The Most Disappointing Rides in Walt Disney World

Despite being known as “The Most Magical Place on Earth,” there are plenty of rides, attractions, and other experiences that guests might actually be better off skipping in Walt Disney World.

This is not to say that Disney’s Orlando resort doesn’t feature some of the world’s most famous theme park rides ever to be built, because it does, but there are certainly a few attractions that will leave guests disappointed.

Sure, classic dark rides like Haunted Mansion, Peter Pan’s Flight, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, and Pirates of the Caribbean make up a considerable chunk of Disney World’s offerings, with the resort also being home to several world-class roller coasters like TRON Lightcycle / Run and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind. There’s definitely something for everyone to enjoy at Walt Disney World, but there are a few rides in particular we would recommend thinking twice before hopping on.

Below is a list we compiled of what we think are the most disappointing attractions at every park in Walt Disney World.

Seven Dwarfs Mine Train

This Snow White-themed roller coaster has been one of the most popular rides at Walt Disney World since it first opened in 2014, taking guests on an exciting adventure through the hills and mines seen in Disney’s original animated classic.

Guests will swing, turn, and soar as they encounter the seven dwarfs and Snow White herself, though the overall experience is incredibly short.

This is where Seven Dwarfs Mine Train really falters, with the entire attraction lasting only about two minutes. Some of Disney’s other roller coasters match this length, such as Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, though that ride manages to pack in a lot of thrills and chills in its short run time.

The same cannot be said for the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, which essentially puts guests through a few hills and dips before bringing them back to the load station. What’s worse is Seven Dwarfs Mine Train’s queue, with wait times easily reaching 70 minutes or more on any given day.

Even for younger guests, there are likely better options at Walt Disney World than Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, though if you’re a completionist, then “be our guest” and take the plunge.

Kali River Rapids

Much like Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Kali River Rapids is an incredibly well-themed and highly detailed attraction that feels like less than the sum of its parts. Opening in 1999, just a year after Disney’s Animal Kingdom opened its gates, Kali River Rapids has entertained and drenched guests for over twenty years now but still consistently ranks at the bottom for many.

Like the previous entry on this list, Kali River Rapids is incredibly short. In Walt Disney World, the only resource more valuable than money is time, meaning it’s vital guests make the most of it. Kali River Rapids, unfortunately, does not have much to offer other than an admittedly fun big drop.

What’s worse is that this attraction, in particular, can leave guests absolutely drenched right down to their socks and shoes, making it an easy “no” for those not looking to get wet during their day at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

Mission: SPACE

By far one of Disney World’s most unique attractions to date, Mission: SPACE seeks to take guests to the final frontier on a training mission designed to feel as realistic as possible. The approximately 6-minute experience puts guests under a lot of pressure (literally), making them feel 2.5 g forces.

This attraction is not for the faint of heart for several reasons. First, Mission: SPACE is incredibly claustrophobic, with tight restraints and an entire wall of screens and buttons closing in on guests before the ride starts. Up to four guests are packed like sardines into their training pods.

Things aren’t much better when the ride actually starts up, with these training pods spinning around a main centrifuge at high speeds. This is what produces the 2.5 g force in the ride, giving guests a sense of weightlessness. It’s certainly a cool and unique feeling, especially for the Walt Disney World Resort, but we’d be lying if we said it was a totally “comfortable” one.

Due to the intense g-forces and spinning, it can be hard for guests to look to the right or left or even hold their hand in front of them at times. For these reasons, many guests choose to opt out of Mission: SPACE entirely, although there is a second version of the attraction that does not spin and simply acts like a motion simulator.

While it’s great that Disney designed a way for more guests to ride, this version of Mission: SPACE lacks both fun and thrills, making it rather pointless in comparison to some of EPCOT’s other attractions, such as Test Track, Soarin’ Around the World, and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind.

Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run

Perhaps the most controversial ride on this list, Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run, is a Star Wars fan’s dream come true, or it should have been. Part of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Smuggler’s Run is one of Disney’s most ambitious attractions to date, utilizing ride technologies and systems from other attractions and blending it all together to form an immersive and interactive experience where guests get to pilot one of the most famous ships in all of fiction.

The idea is great: design an interactive and adaptive video game experience where guests actually get to pilot the Millennium Falcon. However, the execution leaves a lot to be desired. First off, Smuggler’s Run is quite awkward for parties that do not exactly equal six.

A total of six guests can ride Smuggler’s Run at a time, meaning groups of 5 will likely have one random person join their flight. While this is fine, guests have certain roles on Smuggler’s Run, with riders being assigned to pilot, engineer, and gunner positions.

The pilots are the most important as they literally steer the ship, with engineers and gunners being considerably less crucial. This imbalance makes Smuggler’s Run a mixed bag, as guests who get to pilot end up having a lot of fun, while the other roles are more just “there.”

Smuggler’s Run certainly disappoints compared to the other “E-ticket” attraction inside Galaxy’s Edge, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, which is by far one of Disney’s most impressive and immersive theme park attractions of all time.

Other rides and attractions at Disney’s Hollywood Studios also have more to offer than Smuggler’s Run, with Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster and Slinky Dog Dash being some of Walt Disney World’s most popular roller coasters.

The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror is another fantastic attraction at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and is often regarded as one of Disney’s best, despite the fact that the attraction recently turned 30 years old. While some rides and attractions may be better suited for certain riders, to say that Walt Disney World has any “bad” rides would be inaccurate.

Sure, some attractions are more lackluster and disappointing than others, but everything at Walt Disney World is worth experiencing at least once. Fans can only hope Disney continues to innovate with its upcoming rides and attractions, with the company set to rejuvenate its theme park in big ways over the next decade.

Last year, Disney announced it would invest a whopping $60 billion in its theme parks, building new rides, attractions, and entire new lands at places like Walt Disney World and Disneyland. Some of these projects have already begun, like the retheming of DinoLand U.S.A. at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, which will eventually feature rides based on Encanto and Indiana Jones.

Other projects, like the reimagining of It’s Tough to Be a Bug, Muppet*Vision 3D, and Magic Kingdom’s Rivers of America, will begin some point down the line.

Not all of these projects have been met with excitement, with some fans and guests alike pushing back on the idea of losing such classic attractions. However, Disney has shown it is full-steam ahead, setting its sights on transforming what the term “Disney vacation” will look and feel like over the coming years.

Do you agree with this list?