Hold onto your wallets as we explore the most jaw-dropping investments in theme park history! From groundbreaking technology to immersive worlds, these attractions represent the pinnacle of entertainment engineering. Join us as we discover which beloved rides and experiences required the biggest budgets to bring fantasy to life.
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00:00Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for theme park rides and attractions that cost the most to build, according to estimates.
00:21Number 10, Pooh's Honey Hunt, Tokyo Disneyland
00:25This trackless dark ride is based on the beloved children's character Winnie the Pooh.
00:29You could buy a life supply of honey, and then some with the amount of money it cost to build Pooh's Honey Hunt in the Fantasyland section at Tokyo Disneyland.
00:37A budget of over $130 million went into its construction. A significant portion of that was used for an advanced control system that enables countless variations of the ride.
00:47Combine that with honeypots galore and an overarching storybook feel with all the classic characters, and it's no wonder that Pooh's Honey Hunt became such a hit after its opening in 2000.
00:57Number 9, Ratatouille the Adventure, Disneyland Paris
01:01Bonjour, bienvenue Ratatouille, bienvenue chérémie
01:03Thank you so much.
01:05This ride can also be found at Walt Disney World's Epcot in Florida. There's no better place for a Ratatouille-themed ride than Disneyland Paris.
01:11That's where the original version debuted. It opened seven years after the release of the animated film, Ratatouille.
01:17Bringing this engaging Ratmobile ride to life didn't come cheap. Estimates placed the cost somewhere between $150 and $240 million USD.
01:25Hey, it is a fancy Parisian restaurant after all. An immersive experience in the world of Ratatouille, with Remy, Gusteau, Chef Skinner, and Alfredo Linguini is priceless.
01:35Hey, hey! Thanks for coming, everyone!
01:39You said, do you know what I mean?
01:41Shit!
01:42Number 8, The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, Disneyland Paris
01:46This epic ride, based on the classic TV series, can be found at a few different theme parks, but not all of them were built the same.
01:56Because of French construction rules, the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror at Disneyland Paris had to be made with concrete instead of steel.
02:03That meant paying a premium. This third version of the ride, which opened in 2007, cost over 180 million euros.
02:10Before that, the park had some financial troubles, which delayed things a bit.
02:14But luckily, that didn't last for too long, because this unique elevator dark ride was just what the doctor ordered.
02:28Number 7, Radiator Springs Racers, Disney California Adventure
02:33The audio really interacts with the guest. So the audio gives us safety spiels to say, make sure your seatbelts are fastened, make sure you're sitting down.
02:40And then the audio also does something for us, where it helps us interact with the show.
02:45At a cost of over 200 million dollars, this cars-themed ride is more expensive than the most expensive car ever sold.
02:51Disney waved the green flag for Radiator Springs Racers with its announcement in 2007.
02:56Completed in 2012, the ride was part of a major expansion of Disney California Adventure Park.
03:01Well, this was all parking lot. And the day that we actually broke ground and started building Radiator Springs was incredibly exciting.
03:08But it was a massive, massive project, because we were building an entire mountain range.
03:13In fact, it took up the largest chunk of the pie in terms of cost.
03:17Based on the six-hour wait times after its opening, it's safe to say it was well-received.
03:21So, in the words of the Great Lightning McQueen, kachow.
03:24And we were working until literally the day before Guest Wars appeared to come.
03:28We made our last tweak and got out of the building and said, I think we got it right.
03:32Number 6, Test Track, Epcot.
03:35Over the years, a few renovations have been done to keep this high-speed ride up to par for guests.
03:46Test Track 1.0 at Epcot officially opened to the public in 1999 and had a 13-year run before it was time for refurbishments.
03:54Then, in 2024, the second iteration of the ride closed to make way for the new and improved Test Track 3.0.
04:06Along the way, Test Track has maintained its legacy as the fastest Disney theme park ride ever built.
04:11So it should come as no surprise that it cost such a big chunk of change, $300 million, according to estimates.
04:17Number 5, Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure, Universal Islands of Adventure.
04:30I bet you about a beer I'm going to see more magical creatures than you.
04:33You're on.
04:34Alright, let's do it.
04:35Universal put $300 million into this immersive steel roller coaster manufactured by Intamin Amusement Rides.
04:42With its seven launches, freefall vertical drop, impressive animatronics, and overarching Harry Potter Forbidden Forest theme,
04:48it's clear that this ride was built with an intricate design, without cutting any corners in quality or cost.
