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Get the most of our your Disney World vacation! We share the top 25 best rides at Walt Disney World.
With (4) Disney Theme Parks and over 100 rides and shows, which ones are the best for your Disney World? We are asked about our favorites rides at the Disney Park, almost every day. With over 1000+ visits to Disney World, we do have our favorites.
For the Jones Family, these are the best rides at Disney World Orlando. Let the fun begin!
Best Rides at Disney World
Disney Imagineering does such an incredible job on the rides and attractions at Disney World. It can be tough to pick the best of the best. We do love all of the rides, but these are our absolute favorites.
Magic Kingdom
Disney Theme Parks are each a little different and unique. One of the most popular parks is Magic Kingdom Park. This park mixes fantasy with the past and future. This park is my personal favorite of all of the Disney Theme Parks.
The Mountains (Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad)
There are so many amazing rides at Magic Kingdom. Our favorite rides at Magic Kingdom Park; include the 3 Mountains…Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, and Big Thunder Mountain.
This is our son’s favorite rides. I love that he combines all three into one ride. They each are a big different, but include tons of laughs and some screams, too.
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
At Fantasyland, one of the most popular rides is the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. This ride theming comes from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. They incorporate this story with a family roller coaster. This is a fun ride during the day and the evening hours. This ride usually has long lines, so take advantage of the Disney Genie+. You can make a reservation for this ride on the My Disney Experience, before you even leave for Disney World.
You will also want to spend some time at the new Fantasyland with Enchanted Storytelling with Belle, Under the Sea with Ariel, and Dumbo the Flying Elephant. A little tip, if Dumbo has a long line, head over to Adventureland and ride the Magic Carpets of Aladdin. This ride is similar to Dumbo but without the long wait times.
Haunted Mansion
Another top ride at Magic Kingdom Park is Haunted Mansion. This is my teens favorite ride at Magic Kingdom. This is another ride that is fun during the day and extra spooky at night. You board a Doom Buggy as you explore 99 happy haunts. This ride may be scarier for younger kids, but your older kids and teens will love it.
Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
A ride perfect for the whole family is Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin. This dark ride is located in Tomorrowland. We love using the laser blasters to shoot aliens and help Buzz defeat Zurg. This ride will have your whole family competing with each other and laughing all of the way.
Jungle Cruise
You will join a skipper as you take a boat ride through the amazon. If you like “dad jokes,” you will love the Jungle Cruise. This Disney attraction is a classic ride at Magic Kingdom. We also love riding this ride over the Christmas season when it turns into the Jingle Cruise.
Pirates of the Caribbean
We love pirates! ARRRR! Pirates of the Caribbean has pirates, Captain Jack Sparrow, a great song, and even a water drop in the dark. It is a lot of fun for the whole family. Yep, everyone will be singing “Yo ho Yo ho . . . ” at the end of the ride.
Peter Pan’s Flight
A classic Magic Kingdom ride is Peter Pan in Fantasyland. We love this ride and the queue. The line is one of the first interactive queues at Disney World. Your younger kids will love playing the bells, finding Tinker Bell, and keeping entertained in the line. Once you get to the ride you get to fly with Peter Pan and friends. It is a magical ride!
Journey of the Little Mermaid
We love this ride with Ariel, Flounder, and the Little Mermaid friends. There is rarely a long line for this ride. It is just a fun indoor ride for the whole family. This ride was originally at California Adventure at Disneyland. We are so glad Disney brought it over to Fantasyland at Disney World.
Honorable Mentions
Since Magic Kingdom is our favorite theme park at Disney World, we have a few honorable mentions. Some other really fun rides at Disney World include Mad Tea Party, Tomorrowland Speedway, it’s a small world, Barnstormer, and the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh.
There are also classic rides like Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress, Country Bear Jamboree, Enchanted Tiki Room, and Astro Orbiter (amazing view of Tomorrowland). We love Enchanted Tiki Room with the bird animatronics. This was one of the attractions that Walt Disney worked on at Disneyland. This attraction is one of the best ones at Disney, just because it reminds us of Walt Disney. These may not be the most popular rides, but they have a lot of Disney history.
In the evening hours, be sure to watch the Happily Ever After fireworks. The first time our daughter saw this show, she cried. It was so sweet!
Disney’s Hollywood Studios
Heading over to the movies at Disney’s Hollywood Studios Theme Park, be sure to catch the many thrill rides of this park.
Drop & Roll (Tower of Terror and Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster)
There are two epic thrill rides at Disney’s Hollywood Studios that we like to call “drop and roll.” These are the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror and Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster by Aerosmith. I used to work as a Cast Member at Tower of Terror, so this is one of my favorite rides at any of the Disney Parks. This is also one of my favorite rides for storylines. These two best attractions will get the adrenaline pumping.
Slinky Dog Dash
​One of the newest additions to Disney’s Hollywood Studios is the family roller coaster called Slinky Dog Dash. You shrink down to the size of a toy and hop on this coaster throughout Toy Story Land.
