The most popular rides in Walt Disney World can have waits of over an hour – or longer – if you don’t have a Lightning Lane pass. As daunting as those standby times can be, which of Disney World’s most popular rides are worth waiting for?
To be honest, this is a difficult list to make. Ride opinions are subjective, and different guests may value their time differently. If it’s your first and maybe only visit, long waits might not seem too bad if you have to experience the big headliners.
With that, here’s our list of the 5 rides we think are worth waiting for in Disney World.
Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind – EPCOT
We think Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind is the best ride in all of Disney World. It’s not your typical coaster. It’s a reverse launching, controlled spinning, music blasting thrill ride. That may make it sound too intense, but it’s really not.
Cosmic Rewind is a swooping and sweeping ride through space. Think of it as Space Mountain 2.0. It’s super smooth and has an incredible soundtrack. Which song will you get on Cosmic Rewind? That’s part of the fun. We try to ride Cosmic Rewind as many times as possible during our visits.
A small percentage of guests may experience motion sickness. A good way to avoid that is keeping your eyes and head pointed forward. Look where the ride is trying to get you to look. Still, motion sickness fears aside, we recommend that this is the ride you take a chance on if you’re unsure. It’s that good.
Rise of the Resistance – Hollywood Studios
While Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind earns our vote as Disney World’s best ride, we think Rise of the Resistance is the best overall experience. It’s a one-of-a-kind attraction that pulls off some incredible tricks. Disney manages to blur the line between “waiting in the queue” and “this is the ride” in a way we’ve never seen before.
Rise of the Resistance is a must-do even if you’re not a Star Wars fan. The blend of different effects Imagineering uses to bring you into Star Wars is incredible. It’s like a culmination of everything Disney has learned from its various dark rides over the past several decades. Don’t miss it.
Kilimanjaro Safaris – Animal Kingdom
Kilimanjaro Safaris is an amazing experience even if you’re not a huge animal lover. But, if you do like animals even a little, it’s a can’t-miss attraction.
The safari ride is a 20ish-minute journey that takes guests throughout multiple animal habitats. Every ride is different. While you could see many of the animals in Kilimanjaro Safaris at a traditional zoo, seeing them roaming around in a seemingly open habitat from the comfort of a safari truck is pretty awesome.
This is one of those larger-than-life experiences that feels like something only Disney can do. The savannah section of Kilimanjaro Safaris is enormous, and could fit the entirety of Magic Kingdom inside of it. Crazy!
Flight of Passage – Animal Kingdom
Some may not agree with Flight of Passage being on this list. That’s partially because Flight of Passage is overdue for a refurbishment. That point aside, Flight of Passage is still one of the most unique rides in Disney World.
Flight of Passage is a motion simulator at its core, but it’s not your average motion simulator. It’s Soarin’ on steroids. It uses its movements and other effects (wind, mist, etc) to make it feel like you’re really riding on a banshee from Avatar.
It’s funny to think that not long ago Flight of Passage was many guests’ favorite ride. That has changed since Guardians and Rise opened, but that should give you an idea of its quality.
TRON: Lightcycle Run – Magic Kingdom
We know this is also a controversial pick. TRON is a very short coaster experience (it’s right around 60 seconds long), but the unique seating configuration and high-speed launch make it an unforgettable ride.
TRON’s high-speed launch takes your breath away. It’s hard not to laugh or scream uncontrollably. Once the coaster train heads inside, things do admittedly slow down some and don’t pack quite the same punch. Still, it’s a blast and the ride can feel different depending on where you’re at in the train.
The Magic Kingdom is home to some classic and iconic Disney rides (shoutout Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean) that are also worth waiting for. Don’t limit yourself to just the newest attractions.
