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Worst to first: Ranking new experiences at Disney World

It took us a few days to work through all of the latest entertainment and attractions debuting for the 50th anniversary of Walt Disney World. They range from the meh to the marvelous.

Here’s how we’d rank some of these new experiences, from worst to first:

11. Magic Kingdom welcome show: Move along, nothing to see here. Not even a proper countdown to opening. Ranks last because we were expecting so much more.

10. Magic Kingdom celebration cavalcade: Nice outfits, but our Fab 5 are riding on repurposed floats. Blink and you’ll miss it.

Photo by Mary Yanni

9. Beacons of Light (other than Spaceship Earth): The projections on Cinderella’s Castle, Tower of Terror and the Tree of Life are considerably less spectacular than what we’re used to seeing during the holidays.

8. Fab 50 statues: A nice addition to the parks, and great for selfies (look for Stitch hanging out — literally — at the purple wall). Maybe the ranking would change with the interactive MagicBand+ promised for next year.

Photo by Steve Liebman

7. La Creperie de Paris: It’s nice to have a sit-down restaurant where you don’t need reservations (yet). We enjoyed both the savory galettes and sweet crepes, but the competition at this point is getting tougher.

6. KiteTales: The internet pounced on this show like Shenzi, Bonzai and Ed (hungry hyenas), but we think it’s a delightful diversion. It’s fun to watch a show that isn’t pre-programmed and actually depends on the skill of its performers (not to mention the weather).

Photo by Mary Yanni

5. Enchantment: An even trade for Happily Ever After, though we miss our favorite sing-along songs. It’s growing on us.

Photo by Steve Liebman

4. Space 220: This restaurant is so much more than food—it’s a fabulous experience, from the moment you get on the elevator. It gets knocked down in the ratings because it’s so hard to get into.

3. Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure: Great addition to Epcot’s France Pavilion. Don’t miss the smell of fresh-baked French bread wafting through Remy’s kitchen.

2. Harmonious: You need a stake out a good spot to get the full effect. Still, this has moved up in our rankings with multiple viewings.

Photo by Steve Liebman

1. Spaceship Earth: The biggest “wow” of the weekend. What a glow-up!

Photo by Steve Liebman

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