Top 10 Disneyland Rides at Night
Some attractions at Disneyland are better at night. Actually, just about all of the ones that take place at least partially outdoors are better after the sun goes down. This list ranks the 10 best nighttime rides at Disneyland in California. (Updated November 21, 2023.)
Disneyland having so many rides that are great at night is probably because the park, as a whole, is better at night. During the evening, Disneyland comes alive with vibrant color from the show lighting, fireworks, and other nighttime entertainment that just seems to give the park a jolt of energy.
Not only that, and maybe it’s just me, but it seems like aspects of the Disneyland experience are “heightened.” The background music is louder, the scents are more fragrant, and Disneyland simultaneously feels more tranquil yet somehow more alive. In short, Disneyland is just flat out better at night.
There are literally entire lands that are superior after sunset. The top of my list would be Fantasyland, which feels more magical (especially in the last two hours of the evening when the crowds have cleared out). Followed closely behind that would be both New Orleans Square and Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.
While I can’t entirely put my finger on why the whole experience is just better at night, there are some specific attractions I can point to as being better at night, along with reasons why they are better at night. Here’s the list of the top 10 Disneyland attractions that are better at night…
BONUS: Tiana’s Bayou Adventure
Opening in 2024, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is the Princess and the Frog reimagined ride that replaces Splash Mountain at Disneyland. While the indoor show scenes will be dramatically different and it’s currently impossible to say whether those will be better or worse (it’s a high bar, but we’re hoping better!), we already know that the outside sections will be substantially the same.
My favorite parts of this attraction at night are at the leisurely beginning of the attraction, and the end after the drop when you are in a lower area passing through Frontierland. If you can keep your eyes open, the top of the drop also affords a stunning view of Disneyland as a whole.
BONUS: Mark Twain Riverboat
This doesn’t make the official list because it’s incredibly elusive. There are basically two times when you can ride the Mark Twain Riverboat at night. The first is during the winter, when sunset happens earlier and the schedule is such that the final cruises end around dusk.
The other is when Fantasmic is not being performed for whatever reason. Regardless, if you’re able to do a sunset/dusk/nighttime cruise aboard the Mark Twain Riverboat (or Sailing Ship Columbia, for that matter), we highly recommend doing it. Pure magic that’s easily a top 5 entry on this list.
10. Haunted Mansion
Given that Haunted Mansion is an attraction that takes place entirely indoors, this choice might seem a bit suspect. Okay, really suspect. But hear me out. The Haunted Mansion’s queue has much spookier ambiance at night, and general whole ‘aura of foreboding’ thing just seems to be stronger then.
However, that’s not the main reason that Haunted Mansion is better at night. It’s because you can see more detail in the Haunted Mansion, especially in the dark graveyard scenes, because your eyes have adjusted to darkness in advance. Why does this happen? Probably science or some other dark art.
If this list had 15 entries, I’d be inclined to include Pirates of the Caribbean for the exact same reason. Along with pretty much all of Fantasyland, and the new-look Adventureland Treehouse. (Not technically a ride, but an amazing attraction at night!)
9. Alice in Wonderland
Here’s another “hear me out” entry. Sure, it would be easy to give this to King Arthur Carrousel, a quintessential ride located dead-center in Fantasyland behind Sleeping Beauty Castle. And I’m not here to tell you not to do that at night. You should!
However, there is something that is pure magic about emerging from the indoor portion of the Alice in Wonderland dark ride to those few seconds descending down the outside path to the grand finale. You have a brief bird’s eye view of this corner of Fantasyland and it just puts a smile on your face. It’s impossible to explain, but once you experience it, you know exactly what makes this so special.
8. Disneyland Monorail
The Disneyland Monorail makes the list because of the great, elevated view it offers of other locations throughout both Disneyland and Disney California Adventure (and because the backstage views are more palatable at night when you can’t see as much). The best of these views occur throughout Tomorrowland and bits of Fantasyland as the monorail weaves in and out of tree-covered areas and over the submarine lagoon.
The split-second view of the Pan Pacific turnstiles at Disney California Adventure with Carthay Theater and the Cadillac Mountain Range of Cars Land lined up perfectly is another great nighttime view. Feeling the evening California air of an open monorail window really makes this whole experience feel like the perfect ‘highway in the sky’ ride.
7. ‘it’s a small world’
‘It’s a small world’ is an attraction that is predominantly indoors, but it still makes it into a high slot. Pretty much the sole reason for that is ‘it’s a small world’ holiday, when the facade of the attraction is decked out in thousands of beautiful lights.
You’re only floating through these lights for a couple of minutes, but seeing the lights reflect off the water and being so close to so many bright lights (you might want to put in your sunglasses!) is a really great experience, and is one of my favorite holiday “moments” at Disneyland. The rest of the year, the outdoor portions of ‘it’s a small world’ are nice at night, but they’re not impressive enough to even land the attraction a spot on this top 10. It’s all about the Christmas lights!
6. Mad Tea Party
Mad Tea Party at nighttime is a Disneyland rite of passage. Sorry to those with motion sickness, but I don’t make the rules. You must do this if you’re going to be an “official” Disneyland fan.
