The Best Roller Coasters at Walt Disney World: Rated (2024)

Walt Disney World is known for a wide variety of different rides and attractions – from classic rides like its a small world and Peter Pan’s Flight to heavily themed rides like the Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean, Avatar Flight of Passage, and Rise of the Resistance. However, thrill seekers aren’t left out.

Love roller coasters? You are lucky because there are plenty of options at Walt Disney World.

Here are the best roller coasters at Walt Disney World – rated based on thrills and themes.

Our ratings are based on our experiences, and your experiences may vary. All opinions are my own.

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Slinky Dog dash ride vehicle headed down a drop - one of the best roller coasters at disney world.

The Best Roller Coasters at Disney World Orlando: Rated

Magic Kingdom Roller Coasters

The Magic Kingdom is home to the iconic three “mountains” – Space Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, and Splash Mountain. Challenge yourself to ride all three during your vacation! In 2023, another coaster, TRON: Lightcycle / Run opened in Tomorrowland.

Space Mountain

I’ve always loved Space Mountain. This space-themed, indoor coaster, dark ride is an icon. As you enter the queue, you’ll pass a variety of space-themed scenes until you finally enter the main area. At this point, it splits into two separate queues for the two tracks (both are the same).

The ride vehicle is a rocket with a front-to-back seating system – three single seats. This may be a bit scary for a child who is riding for the first time and won’t want to sit alone.

The ride itself is a traditional roller coaster, but because it’s so dark there’s a big element of surprise. You’ll ride through outer space in complete darkness. I think of this as the best thrill ride in the Magic Kingdom. Like all coasters, I prefer the front seat, but any seat is fun.

Space Mountain is an Individual Lightning Lane option, and the height requirement is 44 inches or taller.

Rating: 8 for the theme, 7 for thrills

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, a mine-train-themed outdoor roller coaster, is relatively tame. While there are some drops, they are entertaining and not scary. At the top of the roller coaster hills, you’ll find some of the best views of the Magic Kingdom. So don’t close your eyes, and be sure to look around.

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad has a mostly covered queue area and is offered as part of the Genie+ service. The height requirement is 40 inches or taller. This was one of the first real coasters that my kids went on at Walt Disney World.

Rating: 8 for the theme, 6 for thrills

Splash Mountain

Note that Splash Mountain is currently closed and will be transforming into Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. We assume that much of the ride mechanism will be similar, but we’ll update this post when the ride has reopened.

The third of the Magic Kingdom mountains is Splash Mountain. I wouldn’t necessarily categorize this log flume ride as a roller coaster, but it does, like other flumes, have a big drop at the end.

I love Splash Mountain. However, you will most definitely get wet while riding it. Therefore, I’d only recommend you ride it when you are prepared to get soaked. Leave valuables behind with a family member, or in a locker.

Splash Mountain is offered as part of Genie+, and the height requirement is 40 inches or taller.

Rating: Theme n/a (pending the re-theming), 5 for thrills

Barnstormer

I was thrilled when the Barnstormer was moved from the old Mickey’s Toontown Fair over to the new Fantasyland area (by Dumbo the Flying Elephant). I always felt this was a great first roller coaster for young children to see how they’d handle the mild drops and was initially afraid we’d lose the ride when Toontown Fair closed.

The Barnstormer is offered as a Genie+ option and is very popular with families with little kids. The height requirement is 35 inches or more. It’s a short ride, so I recommend it if your kids are starting to be interested in the bigger rides.

Rating: 7 for theme, 3 for thrills

Seven Dwarfs Mine Train

This newer ride at the Magic Kingdom is one of my favorites. Part roller coaster, part dark ride, the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train glides through the story of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. The new ride mechanism sways, making it a smoother ride than a traditional coaster. It’s a unique coaster but is so much fun.

Midway through the ride, your vehicle will enter the dark ride part, where you’ll see the Seven Dwarf audio-animatronics singing Heigh-Ho as they work the mine. It’s a must-do.

The Seven Dwarfs Mine Train is offered as part of the Individual Lightning Lane, and the height requirement is 38 inches or taller. Lines can be long, so it’s a good idea to get the Individual Lightning Lane if you want to ride this.

Rating: 9 for the theme, 6 for thrills

TRON: Lightcycle / Run

This new ride at the Magic Kingdom is based on the movie TRON: Legacy. It’s one of the fastest coasters at the Disney Parks, and is semi-enclosed. While I do find this ride very thrilling, it is shorter than I’d expect.

Once you get to the front of the queue, you’ll need to put all of your items in a complimentary locker. Then, you can get on the motorcycle-like ride vehicle. There is a height restriction minimum of 48 inches.

TRON: Lightcycle / Run is new and very popular, so a standby line is not offered. To ride, you’ll either need to purchase an individual lightning lane, or get a virtual queue assignment.

