Waiting in line is a fact of life at Disneyland. But sometimes, the lines can be part of the fun! Different queuing spaces throughout the resort offer spectacular views of landscapes, and a few even have interactive features to explore. Here’s my list of the top 5 queues at the resort. Which are your favorites?
5. Space Mountain
I don’t know about you, but when I think about Disneyland coasters, Space Mountain is #1 on my list. And the line is designed to build your excitement. Full disclosure: the outside section of the line is absolutely miserable; you’re stuck between two white walls with nothing to look at, snaking back and forth at a painfully slow pace. But once you get into this building, the fun begins. You descend through through the high-deck space station until you reach the launch room. The music gets more and more dramatic as you get closer, and once you finally reach the launch room, you are ready for takeoff.
4. Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin
Every time you visit Roger Rabbit, the line will be different. On quieter days, you walk right up to the taxi station. And as the lines get longer, you weave through more and more of the full queue. I’ve only been through the entire queue once, and was amazed by how massive it is. There are tons of different alleyways, each taken out of scenes from the film. You walk through downtown Toontown, pass by the club where Jessica Rabbit performs, wind through the factory and avoid barrels of the legendary dip, and even peek into Baby Herman’s apartment. If you’re a fan of Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, you’ll have a blast finding all the easter eggs in this queue.
3. Radiator Springs Racers
Cars Land is definitely the most detailed land in California Adventure, and its largest attraction has the most detailed queue in the park. If you walk through the standby side, you’ll wind around a big rock formation, pass through a house made of glass bottles, and stand in view of Ornament Valley’s waterfall. On the standby or fast pass side, you’ll walk under the raceway’s finish line, loop up past the water tower, and make your way around to the starting block. There aren’t any interactive features in this queue, but the view from either side is absolutely beautiful, especially on a sunny afternoon.
2. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
Thunder Mountain is smack in the middle of the action in Disneyland; it sits right between Fantasyland, Frontierland’s main street way, and the Rivers of America. But even with the constant buzz, the queue for Thunder Mountain is amazingly isolated. Once you step down into the mining town, all you’ll hear is the roar of the train and the occasional chirps from the town shops. The gardens, facades, and dusty mountains make for a gorgeous backdrop as you wait in line.
1. Indiana Jones Adventure
Brave adventurers that dare enter the temple start their journey outside, wandering the dense jungle. These visitors then climb a rope bridge, and creep into the darkness of the ancient ruins. Each room inside the temple has different styling and different interactive features, from the shaky support beams in the cave to the dangling rope near the projection room. And on top of the gags, each room is also stunning and full of detail. You’ll see sweeping cobwebs, fading murals, and even a long abandoned office. In short, you’re in for an adventure before you ever set foot in your jeep.
I personally hate the space mountain line. I think it’s a small world is the best.
It’s A Small World was definitely a contender for me, Billie! I ultimately left it off the list because the line is so stationary. All of the queues I picked move you through different scenes or rooms. It’s A Small World has a gorgeous exterior, but you weave back and forth in front of the same building without anything new to see.