Every Southern California theme park ride, ranked

LA Times

27 June 2024 at 6:00 am·1-min read

Floating islands of theme parks Universal Studios, Knott's, Magic Mountain and Disneyland showing some of the best rides — (Daniel Sulzberg / For The Times)

Times theme park critic Todd Martens was handed a wild assignment: Rank every theme park ride in Southern California. The mission was dizzying, literally, as he spent months fastening his seatbelt and zipping through mountains, strapping on AR goggles and floating into fairy tales. He judged each attraction not just on sheer entertainment, but on artistry and historical significance.

Here are the results. Below you'll find guides to Disneyland, Universal Studios, Knott's Berry Farm and Magic Mountain, with their rides ranked from best to worst. Use them to plan a trip to the park — or to start a debate. What would be your No. 1?

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

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