With four iconic theme parks, more than five decades of history, innovation and nostalgia to consider, and over 50 rides to choose from, naming anything the “best” at Walt Disney World is no easy task … but we gave it a try anyway.
The best rides at the Most Magical Place on Earth are the ones that deliver incredible thrills, groundbreaking technology and mind-blowingly immersive theming — so this ranking is based on a combination of storytelling, thrill factor, innovation, emotional response and old-fashioned nostalgia.
So buckle up, tug on the yellow strap and enjoy your tour of the best rides at Walt Disney World.
Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance
- Location: Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, Disney’s Hollywood Studios
- Height requirement: 40 inches
Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance — the centerpiece attraction in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge — is such an epic, visceral experience that it feels reductive to call it merely a ride. During the nearly 20-minute adventure in a galaxy far, far away, guests become recruits, enlisted to join the Resistance in the fight against Kylo Ren and the First Order.
There’s no other Disney attraction that can compete with the scale of Rise of the Resistance and its four different ride systems, vast cinematic sets, upward of 65 Audio-Animatronics, original score by John Williams, and audio and visual media featuring the original “Star Wars” cast.
The queue, pre-show and ride experience blend seamlessly, forming a cohesive narrative journey that is enhanced by technology but never overpowered by it. The attraction makes you forget the real world — but not because you’re stuck in a dark space staring at a screen. In fact, Disney cast members doubling as Resistance heroes or First Order captors appear at key moments during the attraction, bringing a tangible reality to the experience that deepens the immersion.
Rise of the Resistance is a fully realized attraction that also still feels aspirational — new rides have opened since, but none have been quite so ambitious or delivered as Rise does. The bar has been set, and Rise is holding strong.
Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind
- Location: World Discovery, Epcot
- Height requirement: 42 inches
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Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind — Epcot’s first-ever roller coaster and Walt Disney World’s first Marvel ride — definitely wins the “most fun” award. The fact that it’s still using a virtual queue nearly two years after opening is a testament to its popularity.
The galaxy’s fate is at stake, and the Guardians need help. Coming to their aid, guests board a “starjumper,” a 360-degree rotating ride vehicle that reverse-launches into a high-speed indoor roller coaster journey through time and space.
One of six randomized ’70s and ’80s pop-rock classics provides the soundtrack for the silky smooth ride that feels like a swinging, soaring dance party through space. Like Space Mountain, the ride is in near darkness but enhanced with elaborate projections and some physical set pieces.
Everyone has a favorite song, and predicting which one you’ll get adds to the fun, making the ride even more repeatable.
Bonus points go to the physical queue, which winds through the Wonders of Xandar pavilion, formerly “Universe of Energy,” and tells a story that feels like classic Epcot but with plenty of Guardians banter.
Ride vehicles rotate to direct attention to a mix of screens and physical set pieces, and though it’s a controlled rotation, those prone to motion sickness are likely to be affected by this ride. The negative effects can be minimized by avoiding looking at the screens and keeping your eyes pointed in the direction of the track.
Avatar Flight of Passage
- Location: Pandora – The World of Avatar, Disney’s Animal Kingdom
- Height requirement: 44 inches
You don’t even need to see an “Avatar” film to be wowed by your first ride on Avatar — Flight of Passage.
The breathtaking 4D experience simulates a flight over Pandora’s Valley of Moara. A motorcycle-like ride vehicle creates the sensations of soaring, swooping and diving on the back of a banshee, which you can feel breathing and flapping its wings beneath you.
The stunning score, gorgeous visuals and effects like scents, mist and wind combine to make this one a top must-do, but it also comes with one of the heftiest wait times — still regularly clocking in at two or more hours, nearly seven years after opening.
Luckily, the standby queue is one of Walt Disney World’s best, winding through alien flora, mysterious caves, an RDA bunker and a bioluminescent forest before entering an ACE laboratory that includes a stunning full-size Avatar moving inside a tank.
Interesting though the queue is, we still only recommend waiting in it when wait times are manageable, typically at rope drop or as late as possible in the evening.
For most Walt Disney World guests, time is money, so purchasing an Individual Lightning Lane is a smart way to skip the line.
