Five years ago we went to Tokyo Disney Resort and fell in love with the place. DisneySea rightfully steals the headlines but Tokyo Disneyland is no slouch, with wonderful entertainment, an impressive attraction roster and the right amount of weird. In the years since, we’ve returned and have figured out our favorite parts of the park. In this post, we’ll count down Tokyo Disneyland’s best (and worst) rides!

Tokyo Disneyland’s attraction roster can go toe-to-toe with any park in the world. Acting almost like a ‘greatest hits’ of castle parks, Tokyo Disneyland takes some of the best attractions from Disneyland and Magic Kingdom and then puts them in one park. On top of that, the park features around 30 attractions, second only to Disneyland in total number of rides.

This installment will bring our attraction rankings (DL, DCA, MK, Epcot, DHS, AK, TDS) series up to date for the time being. We plan on making our way over to Hong Kong Disneyland and Paris sometime in the next few years but until then, these posts cover all of the Disney Parks we’ve been to. As usual, this post will cover every single attraction in the park, aside from a few ToonTown walk through attractions, ranked from worst to first.  Here’s a brush-up on the rules:

• No Meet & Greets. These are impossible to rank and I don’t particularly like them in the first place.
• No Live Shows. Nighttime shows are almost always better than rides, in my opinion, but they aren’t rides so they won’t be in this list. Also, big stage shows and parades are out. I will include 3D movies though.
• These are all my opinion.  “Every attraction is someone’s favorite.” While that is corny and seems a little silly, the sentiment is mostly true. I can’t account for other people’s memories in these rankings and will try (probably unsuccessfully) to take some of the nostalgia out of my views of these attractions. You’ll likely disagree with these rankings. Please let me know what you disagree with in the comments.

I’ll add in a few sentences about each attraction and why they landed where they did in the rankings.  Let’s get to it!

33. Goofy’s Paint ‘n’ Play House (Toontown) – This attraction is unique to Tokyo Disneyland but I did not enjoy it. Guests go into Goofy’s house and essentially paint a wall using some projection effects and a pointer (like the guns in Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters). It’s a simple attraction that is probably fun for really young kids. Unfortunately, I don’t fit that profile…

32. Chip ‘n Dale’s Treehouse (Toontown) – I like Tokyo Disneyland’s Toontown quite a bit more than Disneyland’s but most of that is due to the aesthetics, as the attractions are close to the same. This treehouse is no exception.

31. Donald’s Boat (Toontown) – This is one of the better looking attractions in Toontown but walking around it is far from exciting. The pathways are somewhat narrow but there is a nice waterfall to walk around.

30. Minnie’s House (Toontown) – I’ve never liked the whole “walk around character’s houses” idea in any park. Tokyo Disneyland is a little more interesting just because the park guests get very excited for characters and the upkeep is better. Unfortunately, that’s about all I like about this.

29. Gadget’s Go Coaster (Toontown) – This is another replica from Disneyland’s older version of Toontown and probably isn’t worth the wait. There are some nice views offered. Otherwise, this kiddie coaster isn’t great.

28. Castle Carousel (Fantasyland) – Our first selection outside of Toontown is a classic carousel in the middle of Fantasyland. It’s a nice ride but is more memorable in photos than as an actual attraction.

27. Dumbo the Flying Elephant (Fantasyland) – Another replica from Disneyland, this version of Dumbo isn’t as fun as Magic Kingdom’s but does offer some beautiful views of Fantasyland. This is best experienced at night.

26. Alice’s Tea Party (Fantasyland) – Much to Melissa’s dismay, the teacups aren’t very high on this list. They are fun and the attraction looks good, I can’t rank an attraction that just spins very high though.

25. Cinderella’s Fairy Tale Hall (Fantasyland) – This is Tokyo Disneyland’s castle walk-through and it’s unique! There are some cool visuals and the area is up-to-date. I wouldn’t wait for this attraction but it’s worth doing without much crowd.

24. Snow White’s Adventure (Fantasyland) – A near copy of Disneyland’s dark ride before the remodel, Snow White’s Adventure is an interesting piece of Fantasyland. The attraction does look far better here than in Disneyland.

23. Mickey’s PhilharMagic (Fantasyland) – I’m not trying to go land-by-land here, but the first 10 certainly worked out that way. This is the same PhilharMagic as Magic Kingdom’s only this one is in Japanese. Honestly, that might make this 3D movie even funnier. It’s also a great way to get out of the sun.

22. Beaver Brother Explorer Canoes (Critter Country) – The classic Disneyland canoes are rowed around Tom Sawyer Island. While the attraction is far more rigorous than any other part of the park, the interactions with cast members are fun and the experience and views are unique.

21. Pinocchio’s Daring Journey (Fantasyland) – An attraction that I liked far more at Tokyo Disneyland than in Disneyland. The scenes are clearer and the lighting is much better, in that there is actual lighting! The story is somewhat zany and worthy of a ride.

20. Swiss Family Treehouse (Adventureland) – While this is largely the same attraction as Magic Kingdom’s treehouse, this one sits further back in Adventureland. The attraction offers great views of the castle, Tomorrowland and part of the city. Go up here during sunset for some amazing sights.

19. Buzz Lightyear’s Astro Blasters (Tomorrowland) – This is the Disneyland version of the attraction, far superior to Magic Kingdom’s because you can hold the guns instead of them being attached to the ride vehicle. It’s a fun, interactive attraction.

18. The Enchanted Tiki Room: Stitch Presents “Aloha E Komo Mai!” (Adventureland) – Picture the Tiki Room with Stitch doing his best Elvis impression and you get this. Sacrilegious? Maybe. Surprisingly fun? Absolutely. While they have translation devices available, I’d recommend watching this in Japanese without the headset.

