Author: Dixie Diva
Many first time Walt Disney World travelers think that it’s all Princesses and Pixie dust, but the truth is Disney’s Imagineers have mastered some pretty awesome thrill rides for us “coaster junkies”. Here is a list of my TOP 5 THRILL RIDES!
5. Test Track (Epcot) – 40″ height requirement
For those of you who have ever wondered what it would feel like to have your ABS brakes go out or even experience the world of “Crash Test Dummies”, then this is the ride for you! Test Track takes its riders through the different elements of vehicle testing. From breaking and extreme weather conditions, to evasive maneuvers and high-speed loops, this ride has it all! Reaching a top speed of 65 mph, this is the fastest ride on Walt Disney World property. Sounds awesome, right?
Since this is one of the most popular attractions at Walt Disney World, the line is usually pretty long (depending on the time of year you visit). However, you do have other options. Test Track is one of the few attractions that offers the “Single Rider” line. In this line, the wait is usually cut in half, but your party WILL be separated. The other option is Disney’s FastPass service!
4. Expedition Everest (Animal Kingdom) – 44″ height requirement
Now, Expedition Everest is an “animal” of it’s own..a YETI, if you want to get specific! This ride is one of WDW’s newest attractions (remember those Fast Pass things I mentioned? yea…USE THEM HERE!!). While this ride doesn’t have any loops or inversions, it does consist of tight turns, hills, and dips (some while traveling BACKWARDS…yes, backwards). Oh yea, and a 50 mph plunge off the side of the mountain. If you can manage to keep your eyes open, you’ll see some of the most amazing panoramic views available in WDW (see picture above). This is definitely a MUST-DO! If you have any people in your party who have motion sickness issues or other ailments they might want to avoid Expedition Everest.
3. Space Mountain (Magic Kingdom) – 44″ height requirement
Growing up, you might have heard about Space Mountain (in both Disneyland and Walt Disney World). This “Disney Classic” is one of my personal favorites! This ride may not be one of the fastest, but with all of it’s dips, DROPS, and twists, it makes you feel like you’re going at a much faster speed. What makes this a “thrill ride” is that it is in complete darkness!! So you have NO idea when you will hit one of the drops!
Space Mountain was refurbished in 2009, and even though there are no more “giant floating chocolate chip cookies”, I think the ride is much smoother (which makes it more exciting!). Even if you aren’t a huge coaster fan, you should try this ride AT LEAST once!
2. The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror (Hollywood Studios) – 40″ height requirement
Sure, this 13+ story building is great for a photo opp on Sunset Blvd., but for those of you who are willing to make the journey inside and onto one very questionable service elevator, this is one of the many Disney memories that you will never forget! After you cross over into the Twilight Zone (dah dah DAAH!!), you will get a very beautiful view of Blizzard Beach and the surrounding area, just before the elevator cable “SNAPS” and you plummet 13 stories! Another cool piece of information, the Tower of Terror chooses how many times you drop…so every ride is a different experience!
Now the moment everyone has been waiting for…DRUM ROLL PLEASE… Dixie Diva’s pick for the #1 ride at WDW:
1. Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith (Hollywood Studios) – 48″ height requirement
That’s right, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster is my all time favorite ride in WDW! This ride has a lot of features that make it my #1 pick. Not only does this ride start you off from 0 to 57 mph in under 3 seconds and send you into the first loop pulling 5g’s, you are launched through loops, drops, and corkscrews while in complete darkness. And to top it all off..the whole ride is synchronized to the awesome music of Aerosmith! So enjoy your super-fast super-stretch limo ride through L.A. and remember to thank Aerosmith’s Manager for the AWESOME backstage passes! 
Before riding, you may want to read over THE Disney Diva’s post on WDW ride info for health concerns.
Have a Magical time!
Great article. It makes me WISH I was a roller coaster junkie! Lol. I love test track tho!
Great choices
Love all of these so much. Tower is still my fav though.
Another fun thing about Space Mountain, is if you ride the entire ride with your eyes closed and your head back on the head rest. Your stomach is in your throat the entire time. That is, if you can bare to keep your eyes closed the whole time…
Thanks for the info!! Great article. Here is an article of the 11 fastest rides at Disney World.
http://knowdw.com/walt-disney-world/11-fastest-rides-disney-world/