Okay okay, you can just stand in this spot and watch from the outside. That’s arguably the better experience at night, as you have views of the teacups, monorail, and Matterhorn all at once. Disneyland’s kinetic energy remains undefeated.
5. Astro Orbitor or Dumbo
Astro Orbitor is just a simple spinner attraction, but thanks to its location at the edge of Tomorrowland offering views of both Sleeping Beauty Castle and the neon of Tomorrowland, it makes the list.
It would score even higher if it were still on its elevated platform within Tomorrowland, which would offer an even better view of the whole park. Bonus points if you ride during the fireworks.
Ditto Dumbo, for pretty much all of that. Similarly great views, albeit from a different angle and with Fantasyland and Sleeping Beauty Castle instead of Tomorrowland. Otherwise, there’s no material difference between the two.
4. Storybook Land Canal Boats
Storybook Land Canal Boats is one of my favorite Disneyland attractions any time of the day, but the ambiance is even better at night. It might seem curious that the Canal Boats are #5 while the very similar Casey Jr. Circus Train Ride just misses the list.
Canal Boats just have more charm at night and superior lighting with all of the little twinkle lights really kicking it up a notch. I’m probably also probably biased because “A Whole New World” the first dance song at our wedding, and passing under the lit-up archways at night while that song plays takes me back to our wedding night.
3. Jungle Cruise
Jungle Cruise is great at night because you really feel like you’re in an exotic and mysterious jungle rather than in a cheeky theme park ride. Part of this is because it’s actually more difficult to see in Jungle Cruise at night.
Unlike other attractions on this list that get mentioned because of great artificial show lighting, Jungle Cruise is mentioned because of its lousy artificial lighting, which actually adds to its authenticity (which is otherwise intentionally very low). It’s an especially big bonus if you get a skipper at night who will go for slightly edgier (by Disney standards) jokes if there aren’t many kids in the boat.
2. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
Big Thunder Mountain is a great experience at night. This is one attraction that perfectly embodies the “tranquil yet alive” ambiance found throughout Disneyland at night. On the one hand, the frontier feels more desolate and peaceful at night, but on the other hand, you can see more detail of the mountain and other aspects of the attraction that don’t stand out during the daytime.
It’s difficult to fully articulate, but Big Thunder Mountain Railroad just feels like an attraction that was designed to be experienced at night. Experiencing it during daytime after riding at night is just sort of like riding Space Mountain with the lights on. (Okay, maybe not that extreme, but you get the idea.)
1. Matterhorn
The Matterhorn is #1 because it combines a few of the strongest elements of other top experiences into one. Like Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, the ambiance is better at night with cool lighting. Like Splash Mountain, it offers some great nighttime views of the park.
Like Haunted Mansion (the queue at least), it’s just spookier at night, with dark caves and ominous sounds. In addition to all of that, it’s more intense at night. Or, at least it feels that way because it’s not as easy to see and predict where you’re going next–sort of like why Space Mountain feels more intense than it would if it were an outdoor coaster. All of this makes the Matterhorn our top pick!
Planning a Southern California vacation? For park admission deals, read Tips for Saving Money on Disneyland Tickets. Learn about on-site and off-site hotels in our Anaheim Hotel Reviews & Rankings. For where to eat, check out our Disneyland Restaurant Reviews. For unique ideas of things that’ll improve your trip, check out What to Pack for Disney. For comprehensive advice, consult our Disneyland Vacation Planning Guide. Finally, for guides beyond Disney, check out our Southern California Itineraries for day trips to Los Angeles, Laguna Beach, and many other SoCal cities!
Your Thoughts
Which Disneyland attractions do you think get better at night? Any you think are worse at night? Do you agree or disagree with our assessment? Any questions? Hearing your feedback—even when you disagree with us—is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
These are all wonderful at night, I also enjoy Tower of Terror, when the doors open Before the drop is a really awesome view and because it’s already dark your eyes don’t need time to adjust, it’s just exhilarating!
During the Show Your Disney Side 24hr event my hubby and I were sitting on the mark twain at about 4am and the captain offered to let us pilot the boat. It was definitely a magical experience 🙂
I have been lucky enough to ride Space Mountain (at Magic Kingdom) with the lights on! It was a completely different ride, and pretty terrifying. However I can’t remember ever riding the Matterhorn at night, and haven’t been since Big Thunder’s refurbishment. I can’t wait to experience those at night on my next trip!
You forgot Space Mountain, that has got to be in the top 10! I’m also a huge MJ fan, have been for all of my 33 years, so I’m gonna put Captain EO up there. Also, a lot of the Fantasyland rides, such as Peter Pan. For me though, number 1 should be Storybook Canal. It is soooo very magical and relaxing at dusk/night. If I could I would grab a pillow and a blanket and could get cozy and be lulled to sleep while watching all the beautiful little houses<3
Great list-mansion and thunder mountain are night musts! I can barely hang with the wet factor of splash mountain during the day, so night may never happen for me!
