I was around the age of five when I went to Walt Disney World for the first time, so… I think sometime between 1998 and 1999? It’s so hard to remember, I’m only basing this on what my Mom’s told me before, hehe.
My favorite park has always been Magic Kingdom, and it still is to this day! My favorite ride, though… Hmm, that’s a tough question. I was in love with most of the relatively mild family friendly rides when I was younger, as I remember being ridiculously terrified of Snow White’s Scary Adventures, Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, and The Haunted Mansion in particular. I know that I loved riding Dumbo the Flying Elephant and Peter Pan’s Flight (who didn’t?), but aside from those, I’d have to say that Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin was probably my favorite most of all. That ride has always been a father-daughter experience for me and my pop, and we love competing against each other to this day (the same thing applies when we ride Toy Story Mania at Hollywood Studios). There’s also the fact that Toy Story was a massive part of my generation’s childhood, and for the longest time I was so blown away by the Buzz Lightyear animatronics standing in the que and at the end of the ride. In fact, I remember gluing a photo we took of the animatronic in the que to a picture I drew of Buzz standing on the moon after our first trip and taping it to my bedroom door because I was so blown away by him.
Now that I’m eighteen, I’ve obviously gotten over my fear of the scary thrills and I do in fact kick myself every once in a while for not having ridden Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride as much as I should have before Winnie the Pooh moved in. I can watch and ride pretty much everything at the parks with the exception of Mission: SPACE, as neither I nor anybody in my family enjoyed the suffocating and ill feeling we got during our one and only ride through. With that being said, my favorite thrill ride would have to be Expedition Everest, as it somehow manages to always make me feel like I’m riding for the first time. It’s also the only coaster I’ve ridden that has legitimately made me scared and scream, but that’s part of the fun!
However, I’ll have to admit that a very close second favorite attraction of mine would have to be, as silly as it sounds… Ellen’s Energy Adventure. I loved it from the moment I first rode through it when I was a wee lass. Bill Nye the Science Guy, again, was a huge part of my generation’s childhood, and seeing him during my trips to Epcot never ceases to make me feel as though I’m an elementary school girl again. There’s also the fact that Ellen DeGeneres is always entertaining to watch, and her jokes have only gotten funnier the older I got. Silly, I know, but hey, it’s my own little blast to the past.
Could Disney improve on all of these rides? Yes, indeed they could, but it’s nothing more than just a simple pipe dream and pure speculation. I would personally like to have the Buzz Lightyear animatronic that stands in the que to be replaced by a more lifelike and interactive one, similar to the Mr. Potato Head found in the que to Toy Story Mania. I know that a lot of children would be swept off their feet if Buzz actually
talked to them, much less stood in front of them!