Haunted Mansion
- Location: Liberty Square, Magic Kingdom
- Height requirement: None
An opening-day attraction that never gets old, Haunted Mansion adds more fans to its cult following every year. 2023 brought the debut of a new film inspired by the ride and the announcement that the mansion’s 999 happy haunts would soon be hitting the high seas in Haunted Mansion Parlor, opening when the Disney Treasure sets sail this December.
This Ghost Host-led tour aboard a Doom Buggy weaves through the cavernous mansion and its grounds. It’s spooky but not too scary for most kiddos — just remind timid little ones that these grim-grinning ghosts are having a big party, and everyone’s invited to the swinging wake.
You don’t need a new reason to keep this one high on the list, but last November, the Walt Disney World ride did get a long-awaited addition of the legendary Hatbox Ghost, already part of Disneyland’s version.
Expedition Everest — Legend of the Forbidden Mountain
- Location: Asia, Disney’s Animal Kingdom
- Height requirement: 44 inches
Expedition Everest — Legend of the Forbidden Mountain at Disney’s Animal Kingdom is a great roller coaster on its own, but like the other top rides on this list, its immersive theming is as strong as its thrills.
From Serka Zong village in the Himalayan foothills, an old steam-engine tea train operated by a tour and expedition company brings climbers to Mount Everest base camp — if they’re brave enough to ignore the warnings that a mysterious yeti stalks the mountain, that is.
The tallest “mountain” of any Disney park at 199 feet, this is definitely one of Walt Disney World’s more intense rides. There’s a sizable drop and some big surprises, but there are no inversions, and it’s well paced, giving you time to catch your breath during the scenic ascent and dramatic pauses.
This is one of the better picks at Animal Kingdom if you have to do the standby line — it moves quickly, and the immersive queue sets the stage for the adventure, passing through the village tourism office, the Yeti Museum, and even an internet cafe and inn for trekkers.
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
- Location: Frontierland, Magic Kingdom
- Height requirement: 40 inches
The Wildest Ride in the Wilderness combines family-friendly thrills, nostalgia and immersive theming. Hold on to your hats and glasses as you take off on a runaway mine train, weaving among the iconic towering buttes that reach 197 feet at the highest point.
The bumpy ride is laugh-inducing, sending riders sliding into each other as the train rounds tight turns. A fan favorite since it opened in 1980, the oldie-but-goodie still stands up to Disney’s newer coasters in both theming and fun, and at nearly 3 1/2 minutes, it provides a much more satisfying length than many of the newbies.
Three main ascents are followed by gentle drops and thrilling turns that aren’t overly stomach-churning. For the wildest ride, sit in Row 15 in the back of the train.
An enhanced backstory and new character, Barnabas T. Bullion, were introduced to the ride in 2013, along with an updated interactive queue. Owner and president of the Big Thunder Mining Company, Bullion is also a member of the Society of Explorers and Adventurers, a fictional mythology spanning stories and attractions across Disney parks worldwide.
Pirates of the Caribbean
- Location: Adventureland, Magic Kingdom
- Height requirement: None
Constructed in just 15 months after guests expressed disappointment when Magic Kingdom opened without the popular Disneyland attraction in 1971, Florida’s version of the (mostly) slow-moving, dark boat ride absolutely deserves a top spot on this list.
Housed behind the facade of an old Spanish fort, El Castillo del Morro, the entrance and queue take their design inspiration from a fortress in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Many people would argue Disneyland’s version is better, but Walt Disney World’s queue is far more immersive. Depending on whether you use the standby queue or Lightning Lane, you’ll pass through either the soldiers’ quarters or the dungeon, where a famous scene dreamed up by famed Walt Disney Imagineer Marc Davis shows two skeletons frozen for eternity staring at a chessboard stuck in a no-win configuration.
The ride includes one gentle but exciting plunge in the darkness, followed by some of the most iconic scenes, music and Audio-Animatronics on any Disney ride.
Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
- Location: Sunset Boulevard, Disney’s Hollywood Studios
- Height requirement: 40 inches
It’s hard to imagine Disney’s Hollywood Studios without the iconic Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, but the attraction didn’t open until 1994, along with the Sunset Boulevard area of the park.
Once the site of a glamorous Tinseltown hotel, the ominous 199-foot-tall tower casts an aura of foreboding over the decaying grounds. Overgrown landscaping and eerie big-band jazzy tunes help set the stage in the immersive queue, which becomes even more impressive upon entering the abandoned, cobweb-covered lobby.
