With Halloween right around the corner, today we are covering unexpectedly scary things at Disneyland Resort. What do we mean by unexpectedly scary? Well, for some Disney rides you can hear people screaming or see rides vehicles whipping around. Outside Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, you can see the logs dropping, and at the Incredicoaster you can see the vehicles go upside-down from across the pier. With those, you have a good idea about what you are getting into.
But, there are a few attractions that hide their scary moments behind cartoon characters or classic facades. Do not get me wrong, I do not think anyone is trying to fool us guest. But, what is scary for one guest is fun to another, and if you know you can get a bit claustrophobic or you have kids who are afraid of the dark, it is best to know about some unexpectedly scary things in Disneyland Resort. Here is my of surprise scares at the Happiest Place on Earth.
A worthwhile classic with some creepy surprises.
Let’s start with a classic piece of Disneyland. We love Tom Sawyer Island at Disneyland Park (aka Pirate’s Lair on Tom Sawyer Island), because it is a place where we can slow down a bit while at the parks. It provides our children with a place for imaginative play and exploration. After a day with lots of lines, we value the natural elements and opportunity to choose our own path.
The thing is, some of those paths take you through some dark caves. If you are claustrophobic or have trouble in the dark, be prepared for this. You should also know that the paths on the island and in the caves can branch, so it is possible to get separated from your party in the dark. The Dead Man’s Grotto cave system also has some visual, audio, and interactive elements some children may find frightening, so that is all the more reason to stay together. These elements are similar in theme to the beginning section of Pirates of the Caribbean, but touching the treasure in the cave can activate some moving features, which frightens some kids (and delights others).
When you enter the caves after being outside, it can take some time for your eyes to adjust to the dark. Consider lingering in the entry for awhile before exploring deeper. And if your kids want to explore the caves ahead of you, we suggest selecting a meet-up point: this is not a one exit/entry situation.
Pirate’s Lair on Tom Sawyer Island in Disneyland is absolutely worth a visit, and I would recommend you raft over there on your next visit. (Check out this fun guide book we used on the island this summer.) Just do not mistake this classic for fright-free.
Another scary attraction for those with claustrophobia.
If you find the caves on Tom Sawyer Island make you feel claustrophobic, you may also want to pause before entering Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage across the park in Tomorrowland. This is a newer attraction built on the bones of the park’s old submarine ride, and you will be in close quarters with other guests. So, again, we have a (redone) classic attraction that may have some hidden scares.
If you are visiting with kids, you should also be aware that the submarine itself is dark with the intention of drawing your eye to the lighted scenes outside the portal. The ride is also rather long for a Disney ride at about 14 minutes with slow loading and unloading on either end. If you have a child who gets overwhelmed partway through (and there are some scary scenes), you are still going to be stuck in that close dark submarine for a bit.
Notably, there is an accessible parallel experience outside the submarines where guests can stay on wheelchairs and ECVs for the duration.
A fun ride that sometimes changes for the scarier.
Okay, Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT in Disney California Adventure Park is an automatic “no way” from some people. If you do not like big drops, you probably already know this attraction is not for you (good job knowing your limits), and you are all set. This is not unexpectedly scary for you; it is just scary. However, if you are on the fence, I urge you to try out Guardians of the Galaxy. I think it is really fun and funny… except sometimes in the fall.
Years ago, when Disney announced they were switching the theming of their Twilight Zone Tower of Terror ride to Guardians of the Galaxy, I was extremely skeptical. It seemed like a weird concept to shoe-horn into the existing building. Gosh was I pleasantly surprised by how much fun I had the first time I rode Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT! Even better, this is a ride that has yet to get old for me. This ride is just so much fun.
If you stand outside the tower and listen to the riders, you will hear screaming, yes, but also lots and lots of laughing. There is just something euphoric about the mix of just-try-not-to-dance music, plus fun characters, plus the sudden drops. It’s like a little ride party that makes you forget everything outside the present fun moment.
Now here is the unexpectedly scary part: for much of August, and all of September and October, Guardians of the Galaxy. Mission: BREAKOUT! turns into another ride around mid-afternoon each day: Guardians of the Galaxy – Monsters After Dark. Physically, the ride remains the same, but the storyline and the accompanying visuals and audio all change. Listen to the riders once this version is running and you probably will hear less laughter and more screams. The ride is literally and figuratively darker, and if you are used to the standard version of Guardians of the Galaxy, this can be unexpectedly scary.