17. The Happy Ride with Baymax (Tomorrowland)

For those familiar with Disneyland or Hollywood Studios, this is the same ride system as Mater’s or Alien Swirling Saucers. The difference is that guests are being towed around by Baymax and there are some very energetic Japanese songs playing that the whole crowd dances to. It’s not worth the long wait that it usually draws but it is a nice embodiment of Japan’s kawaii culture.

16. Western River Railroad (Adventureland) – There is no train that circles the whole park, due to an interesting Japanese law, so this one leaves from Adventureland, circles around the river, goes through Primeval World Diorama before ending back where it started. The railroad offers some beautiful views and is a relaxing ride.

15. Star Tours: The Adventure Continues (Tomorrowland) – A copy of the Disneyland and Hollywood Studios attractions, this is a fun simulator that takes place in the Star Wars universe. Listening to C-3PO in Japanese is a really enjoyable experience.

14. Mark Twain Riverboat (Westernland) – I’m a sucker for riverboats, no matter what park they are in. This is no exception. Riding this as the sun was setting behind the castle is one of my favorite experiences at Tokyo Disneyland. While the attraction is great any time, I recommend going later in the day.

13. Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin (Toontown) – Another example of being a copy from Disneyland but looking and functioning much better. The queue is more interesting, as well. Going through the wacky world of Roger Rabbit is fun and the spinning makes this even more disorienting.

12. Peter Pan’s Flight (Fantasyland) – The top twelve is jam packed with excellent attractions, and we’ll start with Peter Pan’s Flight. While I’ve soured somewhat on Peter Pan’s Flight over the years, soaring over London and Neverland never gets old. Not to mention, the attraction looks incredible.

11. “it’s a small world” (Fantasyland) – An incredible facade gives way to the classic Small World ride. The colors popped unlike any other Small World I’ve been on and riding this in a foreign country made it more meaningful to me.

10. Country Bear Jamboree – This may be way too high but if I was ranking these attractions based on my favorite in the park, this would probably be in the top three. I compromised and have it in the top ten. The Country Bears perform the whole show as compared to the formerly cut-down version in Magic Kingdom. On top of that, the theater is usually full and the crowd is into it. This is well maintained and a wonderful show.

9. Monsters, Inc. Ride & Go Seek (Tomorrowland) – This interactive dark ride is original to Tokyo Disneyland and is a blast. Guests ride through Monstropolis after the power has gone out, shining flashlights on monsters throughout the city. This is a great original attraction, far superior to any Monsters, Inc. ride stateside.

8. Haunted Mansion (Fantasyland) – Maybe the only attraction where I thought the dialogue being in a foreign language really took away from the attraction. This Haunted Mansion is close to the Magic Kingdom version and looks incredible. I also give it bonus points for having the holiday overlay. Still, not understanding the narrator took away from the story a little bit, otherwise this would be even higher.

7. Big Thunder Mountain (Westernland) – I can’t figure out where to rank this one. A classic ride that most resembles Disney World’s version but with better effects. That makes it an excellent family coaster.

6. Jungle Cruise (Adventureland) – If Haunted Mansion suffered due to the foreign language, Jungle Cruise excels. The skippers are great about interacting with guests, even if they don’t know the language. On top of that, the attraction is beautiful, adding a really cool scene.

5. Space Mountain (Tomorrowland) – My favorite version of Space Mountain, this roller coaster is smoother than the other versions and the stars are more prominent. I also like the facade at night, with a royal blue that matches the rest of Tomorrowland. This will only be around for a few more months before closing for a new, and hopefully improved, version of the attraction.

4. Pirates of the Caribbean (Adventureland) – This is basically Disneyland’s version of the ride but without the lift hill at the end. Pirates sits inside a mini-version of New Orleans Square and the Blue Bayou restaurant resides in the attraction, adding to the ambiance. The Disneyland Pirates is my favorite attraction ever. While this isn’t quite as good it’s not far off.

3. Splash Mountain (Critter Country) – Like Space Mountain, this is my favorite version of the classic ride. It most resembles Magic Kingdom’s (now vintage) version with the 2-seat ride vehicles and incredible story telling. The maintenance really shines through here as Splash Mountain looks incredible and is the focal point of a mini-land.

2. Enchanted Tale of Beauty and the Beast (Fantasyland) – This may be a bit of recency bias but Tokyo Disneyland’s latest attraction is outstanding. There are several ‘wow moments’ throughout as well as an enveloping queue, beautiful soundtrack and innovative ride system. The top four attractions are all so close, this one sits at two for now.

1. Pooh’s Hunny Hunt (Fantasland) – I’ve heard the hype for years and now I understand. One of the first trackless ride systems to exist gave us this brilliant Winnie the Pooh dark ride where guests are met by Pooh’s friends and heffalumps. Parts of this ride will look familiar to guests who have been to the American parks but this is a significant upgrade and one of the best attractions in the world.

Overview

Tokyo Disneyland has one of the largest slates of attractions of any Disney theme park and the quality of the attractions doesn’t disappoint either. I like every attraction from 26 to 1 and even the ones at the bottom of the list at least look good. Fitting them all into one day is the hard part.

What are your favorite attractions Tokyo Disneyland? Let us know, as well as any questions you have, in the comments below! Planning a trip to Tokyo Disney Resort? Check out our planning guide! If you enjoy what you’re reading please subscribe to the blog and like our social media pages which you can find on the right side of this page.  Thank you for reading, we really appreciate it!