Between working as a Walt Disney World Cast Member and all of my visits to Disney, I have been on A LOT of roller coasters. Today is National Roller Coaster Day, and I wanted to share my Top 5 Walt Disney World Roller Coasters.
5. Expedition Everest
The first time I rode Expedition Everest was during My Disney College Program. I remember waiting in line, watching the roller coaster come out of the building, and being scared out of my mind. This roller coaster is meant to represent a “forbidden mountain” that you are climbing guarded by a giant Yeti. Spoiler alert: this roller coaster actually goes BACKWARDS in the dark, and I didn’t know that was going to happen. Besides the fact that the animatronic Yeti inside the mountain is notoriously broken, the ride itself is incredible. I personally love riding in the very front of this roller coaster for the best experience.
4. Space Mountain
When I worked at Disney, I worked in Tomorrowland for a bit, and therefore I rode Space Mountain all the time. Even while I was training in Tomorrowland, our trainer took us on the ride like eight times in one day (I am not even kidding), and it quickly became one of my favorite rides. Space Mountain is an indoor roller coaster themed to, you guessed it, outer space. The ride is dual-tracked, and I have found that both sides are equally fun. Although the technology on this ride is a little outdated, it is a great roller coaster.
3. Big Thunder Mountain
Big Thunder Mountain was my dad’s favorite ride, and that meant I rode it at least once (usually twice or three times) during any trip with him. You can find this roller coaster at Disneyland, Disney World in Florida, Disneyland Paris, and Tokyo Disneyland. In Florida, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is modeled after Arizona and Utah’s Monument Valley. The ride itself is fast and fun and gives you a great view of the park. My favorite time to ride Big Thunder Mountain is at night and preferably in the very back car (you get the best ride back there).
2. Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
One of Disney World’s newest roller coasters, Seven Dwarf’s Mine Train, is really one of the best. This ride is the first roller coaster that rocks side to side as you ride, and it sure is fun. The ride is themed to the 1937 film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, and you basically take a quick trip through the diamond mine where the dwarfs work. One of my favorite things about this ride is that many of the animatronics that you see at the end of the ride were recycled from the demolished Snow White’s Scary Adventure ride that was once in Fantasyland at Magic Kingdom. This ride always has a long wait, but you definitely can’t miss it!
1. Slinky Dog Dash
This ride first “launched” at Disney World in 2018, and I think it is genuinely the best roller coaster on Disney World property. The ride is set in Toy Story Land, which is themed to Andy’s backyard from the Toy Story movies. Slinky Dog Dash is supposed to be a ride that Andy himself built using a “Dash & Dodge Mega Coaster Kit” (with a couple of tweaks, of course). This coaster doesn’t go upside down, but the launch mid-ride will still throw you for a loop. It is fast enough to be thrilling for adults yet calm enough for kids to rides. The last time we went to Disney World, Brooklyn was finally tall enough to ride (yes, she is crazy tall), and she LOVED it. She tells us all the time that she can’t wait to go back and ride the Slinky Dog Ride.
Now I am over here wishing I could ride some roller coasters on National Roller Coaster Day.
Sending love and magic.