When you think about Disney Parks, immersion is a word that frequently becomes synonymous with the experience. While the entertainment company has always been at the leading edge of a magical fusion between storytelling and reality, there is no denying that the time we spend in each attraction is becoming increasingly elaborate. There is no mistaking the finer touches of Disney Imagineering, catering to every one of your sensory needs in an unfathomable moment of entering the world of your favorite characters. Fiction becomes your temporary reality for a few moments of bliss as you physically step inside the fantastical stories held most dear.
Today, we are basking in the wonder of our Disney experiences and asking what you think is the most immersive attraction at a Disney theme park. The question might not be as easy to answer as you think. At first glance, a handful of rides probably come to mind, though picking the one truly worthy winner of the title is reasonably tricky. Let’s run through some of the more obvious options to get things rolling:
Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance
The Rise of the Resistance ride/walk-through experience has one of the longest attraction times (and wait times) of those in any Disney Park, and immersion into a galaxy far, far away is a key ingredient. Some argued that the niche market of Star Wars fans was not strong enough to sustain an entire new land replicated across both coasts. While that ultimately was true in the case of the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser hotel experience, the parks have proved that with a lot of imagineering, even non-Star Wars fanatics can find enjoyment and understanding in this multifaceted ride. The experience creates its own story, complete with beginning, middle, and end, so that guests with even the least amount of Star Wars knowledge can understand their surroundings and enjoy the ride.
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure
Though many Disney fans will know the character of Tiana from Disney’s Princess and the Frog, the new attraction, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, took the place of Disney’s older Splash Mountain and had more to prove from the beginning. Rather than a retelling of the original movie, the ride takes you on a new chapter in Tiana’s story, featuring next-level animatronics that help guests suspend their disbelief and embark on the latest iteration of this old ride structure. Committing to new music, storyline, and costumes, the ride is a departure from the expected, with a queuing experience that supports the narrative as you move step by step into Tiana’s evolving world.
Flight of Passage
Similar to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, Pandora, World of Avatar was an entire land, built to impress fans as a new IP was being introduced to a Disney Park. When Disney acquired the rights to Avatar, they needed to find a way to welcome this movie and its characters to the park gently. As Disney fans know, we fear change, so the final product needed to be impressive to win over a judgmental audience. Pandora made a home in Disney’s Animal Kingdom on a scale that left guests in awe. The environment won over every guest that left the Disney Park behind them, stepping into a brand new world of natural wonder. Though the ride Flight of Passage itself showcased (then) new technology that took guests on a wild ride, the land surrounding it, including immersive queueing space, had guests at hello, making them fans of the Avatar movie even without seeing it.
Haunted Mansion
Though this haunted experience is far from the latest and greatest Disney has to offer, they knew they had something special from the start. The Haunted Mansion, which appears in Disneyland Park and Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom, was one of the first attractions in a Disney Park to embrace that sense of pre-situational immersion that comes before the guest takes their seat on the ride itself. The story (that never originated from any Disney movie) evolves around you from the moment you step into the queue. From the original gravestones to the more modern interactive experience, the background to this happily haunted attraction unfolds around you in as much detail as you care to embrace. As you venture into the stretching room, there is no turning back as curiosity gets the better of you. The ride has been given countless upgrades over the years, though the originality of this all-encompassing experience that draws you in from the moment you enter the gates has always been one that sticks with fans well after they leave.
There are so many more, and the list goes on from the wonder and delight of Radiator Springs Racers in Cars Land to the elaborate queues and storytelling pre-shows of Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout and the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. The immersion factor is strong with Disney, and we want your help in pinpointing the best example of it.
As a Disney Parks fan, which attraction would you crown the most immersive experience and why?