As the story goes, on a fateful night in 1939, five hotel quests disappeared when lightning struck the hotel elevator. Today, guests visit the abandoned site — riding in a still-functioning service elevator that enters the fifth dimension, launching riders on a series of dramatic drop sequences.
Not for the faint of heart (or stomach), this ride is both scary and nausea-inducing for some, but a runaway fan-favorite thrill ride for many. Even if you hate the freefall sensation, it’s worth trying to experience some of Disney’s best-ever ride theming and storytelling.
Tron Lightcycle / Run
- Location: Tomorrowland, Magic Kingdom
- Height requirement: 48 inches
A must for thrill-seekers, Tron Lightcycle / Run at Magic Kingdom is now the fastest roller coaster at Walt Disney World. Inspired by the 1982 “Tron” and 2010 “Tron: Legacy” films, the indoor-outdoor coaster adds more thrills and gorgeous nighttime lighting to Tomorrowland.
We love the unique body positioning that really makes you feel like you’re on a bike (especially in the front row!) and the silky smooth ride.
Many Tron fans will tell you night rides are superior — and with lighting after dark, they’re not wrong — but unless you’re willing to pay for a timed Individual Lightning Lane after sunset or are eligible for the 6 p.m. virtual queue drop during extended evening hours for Deluxe Resort guests, you’ll have to settle for the virtual queue return time you’re assigned.
Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway
- Location: Hollywood Boulevard, Disney’s Hollywood Studios
- Height requirement: None
Walt Disney World took nearly 50 years to open its first ride starring Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse, so it had to be good. Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway opened March 4, 2020, at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, replacing The Great Movie Ride in the Chinese Theatre.
The innovative dark ride blends a little bit of everything — trackless ride technology, digital projections, Audio-Animatronics, a catchy original theme song and original animation based on the newest generation of Mickey Mouse shorts.
The pre-show features an original Mickey Mouse short called “Perfect Picnic,” after which guests find themselves on a train ride driven by Engineer Goofy through Runnamuck Park.
The ride is packed with hidden Mickeys and Easter eggs. For example, the original whistle used in Disney’s 1928 animated short film “Steamboat Willie” was used to create the train whistle sound on Runaway Railway.
Each “train” comprises four trackless ride vehicles, which split apart and shuffle positions during the attraction, with each car providing a slightly different ride experience.
Pro tip: Keep your eyes peeled. In addition to a secondary storyline involving poor Pluto’s desperate attempt to reunite himself — and a picnic basket — with his owners, a curious little crab appears in each scene, giving you even more to look for during repeat rides.
Spaceship Earth
- Location: World Celebration, Epcot
- Height requirement: None
Housed in a geodesic sphere that’s arguably as iconic to Walt Disney World as Cinderella Castle, Spaceship Earth opened with Epcot on Oct. 1, 1982.
Related: Why Epcot is now Disney World’s must-do park
The 16-minute, slow-moving dark ride follows the development of human communication from prehistoric times to the computer age and beyond. From the invention of the alphabet to classical Greece to the Industrial Revolution, key periods and moments are represented with detailed sets, animatronic figures and narration by Dame Judi Dench.
The attraction has received a few updates through the years, but if you love the current version, thank the Phoenicians it’s still around. While it might not be a physically thrilling ride, it’s quite the thrill to make the “rounds” inside such a legendary structure.
Jungle Cruise
- Location: Adventureland, Magic Kingdom
- Height requirement: None
This opening-day attraction is always a good time; if you don’t believe me, you’re in de-Nile.
The “10-minute, 10,000-mile” boat ride down the rivers of Asia, Africa and South America first debuted on Disneyland’s opening day in 1955 as a straightforward, educational attraction. It took shape as the joke-filled version we know today in 1960, when Walt Disney Imagineer Marc Davis stepped aboard to skipper the story in the comedic direction that made it the “World Famous Jungle Cruise” it is today.
A 2021 reimagining to address cultural insensitivities in certain scenes introduced new characters, animals and scenes to the ride and established a more elaborate backstory that deepens the ride’s connections to the Society of Explorers and Adventurers.
Related: The best restaurants at Disney World in 2024
Pro tip: We love pairing a ride on Jungle Cruise with a meal at the Jungle Navigation Co. Ltd. Skipper Canteen restaurant across from the ride. This Easter egg-packed restaurant serves some of the best table-service food in Magic Kingdom (along with plenty of puns courtesy of Skipper servers).