I would suggest the Teacups at Disneyland. No, seriously. At night, during the parade. Not only do you have the best seat, the lighting is fantastic and the lines are empty, so you can ride over and over again and get close to the parade inbetween the rides. We did this with my two small boys a few years back. It was one crazy 20 minutes! I loved it. I don’t recommend it for the motion sickness types. In fact it would probably be awful. But the experience for me was magical. Unlimited rides, music and special waves from the parade characters. I think it’s because they could see us more clearly than if we had been in the crowds.
My top pick would be Big Thunder, which just has such a cool feeling at night and feels so much faster. The Haunted Mansion is also an inspired choice since you wouldn’t expect it to make the list. Entering the house when it’s already dark just adds to the atmosphere of it.
It’s really too bad that Astro Orbiter is in such a dumb place. Also, the People Mover would be a great nighttime ride if it was still running. That would make Tomorrowland the vibrant spot that it deserves to be.
Great list. I can’t believe though that the Mad Tea Party didn’t make the list. The teacups without the roof like at WDW make it so amazing. The lighting, the vines above and views of the Matterhorn and monorail racing by are just incredible.
Is it just me or does the Jungle Cruise at DL seem more dense with trees and foliage? The beginning of the ride really feels like I’m going into a Jungle especially at night.
One more honorable mention might be the Disneyland Railroad at night. Its a great time.
I agree with Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at night during the fireworks. It is amazing! That was my family’s finale to a wonderful Disneyland vacation and we’ll never forget it! 🙂
Riding Big Thunder Mountain Railroad during the fireworks is my single favorite experience at Disneyland. Coming out of the final lift hill as the fireworks explode overhead is a feeling that cannot be paralleled.
I absolutely agree on BTM at night! My wife and I rode BTM last trip during the fireworks and it was the most memorable ride of our trip. Definitely on our list to do again when we go back to DLR this June.
As usual, great list, Tom!
We’ve never ridden it during the fireworks. Sounds like we might need to give that a try! 🙂
#1 and 2 are right on – though I might reverse them. My nights have felt so incomplete at Disney the past year without BTMRR working. I particularly love it in mid-fall (November), when you get that first bite in the air at night.
I agree with Jenny about Mad Tea Party, and also would probably add Dumbo – I love looking at Fantasyland from up high at night (and an awful wait suddenly becoming a walk-on).
Yep, the matterhorn at night is so awesome.
I wholeheartedly agree with you—Disneyland is definitely much better at night. It takes on a whole new magic that’s really unparalleled. And while it’s true that it’s very cold afterwards, Splash Mountain is still one of my favorite rides at night.
I also love King Arthur’s Carousel at night. In the heart of Fantasyland, it’s fun to spin around to the classic soundtrack and listen to the songs transition from attraction to attraction under the charming lights and being able to look through the entrance of Sleeping Beauty’s Castle down Main Street, USA.
I also love the effectual shift of night versus day on the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage. It’s more colorful and vibrant in my opinion and lends to the overall illusion of the voyage.
Two more excellent examples. For me, it isn’t about riding the carousel at night so much as it is *seeing* the carousel at night. I think it adds a lot of kinetic energy to Fantasyland at night.
Sometimes they are better, but mostly the evenings are cooler so that makes a better experience. I must say Splash Mountain in the summer is much better at night.
I agree with Matterhorn IF you can time it for during the fireworks. It’s pretty cool to race in and out of the mountain and catch bursts of fireworks in the process. Sensory overload. But for just regular evening ride/no fireworks I have to move thunder mountain to #1.
That does sound pretty awesome. I’ve been wanting to see the fireworks from Storybook Land Canal Boats (there’s a trick to it), but haven’t succeeded yet. Sarah has, though!
Good list! One of the other kind of fun ones at night is Alice because you come out and see everything lit up and you are up high. I know that part has been changed a bit but I still love how that dark ride comes outside for part of it.
I’m really hopeful that when Alice in Wonderland finishes its refurbishment, the effects (especially in the outdoor area) will be improved. Maybe it’ll make the list after that!
Nearly everything is better at night! I’m always stunned the first time I ride a dark ride at night and see so much detail I miss on daytime rides. It took me years to notice the moving traffic in Peter Pan because my eyes adjust so slowly in daytime.
Aha! I thought I saw moving traffic the last time I rode, but the rest of my group was just like “No, that was just wishful thinking.” I win!
Very true! Although with those older Fantasyland dark rides, I think less detail might be better sometimes! 😉
I totally agree with your #1! We’re headed to Anaheim in a few weeks and I’m already planning on doing your #1 and #2 as our last rides of the night! And then stopping for a Matterhorn Macaroon for the walk back to the hotel. 🙂
That sounds about like the perfect end of the night!
While I’ll agree that most of these rides are better at night, I think you missed the very best — The Mad Tea Party! Seeing the lanterns all lit up, swirling overhead, is most definitely magical!
Mad Tea Party was about #11 or #12–just missed making the list. I think it adds a TON to this area at night, but mostly from an ambiance perspective. The ride itself is definitely improved, but I feel like sitting at the edge of the fence watching the ride is the even better experience.