There seems to have been a trend in recent years that when the NCAA March Madness tournament rolls around, there also pops up tournament brackets where Disney attractions are pitted head-to-head. For several years, Disney ran an official tournament of this type on both Disneyland and Walt Disney World social media pages, but despite it's apparent popularity, there hasn't been one this year (and last year's was pretty subdued anyway). To fill the gap, I've seen a few people do tournament brackets of their own, but so far, I have only come across ones based on Walt Disney World attractions. So, I decided to make a tournament of my own, based solely on rides and shows at the Disneyland Resort. Prepare for.....
The Disneyland Resort Attractions Throwdown!
*cue dramatic music and lightning bolts*
Alright, so here'show it goes. I've prepared a list (with some help) of current rides and shows in Disneyland and California Adventure. It was decided to include only the most current form of the ride/show, for example, using the Incredicoaster in place of California Screamin'. However, since some of these are new enough that people may not have ridden them (especially in the case of Pixar Pier rethemes), you are certainly allowed to consider past incarnations when making decisions in each matchup.
So each day I'll post a few new pairs of attractions (we'll be starting at four a day so this doesn't take forever), and you can vote for one option of each battle. Voting will be done in the comments, and those that show up within 24 hours will be included with votes from other sources to determine winners each round. I'm going to post on here brief (hopefully) comments on each ride and my personal preference as we progress. Annnnnnnd..... that's all I can think of regarding rules, so let's get going into our first battles!
Match 1:
"it's a small world"
vs.
Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters
My personal pick here is Buzz Lightyear. "it's a small world" is definitely a Disney classic, and I love the connection to the 1964-1965 New York Worlds Fair. However, as much as I love the Sherman brothers, that song gets pretty annoying. I'd probably go on this maybe once a trip, if the line is short. On the other hand, I love Astro Blasters, especially playing against someone I can beat the pants off of. Besides the fact that Astro Blasters in California is definitely better than the Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin version of the same ride in Florida.
Match 2:
Splash Mountain
vs.
Rodger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin
This is a little harder. Rodger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin is a fun ride, and a bit of a hidden gem. It's definitely the best thing available in Toontown these days, and I do love the movie Who Framed Rodger Rabbit? However, the best part of this ride is the effects. There are some really cool cartoon effects, the best of which is Rodger Rabbit summoning a tunnel out of nowhere at the end of the ride. Splash Mountain is another excellent ride, and I definitely enjoy it on a regular basis. The queue is well themed, and the drop at the end is really fun. It's always a gamble for me whether or not I will get soaked on that part. Side stories, I once got stuck for a significant length of time at the base of the final lift when it broke down once, which was the first time I remember getting evac-ed from a ride. Also, if you want to hear an excellent comedian joke about Splash Mountain, Gabriel Iglesias has a part of one of his stand-up comedy specials that is hilarious. Ultimately, Splash gets my vote, but only by a small margin.
Match 3:
The Little Mermaid - Ariel's Undersea Adventure
vs.
Disneyland Railroad
Ooh, another good matchup. I did randomize these, I promise. Anyway, Disneyland Railroad definitely nails the nostalgia factor. I told you, the 1964-1965 New York Worlds Fair does it for me every time. The whole Primeval World segment of the railroad premiered at that fair as part of a separate ride for Ford, but was moved to Disneyland afterward and was added to the Railroad. At Walt Disney World, I use the railroad simply for the transportation factor, but in Disneyland, I actually enjoy the ride and the scenery. I'm really excited to see the new trestle bridge and updated Rivers of America scenes after the construction for Galaxy's Edge. The Little Mermaid I love for entirely separate reasons. Starting out as the show Golden Dreams, the only thing that remained after demolition and construction of the new ride was the recreation of the Palace of Fine Arts Dome in San Francisco, which I always loved. There's a lot of really cool technology that went into this ride, and I love the Ursula animatronic in "Poor Unfortunate Souls." However, the story is a little abrupt in it's ending, and the queue is much cooler in Walt Disney World. Therefore, I'm giving it to the Railroad.
Match 4:
Sailing Ship Columbia
vs.
Tarzan's Treehouse
I don't really have anything to say here, neither of these are rides that I enjoy. I do remember when Tarzan's Treehouse opened up, having been the Swiss Family Treehouse before that. Either way, climbing isn't really my thing. Last time I went, it was way too many stairs for my taste, so I'm going with Sailing Ship Columbia out of laziness. But I do enjoy the use of the Columbia for it's use in Fantasmic! (more so the previous version than the new one, albeit I haven't seen the new version of the show in person yet).
So that's it for the first four battles. What are your preferences and the reasons behind them?
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