Kilimanjaro Safaris
- Location: Africa, Disney’s Animal Kingdom
- Height requirement: None
The next best thing to a real African safari, Kilimanjaro Safaris is in many ways the realization of Walt Disney’s original vision for Jungle Cruise, which was to have wild animals in true-to-nature environments. You can spot more than 30 different animal species during the 18-minute open-air drive across 110 acres of savanna — nearly as much space as all of Magic Kingdom park.
Given the unpredictability of live animals, no two rides are the same. Through the years, we’ve experienced so many memorable moments, from a giraffe coming right up to our vehicle and keeping us there until he was ready to move along, to watching a 2-month-old baby elephant run around on her first day on the savanna.
Pro tip: Many of the animals are most active early in the morning and at sundown, so aim for those times. And don’t shy away from a rainy ride — some animals seem to love it, and you’ll stay (mostly) undercover.
Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
- Location: Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, Disney’s Hollywood Studios
- Height requirement: 38 inches
“Star Wars” fans simply can’t pass on the chance to take the controls in the cockpit of the fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy by joining Hondo Ohnaka’s flight crew for an important smuggling mission aboard the Millennium Falcon.
For “Star Wars” fans, the queue is as bucket list-worthy as actually taking a seat at the controls. After first passing the life-size Millennium Falcon from the front as you enter the queue, you’ll get to see it from additional angles and from multiple levels, getting a closer look at the iconic ship from different perspectives as you wind through the Easter egg-packed queue.
Flight crews of six are assigned the positions of pilot, gunner or engineer and get a few minutes to explore the main hold and take a seat at the centerpiece dejarik table before heading to the cockpit.
Once in your seats at the controls, it’s time to work as a team to put the bucket of bolts to the test and see if you can complete your mission — and get back to Batuu with the Falcon in one piece. Pilots steer, gunners defend and engineers perform repairs, and at the end of your mission, Hondo will let you know how well you’ve done — and what your cut of the credits will be.
Pro tip: Young riders who just make the 38-inch flight requirement often struggle to reach all of the controls in the pilot position. If they have their heart set on piloting, consider putting the longest-armed adult in the other pilot position so they can reach over and help.
Slinky Dog Dash
- Location: Toy Story Land, Disney’s Hollywood Studios
- Height requirement: 38 inches
When guests enter Toy Story Land, they “shrink” to the size of one of Andy’s toys from the films. It’s easy to look at Slinky Dog Dash, which Andy has “built” in his backyard by combining his Slinky Dog toy with a Mega Coaster Kit, and assume it’s a coaster for little kids a la Magic Kingdom’s The Barnstormer.
But this coaster is tons of fun and worth the ride, even without kids. The ride vehicle mimics Slinky Dog’s springy body — launching then seemingly springing along, bobbing up and down over gentle but exhilarating hills, and winding among Andy’s toys. You’ll also glimpse some wonderful vistas across the theme park. A second, more thrilling launch, narrated by Slinky Dog, sends riders seemingly straight up into the sky, giving a brief feeling of weightlessness.
Grown-ups will get a nostalgic kick out of the classic toy boxes used to construct portions of the queue and load area too.
Pro tip: Slinky Dog Dash is the most popular Genie+ Lightning Lane at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, so make sure to grab this one first at 7 a.m. The ride also frequently goes down due to weather, so if you’re opting for the standby queue and only have one day to ride it, make sure you don’t save it until the end of the night if the sky looks threatening.
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
- Location: Fantasyland, Magic Kingdom
- Height requirement: 38 inches
Like Slinky Dog Dash, this is another true family coaster that’s not just for kids. Opened in 2014 as part of Magic Kingdom’s Fantasyland expansion, this gentle but exciting coaster ups the thrill factor just enough to engage adults and bigger kids without scaring less daring littles.
The ride vehicles are modeled after mine carts and sway back and forth along the otherwise smooth track, which ventures into the diamond mine where the seven dwarfs famously whistle while they work.
Bright, reflective gemstones (look out for the Hidden Mickey!); cheerful, singing dwarf animatronics; and an earworm rendition of “Heigh-Ho” as you make your ascent up the main hill make it impossible not to smile on this ride.