This coaster does get popular, so be sure you take advantage of Disney Genie+ reservations.
Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
If you are a Star Wars fans, you will love the new Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge addition to Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Click here for the top things to do at Galaxy’s Edge. There are two rides that made our best rides list. One of them is the Millennium Falcon Smugglers Run. You get to take different roles in the Millennium Falcon. It is a ton of fun!
​Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance
​Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance is the newest ride at Galaxy’s Edge. You can join the Resistance in an epic battle against the First Order. This ride is a must do for any Star Wars fan. Since this ride just opened, it is super popular.
Be sure you book a Lightning Lane with Disney Genie+ for this ride.
Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway
This brand new ride is super cute at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. This ride is themed after a Mickey Mouse cartoon short. You will join Mickey and Minnie Mouse in their cartoon world, along with Goofy and some other friends. It is a fun dark ride with a lot of family fun.
Honorable Mentions
Some other popular Disney rides at Disney’s Hollywood Studios include Star Tours, Beauty and the Beast, and Star Wars Launch Bay. If you have Disney Visa Card, be sure you pop into Star Wars Launch Bay for a meet and greet with a Star Wars character (just for you). For the younger ones, be sure to catch Toy Story Mania and Disney Junior – Live on Stage.
For the evening, be sure you book a Disney Genie+ for the Fantasmic! Show. This is a great evening show at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
Epcot
Going into the future, let’s check out the best rides at Epcot. This Disney Park combines the future of Future World with the present of the World Showcase countries. Epcot is fun and educational (especially important for this homeschool family).
Soarin’ Around the World
In the Future World, you can fly around the world on Soarin’. This ride puts all of your senses into motion. You will feel like you are flying over the Great Wall of China or over the Polynesian Islands. You can actually smell the salt air. Your whole family will love this ride.
I know I mentioned a few classic rides at Magic Kingdom. Another classic ride at Epcot is Living with the Land. This ride is next to Soarin, so you can ride them back to back.
Test Track
​Do you like thrill rides? Test Track is one of the best thrill rides at Epcot. You will get to create your own car. You can build your car for appearance and speed. Then you get to hop into your car and test it out on the Test Track. This includes our favorite part at the end . . . the speed!
Mission Space
Another thrilling ride is Mission Space in Future World. Did you ever wonder what it was like being an astronaut? You will get that chance when you ride Mission Space. You will literally launch into space and travel around Earth. Mission Space has two options called green and orange. The green version is mild and the orange version is very intense. If you try the orange version, you will experience forces up to 2.4G!
Spaceship Earth
After the intense experience at Mission Space, you may want to ride Spaceship Earth. This ride is located inside the huge sphere or golf ball. This is the icon of Epcot.
The ride at Spaceship Earth will take you through the history of Earth (past, present, and future).
Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind
Epcot finally has a roller coaster. Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind recently opened at Epcot. This roller coaster is a thrill and so much more. This ride also has an amazing queue with lots of things to explore (before even getting on the ride). Plus, the queue is in the air-conditioning which is perfect in the Florida heat. This is definitely a must do at Disney World.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park
For years, Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park’s tagline was “it is more than just a zoo.” That is so true! Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park features thrill rides, broadway style shows, and adventures that you can only experience at Disney. This includes the brand new Pandora The World of Avatar.
Some of the best rides at Disney World are located at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park.
Kilimanjaro Safaris
Is a safari in Africa on your bucket list? The Kilamanjaro Safari ride at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park takes you on a safari in the middle of Disney World. We love riding this ride again and again and again. You will see live animals roaming the savannah. Each ride is completely different. We love this ride during the day and at dusk. This is a favorite ride for our whole family.
Expedition Everest
Expedition Everest is the tallest mountain at Disney World at 200 feet. This is also one of our favorite roller coasters at Disney World. You board a train that takes you around and through the mountain. You will even go backwards in the dark through the mountain.
Watch out for that Yeti, too. Expedition Everest will have you screaming the whole ride!
Kali River Rapids
Board a raft as you travel down the Chakranadi River on the Kali River Expeditions. Be prepared to get wet, actually soaked! You will get splashed by geysers, go under waterfalls, and soaked by the river.
It is a fun ride for older kids and teens, but you will walk away soaked!
Avatar Flight of Passage
The newest addition at Disney’s Animal Kingdom is Avatar The World of Pandora. We love this new addition. You will also want to spend time during the day and again in the evening at Pandora.
For the Jones Family, our favorite ride (as a family) is the Avatar Flight of Passage. On this ride, you will hop on a mountain banshee and fly above Pandora. Just like Soarin’, it is an experience. You will see Pandora, feel the banshee breath under your legs, and smells the plantlife. It is an experience! This ride is super popular with waits up to 4 hours, so be sure you book a Disney Genie+ reservation for this one.
We hope you enjoyed our list of the best rides at Disney World in Florida. Do you have a favorite that was not on our list?
