Which Disney World Roller Coaster To Ride First?
Disney World may be the most magical place on earth but it also has some pretty spectacular roller coasters. The Magic Kingdom has the mountains. The Disney classic roller coasters Space Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain. If you want to accelerate from 0 to 57 mph in just 2.8 seconds and experience more G Force than a Shuttle launch then Aerosmith’s Rock N Roller Coaster at Disney Hollywood Studios is the place to be. And Disney’s Animal Kingdom has the newest roller coaster. Be prepared for Expedition Everest.
Learn more about the Disney World roller coasters. Which one travels at just 28 mph but is probably the best known of all? How can you spend less time in line? Which train gives you the most thrilling ride on Big Thunder Mountain? And from the top of which roller coaster do you think you can see my vacation home – if only you weren’t too scared to look!
Aerosmith Rock N Roller Coaster
The Ultimate Disney World Roller Coaster
The Aerosmith Rock N Roller Coaster has to be one of the ultimate thrill rides in the whole of Disney World. Located in Disney Hollywood Studios this 80 foot tall 2 minutes 2-second indoor roller coaster ride accelerates from 0-57 mph in 2.8 seconds. So certainly not a ride for the faint-hearted!
You will experience between 4 and 5 G Force depending on where you sit in the ride! If you want to be competitive then that is more G’s than astronauts experience on a launch.
This is more than just a roller coaster though. This is Disney World. So it is an experience! The inspiration, of course, was Aerosmith. Guests will first step into the G-Force Recording Studio to meet their hosts – Aerosmith. You will learn that the band needs to leave quickly to speed their way to their next concert – and you will get to be a guest in their stretch limo!
The Aerosmith Rock N Roller Coaster features a specially recorded soundtrack that you will hear through special speakers mounted in your stretch limo vehicle. It almost takes your mind of the fact that you are speeding around the track at anywhere at up to 57 mph and going through 3 inversions.
Feeling nervous?
There is a ‘Chicken Exit’ for if you change your mind. Just ask a Cast Member after you have experienced the pre-show and before the loading area.
A Fast Pass is available for this ride and there is also a Single Rider Line. Make use of both of these facilities if you can – it is a very popular ride and the lines can be very long.
There is a height requirement for Rock N Roller Coaster of 48 inches. A Child Swap is available. What is this? Well if there is a member of your party too small, young or just plain scared to ride Rock N Roller Coaster then one of you can stand in line while the other waits with the child. Then after the first person has experienced the ride the other can get into the Fast Pass Line. You must ask a Cast Member for a Child Swap pass before you get in line.
Other tips for when to ride Rock N Roller Coaster. If you are a Disney resort guest then use those Extra Magic Hours. If not then try and get there first thing at opening time or wait until later in the day. The best tactic to avoid the lines though is to use Fast Pass.
My own personal take on Rock N Roller Coaster?
When this ride first debuted in 1999 I was not a big fan of coasters. I had to do this one though because it was Disney. And I have to say it had me hooked. It is so smooth and so well themed as an overall experience it is a great introduction to roller coasters. So for those who want to try and see what a thrill ride is all about then Aerosmith’s Rock N Roller Coaster is a great start.
Taking a video of a roller coaster in the dark isn’t an easy thing – but this gives you some idea of the intensity of the Rock N Roller Coaster Ride.
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
A Disney World Roller Coaster For Everyone
This wonderfully themed roller coaster is one for all the family. This classic runaway train attraction is a thrilling and fun three and a half minute journey through scenery which will make you think you are in the deserts of Monument Valley.
The Big Thunder Mountain train reaches speeds of up to 30 miles an hour and there are 3 significant dips. Nothing really scary though so this one is usually fine to take the youngest of the kids provided they meet the 40″ height requirement. Guests who do not enjoy the larger roller coasters will usually enjoy Big Thunder Mountain.
Want a slightly wilder ride on Big Thunder Mountain? Choose seats in the back.
Always try and ride Big Thunder in the dark too. The theming and lighting are even more spectacular when seen at night.
Child Swap and Fast Passes are available for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. This is a very popular attraction so use them when you can to save yourself a lot of time in line.
Disney World Space Mountain
The Classic Disney World Roller Coaster Ride
You will find perhaps the best known and best-loved Disney World roller coaster in the Magic Kingdom – the classic Space Mountain. It opened on January 15th, 1975, and has been one of Disney World’s most popular rides ever since. Space Mountain is a roller coaster in the dark which relies heavily on music and lights for its thrill factor.
This being Disney the theming and attention to detail is of course amazing.
For those of you looking for a thrilling roller coaster then you probably need to look elsewhere. The steepest drop is 39 degrees at a speed of a maximum of 28 miles per hour and lasts just two and a half minutes. Whilst I am a big fan of Space Mountain this is more of a coaster experience than a white knuckle ride.
There are 2 roller coaster tracks inside Space Mountain – Alpha and Omega. But no need to be concerned about which side you get as both offers the same experience.
There is a Fast Pass available for Disney World Space Mountain. This is a very popular ride so make use of this if you can.
The height restriction is 44″ and children under the age of 7 must have an adult with them. As usual, if you have a child too small or just plain too scared to ride then use the Child Swap facility where one parent can ride and the other waits. The waiting parent can then swap and enter the Fast Pass Line. Ask a Cast Member for details before joining the line.
Want a view of Space Mountain before deciding to take the plunge? Just hop on the Transit Authority and take a sedate ride through the inside. You don’t see much of it but you do go right inside the Space Mountain ride. You sometimes see a blur of light and hear some screaming!
Also, be aware that Space Mountain is a Disney attraction that breaks down. Quite a bit. This causes backups and delays so makes those Fast Passes even more valuable.
Disney Expedition Everest
Legend of the Forbidden Mountain Disney’s Expedition Everest
Located in Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Expedition Everest is the newest roller coaster experience to open in Disney World opening on April 7th 2006.
If Expedition Everest were a real mountain it would be at 320 feet above sea level, the fourth highest summit in the state of Florida! The view at the top of the ride is amazing – I think I would be able to see my vacation homes if I was able to actually compose myself for long enough to look properly at that point!
The mountain that Disney created is not meant to be a copy of the real Mount Everest. it is a creation of the fictional Forbidden Mountain guarded by the Yeti for this Disney roller coaster themed story. But of course, only at Disney World could you see a snow-topped mountain and palm trees in the same place.
Disney Imagineers spent 6 years researching and building the Expedition Everest ride. The story is based around the legend of the Yeti. Yes, you do encounter this legendary creature on the ride – Disney Imagineers created the most complex Audio-Animatronic figure yet for this ride.
There are many twists and turns on this thrilling ride. The 50-foot drop is amazing! And you go backward too.
The theming and attention to detail on the ride are what make it truly special. Even the line is interesting. OK, the line is interesting the first couple of times, so even though I always suggest using a Fast Pass, if then line isn’t bad then travel through the main entrance at least once so that you can experience the elaborate detail and story.
Don’t make the mistake of thinking that this roller coaster is like Big Thunder Mountain – it is much more intense. Disney does emphasize that this is a family ride and most children do love it. But just be aware that some children also find it quite scary – just use your best judgment and remember that you can always use the Child Swap facility if your little one either doesn’t meet the 44″ height requirement of just doesn’t want to ride.