One drawback — there’s only one main show scene and a second brief final scene, making the ride feel over a little too quickly given its consistently long wait times.
The ride is available via standby queue (an interactive queue helps keep kids busy) or Individual Lightning Lane. The price may not be worth the cost for thrill-seekers, but it could definitely be worth it with antsy younger kids.
Star Tours — The Adventures Continue
- Location: Echo Lake, Disney’s Hollywood Studios
- Height requirement: 40 inches
Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge might get more of the attention lately, but Walt Disney World’s first “Star Wars” ride has been going strong since 1989.
Opened first as Star Tours and later updated to Star Tours — The Adventures Continue in 2011, this 3D flight simulator ride takes guests on an unpredictable adventure across a galaxy far, far away in a Starspeeder 1000 ship helmed by reluctant pilot C-3PO and trusty navigator R2-D2.
Every adventure includes four randomized main scenes, introducing potential variability of characters, including classic original trilogy characters like Princess Leia and Darth Vader and destinations like the planets Tatooine and Hoth.
Updates through the years have added new characters and destinations as new “Star Wars” films have been released and ahead of the opening of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. On April 5, 2024, Star Tours got its latest galactic glow-up — new scenes and characters from the Disney+ series “Ahsoka,” “Andor” and “The Mandalorian.” Now, guests could get an urgent transmission from Ahsoka Tano, Cassian Andor or the Mandalorian and Grogu.
For a limited time, all guests will visit a new destination, the planet Seatos from “Ahsoka,” where the Starspeeder joins Ahsoka’s T-6 Jedi Shuttle in a dogfight amid a pod of purrgil, massive space whales first introduced in the animated series “Star Wars Rebels.” After this phase of introduction to the new characters and scenes, the ride will reenter a “random play” mode, as Walt Disney Imagineer Tom Fitzgerald called the ride’s eventual fully randomized sequencing, and will increase the ride’s total potential storyline variations to more than 250.
Peter Pan’s Flight
- Location: Fantasyland, Magic Kingdom
- Height requirement: None
One of Disney’s most nostalgic and iconic dark rides, with a soundtrack that can instantly unlock childhood memories, Peter Pan’s Flight opened with Magic Kingdom in 1971 and to this day remains one of the park’s most popular Genie+ Lightning Lane attractions — with a correspondingly hefty standby wait.
Board a pirate ship and take off from the Darling family nursery, flying over the rooftops of London then off to Neverland. Fly past scenes like a miniature Mermaid Lagoon below and a life-size swordfight between Peter Pan and Captain Hook overhead.
If you do end up in the standby line, the interactive queue through the Darling family home helps pass the time. Look out for twinkling signs of Tinkerbell’s trail of pixie dust, and you might spot her rattling around and even getting stuck in tiny places around the house.
Space Mountain
- Location: Tomorrowland, Magic Kingdom
- Height requirement: 44 inches
This Walt Disney World original, which opened Jan. 15, 1975, was so popular that it inspired new versions in four more parks worldwide. Fitting for Tomorrowland, it was the first roller coaster ever to be controlled by a computer.
The iconic structure encloses two almost identical tracks, Alpha and Omega, which each launch spaceship-themed ride vehicles on their ride through space. The nearly total darkness makes the coaster feel much faster as it makes sudden sharp turns and drops.
An attraction that definitely feels its age, this coaster doesn’t have any inversions or extreme drops, but it’s definitely one of Walt Disney World’s rougher rides.
Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure
- Location: World Showcase, Epcot
- Height requirement: None
Pixar meets Paris in a whimsical extension of Epcot’s France pavilion that gently transitions from the real-world architectural grandeur of the City of Light to Pixar’s more playful and exaggerated animated version, setting the stage for Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure.
You’ll shrink down to rat size and board rat-shaped trackless vehicles for a 4D dark ride that has you scurrying through Gusteau’s restaurant.
The multisensory ride combines screens and physical sets, enhanced with scents and some other surprise effects we won’t spoil, and makes wonderful use of the film’s excellent soundtrack.
Located at the opposite end of Epcot from most of the park’s other rides, Remy’s is a welcome reward for kids who lose steam making their way around Epcot’s World Showcase.
The ride is equally enjoyable for adults and kids, but it may bother some guests prone to motion sickness.
