Last Updated: June 14, 2026
Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida offers perhaps the greatest collection of theme park rides and shows anywhere across the globe. With four different parks – Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom – there is bound to be an experience that each guest falls in love with. Through decades of innovation and technological mastery, Imagineers (the creatives tasked with designing and building these attractions) have ensured that many Walt Disney World offerings transcend pop culture, with countless rides being well-known to even the most casual of observers.
Magic Kingdom’s opening in 1971 quickly established Central Florida as the “Vacation Capital of the World”. With growing competition from outside companies in the years since, Disney continually adapts their park lineups to include greater thrills, new movies, and more immersion to keep guests coming back. With an endless catalog of films and characters to draw from, Walt Disney World makes you feel like you’re part of the story. A vacation here, for better or worse, gives you a chance to escape the problems of the outside world for a few days as you embrace your inner child.
As a huge fan of Disney’s movies and theme parks, I took the time to consider what constitutes my top ten rides in their formidable lineup across the four Orlando parks. To create this list, I specifically thought about what I would choose to prioritize if there were absolutely no lines at all and I had to simply pick my ultimate favorites. There are some notable omissions, particularly when it comes to roller coasters, and some of my favorites do not pack the high-level thrills that would appeal to some audiences. But in the end, I feel like the rides below offer the greatest collection of theming, storytelling, and fun in all of Walt Disney World. With so many unforgettable experiences at the resort, you may find yourself disagreeing with my personal list, but I think this speaks to just how strong and diverse their lineup is.
Note: This list only includes rides. Stay tuned for a future list for my top five shows in the parks. Also, click on each heading to see on-ride POVs that I was able to find online.
Honorable Mentions – Tiana’s Bayou Adventure; Expedition Everest
Starting off with two rides I chose not to include, I felt it necessary to give some commentary on these omissions. The first is Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, which replaced Splash Mountain back in 2024. Had I written this list with the original still in place, it likely would’ve placed in the top five. When I visited Magic Kingdom as a child, Splash Mountain quickly became my favorite ride in the entire park thanks to its 52-foot drop, intricate animatronics, and because it featured the song “Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah” (one of the best Disney songs ever, in my opinion). However, this ride was ultimately replaced with The Princess and the Frog because of the controversial nature of the original theming around Song of the South. While I can understand the change and appreciate that the ride layout itself has stayed the same, I think it was unfair to shoehorn Tiana-theming into a pre-existing space that now features an incoherent story, plenty of dead spots, and frequent technological issues. I do think the Disneyland version in Anaheim is a stronger offering because it offers bigger splashes, and it would likely crack my top ten at that park. But in Orlando, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure falls short.
I think some of the best Disney rides are ones that feature their own unique storyline with brand new characters and settings, rather than being themed around a piece of intellectual property. Expedition Everest in Animal Kingdom falls into this category, with a tremendous setting and thoughtful details even within the queue. Although the ascent up to the top of the mountain to encounter the fearsome yeti is a thrilling one, I always leave this ride feeling shaken up thanks to a backwards descent through twists and turns. My motion sickness, along with the fact that the complex yeti audio animatronic has not worked properly in twenty years, keeps this out of my top ten.
#10 – TRON Lightcycle / Run
Originally built in Shanghai Disneyland in 2016, TRON Lightcycle / Run debuted in the Tomorrowland section of Magic Kingdom in 2023 after a lengthy construction process. This roller coaster is extremely unique, featuring a bike straddle seat as you’re launched nearly 60 miles per hour through both an outdoor section and an indoor one. If you’re uncomfortable using this seating, there are also some accessible cars that you can ride in on the back of each train. Also, as a heads up, all loose articles must be stored in a locker within the queue. The outdoor canopy features color-changing lights that make this ride more worthwhile after the sun has gone down; this section of the ride is truly awesome and is what keeps me coming back again and again. TRON Lightcycle / Run would be higher on my list, but it’s far too short, lasting only about a minute total. The music and lighting are terrific, the seats are incredibly cool to experience, and the ride is a fun introduction to the TRON universe. However, it leaves you feeling like there should’ve been more, even an extra 15 seconds.
