Banshee and I love sports, particularly the NFL. One of the joys of being a professional football fan is the annual NFL Draft. This is where teams take turns selecting college players to join their team. It is exciting watching to see how your favorite team select players so that they can improve themselves. The NFL Draft has evolved into a major event in its own right, tons of coverage, analysis, draft grading (where experts rate how well a team did choosing players).
We at Buster and the Banshee decided it would be a fun afternoon activity to have our own Walt Disney World themed draft. However, instead of picking football players for our “teams”, we would pick WDW attractions. We decided to rope Little Buster into our madness for our draft. He would be drafting a team against Banshee. Meaning I (Buster) would serve as the neutral commentator / draft analyst. In other words, I would take the role of Mel Kiper Jr!
Draft Rules
I came up with some simple rules, based on an actual sports draft:
- Each person will have six picks.
- A coin flip will decide who has the first pick.
- After the first pick, the next person will get two picks. At this point, the contestants will alternate with two selections each until each person has filled out their team of six attractions. This is to balance out the advantage of getting the first pick. Fantasy Football geeks will recognize this as being a “snake draft”.
In other words, one person would get picks 1, 4, 5, 8, 9, and 12. The other person would get picks 2, 3, 6, 7, 10, and 11.
- Rides are eligible if they are temporarily closed for refurbishment, but not if they are closed permanently. That, of course, removes Splash Mountain from consideration.
- Tron Lightcycle Coaster is not eligible, since it opened after our last visit.
To help set the mood, I told our participants to imagine that they wouldn’t be able to ride any selection that the other person makes. Therefore, if they want to ensure that they will be able to experience an attraction, they ought to take it. Of course we would never make them suffer like this in real life. We aren’t monsters!
With the rules out of the way let’s get started!
Pre-Draft Analysis
From this point forward, Buster’s analysis will be in italics.
Knowing both Banshee and Little Buster, I expect the top three picks will be some combination of Rise of the Resistance, Flight of Passage, and Cosmic Rewind. If Banshee picks first, I expect her to take Rise; if Little Buster picks first, I expect him to take Flight of Passage.
After these first three picks, we will get into the second tier of choices: Space Mountain, Soarin’, Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway, Rockin’ Rollercoaster, Kilimanjaro Safari, and Expedition Everest. I expect these choices to come off the board once the top three are gone, as these are also family favorites.
Finally, that will bring us into the third tier of Pirates of the Caribbean, Jungle Cruise, Haunted Mansion, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Toy Story Mania, Frozen Ever After, Test Track, Spaceship Earth, or Navi River Journey. I expect the last few picks to come from this group. However, I wouldn’t be surprised if a dark horse or two sneaks in.
Conspicuously missing are Slinky Dog Dash and Seven Dwarves Mine Train. While these rides are super popular among the general public, our family generally feels like these rides aren’t worth the wait (or the Lightning Lane cost). Therefore, I expect that these popular rides will go undrafted
It’s Draft Time!
The Coin Toss
Little Buster wins the toss; however, he chooses to let Banshee make the first pick. Interesting decision on his part. I suspect he is hoping that Banshee will select Rise of the Resistance. That way, he can pick up Flight of Passage and one other choice. I can’t say that I fault this strategy as Banshee has been pretty vocal that Rise is her favorite ride. However, knowing that Little Buster isn’t likely to pick it himself, she might use this as an opportunity to swoop in and grab Flight of Passage. We’ll see!
1st Pick, Banshee
With the first pick of the draft, Banshee selects Flight of Passage.
Banshee: This is a transcendent ride. It represents the pinnacle of Disney Imagineering. I don’t see how I could not pick it, once I got the first pick
It seems like Little Buster’s decision has backfired! The moral of the story is “never try to outsmart your mother”! I can’t say that I disagree with Banshee’s selection. She is absolutely right that Flight of Passage is an amazingly immersive ride and is one of my personal favorites.
2nd Pick, Little Buster
With the second pick of the draft, Little Buster selects Space Mountain.
Little Buster: This is an iconic Disney roller coaster. When you visit Magic Kingdom, you need to ride the mountains, and this is the original Magic Kingdom mountain! I would have taken Flight of Passage if it was available, but this is a good second choice
Interesting selection for Little Buster. I do agree that Space Mountain is an iconic ride. When you are riding the monorail to the entrance of the Magic Kingdom, the Space Mountain building is there to greet you. It isn’t my personal favorite, but I understand his selection. It will be interesting to see what it takes next, given that Rise and Guardians are both still available. I am guessing Guardians, since he enjoys that ride more out of the two.
3rd Pick, Little Buster
With the third pick of the draft, Little Buster selects Toy Story Mania.
