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5 Rides to Skip and 5 Rides Not To Miss in Disney World

haunted-mansion-bride
Credit: Disney

There are so many rides and experiences throughout Walt Disney World that it is impossible to get them all in during one Disney vacation.  The four Theme Parks have so much to offer that it can be hard to determine what you should and shouldn’t ride and do.  To help you with your planning, we have five rides we skip and five rides we never skip at Walt Disney World.

Five Rides to Skip

Although it is fun to experience everything Disney World has to offer throughout each Disney Park, there are some Disney rides that we don’t find as fun as others.  This might be because of motion sickness or just because we prefer other Disney rides, but either way these five rides are ones we find ourselves skipping out on each Disney World trip.

  1.  Mission: SPACE

Found in EPCOT, Mission: SPACE is one that we skip each vacation.  This one is solely because it makes us sick.  It doesn’t matter if we ride the green or orange version of this ride, we struggle with becoming motion sick and it throws our whole day off.  The simulated launch into outer space is enough to push us over the edge and even if we don’t choose the version that spins we still find ourselves not happy after.  Because of this feeling, we find ourselves skipping it each time.

2.  Goofy’s Barnstormer

This kid coaster in Storybook Circus at Magic Kingdom is super cute and a great option for little ones, but if we are on our own or with bigger kids we tend to skip it.  The attraction itself is super short, making any wait longer than five to ten minutes not worth it to us.  The coaster seats are also extremely uncomfortable and hard to get in and out of as a grown-up, so we prefer to not be in that uncomfortable position if we can help it. Finally, if we are looking for a good coaster, we would rather wait for Seven Dwarfs Mine Train or Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.  We do think that this is a fantastic choice for little ones who are just starting to ride roller coasters, but for grown-ups we prefer to find our thrills elsewhere in a Disney Park.

3.  Kali River Rapids

One ride in Disney’s Animal Kingdom that we have only been on a handful of times is Kali River Rapids.  This water raft ride is not one we enjoy because you don’t just get wet, you get soaked.  Because we prefer to not be dripping wet throughout the Theme Park, we tend to skip out on this attraction.  It can be a huge relief on those hot and humid summer days, but overall we don’t really care to get dumped on with water. This is one Theme Park ride that we are okay skipping.

4.  Na’vi River Journey

This one makes us a little sad to admit, but it is the truth.  When we are visiting Disney’s Animal Kingdom, we don’t typically take time to ride the Na’vi River Journey.  Not only have the Wait Times been longer than what we would prefer, but overall isn’t our favorite.  It is truly beautiful, but the story is lacking and leaves us confused.  We do think the animatronic at the end is unbelievable but we aren’t sure that a long wait is worth it.  We prefer more of a thrill ride and this Disney attraction is definitely not thrilling, meaning it goes on our skip list.

5.  Astro Orbiter

Surprisingly this is a ride that we constantly skip out on in Magic Kingdom.  Although the views from up high on Astro Orbiter are breathtaking, we don’t like how long it takes to get up to the ride.  No matter how long the wait is, Guests still have to wait to take an elevator up to load and then once again wait for the elevator to head back down.  This can take a while and makes the process even longer.  As Magic Kingdom has two other spinners (Magic Carpets of Aladdin and Dumbo the Flying Elephant) we find ourselves not waiting for Astro Orbiter. While in the Magic Kingdom there are a lot of other Disney rides we would prefer to experience.

Five Rides Not To Skip

It was hard to narrow this list down to just five Disney rides we wouldn’t skip at Walt Disney World because we have so many favorites throughout the Theme Park.  When we really thought about it, though, these were the five Disney rides that if we didn’t ride during our Disney vacation we would feel like it was incomplete.

Pirates of the Caribbean 

  1.  Pirates of the Caribbean

Pirates of the Caribbean is one of the overall best rides at Disney World.  Located in Adventureland at Magic Kingdom, Pirates of the Caribbean has it all.  From a fantastic storyline and musical score, to a dark ride with a small drop we absolutely love everything about this ride.  It wouldn’t be a trip to Disney World without a ride on Pirates of the Caribbean.

Credit: Disney

2.  Haunted Mansion

Another ride that we have to ride, preferably multiple times, each Disney trip is Haunted Mansion.  This classic dark ride shows the true magic and creativity of Disney.  We love how the story begins before you even enter the mansion itself and continues throughout the whole ride with outstanding scenes around every corner.  We look forward to experiencing a ride with the creepy haunts each vacation, making Haunted Mansion a must do Disney ride.

3.  Spaceship Earth

There is something about this classic icon in EPCOT that we absolutely love.  It is fun to travel through time on this slow moving ride.  Not only is the ride super relaxing, but it is fun to see how Disney tells the story of our history.  A Disney trip isn’t complete without a ride through time on Spaceship Earth.

4.  Rise of the Resistance

We have mentioned a lot of classic rides, but Rise of the Resistance is one of the newest rides at Disney World and we absolutely must experience it each trip.  Found in Disney’s Hollywood Studios, this “Star Wars” experience is not to be missed. This ride is like never before as it puts Guests into the story as they help fight the First Order.  We are thrilled that we now have a few different ways to experience the ride by Standby or by purchasing an Individual Lightning Lane.  Each and every time we ride we see and experience something new and for that reason, a trip to Walt Disney World isn’t complete without Rise of the Resistance.

5.  Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway

Our final ride that we have to experience at Walt Disney World right now is Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway.  This new ride featuring Mickey and friends is a true family-friendly ride that is fun for everyone.  We think the story and visuals are outstanding and, much like Rise of the Resistance, we see something new each time we ride Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway.  It is an amazing ride and we are glad it is one the whole family can do together.

Walt Disney World has so many fantastic rides throughout the four Theme Parks that it is hard to know what to ride and what to skip.  We hope this list helps you better plan for your upcoming Disney World vacation.

About Jennifer Retzlaff

My name is Jennifer Retzlaff and I became a lifelong Disney fan during my first trip to Walt Disney World in 6th grade. From that moment, Disney became a big part of my life. I live in Iowa with my husband and two kids who are growing up too quickly for my liking. I started introducing my love for Disney early to my family with a Disney honeymoon and then trips when our youngest of 18 months. Since then, our family has been to Walt Disney World over five times and we continue to plan and dream for the next trip. I love the magic that Disney brings to people through the theme parks, cruises, adventures and movies they create. As a teacher, I try to bring that magic into my classroom to help kids believe that “If You Can Dream It, You Can Do It.” I recently reached a dream of mine as I joined Magic Vacation Planner as a personal travel advisor. With this team, I can now help others plan magical vacations. As a passionate writer, I also have my own blog at magicalvacationsbyjen which is also where you can follow me on instagram for trip reviews along with tips and tricks for your next magical vacation.