If you were to conduct a poll among Disney fans, I would guess that most would say that the original version in Disneyland is superior to its Florida cousin. But the one thing that I really like about the ride in Orlando is that the attraction floats through a "flooded room" vs. going through on a canal-like flume track. In other words, at Disney World, there's water for as far as the eye can see. That alone almost makes me like Disney World's version more than Disneyland's. The canal approach feels very dated and clunky.
The Disney World version also loads inside (though the line can stretch beyond that area) which is a nice plus.
But Disneyland's version has the huge facade that welcomes you to the attraction, featuring the clock that celebrates the arrival of each quarter hour as if it's New Year's Eve. Plus, it almost feels like it's a small world is an entire themed land unto itself as it is certainly a stand-alone attraction. (In Orlando, it feels very much like it has been shoved into a corner and can even be overlooked by guests.) Disneyland also has an additional twist which some love and some purists howl about. A few years ago, Disney added some characters from Disney animated movies into some of the scenes. So, for example, the Little Mermaid, Pinocchio and Woody make appearances. Personally, I like their presence and don't feel it's layering on a commercial plug. Guests attend Disney parks because they like Disney characters, after all. It makes a fun game to play, too, while sailing through to see if you can spot the Disney characters.So no winner will be declared with this attraction...beyond the guests themselves (OK, that's a little sappy, but so is the attraction itself...which is why I like it). It will forever be a multiple ride attraction for me whenever I visit either Disneyland or the Magic Kingdom in Orlando.
Thoughts? Do you think one is better than the other?