Little Buster: This is a ride that everyone has fun on, no matter how many times you’ve been on it. I love the competition aspect. Plus, it is a great family ride that is accessible to just about everyone in the family! It’s probably one of the best family rides in Walt Disney World.
Another interesting and unexpected choice by Little Buster. I know he isn’t a big fan of Rise, but I also know he loves Guardians, so I expected him to take that. However, I do agree with his logic. It is a great interactive family ride.
With Rise of the Resistance still available, I expect Banshee to select it with one of her next two picks. If she doesn’t, I will be absolutely shocked! I also expect her to pick Guardians. If she is able to get all three top tier rides, she will have absolutely won this draft in my opinion.
4th Pick, Banshee
With the fourth pick of the draft, Banshee selects Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway.
Banshee: It’s the perfect ride for the family. It’s got the iconic Disney characters. It’s got a cute and singable song. The ride itself is a lot of fun. It’s got something for everyone!
Another somewhat surprising choice. While I agree that this is a great ride, I would have expected Banshee to pick Rise and Guardians with these picks. I would be shocked if she doesn’t take Rise with the next pick. That would leave Guardians for Little Banshee with the sixth pick, so at least he’d get one of the three top-tier rides.
5th Pick, Banshee
With the fifth pick of the draft, Banshee selects Rise of the Resistance.
Banshee: I definitely was going to take Rise with one of these picks. I love Star Wars and this is by far my favorite ride. It is not just a ride; it is an experience. It’s as close to being in the Star Wars universe as you can get without paying $5K for Galactic StarCruiser. It is a must do (if it is actually running, of course)!
This was an absolute no-brainer. Even the Cleveland Browns couldn’t have messed up this pick!
I’m expecting Little Buster to take Guardians with one of his next two picks, as it is the last of the “Big Three” available.
6th Pick; Little Buster
With the sixth pick of the draft, Little Buster selects Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind
Little Buster: More extreme of a coaster than Space Mountain, so it has greater appeal to the coaster fans. Plus, it has great visuals and of course a fun soundtrack that changes every time.
Another absolute no-brainer for me. If it didn’t make me sick, I would love this ride. The pre-show, the music, the story, the innovative visuals. This truly is Disney Imagineering at the top of their game.
It will be interesting to see where Little Buster goes next. There are still a lot of really good rides on the board. However, I wouldn’t be surprised if he chooses Rockin’ Roller Coaster, as I know that this is another favorite of his.
7th Pick; Little Buster
With the seventh pick of the draft, Little Buster selects Rockin’ Roller Coaster.
Little Buster: The first and only coaster at WDW with a loop. Great experience with the music. This ride proves that anything is possible with rock ‘n roll.
Unsurprising pick given what was left on the board. It is interesting that Little Buster seems to be drafting very thrill ride heavy with arguably three of the best coasters among his selections. I think that’s what happens when a teenager is the General Manager of your ride “team”.
Kilimanjaro Safari and Expedition Everest are both available, so I wouldn’t be surprised if one or both of them get picked by Banshee next. However, I know that Banshee is also a huge fan of Soarin’, so I wouldn’t be shocked if that is in the mix. Also, you can’t count out Banshee’s love of Star Wars to pull her towards Smuggler’s Run. Should be an interesting set of picks for her.
8th Pick; Banshee
With the eighth pick of the draft, Banshee selects Kilimanjaro Safari.
Banshee: A great family experience and what Animal Kingdom is all about. It is entertaining, education, and just plain fun. Every time you ride this ride, you get a different experience depending on what the animals happen to be doing.
This is a super solid pick. I can’t find any fault with her choice here. We’ll see where she goes with her second pick of this group. I am expecting that she will go with Expedition Everest, Soarin’, or Smuggler’s Run, but I am not sure which. However, if I was forced to guess, my prediction is Smuggler’s Run.
9th Pick; Banshee
With the ninth pick of the draft, Banshee selects Soarin’.
Banshee: This is Little Banshee’s favorite ride, so how could I not pick it? It is a super immersive and sensory experience and just a beautiful ride. Besides, you can’t go wrong with the Patrick Warburton pre-show!
Another solid pick by Banshee! I thought she might go with Smuggler’s Run because I know how much Star Wars means to her. However, it isn’t a shocking selection by her. The great thing about Soarin’ is that, even though it is a simulator ride, it is smooth and tame enough that it is accessible to almost everyone.
Next up we have Little Buster’s last two picks. I would be shocked if Expedition Everest isn’t among his selections, given that he has leaned heavily on thrill rides, and Everest is the best thrill ride left on the board. For his second pick, I am thinking that he’ll go with one of the classics…. maybe Jungle Cruise or Spaceship Earth, since I know he loves those. However, don’t be surprised if he goes with Journey Into Imagination, as that holds a special place in his heart.