#9 – Spaceship Earth
Perhaps the greatest collection of audio animatronics at a Disney park can be found in Spaceship Earth, the 180-foot tall geodesic sphere located at Epcot’s front entrance. This 15-minute ride, narrated by Judi Dench, takes you on a time traveling experience through the advancements in human communication. During your journey, you’ll get to see the development of cave paintings, the invention of papyrus and hieroglyphs, the creation of the Phoenician alphabet, advancements in Greek and Roman communication, the birth of the printing press and its role in the Renaissance, and modern technology. You will also be asked to build your vision for the future during the ride’s descent, which is where I think this ride struggles. Plans were in place to renovate this ride, but post-COVID, nothing has been mentioned. The final scenes with the creation of computers and the internet are in need of some serious updates as well. While certain flaws stick out with age, the narration is fantastic (although corny at times, but that gives it greater charm). Overall, Spaceship Earth is a technological marvel that gives you a deeper appreciation for the developments that have come before you and the ways that you can work to have that same impact on the future.
#8 – Kilimanjaro Safaris
A 20-minute safari ride through the African savanna, Kilimanjaro Safaris allows for close encounters with wildlife that you’d otherwise only see at a zoo. It’s quite interesting to see the animals interact in their (simulated) natural environment. The giraffes tend to be the highlight. Oftentimes they will stop walking right in the middle of the road, leading to some great photo opportunities. Early mornings, evenings, and rainy days are the best times to hop in line in order to see the most activity.
Forget what I said about Spaceship Earth – Pirates of the Caribbean has the greatest collection of audio animatronics at a Disney Park. But there’s a catch. The Magic Kingdom version of this ride pales in comparison to the original in Disneyland, which probably would’ve been number one or two on this list. At seven minutes shorter than its California counterpart, the story is condensed quite a bit in Orlando. However, it’s still one of the very best rides at Walt Disney World nonetheless, which speaks to the mystique and emotions they are trying to convey. Housed inside a Spanish fort, Pirates of the Caribbean evokes an atmosphere of suspense from the moment you get in line. After passing the skeletons of ill-fated pirates and hurtling down a ramp into total darkness, you enter scenes of pirates ransacking an island town in search of buried treasure. With countless funny lines and gags from the animatronics scattered throughout, you’re sure to discover something new with each ride.
#6 – Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind
Cosmic Rewind is a roller coaster in the World Discovery portion of Epcot themed around the Guardians of the Galaxy. Without spoiling the pre-show, you end up on a transport shuttle that hits a jumppoint, sending you hurtling backwards during the Big Bang. In classic Guardians-style, there are six songs you might hear during your journey – “Conga”, “Disco Inferno”, “Everybody Wants to Rule the World”, “I Ran”, “One Way or Another”, or “September”. While the ride itself stays the same from song to song, it seemingly feels like the ride slows down or speeds up to match the beat of whichever one you get. This coaster is also unique because the ride vehicles themselves will pivot in the direction of show scenes as you move along the track. I could see the argument for placing this even higher on the list, but as someone who is prone to motion sickness, I don’t always get off this feeling my best. However, it’s just straight up fun the entire time, earning it the distinction of the best roller coaster in all of Walt Disney World.
As someone who has never seen any of the Avatar movies, I can recall coming into this Animal Kingdom ride for the first time wondering how well it would immerse me in a universe that I had very little knowledge of. Frankly, it far exceeded all expectations. Upon entering the Pandora section of the park, you are instantly transported into a whole new world, and the queue for this ride is no exception. While Flight of Passage always has a huge line (mostly because there isn’t enough to do in Animal Kingdom), it’s well worth the wait. As you are linked to an avatar flying through Pandora on the back of a banshee, the environment around you is expertly crafted to make you feel as if you’re really part of the action happening on the screen in front of you. You can feel the banshee breathing on your leg. You can smell the world you’ve entered. You get splashed by the ocean water. It’s another one of those wow-inducing experiences that you find hard to walk away from.