Frozen Ever After
- Location: World Showcase, Epcot
- Height requirement: None
A reskin of the Viking-themed Maelstrom boat ride attraction in Epcot’s Norway pavilion, Frozen Ever After takes guests on a cruise through Arendelle past scenes inspired by the original “Frozen” film.
Related: How Disney brought animated mega-hit ‘Frozen’ to life at Hong Kong Disneyland
Audio-Animatronic characters sing abridged versions of songs from the film, modified to support the ride’s storyline. Light thrills include a gentle reverse drift during “Let It Go” and one thrilling drop that’s not too scary to keep little kids off the ride — but just nerve-wracking enough to generate some hilarious expressions on the Disney PhotoPass ride photos.
This ride continues to be extremely popular and breaks down a lot, so if it’s a top priority, try to pick up an early Genie+ Lightning Lane or rope drop it.
Toy Story Mania
- Location: Toy Story Land, Disney’s Hollywood Studios
- Height requirement: None
Toy Story Mania opened in 2008, long predating the opening of Toy Story Land, which better established the ride within the world of Andy’s toys. The 3D carnival game-inspired attraction remains extremely popular, is endlessly rerideable (that is, until your arm gets too tired) and the game aspect of the ride even edges out newer game-focused rides like Web Slingers at Disneyland.
Ride vehicles seat two passengers side by side at spring-action shooters and whip and spin players from game to game.
Toy Story characters, including Woody and Jessie, Rex and Trixie, and the Green Army Men, host a series of five carnival-style 3D games on screens. Players ultimately compete against each other, but can also work together to unlock secret targets worth more points.
Dinosaur
- Location: DinoLand U.S.A., Disney’s Animal Kingdom
- Height requirement: 40 inches
You either love or hate this rough, dark and downright terrifying (for some) blast to the past. Guests board a Time Rover with a mission to travel back to the Cretaceous period to retrieve an iguanodon and bring it back for research before the extinction-causing meteor strikes.
The fan-favorite preshow features Dr. Marsh (Phylicia Rashad), director of the Dino Institute, and Dr. Grant Seeker, a goofy, passionate scientist who briefs guests on the mission and frantically narrates during the harrowing attraction.
Loosely based on the 2000 film “Dinosaur,” this attraction parallels Disneyland’s Indiana Jones Adventure with respect to ride vehicle and layout. Unlike Indy, however, Dinosaur relies more on extreme darkness and jump scares than cinematic sets and impressive effects.
Kids who love dinosaurs and don’t scare easily love this ride.
Dinosaur fans should get their rides in while they can. While no official retheme has been confirmed, Disney Experiences Chairman Josh D’Amaro began teasing potential rethemes of DinoLand, first in 2022 at D23 Expo, then again in 2023 at Destination D23, by playing “Indiana Jones” theme music, teasing a possible “Indiana Jones”-themed update in the area. More recently, D’Amaro confirmed that work is “well underway” for this project, with teams already going on research trips to Mexico.
Living with the Land
- Location: World Nature, Epcot
- Height requirement: None
A prime example of Epcot edutainment, this “voyage of discovery and awareness” aboard slow-moving boats is part dark ride, part greenhouse tour.
Situated in Epcot’s The Land pavilion, the dark ride portion showcases a variety of ecosystems — the tropical rainforest, desert and American prairie — before cruising through the pavilion’s four working greenhouses.
It might sound dull, but guests of all ages will find themselves captivated by the array of different edible crops growing on display — from familiar tomatoes, cucumbers, salad greens and strawberries, to the more exotic banana trees and giant melons, to cacao and peanuts. Fish farms and hydroponic and aquaponic farming methods are also showcased.
Get a taste of the end products by dining at Sunshine Seasons or Garden Grill Restaurant, also in the Land pavilion. Both restaurants use produce and seafood farmed in the greenhouses in some of their dishes.
If you visit Epcot during the holiday season, be sure to wait until after dark to ride, when a holiday overlay bathes the greenhouses in the warm glow of festive colored lights.
Pro tip: Want to learn more? Book a Behind the Seeds walking tour — a one-hour tour of the fish farm and greenhouses.
Soarin’ Around the World
- Location: World Nature, Epcot
- Height Requirement: 40 inches
This flight simulator attraction gives riders a hang gliding sensation as they “soar,” feet dangling up to 40 feet above the ground, through screen-based scenes.
