Rides (Night vs Day)

[duchess1576]

Which of the following rides at Magic Kingdom are better to ride at night and which ones are better during the daytime? I'm sure on some, it doesn't matter.

Space Mountain
Splash Mountain
Stitch’s Great Escape
Haunted Mansion
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
Jungle Cruise
Peter Pan’s Flight

 

[philsfan2185]

Haunted Mansion - night because it adds to the atmosphere when you enter the stretching room. BOO! :lol:

BTM - it's a different ride at night. It seems like you are going faster. But I like it during the day because you can see all the realistic props that add to the ride experience.

Tomorrowland Transit Authority - this ride is great day or night, but I prefer the night because you get great viewpoints of the castle being lit up. Also, the lights around Tomorrowland look awesome.

 

[surfsupdon]

Agreed. I had no idea there were lighting effects and people inside the building until I went at night.

I love BTM at night.

I love BTM at night in the back seat. That's the wildest ride in the wilderness.

 

[AEfx]

No one has really mentioned "Jungle Cruise". In Birnbaum's guide they actually say it's better during the day (funny for them to be that decisive) but I find the opposite. In this day of AK, and the safari with real live animals, the good 'ol JC can seem rather antiquated. I did it several times during MNSSHP's last year and had a blast because it was like a whole new ride - things were a lot more "convincing" (or at least less fake looking) by dark.

As to the dark-rides during the day thing, yes, I have so noticed that as well. At night, when your eyes are properly adjusted, you can see things more clearly in a way, but the illusion is lessened. A great example of this is the cannon-ball scene in PotC. During the day, it's very hard to see the ceiling, but at night I have no trouble picking it out exactly and seeing the seams/etc. Same as someone mentioned above about Haunted Mansion and the screen in the graveyard - much easier to make out at night (and those spit balls and assorted imperfections are more obvious).

It's because of those reasons I actually prefer, for illusion sake, to ride those during the day. I also have to agree with Laura22 - I can't tell you exactly why, but Splash Mountain is much creepier at night. Maybe it's the whole indoor/outdoor combination, or the simulated "outdoors" inside (if you get my drift). And those crows just look so much more meanacing...

AEfx

 

[Austin1]

OK well most of my favorite rides to ride at night aren't on the list.
Personally I like most of the rides better at night, (the lighting and all) top 3: Test Track, Tower of terror, Splash mountain

 

[Dr. Seeker]

Which of the following rides at Magic Kingdom are better to ride at night and which ones are better during the daytime? I'm sure on some, it doesn't matter.

Space Mountain
Splash Mountain
Stitch’s Great Escape
Haunted Mansion
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
Jungle Cruise
Peter Pan’s Flight

Well, my take on Space Mountain is to ride it once in the day and again at night...in the day it seems darker so you can have more fun with it...at night you can see the track, projectors, and catwalks (I like to see all the behind the scenes stuff, so that's cool with me...one time I got stuck in line just before bording and the emergency lights came on! I risked my neck standing up on the queue rails you're not even supposed to lean on just to get a better look at it!)
Stitch? Just don't go there. Avoid all traces of anything related to that attraction.

 

[MissM]

Assuming Space Mountain hasn't stopped during the day, it will actually be faster at the end of the night as opposed to first thing in the morning. It has to do with the accumulated heat from running all day. It's not a massive difference, but it's noticable if you ride it in the AM and then again in the PM. And if you've ever ridden TTA during the day through Space Mountain, you know you can't see squat, but when you ride through at night, you can really, really see all of Space Mountain. (So ride TTA at night to get a good look at the track layout and everything!)

Big Thunder is really fun at night. And if you've seen Wishes already, or are planning on being there more then one night, try to ride it as Wishes is going off. You get the most amazing views of it and it looks like it's going off right near you. I did it on accident one time and it was amazingly cool.
-m

 

[LilDucky]

I love BTM at night in the back seat. That's the wildest ride in the wilderness.

TOTALLY... when we do BTM at night, we practically beg to be in the back...its off the hook. BTM is definetely better at night. I love BTM with the nightime breeze...heaven I tell ya...

If youve never been on jungle cruise, then I I'll have to say daytime because you can see everything better, but I personally love it at night! Its much more spookier and creepier. Is it just me... or is going through those caves better at night?

The outside rides are just better at night I suppose. There is just something about the MK at night...