Space Mountain is a roller coaster that twists, turns and drops through the dark, making it hard to anticipate which way you might be going next. Overhead, stars twinkle in the darkness, shooting by as you fly through "space." This attraction does have a height requirement, although it varies from park to park, such as 40 inches at Disneyland and Tokyo Disneyland and 44 inches at Magic Kingdom. The track at Magic Kingdom was completely replaced and updated in 2009, offering a whole new experience.
Known for its catchy, easily stuck-in-your-head theme song, "it's a small world" takes you on a journey by boat through rooms decorated with singing, dancing audio-animatronic dolls representing the cultures of the world. There is no height or age limit for this slow-moving boat ride, so all ages can ride together. Walt Disney originally designed this attraction for the 1964-65 New York World's Fair, and it has since found its way into all five Disney park locations.
Pirates of the Caribbean served as the inspiration for the series of movies starring Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom and can be found in slightly different incarnations at all Disney locations except Hong Kong. This slow-moving boat ride drifts through a Caribbean town attacked by pirates, backed by the famous refrain of "Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me!" The ride does not have a height requirement, but some versions include small drops that parents may want to keep in mind.
The Haunted Mansion is the only attraction that is located in a different land at each park. Find it in Liberty Square at Walt Disney World, New Orleans Square at Disneyland, Fantasyland at Tokyo Disneyland and as "Phantom Manor" in Frontierland at Disneyland Paris. In this light-hearted take on a haunted house, you sit in a "doom buggy" to tour the sprawling mansion's ghost-filled rooms, including a ballroom of dancing ghosts. Although children of any age and height are allowed on this ride, the dark setting, spooky atmosphere and sound effects may be frightening to small children.
Although Splash Mountain is best-known for its climactic five-story drop and soaking splash at the bottom, you may find the rest of the 11-minute journey through the story of Br'er Rabbit just as much fun. While floating along in your eight passenger hollowed-out "log," you will also encounter two smaller drops and over 60 audio-animatronic characters that help tell the story, including a paddle-wheel showboat of singing characters welcoming you back from the drop to the tune of "Zip-a-Dee Doo-Dah." Splash Mountain can be found in Frontierland at the Magic Kingdom, and in Critter Country at Disneyland and Tokyo Disneyland with a height requirement of 40 inches in the two American parks and 35 inches in Japan.
