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7 Best Thrill Rides in Walt Disney World

Sure you can have a Kodak moment with Mickey and Minnie Mouse, or check out the nostalgic Disney attractions such as It’s a Small World and Prince Charming’s Carousel, or even experience a more “family based” ride that everyone to enjoy. Sometimes, park guests like myself, like to experience some thrills that make your stomach drop or eyes tear from the ripping through the wind in a race car. Walt Disney World has a handful of thrill rides/coasters that any ride enthusiast should be sure to check out. This topic could be highly debated, as to which is best and which is better than the others, so these are in NO PARTICULAR ORDER. If you do in fact like thrill rides and coasters, it would be criminal not to ride these at least once.

7. Space Mountain – Celebrating its 40th birthday this year, Space Mountain is one of the most vintage roller coasters you’ll ever ride. You really don’t know what to expect your first time riding it, as you get transported through this blue light tunnel and then “up the mountain” as old school astronauts are preparing you for launch. It is dark, with tons of sudden twists, turns, and sudden drops. Being one of the most visited attractions in Walt Disney World, Space Mountain is one you should be sure not to miss.

6. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad – I rode this in the dark for the first time a few months ago. It was like night and day (no pun intended) compared to riding it in the daylight. If you have the chance to ride it at night, do so! Thunder Mountain is probably the most “family based” thrill ride in all the parks. You have some steep drops and hairpin turns, along with typical Disney ingenuity as you make the initial climb passing through stalagmites on your right hand side. If your children are just “at that age” to wanting to ride a coaster, this would be your best bet.

5. Splash Mountain – Splash Mountain, from a distance standpoint, is one of the longest attractions in Disney World. This is another great family-based attraction where you are sure to get wet regardless of where you sit. As you travel through the ride via a log flume, you see classic Disney characters along the way. Splash Mountain, as you probably guessed, finishes with a massive drop into a pool of water soaking park guests at the conclusion of the ride. You’ll be sure to get the song stuck in your head as it plays continuously throughout the ride.

4. Test Track – Have you ever wished you could speed around Epcot at over sixty miles an hour? We’ve come a long way from the ‘Model T’ assembly line here in the United States. Guests get a chance to add rocket boosters, massive tires, and gaudy looking paint jobs on their virtually designed cars in the lab before taking them out for a spin around Epcot. Test Track brings your ideas to live as you test drive your newly designed vehicles for safety, weather, and finally speed! I’ve hit over sixty miles per hour in my most recent visit. Your eyes even tear a little bit due to the speed and wind!

3. Aerosmith Rock N Roller Coaster – I said I wouldn’t rank these due to disagreements amongst readers, but this in my opinion is the best thrill ride in Disney. Imagine sitting at a red light, it turns green and nothing happens. Then out of nowhere, you get shot out of a cannon at massive speeds straight into an upside down loop. Well that is just the start of the Aerosmith ride at Hollywood Studios. You are hitting top speed with classic Aerosmith music blaring into the speakers behind your head. If this could only be a real solution to LA traffic.

2. Tower of Terror – This is one of the only attractions in all of Walt Disney World that you can have a different experience each time you ride it. The Tower of Terror propels and drops guests up and down the Hollywood Hotel. The ride is on a randomized program that changes the sequence of heights of the drops for each ride. The anticipation of waiting for that first drop is unrivaled. There is also a great attention to detail in the pre-ride queue inside the hotel. We’ve seen many celebrities such as Tom Brady and Giselle become massive fans of this attraction.

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1. Expedition EverestExpedition Everest takes you on the journey from base camp to the top of the “Forbidden Mountain” where guests come face to face with the mythical Yeti. This steel roller coaster is some of the finest work ever completed by the Disney Imagineers with multiple surprises and thrills that only Disney can provide. The ride has one of the biggest drops in all of Walt Disney World, as well as traveling backwards making this ride so unique. As the only real “thrill ride” in the Animal Kingdom, Expedition Everest tends to draw larger crowds throughout the day.

There are a few other rides that I wouldn’t consider thrill rides to also be worth checking out such as Soarin, Mission Space or the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. All of these attractions have some sort of height and health requirements you should be sure to check out in advance. You can’t go wrong with any of the rides above. They all have their own level of Disney nostalgia, as well as countless thrills that will make you want to ride them again and again.

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About Mike

Born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts, Mike Procopio had his first Disney adventure later than most in 2011 for his 30th birthday. He has been hooked ever since and is now the "go-to guy" for friends and family who are planning Disney vacations. Mike is also an accomplished athlete as a junior national judo champion. He also enjoys golf, writing for the NFL, and travel.

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