My Favorite Walt Disney World Rides & Attractions
Disclaimer: We are not paid to promote any restaurant, hotel, activity, product, or attraction. All opinions are subjective and based on our personal experience. Your experience may be different.
As we head into the spring and summer months, we hear of more and more people booking their trips to Walt Disney World. While I did not take my first vacation here until my late 20’s, I have been back several times since then. While I prefer the movie magic of Universal, both theme parks are great.
Orlando is one of my favorite destinations when I crave a “fun vacation” – I love the nice sunny weather, the upbeat vibe of the tourists, the movie themed rides, and the live entertainment. After many visits, I have definitely decided which rides are my favorites – these are the rides I can go on again and again and never be bored.
Tower of Terror at Hollywood Studios is one of my favorite rides. I love the fantastic special effects and that you never know when the elevator drops are coming! It’s so unpredictable and exciting. The drops vary in intensity each time (you never know what is coming) making the ride one of the park’s most thrilling!
I love the fact that the Aerosmith Rock n’ Roller coaster runs in the dark at amazingly fast speeds, all in the company of the music of Aerosmith! A blast for music and coaster fans alike. The design is so cool! Update: I was sad to learn that this ride is being demolished. It is going to be rebranded as a Muppets coaster (which will open in 2026). Too bad as this was one of our group’s favorite rides on our first trip to Disney.
Expedition Everest at Animal Kingdom features a surprise special effect before the big drop at the end! I won’t give out any clues here so you will just have to check it out for yourself. Great tricks and turns the entire ride – it’s well worth the very long wait! Plus, the queue is really fun as well and mostly inside (a must during the summer season). On a side note, let’s hope this ride is good – it’s one of Disney’s most pricey coasters at a whopping 1 million bucks!
I love how The Great Movie Ride features animatronics from all the classic films. Definitely a great time with fun special effects! I loved the acting – the guides were so passionate and entertaining. Update: This fabulous ride is now closed. Too bad – it was one of Disney’s best! Why do they close all the rides we love?
Pirates of the Caribbean is one of the classic can’t-miss rides at Magic Kingdom. You really feel as if you are a pirate going through the elaborate sets and coming in contact with realistic looking figurines. The special effects are great and the dark setting a treat on hot sunny days when you want to escape the heat for a bit. Fans of the popular Johnny Depp series will definitely want to put this one high on their bucket list. This is one of my go-to rides that I try to go on at least twice on any trip. I especially love going on this one during Mickey’s Halloween Party – pirates just adds to the spooky vibe in the area.
I really loved the special effects and design of The Haunted Mansion ride at the Magic Kingdom. It is so much fun seeing realistic looking ghosts. As the ride opened before holograms were invented, it’s pretty cool that the engineers were able to create such realistic looking ghosts. This is another one that I have to ride at least twice. The special effects are even more incredible during the Halloween season. If you can get out here during this time, I highly recommend booking tickets (note – they sell out in advance).
The Extreme Stunt Show at Hollywood Studios is definitely worth a stop – great live show with great tricks and special effects! One of the best live shows at any of the parks! Update: This attraction closed.
The American Idol Experience is a great time, especially for fans of the TV show. It was fun to get to vote for your favorite singer and listen to judge’s feedback in a live setting – just like actually being at the show! Update: Closed. Too bad – being a long time fan of the show, I really loved this experience. I really felt that I was a part of the studio audience.
Wow…the fireworks show at Magic Kingdom is nothing short of amazing. You will want to go back every night of your trip. It’s that good…There are bright lights, projections on the castle, and fun music. It’s super entertaining and definitely the best way to cap off an amazing day at the park.
The Kilimanjaro safari ride at Animal Kingdom is a great way to see all the animals in the park and feel like you are on a real-life safari observing animals in their natural setting. This is the top reason to visit this park, in addition to the amazing Everest ride. Do not leaving without taking this incredible tour. I wrote a little post about my experience at this park. Check it out for the full details.
The Main Street Parade held each night at the Magic Kingdom is definitely a can’t-miss! The lit up floats add to the festive atmosphere. You will see a lot of your favorite characters and hear a lot of fun tunes. Update: There is a new parade now called Disney Starlight: Dream the Night Away. You will get to enjoy scenes from classics like Peter Pan and Pinocchio as well as new favorites like Moana. I can’t wait to check it out on my next trip.
Spaceship Earth is a cool dark ride which rotates around the inside of the iconic Epcot landmark. You will learn more about technology along this ride. At the end there are cool interactive features to play around with. This is the “IT” ride at Epcot as most attractions revolve around food here.
Other great rides:
As a few of the rides on this list are now closed, I have added a few more of my favorites!
Thunder Mountain Railroad – Great mountain themed rollercoaster at Magic Kingdom. Lots of fun small drops and turns and the theme is fantastic. This is the rollercoaster for scaredy cats!
Kail River Rapids – Fun raft ride at Animal Kingdom that your whole party can enjoy together. There are lots of drops, twists, turns, and big splashes just like real whitewater rafting. I love this ride during the summer season because it is the ultimate cool down – you’ll get totally soaked! Wear a poncho if you don’t want to get wet – but really who doesn’t want to in 95 and humid weather!
Mickey’s 3D show – Awesome 3D show at Magic Kingdom featuring music from the best Disney movies and realistic sights and sounds. A classic, but an awesome time!
Peter Pan’s Flight – This one always has a super long wait (last time, we waited over an hour and a half) but this is one of my favorite animated movies, so I usually tough it out. I really love the theme and it’s no cute and nostalgic. Definitely a great pick for first timer’s although you may not want to wait the second time around!