The ride originally debuted as “Soarin’ Over California” in 2005. In 2016, it was replaced with the current “Around the World” version, which visits some of the world’s most famous natural wonders and manmade landmarks, including the American Southwest, the Great Wall of China, the Eiffel Tower and the Great Pyramids of Egypt.
Recognizing fans’ love for the original “Over California” attraction, Disney has begun bringing it back for limited runs. At Walt Disney World, it returned during the Disney100 celebration, and at Disney California Adventure, it’s been making an annual return during the park’s yearly Food & Wine Festival.
Pro tip: The farther you sit from the center of the screen, the more distorted some images appear — the Eiffel Tower in particular appears dramatically curved for guests sitting on the far sides. The best section and row for the least distorted image and no feet hanging in your view is B1.
Navi River Journey
- Location: Pandora — The World of Avatar, Disney’s Animal Kingdom
- Height requirement: None
Navi River Journey can’t compete with Flight of Passage in the thrill department, but it does fully immerse guests in a beautiful, tangible Pandoran setting.
During the slow-moving (indoor) nighttime journey in Pandora’s bioluminescent rainforest, boats float through the lush jungle, seemingly alive with the glowing sights and sounds of the planet’s otherworldly creatures. Screens and projections are combined with physical sets, motion and sound to create impressively realistic effects, like alien creatures hopping from giant leaf to leaf overhead.
Ethereal music swells during the journey, reaching a crescendo as the boat approaches the massive Navi Shaman of Songs, a lifelike animatronic that is the most advanced Walt Disney Imagineering has ever created.
Navi River Journey gives those who don’t meet the height requirement or are unable to ride Flight of Passage a great opportunity to experience Pandora’s beautiful theming and detail.
“It’s a small world”
- Location: Fantasyland, Magic Kingdom
- Height requirement: None
Who wouldn’t want to hop aboard “the happiest cruise that ever sailed”? An opening day attraction at Magic Kingdom following a successful debut at the 1964-65 New York World’s Fair, then at Disneyland in 1966, this nostalgic classic celebrates a message of peace, understanding and friendship by sharing a look at the world through the eyes of a child.
Different countries and cultures worldwide are represented by costumed Audio-Animatronic dolls designed to look as though they’ve been created by a child using papier-mache and other craft materials.
The lyrics to the timeless theme song by Robert and Richard Sherman, sung in the native languages of the represented regions, have become synonymous with calls for peace, empathy and acceptance. In an ongoing effort to honor the ride’s message of inclusivity, a doll in a wheelchair was added to the ride last March.
Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover
- Location: Tomorrowland, Magic Kingdom
- Height requirement: None
An oldie but goodie that’s enjoyed a new wave of appreciation and popularity in recent years, the Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover takes guests on an elevated, narrated tour of Tomorrowland.
The magnetically powered tram takes passengers behind the scenes for a different perspective of Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin and travels right through Space Mountain. The ride also provides stunning views of Cinderella Castle, the canopy of Tron Lightcycle / Run and an overhead look at Tomorrowland Speedway.
There’s no Lightning Lane but the standby queue moves quickly and is rarely longer than 20 minutes.
Test Track
- Location: World Discovery, Epcot
- Height requirement: 40 inches
The current iteration of Test Track gets high marks for thrills but lands this low spot for seriously lackluster theming, especially when compared to a sister ride at Disney California Adventure Park. Radiator Springs Racers uses the same ride vehicles and mechanisms but adds the stunning backdrop of Ornament Valley, a heartwarming dark ride component, and a head-to-head race at speeds of up to 65 miles per hour to the finish for extra fun.
With the right theming, this could be a top-tier ride like Radiator Springs Racers — and the good news is, a retheme is in the works. Test Track will close June 17, 2024, for its reimagining, which will take inspiration from the original World of Motion. We can’t wait to see how it turns out!
Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith
- Location: Sunset Boulevard, Disney’s Hollywood Studios
- Height requirement: 48 inches
Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith is a high-speed roller coaster ride in the near darkness, save for neon signs, with Aerosmith music blasting the whole time.
The premise: After meeting Aerosmith in the recording studio, guests are invited to the band’s concert on the other side of town and have to get through LA traffic in a super-stretch limo to get there.
This ride can be rough, but that doesn’t stop it from being perpetually popular.
Note: Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster is currently closed for refurbishment, with plans to reopen in summer 2024.
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