#4 – The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
I love drop towers. I love The Twilight Zone. Putting them together was sure to lead to an instant classic, and over 30 years later, it continues to be one of the premiere attractions in all of Walt Disney World. Set at the end of Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood Studios, the 199-foot tower looms large over the rest of the park. It’s an intimidating sight, whether to first time riders or the most seasoned pros. As you enter the seemingly abandoned hotel and are greeted by the narration of Rod Sterling, the story expertly sets the stage for the thrills and chills you’re about to face in the elevator shaft ahead. Once you ascend, there are more haunts to face before you enter the drop portion. Since these drops are randomized, you never truly know what’s in store. A perfect combination of storytelling, a rush of adrenaline, and innovative ride mechanics, Tower of Terror is the ideal ride to end the night at Hollywood Studios.
#3 – Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover
For a ten minute ride that doesn’t even reach a top speed of seven miles per hour to find itself in my top three in the Walt Disney World Resort, you know there has to be something special about it that makes it stand out. This elevated journey around Tomorrowland was meant to serve as a model for an urban mass-transit system of the future. It features beautiful views of Magic Kingdom’s central hub and Cinderella Castle, a prototype model of Walt’s vision for EPCOT, passage through the heart of Space Mountain, and many nods to Tomorrowland’s past. If you ever see that Space Mountain is closed, make sure to get on the PeopleMover – you might be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of the normally pitch-black coaster with all the lights turned on. The PeopleMover is the perfect ride for anyone looking to get off their feet while still taking in the sights and sounds around them. This is a gorgeous spot to be when the sun goes down and the lights around the park turn on. It’s nostalgic, peaceful, and frankly, perfect. I could spend my entire day here and not get tired of it.
#2 – Haunted Mansion
Speaking of perfect rides, you can look no further than the Haunted Mansion on the other side of Magic Kingdom at the northern end of Liberty Square. Despite its foreboding presence, I get a tremendous amount of excitement as I step foot into the mansion and enter its “stretching room”, which sets the stage for the story that follows. Almost every single aspect of this attraction feels so intentional and intricate on multiple levels. As you board your “Doom Buggie” and are whisked away into the haunted corridors, there is phenomenal build-up to the scares that lurk around every corner. Without giving away too much of the ride, my favorite moment is the endless hallway with the floating candelabra. Unfortunately, this is followed by the Hatbox Ghost, who was very recently shoehorned into this section of the ride despite the fact that the ghosts are not supposed to appear in their physical form until after Madame Leota’s seance a few moments later. But this, to me, is the only negative in a ride that otherwise eclipses its original Disneyland counterpart in almost every aspect. Haunted Mansion is able to take something scary and make it fun for guests of all ages. There’s something about it that sticks with you for the rest of your visit. When they say they have 999 happy haunts but room for one more, you’ll find yourself wanting to volunteer to stay behind simply because you don’t want the experience to end!
#1 – Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance
Despite my qualms with the Star Wars sequel trilogy and my stance that I will never watch them again, there is little doubt in my mind that Rise of the Resistance is the greatest ride in Walt Disney World, if not all Disney parks globally. While I have trouble sympathizing with characters like Rey, Finn, Poe, and even the incredibly overrated BB-8, the storyline of this attraction is still very easy to connect with and feel immersed in. I don’t want to say too much about what actually happens here other than the fact that you take on the role of a Resistance sympathizer against Kylo Ren and the First Order. This is really like two or three experiences at once, lasting around twenty minutes total. There are plenty of moments that leave you wondering how Disney could’ve possibly pulled that off. Combining some of the coolest technology I’ve ever seen in a theme park attraction, Rise of the Resistance certainly sets the standard for what a ride can achieve. Some will question its re-rideability once it loses some of its surprise elements, but for me, I love witnessing other people get to see this one for the first time. If you had to get in line for one thing in all of Walt Disney World, whether you’re a Star Wars fan or not, it should be Rise of the Resistance.
WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU:
Thank you for visiting Small World Travel Blog! Do you agree with my top ten rides at Walt Disney World? If not, let us know in the comments what your list would’ve been. If you’re looking for more information or articles about Disney theme parks, please use this link. And make sure to keep an eye out for future Disney posts!
Small World Travel Blog 
Leave a comment