Menu

Top 10 Rides for Thrill-Seekers at Walt Disney World

Expedition Everest
Credit: Disney

Walt Disney World is known for great shows, attractions, and also thrill rides. Read below our top ten rides for thrill-seekers at Walt Disney World.

10. Test Track: Test Track is located inside Epcot at Walt Disney World. Test Track originally opened in 1999. It closed for a brief period and refurbished in 2012. Test Track allows guests to design their own “virtual” car. You design a “Sim-Car” by picking the body type, tires, and more. Your “sim-car” is then taken out on the Test Track to see how it performs in different conditions, such as rain, high turns, etc. The track tests four main characteristics of your car: capability, responsiveness, efficiency and power. The total length of this ride is just over 5 minutes and you will reach a speed of 65 miles per hour! Test Track is definitely a ride for thrill seekers. This will be an attraction that you most likely will want to get a FastPass for, as the line can get long during busy times at Epcot.

9. Splash Mountain: Splash Mountain is found in Frontierland in Disney’s Magic Kingdom. This attraction has been giving guests thrills since 1989! Splash Mountain follows the misadventures of Brer Rabbit and his encounters with Brer Bear and Brer Fox. This is a log fume style ride, where you move along the story in a log on water. Parts of this ride are inside and take you leisurely through the story. This attraction holds over 900,000 gallons of water and several dips and turns along the way. The most thrilling part of this ride is the climb up the final hill and then the big drop. Splash Mountain certainly earns it’s name with a 50 foot drop at 40 miles per hour to get you nice and soaked and wanting to come back for more!

8. Mission Space: Mission Space is a located at Epcot. This thrilling ride simulates what it is like for an astronaut to travel to space. Mission Space not only has guests experience the g-force of a rocket during lift off and what it would be like to be in hyper sleep on a mission to Mars. This ride uses a centrifugal motion simulator and opened in 2003. Mission to Mars is a simulator where guests are given jobs on the spacecraft, such as, navigator, pilot, engineer, and commander. These roles require each guest to perform two tasks during the mission. Mission to Mars is a multi-arm centrifuge that gives riders the illusion of acceleration by spinning and tilting sealed capsules. This ride is definitely for thrill seekers, but maybe not those with weak stomachs! Don’t worry motion sickness bags are provided.

7. Big Thunder Mountain: Big Thunder Mountain can be found in Frontierland in the Magic Kingdom. This monument valley inspired ride takes guests in a train through a mountainous terrain where prospectors are living and looking for gold. Big Thunder Mountain opened in 1980 and has been a thrilling ride for youngsters and adults alike. This ride reaches a height of over 50 feet and a speed of 30 miles per hour. Big Thunder Mountain is a thrilling roller coaster, but is also suitable for the brave youngsters in your family too!

6. Seven Dwarfs Mine Train: The Seven Dwarfs Mine Train is one of the newest thrill rides at Magic Kingdom. This roller coaster opened in 2014. This roller coaster is fast, smooth, and features classic characters from Snow White. This is a great family roller coaster. This ride is extremely popular, so your best bet is to get your FastPasses early. This line reaches over 100 minutes long almost everyday. The Mine Train features a 41-foot drop and will take you through the dwarf’s mine at over 30 miles per hour. Did you know that the audio animatronics located throughout the ride are recycled from Snow White’s Scary Adventure? This includes some our favorite dwarfs, like Doc and Dopey. Snow White’s Scary Adventure closed in 2012.

5. Dinosaur: Dinosaur is located inside DinoLand USA at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Dinosaur is a fun, fast paced, slightly scary ride back into the time of the dinosaurs. You, your family and friends can ride in a time rover to head back to the age of the dinosaurs. This ride is so much fun. It is very dark, there are loud noises and yes, a big dinosaur does chase you! This ride is highly recommended for anyone who loves to have an adrenaline rush and to learn a little about dinosaurs along the way.

4. Space Mountain: Space Mountain is a classic ride in Magic Kingdom located in Tomorrowland. Space Mountain is a thrilling ride in an indoor outer space themed steel roller coaster that opened in 1975. This ride is really exciting; it is very dark and reaches speeds of over 25 miles per hour. The maximum height of this ride in 60 feet and takes you on a large drop of 26 feet. Space Mountain has 30 trains and two tracks. The space trains hold 3 guests in a car as you fly through space. This ride is fast paced and really fun. It can be frightening for younger guests and we would recommend getting a FastPass scheduled before you journey into Space Mountain!

Bonus Tip!

BONUS TIP: Consider planning and booking your next Disney trip with an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner you can trust like Mickey Travels. They’ll help you get the best Disney travel deal, share expert advice and their services are totally FREE! It’s genius! Discover More >



3. The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror: The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror is located at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. This is a dark ride where enter a fictional Hollywood Tower Hotel and is closed and dusty. The introduction is themed after the famous Twilight Zone series. The premise of this ride is that the hotel elevators have been under the influence of supernatural activity for many years. You will be taken into the basement and board a service elevator. The elevator takes you on a ride where you are rocketed into the air and then dropped back down. This ride will be different every time you ride it, which makes it extra thrilling. The Tower of Terror is the second largest building at Walt Disney World and stands 199 feet tall. This ride will give you the feeling of weightlessness as you rocket up and then are pulled back down. The motors that control the elevators during the ride generate torque that is equal to that of over 200 Corvette engines and reaches top speed in just over one second! The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror is a great experience for thrill seekers.

2. Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster featuring Aerosmith: Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster is also located in Disney’s Hollywood Studios. This ride features Aerosmith in the pre-show and during the roller coaster itself. You will ride in a car heading to a concert at top speeds. This thrilling ride starts off with bang; your car will accelerate from 0 to 60 miles per hour in just over 2 seconds. This is the second fastest attraction at all of Walt Disney World. There are loops in this ride and you will go upside down. The first inversion will let you experience 3.5 G’s, which is more than an astronaut would experience during a space shuttle launch! The roller coaster takes place in a dark environment and will have Aerosmith’s rock ‘n’ roll blasting in your ears as you ride. Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster featuring Aerosmith is a very popular attraction, so make sure you get a FastPass before you ride!

1. Expedition Everest: Expedition Everest is located in Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Expedition Everest’s track is over 4,000 feet long. The track reaches a height of over 100 feet. The largest drop of the roller coaster is 80 feet and super fun! The highest speed you reach is 60 miles per hour. This roller coaster is unique because you experience part of it in reverse. The roller coaster starts off going forward but then you’ll notice the tracks have been ripped apart by some mysterious creature. You’re then flung backwards at 40 miles per hour. The star of this attraction is the Yeti who lives in and on the mountain. This animatronic is the largest and most complex Walt Disney ever built. The Yeti is the best part of the attraction. He appears in the ride at the perfect time for a great surprise. This monster stands 25 feet tall and roars over you. The Yeti is mysterious and gives you goose bumps as you fly through the ride. While the animatronics once worked, now due to mechanical issues it comes to life by strobe lights.

BONUS TIP: Consider planning and booking your next Disney trip with an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner you can trust like Mickey Travels. They’ll help you get the best Walt Disney World deal, share expert advice and their services are totally FREE! It’s genius!

About Jaclyn

I am a middle school science teacher during the school year and an avid SCUBA diver. I have been a Disney Fanatic since I can remember. I got engaged at the Magic Kingdom. Living the south Florida area and being an annual pass holder, I am able to visit the Disney World parks several times a month. I love going with my friends and family and experiencing the magic together.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.