Some conversations are more argumentative than others. What you love isn’t necessarily something that I will even like and vice versa. As an example, I’ve spent the last 20 years ranking every movie that I’ve seen. My favorite films of given years were The Bourne Identity, Gravity, and The Matrix, all of which are flicks that most people enjoy. Then, I’ve picked some more eclectic titles like Serenity, the Firefly sequel, and Seeking a Friend for the End of the World, which you may not even know.
Over the past two decades, I’ve shared a significant number of minority opinions. And I’m about to add a few more. As someone who has ridden everything in Orlando, I have loved many attractions over the year. I’ve also felt disappointed by a few others. Here are the eight most overrated rides in Orlando.
Avatar: Flight of Passage
Image: DisneyOkay, I realize that I have your attention now, just as you recognize that I’m not messing around. Everyone has an opinion on theme park attractions, and the collective group perspective becomes accepted as fact. It’s why everyone knows that Star Wars and The Lord of the Rings are great, even though some of us don’t care for either property.
Heightened expectations are the quickest path to disappointment. Disney faces this problem more than Universal because Team Mickey is better across the board. As such, this list isn’t evenly divided between the two theme parks. People expect more from Disney, which is the how and why of their rides having a better chance of getting overrated.
For example, Avatar Flight of Passage is a masterpiece of ride design. It takes the same ride structure of Soarin’ and elevates the concept with augmented reality visuals. Its ride mechanic of a stationary motorcycle is novel, too.
I think it’s clear that I am a fan of Avatar Flight of Passage. I just don’t believe that it’s the greatest Disney attraction in recent memory. Cast members proudly describe it as Soarin’ on Steroids. I see it as more of VR Soarin’, and I happen to prefer the real thing, the version of Soarin’ with real-world landmarks.
Flight of the Hippogriff
Image: UniversalI almost feel guilty picking on this one, as the original Flying Unicorn junior roller coaster had the most modest of ambitions. Universal park strategies wanted to give children a roller coaster that they could ride, a noble goal.
Then, everyone got greedy. Some enterprising executive got the bright idea that Universal could slap a Harry Potter title on the attraction and boost its demand/appeal. And this concept offends me to my very core. Park officials knew that they had a cheap ride targeting children, and then they tried to commercialize it into a Harry Potter roller coaster.
Flight of the Hippogriff is not, it was never meant to be, and it doesn’t stand on its own against such lofty expectations. I’m a Harry Potter fanatic, technically Team Gryffindor but a fan of all things Hufflepuff, and I cannot stand this attraction. It’s a pretender. When you want a real Harry Potter experience fit for a child, board the Hogwarts Express instead.
Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit
Image: UniversalOut of all the attractions that I list here, I only actively dislike two of them. Coincidentally, it’s this one and the next one I’ll discuss.
Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit is a daring roller coaster with one of the most novel tracks in the world. You’ll soar almost 17 stories high at a maximum speed of 65 miles per hour. You’ll also encounter a breathtaking series of twists and turns that are unlike any other coaster paths in existence today.
Unfortunately, the ride experience is kind of miserable. The coaster carts aren’t comfortable, the nausea factor is high, and those unique trajectories feel like a punishment rather than fun.
I understand that many people love Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit, but it’s one of the few roasters that I’ve ever exited and immediately said, “Never again!” I actively despise it.
Kali River Rapids
Image: DisneyWith Stitch’s Great Escape gone for good, Kali River Rapids has become my least favorite ride at Walt Disney World. Like Flight of the Hippogriff, I’m offended by it. Imagineers are capable of such breathtaking accomplishments that I’m frustrated by anything that seems phoned in.
The apathy on Kali River Rapids is unmistakable. It’s a float ride that should tower above all over raft-based attractions on the planet. Instead, I’ve ridden more entertaining versions of the concept at places like Dollywood and Six Flags, which shouldn’t ever happen.
Kali River Rapids famously has many broken ride elements, some of which get repaired for a time, only to tear up again. Others are just left for dead, something that never would have happened on Walt Disney’s watch. Kali River Rapids is the worst blight in the Disney theme park lineup today.
Rock ‘n Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith
Image: DisneyHere’s another example of a ride that I like that I still find overrated. Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster’s strongest selling point is its explosive start. The coaster kicks into high gear immediately, going from zero to 57 MPH in less than three seconds…which sounded a lot more impressive before Tesla started making cars. And it’s still impressive to me.
What I don’t like about this roller coaster is its length. While 57 MPH is fast, especially for Disney, it’s not an earth-shattering velocity. I expect a ride of this speed to last for a while. Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster is over in 80 seconds. It’s just too short to provide me with a satisfying ride.
Also, when I forget to press my head back against the seat as instructed, I sometimes spend part of the ride forgetting my name or home address. The concussion factor is real on this one.
Space Mountain
Image: DisneyYes, I understand that this statement is blasphemy to some people. Even I feel conflicted about it.
Here’s my reality when I visit Magic Kingdom. I enter the park with countless plans for the day. Space Mountain is inevitably part of said plans. I simply cannot imagine a day at the Most Magical Place on Earth that doesn’t involve a trip on the Space Port.
Once I board Space Mountain, I remember everything about it that leaves me feeling nonplussed. While once the greatest roller coaster on the planet, Space Mountain hasn’t changed much over the years. Disney’s plussed it in cosmetic ways more than ones that impact the ride experience.
To me, Space Mountain feels dated in a way that most classic Disney attractions don’t. It’s also extremely rough, which isn’t what I want from a ride, especially now that I’m getting older. It will always be an incredible roller coaster from my childhood, but adult me is pretty much over Space Mountain.
Tomorrowland Speedway
Image: DisneySpeaking of rides that haven’t changed much since I was a kid, Tomorrowland Speedway feels like a relic today. Once upon a time, all kids loved the idea of driving a car, even if it was clearly a pretend one. This time happened before videogames existed.
Now, any 8-year-old can play Forza and feel like they’re participating in a much more realistic driving simulation, even though Forza cars are fake. The ones at Tomorrowland Speedway exist in the physical world, yet they still just don’t quite resonate the way that they did a few decades ago.
Autopia and all of its connected car attractions are an integral part of Disney history. They just don’t measure up in the 21st century, a thought that bums me out.
The Transformers Ride
Image: UniversalAs a kid, I liked Transformers enough that I know all of the words to Stan Hill’s The Touch. This comment makes sense to other Transformers fans from the 80s and 90s. I’m much less attached to the Michael Bay films of the past 15 years. They’re glorified fireworks presentations disguised as movies.
So, I knew when I boarded The Transformers Ride for the first time that there was a 50/50 chance I wouldn’t care for it. To my surprise, I quite like the line queue for the attraction, which tells a cohesive story that builds anticipation for the ride.
Then, the motion simulation begins, and the story follows soon afterward. At this point, Transformers The Ride completely loses me as a big, blurry, showy mess of incoherent gibberish.
I’ve always felt that Universal Studios relies too much on motion simulation as a rule. This attraction is the worst offender, going too far too often to seem more kinetic. Transformers the Ride just doesn’t work for me, and I’m honestly surprised that it has so many passionate fans.
