Disneyland Rides You Can Skip & The Ones That Are A Mistake To Miss

There is so much to see and do at Disney's theme parks, and obviously we want to do it all. Unfortunately, trying to fit every single attraction, show, parade, or experience into a one day itinerary is a recipe for disappointment. Planning a Disneyland vacation is all about prioritizing experiences, and as a Disney Parks regular, the first piece of advice I give my friends and family members is to make a list of must-dos.

Every attraction has its merits, but knowing which ones it won't break your heart to skip can help you focus on enjoying your must-dos. If you're fortunate enough to have several days to spend at Disneyland, you may not have to skip anything, but if time is a factor, this list is for you!

Prioritizing Attractions at Disneyland

As a resident of the Appalachian Mountain area, I personally visit Disney World more often, so when I go to Disneyland, I really want to get my fill of my favorite West Coast Disney rides. Many of the following attractions fall into the if-I-have-time category, as they're rides I love and enjoy, but on a list of my priorities they just don't stack up next to those classic dark rides or big thrills. Keep in mind I didn't grow up visiting Disneyland, so despite my appreciation for Disney history and classic attractions, I don't associate the same level of nostalgia with some of these that locals might.

Rides To Skip—Dumbo

While Dumbo is a 1955 Disneyland icon, so is King Arthur's Carousel—and my kids could ride it thrice in the time it takes to board one of these adorable flying elephants. It's yet another expendable mid-way style flying spinner, and although we love that it exists in Disneyland, there are bigger proverbial fish to fry at the happiest place on Earth. Save sweet Dumbo for a visit to Walt Disney World, where there is double the loading capacity plus an air-conditioned indoor playground to enjoy while you wait for your turn to ride.

Rides To Skip—Autopia

This inclusion might elicit some protests from those whose first time behind the wheel of a car was in one of these deafening, carbon-emitting roadsters, but despite its preferable scenery to Disney World's lackluster Tomorrowland Speedway track, Autopia is still a sensory nightmare and a bit of a snoozefest.

Between its 7-miles-an hour speed and the fact that these cars tend to pile up at the end of the ride, this attraction is also a time-suck.

Rides To Skip—Casey Jr. Circus Train

This ornate little locomotive is as cute as a button, and as much as I hate to skip it, you can see most of the same sights from a closer vantage point on the Storybook Land Canal Boats. Casey Jr. winds around the neatly manicured landscape, giving guests views of the enchanting miniature story models from the rolling hills above the canal.

It's also worth noting that this tiny circus train isn't the only one at Disneyland. A legitimate means of transportation around the park, Disneyland Railroad offers a vintage steam train experience, along with views of the Rivers of America and an encounter with prehistoric audio-animatronic dinosaurs in Walt Disney's fabled Grand Canyon and Primeval World dioramas.

Rides To Skip—Rivers of America Boats

Guests can board one of three vessels for a tour of this charming waterway surrounding Tom Sawyer Island. The Mark Twain Riverboat is a beautiful reproduction of a steam-powered 19th century paddle boat with three levels open to guest exploration and seating on the lower deck. It has the largest capacity of the three transportation options that take guests through the river, which means it requires the least amount of wait time. Since it doesn't feature loud explosions or physical exertion, it's also probably the most peaceful.

However, as a fully-rigged replica of the first American ship to sail around the world, the Sailing Ship Columbia is more exciting, and if you have the time for a real adventure, Davy Crockett's Explorer Canoes offer guests a chance to paddle their way around the Rivers of America in a free-floating canoe.

All three are fun experiences that allow guests to view waterfalls, a Native American village, a host of animatronic frontier animals, and more along the edge of the river, but there are other ways to see the sights along the banks, and if you want to take the time to board a boat, I suggest traveling by log raft across the river to explore Pirate's Lair on Tom Sawyer Island instead.

Rides To Skip—Astro Orbitor

These shiny rockets might encapsulate the Tomorrowland theme, but without the added element of soaring high above the futuristic sky-scape, Disneyland's Astro-Orbitor is just another spinner. Rides that travel in circles around a fixed center are a dime a dozen, and there are so many other classic and innovative attractions available at this park, it makes sense to skip the considerable loading time on this ride in favor of others. It does provide a nice visual aesthetic, though—especially at night.

Rides To Skip—Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage

I really want to love this ride because of its historical value (and because I'm a big fan of a certain orange clownfish family and their forgetful blue tang friend). But the truth is if I never ride this floating hotbox again, it will be too soon.

For starters, because of the extremely limited capacity onboard these cheery yellow “submarines,” it takes an age to make it through the queue. Once on board, claustrophobia sets in as you vie for tiny porthole viewing privileges against strangers whose faces are inches from yours. The underwater scenes are colorful and fun, if you're able to catch a glimpse, but I prefer the EPCOT version of this ride, during which you board clamshells that travel through scenes from the Pixar movie inside a giant aquarium filled with real fish.

Rides To Skip—Chip ‘n' Dale's GADGETcoaster

Another Toontown attraction and blast from my personal past, this bright and happy kiddie coaster is a thematic throwback to Chip ‘n' Dale's Rescue Rangers, and as such, I have to love it for its late 80's/early 90's Disney Afternoon appeal.

This ride is fun diversion if you're already in Toontown and the wait time is low, but it's not one you should go out of your way to ride unless you have young kids who love Chip and Dale or kids who are still too small or too nervous to ride more intense Disneyland rollercoasters like Big Thunder Mountain Railroad or Space Mountain.

