Four spectacular theme parks, five themed attractions, twenty three resort hotels, two spas, five golf courses; where else on earth could you find such myriad sources of entertainment jostling for your attention?
Walt Disney World in Florida offers you all this, and bills itself as the complete family entertainment center. But before you dismiss it as fluff, take a look at these spine-chilling rides designed to gratify all you thrill seekers.
Amazing Rides at Walt Disney World
1
Space Mountain
The
original thrill ride, the Space Mountain cuts a cult figure in the hearts of all Disney lovers. Chugging along at a lousy 27 mph, it’s certainly not among the fastest roller coasters, speed-wise. But the sense of adventure that the Space Mountain provides with its psychedelic toned tunnels is unmatched. Hold your breath as you board the ‘rocket’ which zooms to the top of a 180-feet mountain. The dazzling celestial bodies set against the backdrop of a deep black sky will leave you star-struck beyond measure.
Don’t miss stepping out into Tomorrowland and gazing at the world, the way it will appear in the future.
2
Aerosmith’s Rock n’ Roller Coaster
Getting into a fancy stretch limo, gliding along the famed Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles . . . . lovely way to spend an evening, isn’t it? Hey, did I just say
Los Angeles? And
gliding? As a part of the Hollywood Studios theme park, the Rock n’ Roller coaster zips and twists you in a ‘limo’, and lets you view the City of Angels upside down. All this accompanied with your favorite Aerosmith tracks belting in the background.
Don’t miss the limo’s jump in speed from an astounding 0 to 60 mph in 2.8 seconds! Try to beat that!
3
Mission: Space
Possibly the highlight of your visit to Disney World, Mission: Space promises you the ride of your lifetime, and delivers way more than that. It is a ride that precisely mimics a space flight to Mars, and takes you as close as possible to being an astronaut in space. You can choose to go feeble and join the Green team. Alternatively, you can put your endurance to test by being a part of the Orange team that lets you experience a gravitational pull that clearly exceeds that of the Earth’s.
Don’t miss Mission: Space!
4
Splash Mountain
Splash mountain is the famed log ride at Disney World. Based on the Disney film,
Song of the South, you get a chance to meet its principle characters up close. Take a journey with the
Br’er Rabbit as he sets off to find his “laughing place”, trying hard to slip away from the grasp of his enemies, the
Br’er Fox and
Br’er Bear. Splash mountain is a fun ride, which is to be enjoyed by the entire family.
Don’t miss the giant splash from a height of about 50 feet.
5
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad takes you back in time to the wild, wild west, where the gold diggers have plundered the mines and fled to escape the wrath of nature. Will the flash floods sink the entire town of Tumbleweed? Board one of the rickety trains that seem to mysteriously operate on their own, enjoy the indoor/outdoor riding experience. Is the mountain going to crumble right now? There’s just one way to find out. . . .
Don’t miss the strange echoes that emanate as your train enters the mountain. . . . eerily spooky!
6
Expedition Everest
A snowy mountain, an encounter with the abominable snowman, do you even need more reasons to try this ride? The ride takes you to the top of this treacherous mountain, close to the monster that’s guarding it. Hairpin turns await you as your coaster zips back and forth with a single intention – that of avoiding the yeti at all costs.
Don’t miss the beautiful village that is your base camp, and pay a tribute to the mountain at the glorious shrine.
7
The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
It was a Halloween night in 1939 when lightning struck an elevator at the Hollywood Hotel, killing all the five people inside it. You get to see it as it stands today, amidst a pile of rubble, eerily reminding you of the woebegone era. A ride on the fright elevator takes you in every weird direction, and becomes a chilling reminder of that fateful Halloween night when Hollywood Hotel came to a complete standstill.
Don’t miss the Twilight Zone theme and the ghostly corridor that has . . . . wait, I don’t wish to spoil it for you.
8
Summit Plummet
At 120 feet, the summit of Mount Gushmore is hard to miss, once you enter Blizzard Beach. Choose to take the airlift or the stairs to the top. Take in the chilling atmosphere as you plunge head first on to the 360-feet long water slide at a speed of around 60 mph. And when I say water slide, I’m sure you’ve never seen one so steep that it makes you feel as if you are zooming down into nothingness. With a momentary free fall included, this ride is not meant for the weak at heart.
Don’t miss Summit Plummet, which happens to be the second tallest free fall water slide in the world. Which thrill seeker would dare miss it?.
9
Dinosaur
Deviating from a conventional thrill ride, Dinosaur is not your average adrenaline booster. What is it doing in this list, you ask? Well, any ride that involves time travel, true-to-life dinosaurs and a nail-biting escape from a meteor crash, wins a place in this list. Get ready for a bumpy ride through the park in a time traveling rover that lets you gaze at all the (mostly repulsive) some-kind-of-saurs.
Don’t miss the countdown moments that lead up to the meteor strike.
10
Test Track
Test track at Epcot lets you experience an actual test ride – just like they do at General Motors. A speed test, suspension test, heat-cold temperature test, corrosion test, and finally the crash test make this an exciting ride. Your test ride vehicle undergoes all possible battering that goes into making a safe car. To sum it up, you get to soberly experience a car ride that, in reality, is usually alcohol-induced, but with all the safety measures in place.
Don’t miss it as all the car geeks will relish the display of cars in varied stages of production.
Reading a list of fun rides is nothing compared to the actual thing, obviously. These Walt Disney World facts will help you decide the best time to visit Disney World, plan a wonderful vacation, and make a list of your favorite thrill rides.
