Walt Disney World isn’t often known for its thrills. In fact, if you’re after giant roller coasters and truly adrenaline-pumping rides, Universal Studios Orlando is a better bet. However, there are still several Disney attractions classified as “thrill rides.”
For this list I picked only from the attractions that fall into Disney’s thrill category. Since it’s unlikely that you’ll go on The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh looking for a wild ride, those attractions are excluded from the list. Instead, these are the rides that are meant to give you a thrill but may or may not live up to the claim. Those on the best list should offer some genuine excitement while those on the worst, while fine attractions in their own right, probably won’t feel very thrilling to the bravest riders in the park.
The Best
1. Space Mountain
Image: Disney
Space Mountain is not only a roller coaster, it’s the most jarring option on property. Since you’re hurtling through a pitch black building, the drops and turns can come as quite a surprise, adding to the excitement of the attraction. Space Mountain also has two different tracks, so if they’re both open and you have time to ride twice, you can experience completely different thrills on each path.
2. Expedition Everest
Expedition Everest features the classic big drop that you expect from a roller coaster, earning it a top spot on the list of thrills. It also sends you backwards, careening at sharp angles, and speeding through the dark. Though the yeti lacks its original thrill now that he’s stationary, creative lighting still makes it an exciting sight as you race past.
3. Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster
Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster shoots you off at 60 miles an hour into a massive neon-lit indoor space. With two rollover loops and a corkscrew, this ride has one of the most thrilling tracks at Walt Disney World. While the theme of racing in a limo to an Aerosmith concert isn’t as heart-pounding as the Yeti expedition, the ride itself more than makes up for it, earning it a must-do ranking for thrill seekers.
4. Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror doesn’t just drop you in its rickety elevator, the attraction actually pushes you down so you fall faster than the speed of gravity. There are several different ride configurations so you never know how many times you’ll go up and down before the plummets are over, adding to the excitement and anticipation.
5. Test Track
Image: Disney
Test Track takes you through several exciting twists and turns including curves banked at 50-degrees and three-story climbs. The outdoor portion of the track is the highlight of the attraction. It spans nearly a mile and takes you around at speeds up to 65 miles an hour, which feel particularly thrilling when you consider the fact that your car is open to the hair-whipping air around you.
The Worst
1. Splash Mountain
Splash Mountain is a classic Walt Disney World attraction, but as a thrill ride it can fall a little short. The biggest thrill is the drop at the end, but before and after this, the ride is a chorus of singing animals and whimsical scenes. It takes a few darker turns, but with the main characters looking so downright cuddly, there’s not much to get your heart pounding here.
2. Kali River Rapids
Image: Disney
Kali River Rapids qualifies as a thrill ride in Disney’s listings, but this ride is short and largely uneventful. There are a few small drops as your raft bobs around in the water, but nothing terribly steep or fast. Unless getting absolutely drenched qualifies as a thrill, this ride won’t give you anywhere near the thrills of the picks on the best list.
3. Big Thunder Mountain
Big Thunder Mountain is a roller coaster, but it didn’t land on the best list because it doesn’t have very big drops and travels relatively slow. The front half of the ride in particular travels slowly over the hills befre the riders in the back get to feel things pick up a bit. For our money, it’s one of the best rides of any type in the world, but serious roller coaster enthusiasts looking for airtime and thrills may want to look elsewhere.
4. Primeval Whirl
Primeval Whirl’s theming is a big part of what drains the thrill from this attraction. It does have some fast drops and spins, but the carnival feel makes the whole attraction seem more kitschy than anything. It’s meant to offer a parody of Dinosaur, which is a much better pick if you’re looking for something with real scares in it.
5. Mission: SPACE
Image: Disney
Mission: SPACE is not an attraction to be trifled with, but what scares people off is more a fear of severe nausea than a fear of major thrills. Those who opt to join the Orange Team, which is the more thrilling of the two options, board a centrifuge that simulates the G-forces felt during a rocket launch and re-entry. The space is incredibly small and the spinning is intense enough that the ride has barf bags on hand, but if you’re looking for something that’s more exciting than sickening, this may not be the best pick.
While there’s something to love in all these attractions, some rank higher for sheer thrills than others. You don’t need to cross the “worsts” off your itinerary, but use them when you’re in the mood for a milder level of excitement.
