What Rides are the Same at Disney World and Disneyland?

Disney World in Central Florida and Disneyland in Southern California share tons of rides over their six combined theme parks. In this article, I’ll cover which rides are exactly the same, which ones are basically the same but with notable differences, and which rides share similarities but the experience is completely different.

*means I know these rides aren’t at all the same, but I wanted to talk about their similarities for your (or maybe just my) enjoyment.

I’m writing from the perspective of someone familiar with Disney World but new to Disneyland because...I’m extremely familiar with Disney World and new to Disneyland. Since I live on the east coast, it's much easier to get to Orlando than the west coast. I’ll outline it based on each area of Disneyland Resort’s two theme parks: Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park. Here's the list of rides with a little description of the differences and possibly my opinion as which are better attractions.

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Disneyland

 Disneyland Train

This is similar to the Walt Disney World Train in the Magic Kingdom park, with scenic differences. Walt loved trains. Both trains go around their respective parks and have multiple stations.

Monorail

The Disneyland train looks cooler and has better views of the parks but is less useful as a mode of transportation from park to resorts and other parks. It goes from Disneyland to Downtown Disney, showing lots of the park and resorts along the way.

Same concept, but Disney World’s monorail is more useful.

Fantasyland

Dumbo

This is the same ride as Magic Kingdom’s in Storybook Circus, but without the cool playground. This is one of my son’s favorite rides in either park.

The little guy loves Dumbo!

King Arthur Carrousel

This is basically the same ride as Prince Charming’s Regal Carrousel in Magic Kingdom. Spelling carrousel with 2 r’s (instead of one, like Carousel of Progress) is French. This makes sense for Prince Charming but not for Arthur. That’s why not many Brits visited Disneyland during the Middle Ages.

Peter Pan’s Flight

This is the same ride, but the indoor queue at Disney World is much more immersive.

It’s a Small World

This ride has a much more beautiful façade at Disneyland, and the ride is much longer. We had the luck/misfortune of getting stuck on it at the end of the ride, just as the fireworks were going off. If you don’t know, Disneyland does projections on the It’s a Small World ride just like they do on the castle, so we accidentally got a front row seat.

We found Stitch at Disneyland’s version. Disney World does not have these hidden characters.

*Matterhorn Bobsleds

The Matterhorn is an amazingly innovative ride that looks exactly like a miniature version of the famous Swiss Mountain. It’s a bobsled ride that takes you through twists and turns, past a yeti, and into some water at the end.

There’s no Matterhorn at Disney World. I added to the list because Disney’s Animal Kingdom has Expedition Everest, which, no offense to the history of Matterhorn, is one the best roller coasters I’ve ever ridden. It also goes through a mountain façade and also features a yeti. It’s a much more exciting and less painful coaster, and you don’t get wet.

Mad Tea Party

This is basically the same nausea-inducing ride (if you do it ride), but it’s outdoors, and it looks beautiful at night in Disneyland. Spin fast at your own risk.

We love how beautiful the Disneyland version is at night.

Adventureland

Jungle Cruise

This is basically the same ride with animatronic animals and awesome dad jokes (and the only places on Earth to experience the backside of water). However, if you’re at Disneyland, you should give it a go because it was one of Walt’s favorites. There’s so much history in this ride.

Adventureland Treehouse

This is the same as the treehouse in Disney World, except it’s not nearly as tall, and they won’t let you on it during shows. At Disney World, it’s a great place to watch the fireworks. My son loved the Disneyland ostrich…and was also terrified of it.

New Orleans Square

Pirates of the Caribbean

This is a similar ride to Disney World, except it’s much longer, includes more drops, and somehow starts out in the Bayou of the Mississippi River. I don’t remember many pirate legends involving the Mississippi, but the Blue Bayou restaurant makes it worth it.

Pirates of the Caribbean is a longer ride at Disneyland, incorporating this Bayou area through the Blue Bayou restaurant. (We loved both the ride and the restaurant)

Haunted Mansion

The same ride can be found in Magic Kingdom. Lots of ghosts. Lots of ghost-related humor. It’s an absolute must at either park. They do a holiday version at Disneyland in the fall and Christmas season.

My favorite part is the creative use of technology to make the specters appear.

*Indiana Jones Adventure

There’s no Indiana Jones ride at Disney World yet. However, it follows the same track as the Dinosaur ride. However, in my opinion it’s a much better ride. Rumors abound (at time of writing) that Dinosaur will go extinct and become the Indiana Jones ride.

