A trip to Walt Disney World is such a sensory experience, from its sights to its sounds, its tastes, and even its smells — especially for you sentimental folks with good sniffers!
While the aroma of sweet confections and popcorn fills the air as you stroll down Main Street, USA, we have to admit: the scents of a few of our favorite Disney World attractions are actually our favorite smells at the park!
We’re magically transported back to our younger days when we catch a familiar whiff of these classic Disney World attractions (and we bet they’re some of your childhood favorites, too!)
Spaceship Earth
You don’t have to possess a pair of super powerful nostrils to be nostalgic for the smell of Rome burning (or is it the library of Alexandria now?)! The distinctive pungent and ashy scent actually makes a bunch of burning books smell kinda… good?
Spaceship Earth
Soarin’ Around the World
While we loved the citrusy smell California’s orange groves on the original attraction, Soarin’ Around the World has introduced us to floral fragrances as we sweep over the Taj Mahal and salty sea breezes as we pass over Fiji! If Disney made either of ’em into perfume, we’d gladly be their first customer!
Soarin' Around the World -- WDW
Pirates of the Caribbean
We can’t name one person who doesn’t love the distinctive smell of the water in Pirates of the Caribbean — can you? We just wish the Disney World version would pump in the sweet scent of rum like the Disneyland ride! I mean, we all know it’s the rum they be after!
Pirates of the Caribbean -- WDW
Mickey’s PhilharMagic
Next time you enjoy a showing of Mickey’s PhilharMagic, make sure your nose is paying close attention to the “Be Our Guest” scene. The subtle smell of apple pie wafts through the theater right after it makes impact with Donald’s face! While we’d much rather taste the pie, until Disney invents taste-o-vision, we’ll just have to settle for this 4D experience!
Mickey's PhilharMagic
Gran Fiesta Tour Starring the Three Caballeros
We love climbing on Gran Fiesta Tour in the Mexico pavilion as it floats by the San Angel Inn Restaurant shortly after leaving the dock. We usually can detect a faint but mouth-watering smell of some sizzlin’ carne asada! Of course, we also love listening to the sounds of the bustling restaurant (and watching the volcano erupt!) before turning the corner and heading into the main part of the ride!
Gran Fiesta Tour
Avatar: Flight of Passage
As if flying on the back of a banshee could get any better, we love it when we get blasted by the refreshing mist from the ocean and that wonderfully airy aroma! While similar to the one smell we inhale on Soarin’, we find this Pandora scent as exhilarating as the ride!
Avatar Flight of Passage
Haunted Mansion
Ahhh, how we love breathing in that musty Mansion air! We’re not sure the Haunted Mansion musk is as intentional as some of the other smells we’ve sniffed, be we love its unique, spooky bouquet regardless!
I’m begging you not to follow up this article with the 7 worst smelling rides.
Us old timers remember the orange smell in Horizons.
They actually sell a candle online that smells like Rome burning. I love it. Resorts are not rides, however, Bay Lake Tower and many deluxe resorts have a beautiful fragrance. I go into the Carmel store in Germany just to let that delicious aroma waft by. How about Figment attraction when the skunk blasts you! Definitely not a best smell, sorry. There are many paths that give a delicate aroma of roses, especially in Epcot. Sorry but I don’t notice any smell on Pirates . Or Three Cabrelleros. Soarin Fiji scent is my favorite.
Living with the land is also a great smell ride.
Just so you know, the burning smell in Spaceship Earth isn’t Rome burning, it’s the library at Alexandria in Egypt.
Great post! I can close my eyes and smell those smells. I would add that just leaving the airport and smelling Florida when our vacation starts brings me great joy. It is like coming home! Otherwise you captured it perfectly.