages and scrolling down to the rating form.

The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man
Universal's Islands of Adventure

The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man

"With the new upgraded 3D projectors the ride is even more immersive! Sometimes I can't truly make a difference between the screen and the reality! One of the best rides ever."

Droomvlucht
Efteling

Droomvlucht

"Undoubtedly the best dark ride in the park. It has been considered the best non-coaster ride in the world."

Fata Morgana
Efteling

Fata Morgana

"When a wizard suddenly appears and opens up a new gateway, this becomes a '1001 Nights'-themed showcase of special effects, including more innovation than most Disney dark rides."

Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey
Universal's Islands of Adventure

Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey

"A high tech and amazing ride that leaves you Spell-bounded, I couldn't help myself. This ride also has a queue that is better than the ride itself."

Journey to the Center of the Earth
Tokyo DisneySea

Journey to the Center of the Earth

"This ride is emotionally exciting, physically thrilling. And If I've got the chance, I could've ridden it 20 times without getting tired of it."

Mystic Manor
Hong Kong Disneyland

Mystic Manor

"Simply stunning with the practice effects and screens. It's really quite magical, while also being really cute. Mystic Manor is unbelievable, through and through."

Pirates of the Caribbean
Disneyland

Pirates of the Caribbean

"A ride on Disneyland's Pirates of the Caribbean, for those who have not had the pleasure, is quite simply worth the price of admission to the park. It is a masterpiece of animatronics, story, and song, an attraction that transcends age, gender, nationality, theme park bias, and time."

Pooh's Hunny Hunt
Tokyo Disneyland

Pooh's Hunny Hunt

"If the US parks wanted to really give us something from Tokyo, this would be the ride! It's amazing!"

Radiator Springs Racers
Disney California Adventure

Radiator Springs Racers

"This ride is absolutely stunning in every respect! The AAs are amazing, the atmosphere and theming is top notch, and the ride provides a level of thrills that will not scare away young children but will still satisfy the average roller coaster enthusiast."

Transformers: The Ride 3D
Universal Studios Hollywood

Transformers: The Ride 3D

"The ride is non-stop action from the moment it starts and it never lets up. The visuals are crisp and the vehicle synchronization is perfect. The queue area is very well done and does an excellent job of setting up the ride."

Replies (8)

June 29, 2015 at 10:55 AM · For me, it's a toss-up between Pirates and Harry Potter. Both were extremely groundbreaking for their time, truly pushing the limits for what dark rides can really do, and they both still hold up
today (well, then again, it's no wonder that Forbidden Journey still holds up today, considering the fact that it hasn't even been around for a decade yet.) I guess the big tie-breaker really depends on what you're looking for. If you want a more cohesive story, Disneyland's Pirates is the best way to go. But if you want something more thrilling, than Forbidden Journey is definetely the better choice for you.

And I'm so sorry, but, why is Tramsformers on here?! I like it, it's a fun ride, but I think it's worth at most a 7/10. Putting it's horrible IP aside, it introduces nothing new or groundbreaking whatsoever! Need I remind everyone that this is basically Spider-Man but with a Transformers paint job over it? Universal has so many better attractions that introduced something new, something we hadn't seen before! Mummy, Simpsons, Hulk...any of those would be more worthy of such a list!

June 29, 2015 at 11:25 AM · Lots of recognition for The Efteling, well deserved. I'd love to go on some of the trackless rides like Pooh's Honey Hunt and Mystic Manor. The only big ride that seems to be missing is The Haunted Mansion. But you can only have 10 on the list of course.

The Efteling might be breaking ground in a few months on a new dark ride called Hartenhof (Court of Hearts). Nothing has been confirmed yet, except that it will be coming somewhere before 2020. An opening in 2017 will make sense since the park will celebrate it's 65 birthday. Rumors are it's ride system will be kind of like The Forbidden Journey, but with 24 person platforms. It might show up on lists like these in 5 years.

June 29, 2015 at 9:29 PM · If I could sneak it in there somewhere, I would add Tower of Terror at Disney's Hollywood Studios. It is one of the all time greats.
June 30, 2015 at 2:46 AM · I have ridden all these rides besides Mystic Manor and Radiator Springs racers. Next year we will be in China so I can experience Mystic and in October we go to Disneyland, that will be the first time we go on RSR. I am sorry but I have to say this list doesn't do it for me.
I am an annual passholder of The Efteling but Fata Morgana.....come on!! That ride has better innovation than Disney has in it's dark rides?....who rates these things? Fata Morgana is dated beyond compare, the puppets (I am not going to call them AA's because they don't deserve this name) are old and move unnatural. It is really not on par with, let's say, POTC. Disney over the years made great upgrades to a lot of classic attractions like POTC so that they stay relevant, Fata Morgana feels outdated. Rant is over, atleast for Fata Morgana.
I miss Tower of Terror from DisneySea and Hollywood Studios, Haunted Mansion, Indiana Jones adventure, that for me blows Spiderman and Transformers out of the water. Pooh's hunny hunt is overrated in my book, substitute that with Sindbad seven voyages from DisneySea. Forbidden Yourney is FANTASTIC!!!! But Journey to the center of the earth is my favorite ride in the universe!!!
June 30, 2015 at 9:40 AM · Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey wins. No point arguing. If only the castle was real and not a mere show building...
June 30, 2015 at 11:27 AM · Hmm, what about Indiana Jones and/or Haunted Mansion?
July 1, 2015 at 2:16 PM · I feel like projection based attractions like HP, Spiderman and Transformers are kind of lazy. I get dizzy and motion sick from them. Sure they are greatly done, but a classic dark ride beats them everyday in terms of memorability.

Wish the craze with 3d projection attractions would die down a little.

July 3, 2015 at 7:34 AM · I think in the grand scheme of things that's a rather good list, I've not been to Efteling nor on WDS Ratatouille to provide commentary.

A couple notable exceptions that I personally would jettison Transformers, Pooh (yes lovely ride, but it's simply not Mystic Manor) and the Efteling pair for:
-Splash mountain
-Haunted Mansion
-Sinbad's Storybook Voyage
-Tower of Terror DHS
-Indiana Jones Adventure

I guess Gringott's wasn't the "greatest ride ever" since it missed the list and not a single person seems to have noticed or cares.

My vote goes to Mystic Manor.

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