1
Credit: DisneyWalt Disney dreamed of a place where both kids and adults could go visit, have fun, and build memories together as a family. Disney soon made his dreams become a reality.
The ideas behind Disneyland and Walt Disney World was so families could step into a whole new world where everyone could relax, enjoy themselves and allow their inner child to come out. But just because Walt Disney World was built around the idea of families, doesn’t mean all of the rides and attractions and built for little kids.
There are plenty of thrill rides located throughout each of the four theme parks and if you are a thrill seeker, then you’ll have to check out some of the top thrill rides on Disney property. We made sure to include which park each attraction is located at as well as the height restriction for each ride. If you are traveling with someone who does not meet the height requirements, Disney offers Rider Switch.
The Rider Switch option allows one adult to wait with the non-rider(s) while the rest of the party enjoys the thrill ride. When the ride is over and the adult(s) return, they can then stay with the non-riding guest(s) while the initial waiting adult can then enjoy the attraction without having to wait in the regular line again.
Here are the top thrill rides in each of the four Walt Disney World theme parks.
Big Thunder Mountain (Magic Kingdom)
Height Requirement: 40″
Hop aboard the wildest ride in the wilderness as your train zips past exploding dynamite, falling boulders, and zooms through the ghost town of Tumbleweed.
Space Mountain (Magic Kingdom)
Height Requirement: 44″
3.. 2.. 1.. Blast off! Climb aboard your personal spaceship and get ready for launch, because this attraction isn’t like your ordinary rollercoaster. You’ll blast off into space and fly past shooting stars, galaxies, and satellites in this almost entirely dark indoor coaster.
Splash Mountain (Magic Kingdom)
Height Requirement: 40″
This is no ordinary log flume. Splash Mountain takes you through the story of Brer Rabbit as he looks for his laughing place and tries to avoid his two enemies, Brer Bear and Brer Fox. You will come across a number of adorable animatronic geese, racoons, bees, alligators, possums, and other critters as they sing “Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah” and other Disney classics. But be warned.. You will get wet!
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train (Magic Kingdom)
Heigh Requirement: 38″
Although I don’t consider this attraction to be as thrilling as Space Mountain or Big Thunder Mountain, I do still consider it a thrill coaster.
Embark on a mine train adventure through the cavern where the seven dwarfs work each and every day. You’ll ride past Doc, Sleepy, Happy, Grumpy, Bashful, Sneezy, and of course, Dopey, as they mine for sparkling jewels and whistle while they work.
Rock ‘N’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith (Hollywood Studios)
Height Requirement: 48″
Rock this way as you race over to the Aerosmith concert in a super-stretch limo, listening to hit Aerosmith songs along the way. You will encounter two loops and one corkscrew as you speed past iconic Hollywood landmarks and zoom around traffic jams.
The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror (Hollywood Studios)
Height Requirement: 40″
Step into the 5th dimension as you enter the Hollywood Tower Hotel. In the lobby, you will notice it has been frozen in time and covered in dust and spiderwebs. Soon, you’ll be greeted by Rod Serling on the television as he welcome you to board the maintenance service elevator. He invites you, if you dare, to travel directly to the Twilight Zone.
Slinky Dog Dash (Hollywood Studios)
Height Requirement: 38″
Enter Andy’s backyard and join Slinky Dog on a wild ride. Zip around curves and up and down hills as you zoom past tinker toys and some other of Andy’s favorites.
Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run (Hollywood Studios)
Height Requirement: 38″
Get in the famous cockpit of the Millennium Falcon and embark on a daring adventure. Guests will either be the pilot, engineer or gunner, but regardless of what role you take on – each one is crucial.
Mission: SPACE (Epcot)
Height Requirement: 44″
Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be an astronaut? Thanks to Mission: SPACE you can find out. There are two mission to choose from. Hop aboard the more intense Orange Mission and take a Journey to Mars or you can orbit the Earth on the less intense Green Mission.
Test Track (Epcot)
Height Requirement: 40″
Guests can create their own vehicle and then take it for a virtual spin through a variety of tests to see how it well it will hold up against twists, turns, and speeds up to 65mph!
Coming Soon: Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind (Epcot)
Height Requirement: Unknown at this time
Star Lord, Groot, Rocket Raccoon and the rest of the gang will join you on this thrilling, but family-friendly attraction. You will experience a never-before-seen storytelling coaster which will rotate guests to focus on the action, meaning the ride vehicles themselves will rotate.
DINOSAUR (Animal Kingdom)
Height Requirement: 40″
Travel to prehistoric time on a secret mission to bring an Iguanadon back to the present. But be warned, because this mission is a race against time as you have to make it back before the giant meteor that wiped out life on Earth touches down.
Avatar Flight of Passage (Animal Kingdom)
Height Requirement: 44″
Embark on a thrilling adventure through the world of Pandora on your very own banshee. You will get up-close and personal views of the beautiful landscape and the Na’vi River as you fly through this 4-D expedition.
Expedition Everest (Animal Kingdom)
Height Requirement: 44″
Zip through a Tibetan village toward Mount Everest and the Forbidden Mountain and take in some magnificent views, but this calming ride soon turns into a thrilling race as you come across some footprints in the snow (belonging to the one and only snow monster — the Yeti.)
Kali River Rapids (Animal Kingdom)
Height Requirement: 38″
Climb aboard the raft and venture down the rip roaring river. You will skim past waterfalls and overcome the rapids as you take in the beautiful views of nature surrounding you. But the calm won’t last long as you encounter a 20-foot drop! (And you will get wet!)
The next time you are visiting Walt Disney World, make sure to try some of these top thrill rides!
Do you need help planning your perfect Disney trip? Then don’t hesitate to reach out to the Authorized Disney Vacation Planners at Academy Travel for a free quote and help planning the vacation of your dreams.