Critter Country

Tiana’s Bayou Adventure

The iconic Splash Mountain has been converted into Tiana’s Bayou Adventure at both parks. It incorporates the giant splash at the end, but the new ride involves incredible new animatronics and draws on the wildly popular Princess and Frog movie.

Winnie the Pooh

It’s the same ride as found in Magic Kingdom at Disney World. For whatever reason, the Heffalump scene scared my daughter beyond reason.

Frontierland

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad

This is a very similar ride to the roller coaster in Disney World. The track is different, and the ridiculously loud volume of the ride in Magic Kingdom is absent in Disneyland. Therefore, I liked it better. The queue is also not as blisteringly hot.

This is one of my daughters’ favorite rides at either park.

Mark Twain Riverboat

The boat is basically the same as the Liberty Square boat in Disney World. It’s a fun nod to the riverboats that Creedence Clearwater and Tina Turner sang about (or Mark Twain wrote about).

Tom Sawyer’s Island

Both Disney World and Disneyland have Tom Sawyer’s Island. The Disney World version has a fort dedicated to one of my childhood heroes, Davy Crockett. However, the Disneyland version is a pirate-themed adventure featuring incredibly narrow caves that feel real. I loved exploring the Disneyland version with my kids, even when I was scared I wouldn’t fit through the paths.

Toontown

Let me pause for a second and say, as a father of a toddler, Toontown was one of the coolest areas I’ve ever been in. My son loved all of the playgrounds and cartoon houses. Also, the façade in the background was so realistic that the actual sky looked fake.

Toontown facade messed with our eyes. Are the hills real or the sky fake?

Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway

This is the same ride as Disney’s Hollywood Studios. However, the queue was indoors and had lots of hidden decorations that my oldest daughter loved. We got stuck on it, and were rewarded with an extra ride.

These clever posters are all over the walls in Disneyland’s Runaway Railway Queue. My daughters made us do standby just to see them.

*Chip and Dale’s GADGETcoaster

This short coaster can’t be found in Disney World. However, it serves the same purpose as Goofy’s Barnstormer at Disney World. It’s a kiddie coaster with a low height restriction. As it turns out, it was my toddler son’s first roller coaster, and he loved it. It’s far superior to Barnstormer because it didn’t hurt my back. Also, I loved Rescue Rangers, so I relived my childhood here.

Tomorrowland

Astro Oribitor

Astro Orbitor is the most prominent ride in Tomorrowland at Disneyland, right in front of Tomorrowland. It’s much better looking than Magic Kingdom’s version. However, the Magic Kingdom version offers views of Disney World far superior to the Disneyland version.

Disneyland and Disney World’s Astro Orbiters. Disney World’s is up on a building and offers us beautiful views.

Star Tours

This is the exact same ride you can find at Disney World’s Hollywood Studios. It’s old, but they keep updating it to make it an exciting ride (unless you’re prone to simulation motion sickness). I don’t understand why they don’t move the ride to Galaxy’s Edge at either park. They can move Carousel of Progress across the country but can’t move this ride to where it belongs.

Space Mountain

This is the same ride as Disney World, except it’s a little bit faster and people can ride side-by-side. During May and June, it becomes a Star Wars-themed Hyperspace Mountain at Disneyland.

Autopia

This is basically the same ride as Tomorrowland Speedway in Magic Kingdom but with a few key differences. It’s a much more exciting ride with interesting terrain, and the weather doesn’t melt you into the car like it does in Orlando.

Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters

This is the same as Magic Kingdom’s Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin, except that the guns aren’t fixed. I don’t need that. Obviously.

I’m a Galactic Hero.

Galaxy’s Edge

You’ll find an almost identical Galaxy’s Edge at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. As a Disney World vet, it felt weird to see it in Disneyland, but it’s awesome. However, the rides here are exactly the same.

Rise of the Resistance

It’s the same ride as found in Hollywood Studios, and it’s awesome…if it’s running.

Millenium Falcon- Smugglers Run

It’s the same ride as Hollywood Studios, except this is the first time I forced my kids to let me drive, so we had a much better score.

Disney California Adventure

Now we move on to Disneyland Resort’s other park, Disney California Adventure. This park features rides that focus on the glamor and topography of California. I love it almost as much as I love EPCOT. Almost.

