You Decide Disney World’s Best Ride in The Disney Fanatic March Madness Disney World’s Best Ride Tournament

It’s an age-old question, and one that has sparked many debates, even fights: What is the best ride at the Walt Disney World Resort?

There’s a lot that goes into answering this question. There is personal preference or past experiences. But this being Disney World, the answer for each one of us probably comes back to the first time we ever went on that ride and the memories associated with it.

But it’s March, which means it’s time for March Madness. So, we at Disney Fanatic decided it was time to settle this heated debate once and for all. We proudly present the Disney Fanatic March Madness Best Disney World Ride Tournament.

How it Works

We have taken the best 32 rides at Walt Disney World and broken them down into four brackets. The rides/attractions are grouped together based on the types of rides and given a seeding one through eight.

The four brackets are: Thrill rides, Old School rides, New Tech rides, and rides based on characters.

We will then collect votes from the comments below and Facebook comments to determine the winners of each opening-round matchup.

The first round is presented below. We will publish the results every Saturday, along with the next matchups, until we have a winner.

So, this is your chance to let the world know that your favorite ride is the best ride at Walt Disney World. Vote early, vote often, and check back every Saturday for the winners and the next round.

A quick caveat. We could only include 32 rides, so shows were out. Sorry, no Carousel of Progress. Also, we could not include rides that weren’t open yet or are no longer at the Disney Parks. So, that means no Splash Mountain and no Tiana’s Bayou Adventure.

So, without any further ado, here are the Disney Fanatic March Madness Best Disney World Ride brackets and first-round matchups.

Thrill Ride Bracket

First, a quick explanation. You are not allowed to call any Disney ride a roller coaster. Instead, they are thrill rides. These are the rides that usually have the longest lines and the ones where you get the most screams. They are also the rides that you wake up at seven to get the Lightning Lane pass for. The rankings are entirely random and not meant to influence the voting in any way. Here are the first-round matchups.

1. Big Thunder Mountain vs. 8. Test Track

It’s one of the Magic Kingdom mountains against EPCOT’s fast car attraction. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is a classic Magic Kingdom ride that has been around for decades. It has become a staple of Frontierland and one of the most popular attractions at Disney World’s flagship park.

Test Track is reasonably new. It was one of the rides that helped transform EPCOT from an educational park to Disney World’s Thrill Ride park.

2. Space Mountain vs. 7. Tower of Terror

The second of Magic Kingdom’s mountains and the world’s first indoor roller coaster against the ride that takes you into the Twilight Zone. Space Mountain has come to define Tomorrowland in the Magic Kingdom. It is groundbreaking and still one of the most popular thrill rides at Disney World.

The Tower of Terror also broke new ground for Disney’s Hollywood Studios. It takes you deep into the Twilight Zone and randomly drops you down an elevator shaft.

3. Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind vs. 6. Tron Lightcycle/Run

Walt Disney World’s two newest thrill rides go head to head. Guardians of the Galaxy redefined roller coasters, only for Tron to one-up it. Guardians take you through EPCOT and across the universe to finally save it. All the while listening to some great music.

Tron is Magic Kingdom’s newest thrill ride and offers a one-of-a-kind experience as you strap into a lightcycle and across the Grid.

4. Seven Dwarfs Mine Train vs. Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster

The new Fantasyland brought us the first thrill ride based on a classic Disney Animated movie. Seven Dwarfs has become the most popular ride at the Magic Kingdom. It takes you deep into the mines with Snow White’s friends and back out again.

The Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster is Disney’s fastest coaster. Your limo is launched across town to get Aerosmith, for now, to their concert. It’s also the only Disney Coaster that takes you upside down.

‘Old School’ Bracket

These are the rides at every park that have been there either since the park opened or shortly thereafter and have remained virtually the same since then. You know, the rides that you have to go on every time you head to Disney World. So, here’s your “old school” bracket:

1. Haunted Mansion vs. 8. Dumbo the Flying Elephant

It’s hard to find two more iconic rides than these two. The Haunted Mansion has been at the Magic Kingdom since it opened and has created a cult-like following amongst its many fans.

Dumbo has also been at Magic Kingdom since opening day. We all remember our first trip to Disney World and sitting down to ride the iconic elephant.

2. Spaceship Earth vs. 7. The Tomorrowland Transit Authority Peoplemover

You can’t think of EPCOT without picturing the iconic “golf ball.” And Tomorrowland wouldn’t be the same without the slow ride around the attractions. Spaceship Earth was an opening day attraction at EPCOT and has remained despite the massive changes in the Park.

