Welcome back to another Disney Top 5.
When it comes to Walt Disney World attractions, I definitely fall more on the sentimentalist side than I do on the thrill-seeker side. I’m not really at Disney for the thrills. Don’t get me wrong. I do love a good thrill ride. When I’m at Six Flags Great Adventure, over in nearby New Jersey, I’m screaming like a banshee as we plummet down the 215-foot drop of the Nitro roller coaster. If I can catch the park when it’s quiet, I’ll ride it two or three times in a row. It’s a total rush and I can’t get enough. I don’t love the loops as much as I do the huge drops, high speeds, camel humps and intense g-forces of a good classic coaster.
Walt Disney World, however, puts me in more of a sappy mood than a screaming mood. Peter Pan isn’t exactly thrilling, but I’m rarely happier than when Peter yells out, “Here we go!” and we calmly take off over the streets of London. When I’m in my Disney bubble, it’s enough of a thrill for me to sit in Mickey’s PhilharMagic watching Aladdin, Jasmine, and Donald fly though the streets of Agrabah. There’s nothing inherently thrilling about Pirates of the Caribbean or the Haunted Mansion, but those are two of my all-time favorite attractions anywhere. To me, the thrill rides are a close second to the classic Disney dark rides and attractions. I can go plummeting down a steel-tubed coaster anywhere else in the world, but Walt Disney World has always been about escaping the real world and feeling young again. Classic attractions like Peter Pan, and more modern wonders like Star Tours and Toy Story Mania are always more than enough to satisfy that need as far as I'm concerned
That said, Disney does have its share of spectacular thrill rides and they all have a place in my heart just as much as Winnie the Pooh and Buzz Lightyear. Each of them has that one thrilling moment that keeps me coming back for more time and time again. Walt Disney World has something exciting for everyone in each of the four parks. It was hard to choose. So, let’s take a look at what I came up with. Here are my Top 5 Walt Disney World Thrill Rides.
5 – Splash Mountain
It's a tough choice between two of the Magic Kingdom's mountains: Splash and Big Thunder. Photo by Chris Barry.
Is Splash Mountain really a thrill ride? After all, for most of the just under 11 minutes you spend on it, this ride is relatively tame. Yes, there are a few drops inside the mountain itself, but they’re certainly nothing too crazy. The majority of your time is spent looking at characters and singing along to happy songs. It’s the big drop at the end down Chickapin Hill that qualifies Splash Mountain as a true thrill ride. The 53-foot plunge can be pretty “hare-raising.” (Sorry. Brer Rabbit joke!) It’s the combination of peaceful Disney ride and thrilling drop that always has me sitting in that log on each trip. There are bigger drops out there, but none are as much fun.
4- Mission: Space
Take the Mission:Space Orange Team Challenge. Photo by J. Jeff Kober.
To be truthful, it’s been several years since I’ve been on the Mission:Space Orange Team. Lately, I’ve been in more of a Green Team mood. But, to put it quite simply, there’s just nothing else like this out there. I’ve never felt anything like Mission Space Orange on any theme park attraction anywhere, and I probably never will. Excuse the pun, but it’s a total blast!
3 – The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
The Tower of Terror Entrance Sign dares you to come forth and ride. Photo by Jonathan Heigl.
Once again, like Splash Mountain, the first part of this amazing attraction has no big thrills, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t completely awesome. The remarkable queue delivers you to the library pre-show with good old Rod Serling himself on the TV set. The special effects are fantastic all the way through to that final pre-drop moment. The addition of the random drop sequences make this one of the most unpredictable Disney rides in existence. You never quite know what to expect and when to expect it and that’s what makes this ride such a thrill.
2 – Space Mountain
The futuristic spires of Space Mountain always lure me in. Photo by Julie China.
How can a roller coaster that only goes 27 mph make it to number 2 on my list of thrill rides, you may ask? If you have to ask…I guess you haven’t been on it. Space Mountain is a total rush. The darkness, special effects and sound effects all combine to make you feel like you’re going much faster than you really are. I still buy it even though I know how fast I’m actually going and I love every second of it. The exterior is a work of art. The queue is fantastic looking. The rockets are unique. There’s nothing quite like “taking off” though the strobe tunnel and blasting through that final wormhole. There are no big drops and no loops and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
1 – Expedition Everest
The crown of Disney's Animal Kingdom: Expedition Everest. Photo by J. Jeff Kober.
The most expensive roller coaster in the world, according to the 2011 Guinness Book of World Records, gets the top honors in my countdown. As I mentioned above, I don’t love the loops so prevalent on modern roller coasters. Everest has no loops, and it doesn’t need them. The main 80-foot drop, the backwards drop and the helixes are all I need to put this into my number one spot. The so-called “Disco Yeti” doesn’t bother me. Sure, I’d like it fixed and Imagineer Joe Rohde has sworn he will return the Yeti to his original glory one day. That’s enough for me. I love the view of Walt Disney World from the summit. The queue is incredibly chock-full of details and props. The whole package is outstanding and it’s my favorite Disney coaster and one of my favorite coasters anywhere.
So, yes, I did leave out the Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster over at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. It’s a terrific coaster, but I could live without the loops and that bumped it off my list. There were other omissions. I love Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Test Track and Dinosaur, but it’s a Top 5, so I had to choose.
Again, I don’t really go to Disney for the thrill rides. My sentimental side kicks in once I pass through those Walt Disney World arches. I’m very happy in a honeypot on The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. I could ride the PeopleMover multiple times in a row if they’d just let me stay on and I’m always willing to hear some awful jokes puttering around the rivers of the Jungle Cruise. I’d just as soon leave the crazy rides to the Six Flags and Busch Gardens of the world.
But that doesn’t mean that I don’t like a good thrill or two when I’m in the most magical place on Earth. These 5 are where I turn when it’s time for some crazy-good fun at Walt Disney World.
How about you? As always I’d like to hear what you have to say. Click on the link below; let me hear your thoughts and I’ll see you next time with another Disney Top 5.
