Many people think Disney Parks are just for kids but in actuality, there are tons of thrill rides that make Disney a great vacation spot for older kids, teens, and adults! The Disney World thrill rides each offers something new and exciting that will make you want to ride again and again. Make sure you check out the thrill rides at all the Disney Parks, each ride will give your family an unique thrill and make your Disney vacation a blast for everyone!
This article was written in collaboration with Sara from WanderMoore! Sara is a fellow travel blogger and has had the opportunity to visit Disney over 10 times both as a child and adult. She always enjoys herself by being fully emerged in the Disney experience, especially staying at the Disney resorts and visiting her favorite park, the Magic Kingdom. Her favorite ride at the Magic Kingdom is Splash Mountain, check out her Splash Mountain review below! Also follow Sara on Instagram at @wandermoore_travel_blog!
Sara and I also recently collaborated on our favorite Magic Kingdom Attractions to Visit Post COVID-19. These are all awesome experiences so make sure to check them out!
***Disclaimer*** This post contains affiliate links. This means I may earn an affiliate commission if you click on an affiliate link. Full disclosure, I only post products that I have or recommend! Also, several photos from this post are from Magic Guides.
Magic Kingdom Thrill Rides
Submitted by Sara at WanderMoore
Splash Mountain
Height Requirement: 40″
Splash Mountain is one of my all-time favorite rides and I am excited to share that it will soon be reimagined to incorporate the fantastic Disney Movie, The Princess and the Frog! I am sure the ride will still contain great music, a water log ride and of course the famous huge adrenaline drop at the end! Make sure to stay tuned for more info on the reimagination of Splash Mountain.
Tip – To avoid getting wet, sit towards the back of the log!
Seven Dwarfs Mine Ride
Height Requirement: 38″
This fantastic Disney World attraction features a race through the Seven Dwarfs mine on this family-oriented thrill ride! You get to ride a rustic mine train that creaks and teeters all the way through the mountain. During the ride you will encounter the Seven Dwarfs singing their classic song. The biggest drop on this roller coaster offers great views of Fantasyland. It’s also fun to experience jewel sorting while you wait to ride this Magic Kingdom thrill ride.
Tip: This ride has the longest wait time at the Magic Kingdom so make sure to ride first thing in the morning or get a Fastpass!
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
Height Requirement: 40″
Race through an old gold mine one of the most iconic Disney World thrill rides! Known as the wildest ride in the wilderness, Big Thunder Mountain Railway has been taking visitors on whizzing rides for many years. Along the way you will experience rickety tracks, exploding dynamite and dodge falling boulders!
Please note as of May 2020 this ride is closed for refurbishment.
Space Mountain
Height Requirement: 44″
Space Mountain was the second roller coaster build at Disneyland in 1977 and then opened at Magic Kingdom years later. On this awesome thrill ride, you enter the deepest parts of space on your ship as futuristic music surrounds you. Fly past shooting stars and meteors as you weave through space. The entire ride is in the dark so you really feel like you’re in space. Plus, not knowing where the roller coaster is going to go next is part of the thrill! Space Mountain is one of my favorite rides at Magic Kingdom.
For Disney World thrill rides, make sure to bring a bag you can easily wear on thrill rides. The ride cars often have small pouches but if you’re planning on bringing a large bag, get a cross body bag or backpack. This is my favorite Disney travel crossbody backpack!
Hollywood Studios Thrill Rides
Submitted by Sara at WanderMoore
Rock n’ Roller Coaster Staring Aerosmith
Height Requirement: 48″
This roller coaster has always been one of my favorites Disney World thrill rides! From the intro experience with Aerosmith to the super-fast start with loud pumping music- this ride can’t be missed! The premise of the ride is that you are riding in a limo on your way to an Aerosmith concert and your running super late. The ‘limo’ has to go super-fast through the streets of L.A. to get you to the concert on time.
The ride starts off going from 0 to 57 mph and immediately into a double upside-down loop. Plus, you get to listen to Aerosmith music during the entire ride. I would venture to say that this is one of the best rides at Disney World.
Tip – Make sure to get aFastpass for this one or use the single rider line! Both are great options to shorten your wait time!
The Twilight Zone’s Tower of Terror
Height Requirement: 40″
Based off the 1959+ television show The Twilight Zone, this thrill ride gives you a ride on an elevator that drops you right into The Twilight Zone. You enter the tower and are greeted by some spooky caretakers, then you are treated to a preview of the Twilight Zone episode you are about to be a part of. All the cast members are fully in character so you really feel like your part of the show. Then you board the elevator and the ride begins. Once to the top of the tower, you are dropped down the elevator shaft and pushed back up again- don’t worry you are securely buckled in the entire time. It’s a blast! My favorite part of this Disney thrill ride is that you can hear everyone’s excited screams throughout Hollywood Studios!
Rise of the Resistance
Height Requirement: 40″
This epic ride is unlike anything Walt Disney World Resort has done before! The premise of the ride is that the Resistance needs your help gathering recruits for a top-secret mission. And of course, the First Order is there to stop you every step of the way. You will see some of your favorite Star Wars characters along the way including Kylo Ren, Rey and even BB-8. This is a thrilling, on-of-a-kind ride that can’t be missed!
Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
Height Requirement: 38″
On this Disney thrill ride, you get to ride in the cockpit of the famous Millennium Falcon! Each rider has a role to play- pilot, engineer or gunner. Along the way you will run into danger at every turn and even have the opportunity to jump to hyperspace. The best part of the ride is that the ending is up to you and the crew and will change depending on how you “drive” the ship. You get to take an active role in if the mission succeeds or fails. If you have never flown a ship before you’re in luck because Disney provides on-the-job training to get you prepped and ready to go.
Tip – Like many Disney thrill rides, check out the single rider line.
Epcot Thrill Rides
Submitted by Kelsey at A Little Bit of Pixie Dust
Soarin’ Around the World
Height Requirement: 40 inches
“Soarin’ to tower, we are ready for takeoff.” Soarin isn’t a thrill ride in the traditional sense that you go really fast or drop from high above but Soarin’ allows you to feel something most people would never experience, hang gliding! Disney World’s Soarin’ makes you feel like you are truly visiting some of the most famous, iconic locations in the world and you actually forget you’re in central Florida. While Soarin’ isn’t a thrill ride that gets your heart pounding, it gives you an unique experience that will keep you coming back again and again!
Tip – When getting assigned rows, make sure to ask for the front row. You have the best view riding on the top!
For Soarin’, you need closed toe shows. I also recommend really comfy shoes for all the walking you do at Disney! Check out my favorite Disney and running sneakers, they are SO comfy! 
Mission Space
Height Requirement: 40 inches
Mission Space gives you the chance to visit flight training school and train for a mission to Mars. Disclaimer: While Mission Space is one of my favorite rides, it can be a bit intense for some, especially those who don’t like simulators. Because of the intensity of this ride, Disney created two versions, Orange (More Intense) and Green (Less Intense). Both versions allow you to experience G-forces and provide a thrill like no other! This is probably the most adrenaline pumping ride at the Disney Parks!
Tip – If you have motion sickness, you may want to skip this one. I’ve heard it’s pretty intense for those with weaker stomachs.
Test Track
Height Requirement: 40 inches
Disney’s classic Test Track allows you to visit a car testing facility and experience all the tests necessary for a road-worthy car. Through the car testing facility, you will experience off-road terrain, steep hills, hair-pin turns, and extreme speeds. Test track is a ride your whole family will love and provides a thrill for those who love going fast!
Tip – Make sure to check out the single rider line. This line is always SO short!
Animal Kingdom Thrill Rides
Submitted by Kelsey at A Little Bit of Pixie Dust
Expedition Everest
Height Requirements: 44 inches
Expedition Everest is a great roller roaster with twists, turns, and a few surprises. If you’re a fan of roller coasters, this ride is for you! Expedition Everest takes you through the mountains of Nepal on a journey to find the long lost Yeti! Be on the lookout for the Yeti, he may surprise you!
Tip – This is another ride with a great single rider line. There are many times I’ll ride 3 or 4 times in 30 minutes!
Avatar – Flight of Passage
Height Requirements: 44 inches
Flight of Passage is a MUST DO! Disney created a virtual reality like experience with Flight of Passage to give you the opportunity to fly on the back of a Banshee. On this ride, you sit on motorcycle like ride seats that place you inside the screen and the World of Avatar. Disney combines virtual reality with sights, sounds, and smells to create a one of the kind experience. I can’t emphasize how amazing this thrill ride is, I promise you won’t want to miss it!
Tip – If you want to ride twice, ride first at rope drop and then get a Fastpass. Make sure to check out strategies for riding Flight of Passage!
Dinosaur
Height Requirements: 40 inches
Go on a journey “to bring back one extra passenger, extra large.” On Dinosaur, you take Jeeps back in time to experience when Dinosaurs were on Earth but your trip takes an unexpected turn when asteroids strike. Dinosaur is a thrill ride with unexpected creatures, weather, terrain, and many more surprises along the way. This is a fun filled adventure for your whole party and especially those dino-lovers in the family!
Kali River Rapids
Height Requirement: 38 inches
Kali River Rapids takes you on a fast paced ride along a free flowing river in the jungle of Asia. Ride on a circular tube boat with 12 others as your boat barrels down the river avoiding danger, fire, and the water rapids. This ride gets your adrenaline pumping through the fast pace, steep hills, and trying to avoid all the water the rapids throw your direction. This is definitely different than all the other Disney World thrill rides. Disclaimer: You can get pretty wet on this ride but you’ll have tons of fun along the way!
Tip – If you want to avoid getting wet, bring a poncho in your Disney Park Bag and wear it on Kali River Rapids. You’ll be perfectly dry unlike the other passengers.
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Thunder Mountain Railway is my current favorite! I hope the refurbishments make it even better! I’m so excited for the transition of Splash Mountain! It was time!!!!!
I do not do thrill rides except for Splash Mountain. My kids however LOVE them. The bigger the better. Love Disney!
Was there in 2017. Seven dwarfs, Aerosmith and House of Terror are my top three. Need to go back for some more fun as I loved it.
Love, so excited to take the family, definitely putting those rides to the top of the list.
I remember my mother dragging me on The Tower of Terror when I was a kid. I thought I was literally going to die, I was hyperventilating and the attendant looked seriously concerned. Still was a blast, but I will never forgive my mother!
My parents did the same to me lol! It’s still not my favorite ride but every once an awhile I’ll ride it!