Rides To Skip—Mad Tea Party

I know this one is considered to be a quintessential Disneyland original, and many people feel riding the teacups, like Dumbo, is a rite of passage for Disneyland first-timers.

Although the color palette on this classic 1955 attraction is terrific eye candy, especially when the hanging lanterns are glowing at night, unless you have a strong emotional connection to spinning in circles until you're nauseous, consider passing this one up in favor of the Alice in Wonderland dark ride. Mad Tea Party can be a good filler attraction during peak crowd times or in a rider swap situation, when one parent is on a thrill ride and the other is trying to find something to do with the kids in the meantime, but overall, it's better enjoyed watching from the sidelines.

Rides To Skip—Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin

I'm pleased that Roger Rabbit still has a presence at Disneyland, and I enjoy the 80's nostalgia of animated blacklit scenes from the movie I watched at my first official slumber party.

If I have some spare time to spend in Mickey's Toontown, I'm taking a whirl through this trippy funhouse, but given the the relative popularity of this ride—probably due to its location and multi-generational appeal—the wait times can be elevated. There are other rides I would rather experience, like Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters, which is much easier to spin and gives guests the opportunity to compete in an arcade-style shoot-out game in competition against other members of their party.

Rides To Skip—Star Tours

Star Tours: The Adventures Continue seems a bit lost over in Tomorrowland these days with Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge completely across the map. It's still a fun attraction that boasts a certain level of re-rideability (if you can stomach it) because of its randomized story components, but if you're already planning to ride Millennium Falcon: Smuggler's Run, which is also a motion simulator style Star Wars ride—only inside the Millennium Falcon—Star Tours might feel somewhat redundant.

Skipping some of these lesser rides at Disneyland can help you save time for the headliner attractions on your “must-do” list. Here are a few of the ones you don't want to miss!

Rides You Can't Miss—Indiana Jones Adventure

Nearly two decades after its opening, Indy's rugged military transport is still one of the most innovative ride vehicles out there. Disney World's Dinosaur attraction at Animal Kingdom uses an identical Advanced Motion Vehicle (EMV), but it's in such disrepair, Disney regulars are beginning to speculate about its imminent removal – or replacement. There's also a nearly identical Indiana Jones attraction at Tokyo DisneySea, but its vehicles use linear-inductive actuators instead of the hydraulic rams used on the Disneyland original.

Aside from the thrills provided by the unpredictable motion of the military transport as it simulates driving at varying speeds over rough terrain, the theming on Indiana Jones is masterfully Imagineered and is everything fans of the movies might expect and more: an ancient temple full of booby traps, disgruntled deities, mummies, rats, giant bugs, an enormous rolling boulder, and of course, snakes! Indiana Jones Adventure has also been recently refurbished to include a new scene and enhanced special effects.

Wait times on this attraction stay fairly high throughout the day, and due to its technical elements, it's prone to breakdowns, but most are resolved in a reasonable amount of time. Thankfully, its queue area, which winds through cool caves and temple passageways, offers plenty of visual stimulation, from stone figures to narrative paintings and even a few fun interactive surprises. Just remember to disregard any signage instructing you not to touch things in the queue!

Rides You Can't Miss—Pirates of the Caribbean

This immersive nautical journey into a romanticized Golden Age of Piracy has been captivating guests for over 50 years. Used as the gold standard of Imagineering, the elaborate Pirates of the Caribbean is the last attraction Walt Disney himself oversaw.

A variety of ride elements, including its peaceful Bayou beginning, foreboding narration, waterfall drops, mysterious undead pirates, action sequences, light-hearted burning village scene, and rollicking sea shanty give it multi-generational appeal, making it the perfect attraction for families to enjoy together. These moments from the ride are so iconic that they inspired references in the Pirates of the Caribbean movies!

If you're considering skipping this one because you've already experienced the Magic Kingdom attraction at Disney World, don't! Disneyland's version is significantly longer and more detailed, and there are two waterfall plunges to rival Disney World's single drop.

Rides You Can't Miss—it's a small world

This classic ride is a bona fide work of art featuring the color stylings and geometric backgrounds of Disney legend Mary Blair. Its striking façade showcases a number of delightful effects and moving parts, including a 30-foot clock tower that opens every quarter hour to reveal a troop of drumming toy soldiers and a procession of dancing cultural figures around its base.

Inside, almost 300 child-like dolls dressed in authentic clothing from nations around the globe serenade guests with various renditions of the Sherman Brothers' ode to world peace in their native languages. The song may seem repetitive to some, but I personally find the simple expression of the shared human experience in its lyrics to be profoundly comforting.

Disneyland's gorgeous outdoor portion of the ride and character cameos from various animated Disney films in their respective countries make it a favorite I never want to miss. Festive holiday lighting and region-specific seasonal décor add even more charm to this (literal) sparkling gem of an attraction during the holiday season.

The beloved it's a small world is one of the rides that are not to be missed for the full Disneyland experience.

Rides You Can't Miss—Haunted Mansion

A classic with a cult following and a new film based on the attraction in theaters, Disneyland's Haunted Mansion may be a bit shorter than the gothic Liberty Square version in the Magic Kingdom, but the stately antebellum mansion does have an actual elevator in its stretching room, versus the static illusion at Disney World.

The Haunted Mansion holds many spooky secrets—you might be surprised by the ones you don't know!

The infamous hat-box ghost is also an exclusive resident of New Orleans Square (for now), and the Nightmare Before Christmas holiday overlay is absolutely worth a visit from late summer-early winter.

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