10th Pick; Little Buster
With the tenth pick of the draft, Little Buster selects Smuggler’s Run.
Little Buster. This is definitely the best of the Star Wars ride in my opinion. You get to fly the Falcon and shoot stuff. Who doesn’t love that?
Wow. I didn’t expect that. I didn’t realize that he had such a strong affinity for Smuggler’s Run. However, I can understand the appeal of jumping that hunk of junk into hyperspace. That said, I always found it to be a little frustrating. Yes, you can to control the action, but unless you are the pilot, all you are doing a staring at a panel of buttons, pushing them. That means that 66% of riders get a sub-standard experience.
With his next and final pick, I’ll be shocked if he doesn’t go with Expedition Everest. If he does, he’ll have the best adrenaline junkie draft of all time.
11th Pick: Little Buster
With the eleventh pick of the draft, Little Buster selects Journey Into Imagination.
Little Buster: Leave it to your imagination why I picked this one!
Wow. I was completely wrong about these last two picks. While I can sort of see the choice of Smuggler’s Run, there is no way I would have picked Figment here, especially with so many other great rides still available. I understand the nostalgia that Little Buster has for this ride, but when you are building a team, you can’t afford to make “feel good” picks, which is exactly what this is.
Now Banshee has the next and final pick of the draft. I don’t envy her here. There are so many great choices left on the board. Trying to narrow it down to one is going to be difficult.
12th Pick: Banshee
With the twelfth pick of the draft, Banshee selects Expedition Everest.
Banshee: Good thrill ride but still accessible to most people. Plus it has an amazingly themed queue and the visual fits in with Asia. When you enter Asia and see Everest in the background, you feel like you are really in Nepal!
Another solid pick by Banshee. Honestly, with so many good rides still on the board, it would be hard to go wrong no matter what. What’s crazy is that so many classic dark rides went undrafted: Pirates, Jungle Cruise, Haunted Mansion, Spaceship Earth. It just goes to show how much depth Walt Disney World has in terms of rides. Plus, we didn’t even take into consideration that newcomer… TRON. It will be interesting to see where that ride would have gotten drafted once we have a chance to ride it.
Post-Draft Post-Mortem
Banshee
Banshee’s selections were:
- Flight of Passage (Animal Kingdom)
- Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway (Hollywood Studios)
- Rise of the Resistance (Hollywood Studios)
- Kilimanjaro Safari (Animal Kingdom)
- Soarin’ (Epcot)
- Expedition Everest (Animal Kingdom)
This is a great lineup of rides. Not only was she able to get Flight of Passage, but she also was able to snag Rise of the Resistance after it slid down the draft board. She was also able to draft some of the best family rides in Runaway Railway, Kilimanjaro Safari, and Soarin’. Finally, she was able to round out her team with a solid thrill ride in Everest. Overall, it was a very well rounded group.
I was a little surprised that she didn’t grab Cosmic Rewind when it was available. If she had, her draft would have been an absolute slam dunk.
It is interesting that half of her draft selections were from Animal Kingdom. It goes to show how Disney has turned that park into a “must visit”.
Overall, Banshee gets a draft grade of A from me. I think if I could only ride her selections on my next trip, I’d be pretty satisfied!
Little Buster
Little Buster’s selections were:
- Space Mountain (Magic Kingdom)
- Toy Story Mania (Hollywood Studios)
- Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind (Epcot)
- Rockin’ Roller Coaster (Hollywood Studios)
- Smuggler’s Run (Hollywood Studios)
- Journey Into Imagination (Epcot)
Little Buster’s lineup is thrill ride heavy with most of the top roller coasters among his selections. However, he balances this out with a couple of great family rides in Toy Story Mania and Journey Into Imagination. He did miss out on a few opportunities. He could have also had Rise of the Resistance. He could have cornered the market on thrill rides with Expedition Everest. He could have picked up one of the classic dark rides. However, I respect Little Buster for letting what gives him joy guide his selections. That’s what Walt Disney World is all about!
His selections were Hollywood Studios dominant. With Toy Story Land and Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge, the Studios has become a park filled with a lot of must-do rides.
Overall, Little Buster gets a draft grade of B+ from me. It’s a little too thrill heavy for me, but I think many park-goers would be happy with this lineup.
So there you have it. That concludes the WDW Attraction Draft for 2023. Let us know in the comments what you think of all of the selections. There were a lot of great rides that didn’t make the cut. Would you have taken one of those instead? If so, what would you have left off the list. We’d love to hear your thoughts!
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