Nighttime offers a new perspective on theme parks. There are fireworks to see, lands sparkle with the lights on and even attraction experiences differ from what they are in the daylight. Many rides get even better once the sun sets and that’s not just because lines generally get shorter! In this post, we’ll give our top ten Disneyland and California Adventure attractions to experience at night.

For as many attractions as Disneyland Resort is able to fit into 2 parks, there are surprisingly few rides that are outside. I could tell you all about the merits of riding Space Mountain at night, including how you’re able to see more because your eyes have adjusted to a darker setting but that’s not really the spirit of this post. On the other hand, I’d be right but who’s keeping score! Anyway, for this top ten list we’ll go with something more practical than that example which kind of requires a ride to be outside.

Two attractions that are inside but I briefly considered are Haunted Mansion and Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run. I bring those up because the outside of both rides look so impressive at night, to the point where it augments the entire experience. That said, I’m thinking strictly of how nighttime makes the ride different. In other words, shout out to those two for looking incredible but we’re moving on! In the past, Splash Mountain would have made the list so we’ll see where Tiana’s Bayou Adventure shows up when it debuts.

I also only considered rides. Fantasmic, World of Color and fireworks would all be at the top of this list. There are a few rides that I considered but ended up feeling like they were better during the day. Grizzly River Run was a tough one, as it does look cool at night but between getting soaked and not being able to see as much of the beautiful rockwork, I left it off.

Similarly, Storybook Land Canal Boats has some real highlights when riding at night but ultimately is just more enjoyable during the day. That’s especially true when not taking into account the wait times. If I didn’t do that in this post, then nearly every ride at the resort would be better at night because the lines are shorter.

My rankings are mostly informed based on the nighttime view an attraction offers, thrill level added by the dark, lighting and effects. Those won’t be applicable to all of my top ten but at least one of them will be for each ride. Let’s get to it!

10. Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT! (DCA)

This sits at 10 because the view outside is so brief that I almost didn’t even consider the attraction. But the drop ride has a thrill added by the darkness. Along with that, Guardians has a Halloween version of the ride that only plays at night. The nighttime spookiness played better when the attraction was Tower of Terror but it still works for this version.

9. Jungle Cruise (DL)

The Jungle Cruise experience at night is more dependent on the boat’s skipper than usual. Generally, the jokes are a little looser and it would seem that the Cast Members have a little more freedom. That’s the positive. The negative is that you can’t see the fantastic animatronics nearly as well. But when I think back to all of my favorite experiences on this iconic ride, nearly all of them came at night.

8. Golden Zephyr & Silly Symphony Swings (DCA)

Look, I’m not overly fond of these amusement park rides along California Adventure’s pier. The Golden Zephyr is fun for what it is but they aren’t especially unique. But, have you seen The Sandlot? There’s a middle section of that movie where the kids are playing baseball under the fireworks on the Fourth of July, winning a baseball game against their neighborhood rival and then going to the local fair before barfing everywhere. It’s a perfect representation of youthful Americana. That’s what these spinning rides inevitably make me feel like at night.

7. Mad Tea Party (DL)

Mad Tea Party earns its spot on the list for two reasons. First, the ride is just more fun at night. Everyone’s a little loopier and more tired. That leads to giggling and, before you know it, you’re crying from laughing while stumbling out of your teacup. The second and more prominent reason is the incredibly lighting on Mad Tea Party at night. It’s a simple ride but this has some of the prettiest lighting in all of Disneyland. Special shoutout to Alice in Wonderland for being a dark ride with a small outdoor section, I nearly included it on this list.

6. Pixar Pal-A-Round (DCA)

Please do not take the ferris wheel’s inclusion on this list as me being willing to go on the ride. I’m terrified of it! But it does offer one of the best views in the whole resort. That’s only augmented by the sun setting and the lights coming on. Everyone else go, take a photo for me and then show it to me later.

5. Astro Orbiter (DL)

I was only going to include one spinner in the top ten (sorry Dumbo) and Astro Orbiter surprisingly made it all the way up to the top 5. This version of the ride doesn’t go nearly as high as the Disney World counterpart but does offer beautiful views of the castle and Tomorrowland. Going on Astro Orbiter late at night during the Christmas season, when the castle is adorned in all of the lights, is a favorite pastime. The ride gives a unique view of Disneyland lights that no other attraction offers.

4. Incredicoaster (DCA)

Roller coasters are best at night so Disneyland Resort’s fastest one easily makes it on this list. Incredicoaster looks great against the dark sky with the contrasting red and popcorn pier lights down below it. More importantly, the night adds some extra thrill to the ride. Make sure to get to this one earlier in the evening though, as it usually closes well before World of Color’s first show.

3. Matterhorn Bobsleds (DL)

Let me list all of the pro-nighttime Matterhorn Bobsleds reasons:

• The soundscape is best heard at night and is spooky with the howling wind and distant voices.
• The track has had all day to warm up, making it fastest at the end of the day.
• You can see Harold, the mountain’s yeti better at night because there isn’t as much of a contrast for your eyes.
• The outside views include the lit up castle, Fantasyland and Tomorrowland.
• Somehow, the mountain’s painted on snow seems to glow at night just like a nighttime snow storm.

Maybe this should be higher? Alternatively, I wouldn’t blame anyone for having Incredicoaster above this.

2. Radiator Springs Racers (DCA)

Lighting, lighting, lighting! When it comes to the best looking attractions at night, Radiator Springs Racers is one of the preeminent examples in the world. The way the lights hit the larger-than-life rockwork, showing off that orange and red, is just perfect. Racers is more thrilling at night and offers some gorgeous views of those rocks but that takes a backseat to the lighting.

1. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (DL)

For as much as I love Radiator Springs Racers at night, Big Thunder was an obvious pick at number one. This hits all of the criteria – the lighting on the mountain, the fire effects in the tunnel, the darkness adding to the thrill and the views of the rest of the park. Big Thunder is great no matter what time of day but is much better at night, under a great big moon as you zoom through the frontier.

What are your favorite Disneyland Resort attractions to ride at night? Let us know, along with any questions you might have, in the comments below. Planning a trip to Disneyland? Check out our Planning Guide here. Looking for discount tickets? Check out this site! If you enjoy what you are reading here on Wandering in Disney please share this post with your friends, as well as like our social media pages. You can also subscribe to the blog via WordPress or email. All of those links are on the right side of this page. Thank you for reading, we really appreciate it!