And can you really think of Tomorrowland without hearing, “Paging Mr. Morrow, Mr. Tom Morrow?” Didn’t think so.

3. Pirates of the Caribbean vs. 6. Jungle Cruise

Two attractions that have spawned movies, although one is vastly more successful than the other. Pirates of the Caribbean wasn’t an opening day attraction, but demand brought it from Disneyland in California to Central Florida.

Despite having the less successful film franchise, Jungle Cruise has been there from the start. And can you really go to Magic Kingdom without hearing all those jokes?

4. “it’s a small world” vs. 5. Kilimanjaro Safaris

“it’s a small world” is probably as close to seeing Walt Disney Work as we can get in the parks. Sure, it was re-created from the one at Disneyland, but it’s still iconic. And then there’s the song.

Despite only being 26 years old, Kilimanjaro Safaris is still an opening-day attraction at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. It’s changed over the years, but it’s still one of the only rides that can drastically change each time you ride it, depending on the animals.

New Tech Bracket

These rides aren’t necessarily new technology for today, but they helped to advance Disney World’s technology when they were released. Here’s your New Tech Bracket:

1. Soarin’ vs. 8. Living with the Land

Two rides, one building. Whether it’s Soarin’ Around the World or Soarin’ Over California, it’s still one of the most innovative rides that Disney has ever created.

Living with the Land isn’t about ride technology but the new tech used to grow the food. And who doesn’t love learning crops?

2. Rise of the Resistance vs. 7. Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run

Once again, two rides from Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. Rise of the Resistance has become the standard of immersive attractions. You are the resistance.

What kid doesn’t want to drive the Millennium Falcon? You can sit at the chess board and dream of being Luke Skywalker and his Star Wars friends.

3. Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railroad vs. 6. Dinosaur

Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railroad takes the trackless ride to a new level with a completely immersive experience and unexpected movement. And you get to have Goofy drive you around.

Speaking of characters from the past. Dinosaur takes you back to the O.G. animated characters. The trackless truck and constant movement broke new ground for Disney.

4. Mission: Space vs. 5. Avatar Flight of Passage

EPCOT vs. Animal Kingdom. Mission: Space puts you inside a shuttle and on a trip to Mars. It can be disorienting, but it’s a favorite at EPCOT.

Avatar: Flight Of Passage redefined the immersive attraction. You can ride a banshee and feel it breathing under you. But it’s the experience that makes it so great.

Character Bracket

These are the rides that are based on Disney characters or intellectual property. They can be from movies or that Disney created specifically for its parks. Here is your character bracket:

1. Buzz Lightyear Space Rangers vs. 8. Na’vi River Journey

The classic Toy Story character vs. James Cameron’s Avatar. Buzz Lightyear lets you defeat the Evil Emperor Zurg while shooting your way across the universe.

Na’vi River Journey is more than just a boat ride. It drops you into a world of color, sound, and nature. And the animatronics are beyond anything you’ve ever seen.

2. Journey Into Imagination With Figment vs. 7. Under the Sea- Journey of the Little Mermaid

Both are slow, dark rides. But Figment has gained a cult following outside of the ride. EPCOT nearly shut down when the Figment meet and greet first opened. 

Ariel and The Little Mermaid saved Disney in the late 1980s. And now her ride takes you under the sea (pardon the pun), and you become a part of her world (again).

3. Frozen Ever After vs. 6. Peter Pan’s Flight

Two rides that have inexplicably long lines. Frozen Ever After took over the Norway Pavilion and has become one of EPCOT’s most popular rides thanks to Elsa, Anna, and the crew.

Peter Pan’s Flight was an opening day attraction at the Magic Kingdom and has been taking fans to Neverland ever since. It is slightly dated but still has some of the longest lines in any Disney Park.

4. Slinky Dog Dash vs. 5. Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure

Two Pixar-based rides go head-to-head. Slinky Dog jumps to the sky in Toy Story Land. It has the perfect theming and makes you believe that you could have built that when you were a kid.

Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure took over the France Pavilion and has been an enormous success. You become a rat. It’s actually much better than it sounds.

You Decide

Those are the best 32 rides at Disney World. Now, it’s your turn. Let us know your vote in each of the 16 matchups in the comments. We will tabulate the votes and publish the results on March 9.

Check back every Saturday, and we’ll update the brackets until there is one winner.

So, what is going to be Walt Disney World’s best ride? It’s your time to decide.