Rating: 7 for the theme, 9 for thrills

Animal Kingdom Roller Coasters

Although Animal Kingdom is most known for the animals that live there, it’s also home to one of my favorite roller coasters around.

Expedition Everest

In Expedition Everest, you’ll travel through the Himalayan Mountains to the base of Mount Everest. However, the Yeti has already reached the tracks and broken them, requiring riders to travel backward to escape.

In addition to going backward, this coaster travels very fast, creating a thrilling feeling that some may find a little scary. It’s a good idea to have your kids experience other roller coasters first before going on this one.

Expedition Everest is offered as part of the Individual Lightning Lane. The height requirement is 44 inches or taller. This is a coaster I’d recommend riding if you love thrill rides – it’s unique and exciting.

Rating: 9 for the theme, 9 for thrills

Disney’s Hollywood Studios Roller Coasters

Disney’s Hollywood Studios offers my favorite rides, including two roller coasters (one that I consider the best roller coaster at Walt Disney World). Older kids will especially enjoy the rides at Hollywood Studios.

Rock N Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith

Note that the Rock N Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith is currently closed for refurbishments. While it reopened in 2023, it has since closed again and isn’t expected to reopen until summer 2024.

In this rock and roll-themed roller coaster, guests jump into a stretch-limousine-styled vehicle to race to beat traffic and attend an Aerosmith concert. There’s loud music, a very fast start, and twists and turns – including several upside-down turns. Overall it’s one of the most exciting rides at Disney and is a fantastic ride experience.

When you are in the queue, you’ll notice that some guests choose to wait to sit in the front row. I’d recommend doing this if you have the time – the front is a much better experience in my opinion. It’s a smoother ride and more exciting.

The Rock N Roller Coaster is offered on Genie+ and has a height requirement of 48 inches or taller. There’s a single-rider line, and in my experience, the lines are generally shorter in the mornings.

Rating: 10 for theme, 10 for thrills

Slinky Dog Dash

Slinky Dog Dash is one of the new rides at Hollywood Studios. Located in the new Toy Story Land, Slinky Dog Dash is an outdoor coaster that is so fun to ride. The whole queue is fully themed, and it’s one of the best attractions at Walt Disney World.

Slinky Dog Dash may seem very kid-friendly, but it is more thrilling than the Barnstormer at the Magic Kingdom. So I would still have your kids try the Barnstormer first if you aren’t sure how they’ll handle a roller coaster.

Slinky Dog Dash is offered as part of Genie+, and I would recommend getting a reservation because it’s a very popular ride and there are often long waits. The height requirement is 38 inches or taller. This is one where you’ll want to check in advance to make sure your kids are tall enough because it can be very disappointing to find out that you aren’t quite tall enough.

Rating: 9 for the theme, 6 for thrills

EPCOT Roller Coasters

Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind

In the past, EPCOT didn’t have any real roller coasters, although they did offer some fun thrill rides. With the opening of Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, there’s now a legitimate coaster in EPCOT.

This ride is an indoor, enclosed coaster themed with the Guardians of the Galaxy characters. It’s the first attraction at Walt Disney World to feature Marvel characters (unlike Disneyland, which has an entire land dedicated to the Avengers).

It offers a unique, backward launch, with some twists and turns. While I initially had some motion sickness concerns (I don’t like to spin), I didn’t have any issues on this ride. It’s popular, so it’s difficult to ride more than once a day, but I wanted to go right back on after my first ride.

Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind offers a virtual queue and an individual lightning lane. During our visit, we had a virtual queue reservation and still waited over an hour to ride. So I’d recommend getting an individual lightning lane if you want to save time.

Rating: 8 for the theme, 10 for thrills

Genie+ and Individual Lightning Lane

The most popular rides at Walt Disney World often have long lines. The new Genie+ is a great way to get a reservation to the “Lightning Lane” – which replaces the long-standing but now discontinued FastPass+ system.

The Genie+ is available for an additional fee, and it includes many popular attractions. However, the most popular attractions in each park are not included, and guests need to purchase the Individual Lightning Lane for those attractions. Guests without Genie+ or the Individual Lightning Lane can access these rides using the standard standby line, although Genie+ can help you decrease wait times.

It’s a good idea to look at your preferred rides and make a plan before going on vacation to Walt Disney World. It may make sense to pay the extra cost for Genie+/Individual Lightning Lane to save time and make sure you can experience those rides.

Keep in mind that you’ll be purchasing the individual lightning lane as a one-time purchase, while Genie+ is a daily purchase. You won’t need to purchase it for every day of your trip.

These rides all have height requirements. If you have a smaller child who loves thrills, you may want to measure them at home to make sure they aren’t disappointed when they arrive at the theme park. I always feel bad when I see eager young kids turned away.