We made the mistake of taking one of our kids on the Monsters After Dark version of Guardians of the Galaxy without doing the Mission: BREAKOUT! version first. It took us a long time after that to convince our little one to give the regular version a try. All of this is a non-issue if you are visiting outside of Halloween Time at Disneyland Resort (just be aware the Halloween Time is a long season, you can read about it here: Halloween Time, Disneyland 101 Glossary). If you are visiting from mid-August through Halloween, check the app for information about when the ride switches over, or look for a physical sign outside the ride entrance.
A herky-jerky “flight” that delights kids and terrifies adults (my scariest ride in Disneyland Resort).
Across the park from Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission – BREAKOUT! there is a ride that our kids think is fun and we adults think is terrifying. This ride is tucked into a colorful corner of Paradise Gardens in Disney California Adventure Park, and the cartoon theming and small footprint might fool you into thinking this is a tame ride. But, it is a wolf in, um, Goofy clothing. In my experience, Goofy’s Sky School is the scariest ride in Disneyland Resort and all the more so for masquerading as a ride meant for the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse set.
Goofy’s Sky School is a wild mouse style ride, which means lots of quick jerky movements. It is also means the ride has a narrow steel track and small two-to-a-row cars, both of which make the edge of the ride feel horrifyingly close. Yes, there are bigger drops and much faster rides in the park, but there is something terrifying about the erratic jerky movements of Goofy’s Sky School paired with the stark steel and gravel setting. And frankly, it’s just not that fun.
As the ride is tossing me around, I look over the edge and see lost sunglasses and even phones on the gravel below, and I wonder who could like this ride. But, my kids do! And they are not the only ones, this ride consistently has a long wait, though this is probably more the product of low capacity and slow loading process than it a blockbuster popularity. If your kids want to give this one a try, you should also be aware that it has a minimum height requirement of 42 inches. We ride this one often for our kids, but I warn you: do not be fooled by its Goofy exterior, this one is scary!
Are you afraid of the dark?
Many classic Fantasyland rides take place entirely in the dark. Perhaps this is not a surprisingly scary thing, as these rides are often referred to as “dark rides,” but I do think it catches first time guests by surprise, because we often associate Fantasyland with princesses. Just as those princesses’ stories contain dark notes, so to do the classic rides just north of Sleeping Beauty Castle.
Just in the shadow of the castle are Peter Pan’s Flight, Snow White’s Enchanted Wish, Pinocchio’s Daring Journey and Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride. These dark rides make use of special lighting effects in a dark setting. Of these four, the latter two are probably the scariest with both dark themes and dark rooms. In my experience, Pinocchio’s Daring Journey and Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride are the two most likely to frighten little ones.
Peter Pan’s Flight takes place in the dark, but I would say it leans more toward moments of fantasy than moments of peril, and I think the smooth movement of the suspended ride vehicle makes it feel less threatening. Snow White’s Enchanted Wish has had a series of redos which saw it transform from Snow White’s Scary Adventure (it’s in the name) to Snow White’s Enchanted Wish. While the ride still takes place in the dark, the different areas focus more on celebration than scary moments.
Just beyond these rides and around the corner is Alice in Wonderland, which is also a dark ride. This one gives kiddos who are nervous about the dark a little break, as part of the ride takes place outside. We also find that some kids are soothed by seeing the ride in progress from the queue: they can actually see other kids happily enjoying the ride midway through, so that helps lessen the scary factor of this one too.
For more tips on helping little ones approach rides that make them nervous, check-out our Too Afraid to Ride: How to Handle Scary Disneyland Rides.
Bonus addition: character meet and greets.
We are almost done with our list of unexpectedly scary things at Disneyland Resort, but we think one more classic Disney experience warrants a mention: character meet and greets. Some children could spend their entire visit hugging and posing with characters around Disneyland Resort. Other kids do not want to get within 100 feet of them.
Your little ones can let you know what they want when it comes to characters. We just want to point out that, if your kids are on the fence, parades, cavalcades and stage shows can be a nice way to interact with characters from a comfortable distance.
Thank you for reading this post on unexpectedly scary things at Disneyland Resort.
We hope you have found this list helpful. For our comprehensive article on helping kids face fears at Disneyland Resort, please see our Too Afraid to Ride: How to Handle Scary Disneyland Rides. And for help planning your Disneyland visit, please explore our free and complete Step-by-Step Disneyland Prep. Thanks again for reading!