40 Disney Attractions: 21

"Attention all aliens from galaxy M-31, please keep forward facing tentacle clear of oncoming blue liner vehicles."



21. The Tomorrowland Transit Authority

Listen up. I'm gonna school you to why the TTA is the best ride in all of Tomorrowland.

First and foremost, atmosphere. No other ride at Tomorrowland represents Tomorrowland like the PeopleMover. Sitting in Rockettower Plaza, the exact center of the area, the TTA is a ride as much as it is a line. It's a queue for Tomorrowland itself. The ride is themed as an urban transit system, traveling across all of Tomorrowland, passing through many of the attractions and gives you a good idea of what the entire area is like. Add in an announcement PA system, making dumb space related puns, and it's just awesome.

Second: Convenience. Most people ignore this ride. It's not Buzz Lightyear, it's not Space Mountain. It's a slow(ish) ride around Tomorrowland. As such, there are no wait times. Literally zero. You can walk right up the moving walkway and into a Metroliner seat. Since it's high up, it's a lot cooler than most rides which is a blessing in Florida heat. You also get a good view of the park itself, nabbing pictures like this:



Lastly: Behind the scenes stuff. Traveling through attractions is a great way to view some workings, in and around the ride. Passing by Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin, you can see hidden hit points and the blacklights scattered throughout. Going into the Carousel of Progress, you get a peek of a model of Walt Disney's planned city of the future. Most importantly though, you get a chance to see this monstrosity:



The TTA passes right by Space Mountain's loading area and when it needs to undergo refurbishment or it breaks down, they need to turn the lights on.

And there is nothing scarier in Walt Disney World than Space Mountain with the lights on.

40 Disney Attractions: 22

"And it rained...and it rained...and it rained...the deluge."



22. The Living Seas

Okay so just to be clear, I have nothing against the replacement attraction, The Seas with Nemo and Friends. It's cute, it's fun, it's got great atmosphere and it even tells a story. But, man, it cannot hold a candle to Sea Base Alpha.

Following a short pre-show on the creation of the oceans, guests board Hydrolators that purportedly take them down miles beneath the sea(actually just two inches) to just outside the base. From there, they board Omnimover Seacabs which take them through a tunnel and into Sea Base Alpha itself, all the while viewing the marine life in Disney World's 5,700,000 gallon aquarium.

The idea that The Living Seas was an underwater exploration base is crucial to its entire being to me. It's beautiful and simple in the open, scientific base, viewing and learning of the fascinating creatures that reside in the ocean(including my friend, the Cuttlefish). It made me want to be a marine biologist, thinking I could spend my time in a real Sea Base Alpha. The Living Seas remains close to my heart as an example of what Disney can do as an immersive educational tool. Sure, it's just a massive aquarium(the largest saltwater tank in the world until the Georgia Aquarium opened in 2005), but it's because of that feeling that you're seeing science happen that makes it all the more special to observe fish.

There's also a seafood restaurant next door with one of the walls being part of the aquarium, which is kinda messed up.