Cars Land

Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree

This is the same idea as the Aliens’ Swirling Saucers in Toy Story Land of Hollywood Studios. It’s a fun ride where you get thrown about on a trailer behind a tractor from the franchise Cars. Even though it’s not shaded like Hollywood Studios, I prefer it because Mater is one of my son’s favorite characters.

*Radiator Springs Racers

There’s no Radiator Springs Racers in Disney World. This awesome ride takes you through areas of the characters from Cars and then speeds up through an amazing Disney façade of Radiator Springs that looks exactly like the California desert.

My daughter and I on the fast part of Radiator Springs Racers.

I included it in this list because the ride technology is very similar to Test Track in Disney World’s EPCOT. It’s a much more creative ride than Test Track, but doesn’t have the thrills that Test Track offers (which is the fastest ride in Disney World).

Avengers Campus

Guardians of the Galaxy- Mission: Breakout!

This is an interesting one because it’s the same apparatus as Hollywood Studios’ Tower of Terror, except that it’s far less creepy and more fun because of the Guardians theme. It has the same elevator drop/bounce. The Disneyland version also removes some preliminary riding around that takes you into the Twilight Zone in Disney World.

However, I need to address that EPCOT has Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind (and is nothing like Mission: Breakout), which is the best roller coaster in either park. In my family’s opinion, Mission: Breakout! is the best ride in Disneyland. Apparently for us, if it’s Guardians, it’s the best ride on Disney property.

Pixar Pier

Toy Story Midway Mania

This is the same amazing video game shooter as Toy Story Mania in Hollywood Studios. At either venue, I will defeat my family. Sorry, not sorry.

Paradise Gardens Park

*Goofy’s Sky School

One could make the comparison between this and Barnstormer in Magic Kingdom. I mentioned earlier that I thought GADGETcoaster was far superior to Barnstormer. Sky School, on the other hand, was more pathetic than most county fair rides that I have ridden. Sorry to say this, but the track is an embarrassment to Disney. Its height restriction is higher than Barnstormer, so fewer little kids can ride. It was an incredible mix of boring and worried that it was going to break and kill us all.

The Little Mermaid- Ariel’s Undersea Adventure

This is the exact same ride through the movie as found in Magic Kingdom. The only difference is that Disney World’s version has a better queue with aesthetics and a holographic crab that you chase while you wait.

My wife and two of my kids enjoying the Ariel ride at Disney World.

Grizzly Peak

*Grizzly River Run

This ride is an awesome rafting ride that soaks you. I added it to the list because it’s very similar to Animal Kingdom’s Kali River Rapids, but with different theming. If you want to get drenched, head here.

Soarin’

Soarin’ is a phenomenal ride at Disney California Adventure and in EPCOT at Disney World. Recently, both parks have been alternating between Soarin’ over California and Soarin’ Around the World. California purists will say that the California version is better because there’s less CGI. I don’t care. I like flying over the Matterhorn and smelling the Taj Mahal more.

If you sit too far to the right like us, you get to see a bendy Eiffel Tower.

Shows that Disneyland and Disney World Both Have

This article is mostly about rides. However, there are also shows that both parks share in common. Disney California Adventure and EPCOT both have Turtle Talk with Crush, which is a phenomenal show where the turtle interacts with guests in real time, resulting in hysterical antics.

Both resorts also have Mickey’s Philharmagic, a wonderful journey through some of the best animated movies. They also both have the iconic Enchanted Tiki Room. Also, Disneyland has Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln on Main Street, while Disney World has the Hall of Presidents. Both are amazing historical experiences.

Finally, both Disney World and Disneyland have fireworks at the castle (or in Disneyland’s case, at it’s a small world and Galaxy’s Edge). They also both have Fantasmic, a wonderful show that showcases Mickey’s magic and characters dealing with villains. Fantasmic, in my opinion, is far better at Disney World, where you sit in amphitheater instead of fighting for viewing areas.

Conclusion and Further Reading

This article hopefully helps you understand the similarities and differences between rides and attractions that both Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort have at their respective theme parks. I hope it also gave you great options for which rides to do and which ones to skip. A don't forget that there are tons of things that are different. Both resorts have unique rides and experiences that the others don't have in their iconic Disney parks. They both have resort hotels that are very different from each other, and Disney World even has water parks! They both make an amazing Disney destination, so I hope you get a chance to try them both.

If you want to read more, check out my scariest rides at Disney World list or my Magic Kingdom vs Disneyland article.

Let me know your thoughts in the comments.