By Lara McClendon, a Marvelous Mouse Travels agent
When your travel agent is planning a trip for you to Disneyland, thrill rides aren’t usually the first thing that you think about. Mickey Mouse, Princesses, and Dumbo-type rides often come to mind before scary rides do. But don’t be fooled! Between Disneyland Park and California Adventure, there are plenty of incredibly thrilling rides waiting for you. If you have older kids that want action-packed days, you won’t be disappointed.
In Disneyland, you have the mountains – Splash Mountain (although closed to reimagine to Tiana’s Bayou Adventure), Matterhorn Bobsleds (the first tubular steel track roller coaster in the world), Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (Watch for Billy the Goat and keep your eye on him all the way as you pass him for a greater feeling of disorientation!), and, of course, Space Mountain (riding through the dark on a roller coaster is about as thrilling as you can get!)
A thrill seeker also can’t leave Disneyland without going on Indiana Jones Adventure. Hold on as you climb aboard a jeep with 11 other adventurers as you ride through the temple - twisting, turning, and bumping along the way. Watch out for the natives with their air darts, rolling boulders, and, of course…. Snakes.
Make sure your travel agent books you park hopper passes because, after Disneyland, you can take a minute stroll and pop right across the courtyard to California Adventure where even bigger thrill rides await.
On a hot day, Grizzly River Run is a fantastic way to cool off – because you for sure will be getting wet on this river rapids ride through the Grizzly Peak canyon!
Once you’ve mastered the river, head to Pixar Pier where two of the best thrill rides live. Everyone has gorgeous photos of the famous Mickey Ferris Wheel, Pixar Pal-A-Round. From a distance, this ride looks innocent enough, but if you look closely, you will see that some of the cars don’t adhere to the traditional ferris wheel rules. If you are brave enough to go on one of the swinging cars, be prepared! These cars are on tracks that rotate and allow for the cars to “fall” down the track as the wheel spins.
Incredicoaster is right across the way from the ferris wheel and is your typical roller coaster. Except that this one launches you from 0mph to 55mph in just 4 seconds right at the start. Stand on the pier and watch as thrill seekers take off on this incredible ride. From the sidelines, it looks fast enough, but just wait until you’re actually on it! This ride is even better at night with the lights of the pier all around. And be sure to smell the Jack Jack chocolate chip cookie smell as you head through the second tunnel on the ride.
Saving the best for last, the Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout is a favorite ride of many park goers. Formerly the Tower of Tower (which you can still experience in Hollywood Studios in Florida), this ride was reimagined to a Guardians of The Galaxy theme in 2017. Now you follow the Guardians as they try to break out of captivity and feel the drops over and over as the Gantry encounters scenes of the Guardians in different situations. All of this happens while listening to one of 6 songs from the Guardians of the Galaxy soundtrack, picked at random, so you can feel like you get a different ride each time. You will easily be screaming and laughing at the same time on this fun filled thrill ride.
Maybe, just maybe, after all of these exciting attractions, your teenager might even be ready for a nice jaunt on Peter Pan for nostalgia’s sake! Young and old alike can enjoy all the different rides Disneyland And California Adventure have to offer. Reach out to your Marvelous Mouse travel agent today and let them help you plan this thrill-seeking trip!
