If you have been to Disneyland enough then you probably already know your favorite rides… and maybe your favorite boat/train/vehicle on that ride… and maybe even your favorite location to be seated on that vehicle on that ride! I know I do!
But after speaking to a friend who recently took her family for their first Disneyland trip I learned that she hadn’t thought to ask to be seated in the front of the roller coaster, until someone told her she could do that! She was so pleased because she wanted to use her PhotoPass package to get all of the best pictures of her family on the rides.
This had never even crossed my mind as a must-tell piece of information, but oh man! what a handy tip it is to know that you can ask to be placed in a certain spot on each ride.
When you get the front of the line, where a cast member directs where to stand as they prepare to load the ride, politely ask for your desired area (ie. front car, back car, etc.) and Cast Members will accommodate you. But know that you may have to wait through an extra round or two to get that spot, but if you’ve waited that long in line already then why not wait an extra minute to get the best experience?!
Not all of the rides have “best” spots and certainly these are up for debate! For example I prefer to sit on the last seat on a Splash Mountain log to avoid the big splash – and some people prefer the front (crazies!). But if you are curious about what I think are the best places to sit on some of the rides throughout Disneyland and Disney California Adventure, then keep reading!
The places that I ask cast members to seat me are…
- Matterhorn: Last Car – you go faster if you ride in the back!
- Big Thunder Mountain Railroad: Last Car – more thrills
- Space Mountain: Front Seat – better for getting a good picture of your screaming face
- Indiana Jones: Front Row, Driver’s Seat – best view, more fun to “drive”
- Pirates of the Caribbean: Front Row – best view of the ride, especially for little ones
- Radiator Springs Racers: Front Row – best view, best picture
- Soarin’: Middle (B) Section, Front Row – I never ride this one without making this request – I don’t like to see feet!
So, there’s my two cents… now what are yours? Do you always ask to ride in a particular spot like I do? Do you have any extra to add? Leave a comment below or on our Facebook page!
We used to always ask to sit in the back row of Pirates. The drops are intensified because the boat tips up a bit, so it’s a lot of fun. But the last few times we went (about 2 yrs ago) they were having issues and weren’t letting more than 2 people sit in the back row. The same goes for the front, the row is smaller and they don’t let a whole family sit there.
On Screamin’ if you want a good picture just be in the front of any of the car sections. And the best seat on Mickey’s Fun Wheel, is the ground where you watch all the crazy people go around and around 😉