???
It was more adults than kids when I was there!
I am taking a friend to WDW in June, and again in October. (Contrary to popular belief, I am a lovely person.)
I have focussed on a schedule that he will enjoy. He’s a WDW newbie, though he has been to DLP.
I have not included ROTR in the June schedule because I simply don’t think it’s worth the hassle. There is so much to see and do at WDW that I am certain we will have a fantastic time without ROTR.
If the system for riding ROTR changes, I will consider adding it to the October schedule.
Splash is fun and immersive and definitively Disney (in a way that ROTR simply is not). I know I can get an FPP for it and I’m very confident it won’t break down. No-one is telling me to get up at 6am to have a chance of maybe riding it at some point later that day, which ride may or may not end in failure and early exit.
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To be fair, RotR failure rate is much better when you are not riding it 
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I’m always surprised at the love Splash is given. My DS20 absolutely loves it…only reason to go to WDW in his mind. And while I enjoy it, I really don’t care if I ride it or not. I like that it is long, and it is fun looking for hidden mickeys. But I could never ride it again and I wouldn’t care.
This might explain things. BTMRR is a far more enjoyable ride, overall, and I’m lamenting the fact that we’ll not get to ride it ONCE AGAIN in May after not getting to ride in in Oct. 2016. 
Despite the fact that I haven’t yet ridden FOP, SDD, nor ROTR, I can almost guarantee that none of those would be my pick on this poll even if I had as the ride I would choose if I could only choose ONE ride at WDW. As I mentioned before, being the “best ride” is not the same as being the “only ride” if I could only ride one.
For me, if we were to start from the very beginning, I think the one I’d pick if I could only pick one ride is one that never made it on the list: PeopleMover. It is clearly NOT the best ride by any stretch…but it it still the one ride I’d pick if I could only ride one ride.
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Here’s my take:
1 - LOTS of animatronics. It’s on par with Pirates and Haunted Mansion with sheer volume of animated characters, all relatable and adorable.
2 - Story. The entire ride not only has a theme but a cohesive story with a beginning, climax, and denouement. In that way it is even better than Pirates or Haunted Mansion. You are Brer Rabbit and you live his journey.
3 - Thrill. There are only a few quick drops but for some people (like me) a drop is the most satisfying type of thrill. The butterflies, etc. My favorite drop is actually the one with the bees cause it’s in the dark and it has a little air time coming out of it.
4 - The suspense. The final hill before the big drop is textbook suspension. Foreboding music; darkness; a long, slow ride to the top; a moment’s hesitation just before breaching the apex; emerging into the blinding light before plummeting into the briar patch.
5 - The music. There are at least four main song sections and each one brings a distinct mood. The songs are catchy and most people know at least one of them going into it, even though the related film has never gotten an official home video release in the US. Even if you didn’t know Zip-a-dee-doo-dah going in, you’ll be humming it coming out.
6 - The finale. This alone is worth a mention because there’s nothing else like it. Just like in a movie, you need that extra moment of celebration after getting through the climax to make it more fulfilling.
7 - The photo. Also a minor thing but makes the ride more fun when repeated when people try to do different poses.
8 - The length.
9 - It cools you down. Just what you need on a hot afternoon in Florida / California.
10 - Adds kinetic energy to the park. This was touched on in The Imagineering Story. All the best theme parks have motion out in the common areas to make the park feel alive. Nothing like Chickapin Hill to meet this criteria.
There’s probably more but I’ll stop there.
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I don’t disagree with any of that. In fact, I whole-heartedly agree. But it still isn’t even close to the top of the list of rides I’d choose if I could only pick one ride at WDW.
Again, “best” ride isn’t really the same as “if I could ride only one”.
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My first ride on Splash (with DS3 at the time also riding the first time) I went in completely blind. I didn’t know there was more to it than the big drop. It was a huge surprise and we loved it! DS3 was scared of the drop but went back on it many many times on the next trip.
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Are you referring to the drop to the Laughing Place? That’s my favorite moment of the whole ride…of course, it is more roller coaster than water ride there…but that’s what makes it particularly surprising. You think it is just going to be a drop, a la POTC, but it is something else entirely!
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I rode Splash for the first time this past November. I was at WDW when Splash opened and I’ve been many times since, but never went on it. Honestly, I didn’t want to get wet while at the park. I still don’t.
So my family gets on and they are all dreading getting wet. We are in the front row so they are sure of it. Long story short, I got drenched and everyone else stayed pretty dry.
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I need to change my vote from FOP to Splash. 
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I’ve never gotten more than mildly wet on my arms and seat of my pants. But if I thought I might get drenched, I would likely avoid it entirely unless it is a particularly hot day.
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I think to many people, if not most, the ride they think is the best is the one they would choose if they could only ride one. The rides I think are the best are also my favourite rides, obviously. Why wouldn’t I choose to ride those ones over a ride that isn’t my favourite?
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This is the most astonishing part of the ride. It’s so incredibly detailed.
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Yep! That’s the one. I agree it’s kind of a roller coaster moment. I love roller coasters, especially bunny hills because of the airtime.
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Yep I always get drenched. We do always go in summer - late July to mid August.
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The fear of getting drenched is part of the suspense! I always request the back for that reason. I also usually change to flip flops for wet rides or try to keep my feet up on the sides of the boat since wet socks are the worst.
Favorite still doesn’t mean best. 
ToT is, to me, the best ride in all of WDW (of those I’ve been on). But if I could only ride one, I’d choose PeopleMover over ToT.
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It’s the best in my opinion, which is why it’s my favourite. I wouldn’t pick something crap to be my favourite. I couldn’t pick between EE and TOT. If I could ride one, it would be one of them.
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I’ve only gotten truly soaked on Splash once. We stopped right at the bottom of the lift hill next to the big splash down and 2 waves hit me and my kids. I would want that to happen on a cold day, but we just went over and rode BTMRR to dry off.
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