Walt Disney World is known for its character meet and greets and bringing beloved stories to life, but did you know it is also home to thrilling roller coasters? Let’s dive into the Disney World roller coasters for the thrill seekers as well as the family-friendly options.
Walt Disney World is a premier theme park destinations among families of all ages. Theme park enthusiasts will love the attention to details at the four theme parks, from the lands to explore to the attractions themselves, but are there thrilling roller coasters at Disney World??
Yes! There are currently 9 roller coasters across the four theme parks. These range from family-friendly “first coaster” rides to more intense roller coasters.
In this post I want to share a quick overview to the Disney World roller coasters including scare factors, height requirements, and tips for riding, along with commentary on what the best Disney World roller coasters are for thrill seekers.
Roller Coasters at Disney World
- The Barnstormer (Magic Kingdom, 35″ height requirement): Kiddie coaster reaching speeds of 25 mph. This is a first coaster experience for a lot of guests.
- Seven Dwarfs Mine Train (Magic Kingdom, 38″ height requirement): A mine train with twists and turns reaching 35 mph. Not very scary or intense.
- Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (Magic Kingdom, 40″ height requirement): Outdoor train coaster. So much fun and recently refurbished.
- Space Mountain (Magic Kingdom, 44″ height requirement): Indoor roller coaster.
- TRON Lightcycle / Run (Magic Kingdom, 48″ height requirement): Launch coaster, guests sit on bikes for ride.
- Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind (Epcot, 42″ height requirement): Indoor launch coaster that also spins and is set to a music soundtrack.
- Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring the Muppets (Hollywood Studios, 48″ height requirement): Indoor launch coaster with inversions. Opening Summer 2026.
- Slinky Dog Dash (Hollywood Studios, 38″ height requirement): Kid friendly outdoor launch coaster, looks tame-does have some airtime but most kids like it.
- Expedition Everest- Legend of the Forbidden Mountain (Animal Kingdom, 44″ height requirement): Indoor and outdoor thrilling coaster with Yeti animatronic.
Disney World Roller Coasters for Thrill Seekers
I have 6 out of 9 of the Disney roller coasters on my list for thrill seekers. These are the biggest thrills you are going to get at the park and while they may not be super intense like some amusement park coasters, they offer fun thrills and are worth a ride.
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is a race through a gold-mining town aboard a runaway mine train. It is a bit more intense than The Barnstormer and Seven Dwarfs Mine Train but most people don’t find it too scary.
It is also a fairly smooth ride feature a lift-hill, small drops, and a few elements of surprise in the caves. Big Thunder Mountain reaches speeds of 36 mph.
Expected Wait Times: (45 minutes or more) Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is a popular attraction at the Magic Kingdom and will have long wait times. Ride at rope drop or the last hour of park opening.
Space Mountain
Space Mountain is a more thrilling roller coaster at Magic Kingdom. It only reaches 37 mph but because it is in the dark it can feel much more thrilling.
Space Mountain is an outer space themed indoor roller coaster and has guests rocketing through space.
The twists and turns in the dark can make for a rough ride for us over 40 riders so be warned. I have always been able to ride it once per trip but the sharp turns and drops can make it a bit rough.
Expected Wait Times: (45 minutes or more) Space Mountain is a very popular ride at Magic Kingdom.
TRON Lightcylce / Run
TRON is a launch coaster than has indoor and outdoor portions. It reaches speeds of 60 mph making it the fastest roller coaster at Walt Disney World. It is also about a minute ride making it one of the shortest rides at Disney World.
Expected Wait Times: TRON has very long wait times and should be prioritized first thing in the morning if you would like to ride. If you miss the morning rush keep an eye on the wait times on the app to decide best time to ride.
Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind
This is a family launch coaster that rotates guests 360 degree on a fun coaster. It features a soundtrack of six different songs making each ride unique for guests.
This ride is completely indoors with projection screens during the ride. The spinning of this ride can make guests feel queasy but it is not a scary ride for most people.
Expected Wait Times: Guardians of the Galaxy has one of the longest lines (60 minutes or more) at the park and I suggest rope dropping it during your Epcot Itinerary.
Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring the Muppets
Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster has guests boarding a super stretch limo to make it on time to a concert. This coaster is a bit rough, has inversions, and reaches speeds of 57 mph. It is a typical “upside-down” roller coaster but it is housed entirely indoors.
Recently it has been closed for an extended refurbishment and is set to re-open in summer 2026 with a completely new theme. The Muppets will be leading guests on this ride and I am excited to learn more about what this will be like.
Expected Wait Times: (45 minutes or more) This ride gets busy although my personal opinion is that you can find it at most amusement parks across the country. This will be a very popular ride when it reopens with a Muppet theme.
Expedition Everest-Legend of the Forbidden Mountain
Expedition Everest has drops, a launch, indoor and outdoor scenes, goes backwards and reaches speeds of 50 mph.
It is a fairly intense ride and may scare young kids. It also may not be great for those prone to motion sickness.
Expected Wait Time: (45 minutes or more) I have never waited longer than 20 minutes for this ride. I usually ride in the first couple of hours of park open or the end of the day when Animal Kingdom gets way less crowds.
Final Thoughts
A lot of articles are going to talk about if the roller coasters are good for kids, of course that is important but I want to include what it is like for someone in their forties who has to make a judgement call on what rides are best to experience.
Most of the roller coasters at Disney are completely family friendly and guests who meet the heigh requirements can ride. For me there are a few that have become increasingly challenging as I get older.
I will start with Space Mountain. This ride is rough and can make you feel banged around a bit. If you have back issues you need to think about this one.
Second ride to consider is Expedition Everest. For me this is mostly a smooth ride with little issues but it can cause motion sickness when it is twisting its way through the mountain. This only happened to me once and it was after riding 3x in a row. I am usually fine with a one time experience.
Guests riding Tron may want to use the test bike before entering the queue. It can feel like an awkward position although the rest of the ride is smooth and comfortable.
I have heard of guests exiting Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind very dizzy. On the few times we have ridden I never experienced anything bad but be aware of this before you ride.
Use your best judgement when deciding if a ride is suited for you or your family. You know your kids and yourself best. It may help to watch the POV of rides on YouTube but the ones indoors may look dark and scarier than they actually are.
Overall the Disney World roller coasters can be a great addition to your day at the parks. They are just enough thrills for most and we always include them in our day.
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Leah has been a Disney fan her entire life. From growing up with the movies to planning amazing Disney trips. She loves sharing her passion for Disney and helping others plan amazing Disney trips.
