Posted by Mike and Chris Pettey on February 2, 2021
Category: Disney vs. Disney
Tags: Disney vs. Disney Disneyland Disneyland Paris Tokyo Disneyland

Pinocchio dark rides travel through a loose re-telling of the Disney 1940 Animated Classic Pinocchio. The attractions can be found at three of the six Disney Resorts across the globe. We’ve ridden every Pinocchio dark ride in person.

Major Similarities & Differences

You can watch fantastic videos of all versions of the attraction online, so we won’t spend time re-hashing the details of each experience. Instead, we will just point out the major similarities and differences we feel are worth calling out:

The California attraction was added during the 1983 overhaul of Fantasyland, and replaced a theater-based attraction called the Mickey Mouse Club Theater. The Tokyo and Paris rides were opening day attractions in their respective parks.
All three attractions are located in Fantasyland courtyards, and are housed in part of the castle building.
The Paris attraction has three rows of seats per ride vehicle. The Tokyo and California versions have two rows.

The Rankings (from least favorite to favorite)

3. Pinocchio’s Daring Journey – Tokyo Disneyland (Tokyo)

To be clear: all three versions of the Pinocchio dark ride are extremely similar from start to finish. The only way to rank these rides is to nit-pick the details, so that’s exactly what we’ll do. The Tokyo version has got that reliable Tokyo sparkle that is the result of constant care and attention – which makes Tokyo Disney Resort a notch above the rest. But it’s the least impressive version of the ride, with fewer moving parts and pieces, and weaker special effects. Like most of the Tokyo resort, once an attraction is built, it is rarely ever enhanced or “plussed” in the future. Instead, Tokyo keeps their attractions in pristine shape in original form. And Pinocchio’s Daring Journey is no exception. Unfortunately, it really could use some of the improved features found in both California and Paris. Still, it’s no slouch, and while it lands in third place on our list, it’s a dark ride this park can be proud of.

2. Pinocchio’s Daring Journey – Disneyland (California)

In second place is the rare situation where a California version of an attraction was the last to open in the world. Debuting just a month after Tokyo’s, and about a year after the Paris version, California’s incarnation fits beautifully into their gorgeous Fantasyland village. It’s done in a convincing way as if the ride has been here since the park opened – and that’s quite a compliment in today’s world of shoehorned attractions and themes. And like many of the other dark rides in the California park, inside the ride contains several features that have been plussed over the years, which has resulted in a much more impressive experience overall. It’s also quite a feat that Disney was able to pack so much into such a tight footprint, but it tells the story in a way that doesn’t feel rushed, is easy to follow, and hits all the right plot points. As such, Pinocchio’s Daring Journey feels like the most comprehensive dark ride in Disneyland’s Fantasyland, and it holds its own as the second-best version of the attraction in the world.

Photo Credit: Albert Lam Disney Photoblography

1. Les Voyages de Pinocchio – Disneyland Paris (Paris)

The Paris park was built with space in mind, and it shows with rides like Les Voyages de Pinocchio. First, the exterior is nicely themed to blend both the castle and European village theme. The queue is housed within a large and ornately themed covered area, which provides a fantastic way to keep out of the elements and into the theme from the moment guests step in line. The vehicles contain three rows of seating here when compared to only two rows in California and Tokyo, and that extra row means throughputs are higher, the queue moves faster, and larger groups can ride together. And due to the slightly larger ride vehicles, the footprint of the attraction is also bigger, which creates a grander feel to the attraction, as if it is something more than just a small dark ride. Yes, these may seem like minor details, but they all add up to make Les Voyages de Pinocchio in Paris stand out at the top of our list, as the best Pinocchio dark ride on the planet.

Written by Mike and Chris Pettey

YOUR THOUGHTS?

Agree or disagree with our rankings? Have you experienced any of these attractions – either in person, or virtually via the internet? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

Disney Vs. Disney: Ranking Every Pinocchio Dark Ride