04:54Best be getting you out of here before you get blasted.
04:57Now, pick those purple buttons.
05:00Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure, Universal Islands of Adventure, opened in June 2019 to a warm reception.
05:07Like, really warm.
05:08Just ask anyone who was stuck in one of those eight to ten hour queues, waiting to experience the luxurious ride firsthand on its grand opening day.
05:15These motorbikes go 50 miles per hour.
05:18In one part, they go up to more than a 70 degree angle, and then back in just one motion.
05:22Number 4, Pirates of the Caribbean Battle for the Sunken Treasure, Shanghai Disneyland.
05:27Shiver me timbers!
05:29To put it mildly, a whole lot of treasure went into this dark ride.
05:32An estimated $450 million was spent on the Pirates of the Caribbean Battle for the Sunken Treasure at Shanghai Disneyland,
05:40to make it the incredible, immersive experience that it is.
05:43The ride became a true gem, thanks to Walt Disney Imagineering's detailed design,
05:47coupled with the awesome special effects created by industrial light and magic.
05:51With its seamless storytelling and impressive animatronics,
05:54it's remained a popular attraction to Shanghai Disneyland since the park's opening in 2016.
05:59Number 3, Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind, Epcot.
06:03We've worked so hard on it and creating something so fun and so cool.
06:07All I can think about is getting to Disney World.
06:10An industry consultant estimates the cost of this enclosed roller coaster to be in the hundreds of millions,
06:16500 million more specifically.
06:18While that's a hefty figure, without a doubt, when you consider the exceptional technology and special effects of the ride,
06:23it may not be that hard to believe.
06:25It's just such an interesting coaster, just with the spinning and twisting and turning.
06:29It's so different, but I think by far the best coaster I've ever been on.
06:32It costs a lot to build such a thrilling journey through time and space.
06:35Not only that, but Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind was also the first attraction at Disney World
06:40to feature characters from the Marvel Universe and Disney's first backwards-launched roller coaster.
06:45It opened at Epcot in 2022.
06:48You turn sideways and there's no vehicle in front of you and that's not something you're used to seeing.
06:51Or you rotate and you're getting wind on the side of your face and people get off and say that they don't have any ride experience to compare it to.
07:00Number 2. Pandora, The World of Avatar, Disney's Animal Kingdom.
07:04It was such an inspiring story to be a part of.
07:07And now to know that families from all over the world will be able to get a glimpse of that.
07:12This 12-acre area brings the world of Avatar to life in stunning fashion.
07:17Construction started in 2014.
07:19In three years and an estimated $400 to $500 million later, Pandora, The World of Avatar at Disney's Animal Kingdom was complete.
07:28Now everyone, including me, who has ever dreamed of visiting this extraordinary world can explore its astonishing landscape and ecosystem.
07:36Even Avatar creator and director James Cameron was taken aback by the large-scale proposal by Disney.
07:42Walt Disney Imagineering, Lightstorm Entertainment, and Cameron himself collaborated to bring the ambitious project to life.
07:48The two main rides within Pandora, The World of Avatar, are Avatar, Flight of Passage, and Navi River Journey.
07:54You can also shop or grab a bite in the area.
07:56I love Pandora. I love how you connect with the nature and banshee riding.
08:01Oh my gosh. It's like the coolest place I've ever been to.
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08:20Number one, Star Wars Galaxy's Edge, Disneyland and Disney World.
08:26When we did early surveys and talked to guests, you know, number one on the list was, I've got to get on the Millennium Falcon.
08:32So I think we really delivered, not just getting on the Falcon, but getting behind the controls and actually flying the Millennium Falcon.
08:37Fourteen acres of land were dedicated to each of these Star Wars themed areas, found at both Disneyland and Disney World respectively.
08:44Covering so much land with themed rides, shops, restaurants and entertainment meant hiring thousands of construction workers and spending a whopping $1 billion for each location.
08:54Yes, a billion with a capital B.
09:05The massive project of Star Wars Galaxy's Edge was announced in 2015, to the delight of many Star Wars and Disney theme park fans.
09:12Construction at both locations then began the following year, and they officially opened to the public in 2019.
09:17There's the Resistance ship, it's out there, and you actually walk into this huge 70-foot ship.
09:22Which of these theme park attractions is your favorite? Let us know in the comments.
09:26These are the building blocks that the future is based on. All of the attractions from here on out.
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