Across the four Disney World parks there are lots of wonderful rides, shows and attractions to enjoy. With the new addition of the Disney Genie App, Disney Genie Plus and Lightning Lanes things are now a little bit different in the parks when it comes to getting on the best rides at Disney World rides in 2023. So, I thought I would share my 20 Best Disney World Must Do Rides for 2023.
Recent Post:
- Which Disney World Park Has the Most Rides
- Can You Take Bags on Rides at Disney World
- Rides and Attraction List
- Is there an Indiana Jones Ride at Disney World?
- My 10 Best Rides at Disney World
- Are There Weight Limits for Disney World Rides?
You can find out more about the Disney Genie App here.
The 20 Best Rides at Disney World 2023
These are the rides that I honestly think that you cannot miss if you are visiting Disney World or planning a vacation for 2023. Tick off all of these during your vacation and you will have had a great time during your Disney World vacation. Lets jump into my list of Disney World rides that you cannot skip.
20. Test Track
Location: Epcot
Test Track is a really fun ride that mixes fast speed thrills with interactive design before you board your car. Design your own vehicles and see how it performs against the other riders in your Test Track car. The Car ride element is fun with a dark ride style element before you hit the highway thundering high speed around the outside track. A consistently popular ride at Epcot that you don’t want to miss
19. Rock n Roller Coaster starring Aerosmith
Location: Hollywood Studios
If you love a roller coaster experience then you have to ride Rock n Roller Coaster at Hollywood Studios. This is one of the most thrilling roller coaster rides at Disney World. The roller coaster is a launch coaster themed as a super stretch limousine that’s going to get you across town to the Aerosmith concert that you have backstage passes for after visiting the band in the studio as part of the pre show.
Launched at high speed into the dark with glow in the dark signs and Aerosmith blasting from the ride vehicle speakers this is a great thrill ride. You experience twists, turns and inversions very quickly and it is so much fun.
Location: Animal Kingdom
A ride that didn’t really blow me away the first time I rode it. However I think you should ride it as it is a state of the art Disney World ride experience with fantastic animatronics and a great other world atmosphere to it. My suggestion would be to ride Navi River Journey first thing in the morning from rope drop as if you can get on the ride fairly quickly you will enjoy more than I initially did after waiting some time to get on.
17. The Jungle Cruise
Location: Magic Kingdom
The Jungle Cruise is a classic Disney World ride that was one of Walt’s original ideas for Disneyland. You need to ride this boat ride tour because it has been undergoing updates. If you have visited Disney World before and you’re thinking about skipping Jungle Cruise, don’t. The rides will seem familiar but also different and you still have the funny dad jokes from the skipper to enjoy too.
Jungle Cruise is a Disney Park staple that you have to ride in 2022.
16. Frozen Ever After
Location: Epcot
Hugely popular when it first opened, Frozen Ever After still draws in long standby lines when Epcot is busy and for good reason. The use of all the different Frozen characters is very done as is the use of music from the movie. Another ride that has great animatronics that you will find in a lot of modern Disney World rides. This is especially a great dark ride if you are a fan of the movie or your kids are (which is probably more likely).
15. Soarin’ Around the World
Location: Epcot
Another big ticket ride located at Epcot. Soarin Around the world does exactly what is says in its title. It takes you on a soarin flight simulation trip around the world via gliders. Using a huge screen as well as other immersive effects this is a wonderful ride that pretty much everyone can enjoy as long as they are tall enough. Fly over the African plains, the great wall of China amongst other famous landmarks before heading back to Epcot for some fabulous fireworks over Spaceship Earth.
14. Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
Location: Magic Kingdom
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train has been the most popular ride at Magic Kingdom since it opened in 2014. This is for good reason too because even though it is a pretty short ride it is still a fantastic family coaster experience. There are some great interactive elements in the standby line but the ride itself is great too with it’s rocking carriages and a trip to the Dwarfs diamond mine in the middle of the ride.
A great Disney World ride for all the family that features dark ride elements, animatronics, music and roller coaster thrills without being scary.
13. Peter Pan’s Flight
Location: Magic Kingdom
Just Like the Jungle Cruise this is a classic Disney Ride experience. Fly over London in your Pirate Ships and follow the story of Peter Pan as you head to Neverland. The ride has a very old fashioned theme park ride feel to it that makes it a really fun dark ride. The animatronics are not as modern as newer rides but that doesn’t take anything away from the ride. In fact for me it makes the ride more appealing and more of a classic Disney ride experience.
Peter Pan’s Flight is a very popular ride and for good reason, make sure you try it during your Disney World vacation.
12. Space Mountain
Location: Magic Kingdom
Take a trip to space in this classic roller coaster experience. I always enjoy Space Mountain as the twists, turns and drops are so much fun in the dark. The anticipation is built as you head up the illuminated launch tunnel and you head into the dark of space for an old fashioned and thrilling roller coaster experience. Space Mountain is so much fun that you have to ride it when you are enjoying Magic Kingdom.
If you are in the park at the end of the day you can often get on Space Mountain pretty quickly. This can also work for getting on a lot of the rides in the Disney World parks.
11. Slinky Dog Dash
Location: Hollywood Studios
Another family coaster that is a fairly new addition to Hollywood Studios. Located in Toy Story Land, Slinky Dog Dash will take you on a fun ride around the land with twists, turns and some drops too. This is a fairly mild roller coaster experience but is fun for what it is. The attraction has a great ride vehicle as you fly around in Slinky Dog himself. A great ride for little ones who might not be ready for the more thrill ride roller coasters yet. Definitely give it a go as there are some great views of Hollywood Studios as you ride too.
10. Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run
Location: Hollywood Studios
Who wouldn’t want to fly in the cockpit of the Millennium Falcon. Certainly anyone who likes Star Wars as much as I do wouldn’t. This is a great interactive ride where up to six people can enter the cockpit and take on roles of pilots, gunners and engineers. For me this is all about sitting up front and being a pilot and controlling the Falcon. This is a fantastic experience that anyone with a small knowledge of Star Wars should enjoy.
Getting to see the inside of the Millennium Falcon and taking some photos is very exciting too.
9. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
Location: Magic Kingdom
Another roller coaster and Big Thunder Mountain is a great ride for kids that are looking to try something a bit more daring than Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. I class Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, a traditional roller coaster experience with twists, sharp turns and drops. However this doesn’t take anything away from the ride as it is executed so well making this a great pure roller coaster experience.
Try to ride Big thunder Mountain Railroad at night because the dark really brings the ride to life making the experience feel even more thrilling. It is so much fun at night time.
8. Expedition Everest
Location: Animal Kingdom
In my opinion Expedition Everest is currently the best roller coaster at Disney World. The theme is fantastic, the ride up the mountain has some fantastic views of Walt Disney World and the second part of the ride is all about the yeti and some big coaster based thrills.
Expedition Everest is a brilliant ride that mixes a lot of different elements very well. Expect changes of directions, dark elements, projections and big drops. A must ride attraction at Disney World.
7. Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
Location: Hollywood Studios
A drop ride experience like no other that takes you into the Twilight Zone. The Hollywood Tower Hotel is a fantastic structure and looks just as grand and spooky once you get inside. Tower of Terror is the scariest ride at Disney World in my opinion but scary in a very good way. You never quite know how long you are going to spend in that elevator and how many times you are going to be launch up the elevator shaft or dropped from a great height.
Scary fun in a very good way. Try to ride it both during the day and at night. During the day you can get some brief but nice views of Hollywood Studios and at night it is even more dark and thrilling.
6. Spaceship Earth
Location: Epcot
Spaceship Earth is due an update at some point in the future. Having already been postponed once makes this a good reason to experience the ride in its existing form before it eventually changes (hopefully for the better). This is probably the most classic Epcot ride experience as you take a trip through our history and technological advances over the centuries.
Great narration by Dame Judy Dench and classic Disney animatronics makes Spaceship Earth a Disney World ride that you should never ignore.
5. Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway
Location: Hollywood Studios
I’ll be honest I loved the Great Movie Ride which was replaced by Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway. However this new ride found at Hollywood Studios is a lot of fun and it great to actually have a dedicated Mickey and Minnie ride which has been long overdue at Disney World.
Based on the Mickey Mouse cartoon shorts this great ride takes you into the zany world of a Mickey Mouse Cartoon. You ride in Goofy’s train following Mickey and Minnie on a car ride before the ride turns into a crazy ride through a world where the rules of physics don’t apply. Expect unexpected twists, silly gags at every turn, as Mickey and Minnie try to save the day.
4. Flight of Passage
Location: Animal Kingdom
Prior to the ride below opening Flight of Passage was the most in demand ride at Disney World and for good reason too. The ride experience of flying a Banshee through Pandora that Flight of Passage offers is spectacular. This is a ride that you have to experience at Disney World. You soar through the skies of Pandora in what can only be described as a thrilling experience.
Flight of Passage still draws the crowds at Animal Kingdom so be prepared to get to the park early for rope drop as it is still the easiest way of getting on the ride. Unless of course you are in Pandora just before Animal Kingdom closes.
3. Star Wars Rise of the Resistance
Location: Hollywood Studios
Since it opened at the end of 2019 Rise of the Resistance has been the most in demand ride at Disney World and for good reason too. This immersive Star Wars attraction takes you from a Resistance spaceship to being captured, imprisoned and escaping from a First Order Star Destroyer. It is a ride experience like no other, especially for Star Wars fans.
It is such a unique ride experience that you cannot miss experiencing Rise of the Resistance when you plan your Disney World rides for 2022.
You can read our guide on How to Ride Rise of the Resistance here.
2. Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind
Location: Epcot
Cosmic Rewind is the newest huge ride to open at Disney World and is attracting huge crowds to Epcot.
Expect a story telling roller coaster experience with the thrills of a rotating ride vehicle combined with show sequences. The standby line is a science museum type building with a pre-show that involves a video edutainment section that gets interrupted by the Guardians of the Galaxy prior to you boarding the ride vehicle. This is a reverse launch coaster that you have just have to ride.
1. The Haunted Mansion
Location: Magic Kingdom
Haunted Mansion is my favorite ride at Disney World, I love it. It has a great standby line with lots of things to look at and interactive elements too. The stretching room pre show sets the tone really well for the rest of the ride and the ride itself is brilliant. A mixture of scary humor and music makes this classic Disney World ride one that you have to ride during your vacation.
There are lots of great characters throughout the ride such as the Bride. Madame Leota and the Hitchhiking Ghosts that makes this ride more than just a ghost train. This is one of the best dark rides you will ever experience in my opinion.
The Best Rides at Disney World for 2023
By now you should have a really good idea as to what Disney World rides you should now make a priority during your 2023 vacation. You never know you could very well find your own favorites that aren’t on this list but believe you can’t go too wrong with any ride featured in this article.
You can also find out what I consider to be the Best Shows at Disney World here.
Get Our Free Disney World Parks Guide
To keep up to date with all our latest content, Disney World news and get our 10-page Parks Guide you can sign up to our Newsletter Here.
Thanks for stopping by.
Darren
About the Author
