Skip The Line: 10 Overhyped Disney World Attractions & 10 That Are Worth The Wait
Time Well Spent
Maybe this is cynical, but half of any visit to Disney World involves baking under the Florida sun in obscenely long lines. Some rides have long lines due to poor planning, others due to novelty, and a select few manage to earn their iconic reputations. We're here to help you plan your visit so that you spend the least time waiting for maximum payoff.
Benjamin D. Esham (bdesham) on Wikimedia
1. Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
Ask 10 Disney devotees what the most overrated ride is and 9 of them will say Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. A family-friendly coaster with minimal thrills, we can't understand why the lines are so long. What's more insulting is the variety of in-queue minigames, as if to remind you that you've been waiting for hours.
Josh Hallett from Winter Haven, FL, USA on Wikimedia
2. Peter Pan's Flight
Peter Pan's flight is a 2-minute ride with wait times that regularly exceed the film's 76-minute run. We wouldn't be so upset by the brevity of this ride if we didn't physically feel ourselves aging while we wait for it. The problem isn't necessarily with the ride's popularity, but with poor queue design.
3. Tomorrowland Speedway
Tomorrowland Speedway is a guaranteed hit for kids aged 5 to 8, but not so much for adults. The cars are cramped, the ride itself is slow, jerky, and nauseating, and the cars emit exhaust fumes. It's a traffic simulator for babies.
4. Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
Who doesn't want to pilot the Millennium Falcon? Anyone with a sensitive stomach, that's who. This is one of the roughest, bounciest, most jarring rides Disney has to offer—especially when you have a child in the pilot's seat. Like Mission: SPACE, this ride has different roles: engineer, gunner, and pilot; because pilot is the most exciting, it's frequently given to little ones, who make the ride bumpier than usual.
5. Na’vi River Journey
The lesser of the two rides in Pandora, Na'vi River Journey is a one-and-done ride for visitors—unless you're an Avatar superfan. While this dark ride is gorgeously constructed with gorgeous lights, foliage, and sets, it doesn't have much by way of story. Visuals are not enough to carry a dark ride, especially one where you wait an hour to see one (1) animatronic.
6. Frozen Ever After
Replacing Norway's beloved Maelstrom ride, Frozen Ever After had the odds stacked against it. Frozen Ever After has some of Disney's most impressive animatronics and features the film's iconic songs, but unless you're traveling with a kid in their Elsa phase, it isn't really worth it. The storytelling is somewhat muddled, the queue lacking in theme, and you have to deal with 7000 kids singing 'Let It Go' in your ear for an hour.
Theme Park Tourist on Wikimedia
7. Toy Story Midway Mania
Midway Mania feels like a freemium game you play on your phone. More accurately, it's a flashier version of the Wii game of the same name that it was modeled after. Rather than hitting physical targets with lasers, you're aiming at a screen, showing how Disney is happy to sacrifice tactile experiences to cut costs.
Josh Hallett from Winter Haven, FL, USA on Wikimedia
8. Tron Lightcycle / Run
If you thought that Peter Pan's wait time:ride time ratio was wack, just wait until you get a load of this one. Tron Lightcycle Power Run is a measly 58 seconds! No ride whose duration is less than a minute should have a line so long that guests risk dehydration for it.
9. Test Track
Before 2012, Test Track would have made the other half of this list, but updates have done serious damage to its street cred. The 2012 update took itself too seriously, slowing down the line and muddling the story with unnecessary elements. Test Track 3.0 opened earlier this year, but it's still too early to pass a verdict on the changes.
AmaryllisGardener on Wikimedia
10. Alien Swirling Saucers
Located in Hollywood Studios, Alien Swirling Saucers is similar to Mad Tea Party with one big difference: rather than spinning yourself round and round, you're whipped and whirled side to side by the alien steering you. It's a little less exciting, and you have to hold on tight to avoid crushing your ride partner during sudden swings.
elisfkc from Orlando, FL, United States on Wikimedia
Now that we've explored some overrated WDW rides, let's dive into some that are worth the wait.
1. Haunted Mansion
Haunted Mansion is the crème de la crème of dark rides. It's lightly spooky but not scary, making it suitable for scaredy-cats; it has some of Disney's best illusions and effects, and it's long enough that you get your money's worth. Even if the queue is long, the area is designed to captivate riders' attention.
2. Pirates Of The Caribbean
A ride so good it inspired a film series, you will never hear us speak ill of Pirates of the Caribbean. This ride feels like a cool glass of water on a hot day—literally, the dark, cave-like interior helps beat the heat. Sometimes you don't mess with the classics; Pirates is a crowd-pleaser for a good reason.
3. Kilimanjaro Safaris
The fact that Kilimanjaro Safaris has real animals rather than animatronics should cement its status as a never-skip. This ride isn't so much an attraction as it is a conservation project where guests can get a taste of the African savanna in the middle of Florida. While the script stays the same, each ride is guaranteed to be different by virtue of the, er, live performers.
4. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
Currently closed for renovations until 2026, Big Thunder Mountain finds that perfect medium between thrill-seekers and scaredy cats. It's rough-and-tumble enough to satisfy thrill-seekers who'd rather be at Universal, but mild and measured enough to serve as a gateway into coasters for kids who hit their growth spurt. Plus, you can set off in-ride explosions while you wait in line.
5. Star Wars: Rise Of The Resistance
Rise of the Resistance is dark ride technology at its best with multiple pre-shows and ride systems. It's totally unique in comparison to the other WDW rides, even the newest ones. While there are a few persistent bugs, first-time riders aren't likely to notice while they're overtaken with awe.
6. Tiana's Bayou Adventure
A much-needed upgrade to Splash Mountain and a much-needed Princess and the Frog attraction, Tiana's Bayou Adventure is as much a rite of passage as its predecessor. The story flows much better when it isn't tied to a movie almost nobody's seen due to controversy, and reframing the big drop as something to celebrate rather than fear encourages riders of all ages to be brave. It's worth it for the view alone.
7. Mission: SPACE
One of the most intense rides at Disney World, Mission: SPACE continues to delight fans 20 years after its opening. With two levels of intensity, the split queue moves fairly fast and, unlike Smuggler's Run, your ride will not be hindered by trigger-happy 6-year-olds playing pilot. This ride also has one of the best post-show areas that you could easily spend an hour in.
8. Expedition Everest
Not every coaster has to go all-out on theming, but it certainly helps, as evidenced by Expedition Everest. This impending steel coaster goes forwards and backwards, plunges you down the mountain, and has a healthy dose of Nepalese yeti lore while you wait in line. The glitchy Disco Yeti is both charming and scary, even if it doesn't work properly.
9. Mad Tea Party
Mad Tea Party is a whirlwind unbirthday celebration that leaves guests eager for more—once they've stopped stumbling. The ride is short, so the queue moves fast; depending on how many people you cram into your teacup it may move even faster. Mad Tea Party is a great palate cleanser after fantasyland's slower dark rides and meet-and-greets, just make sure you don't go after lunch!
10. Carousel Of Progress
The Carousel of Progress is about as kitschy as it gets, but sometimes a little kitsch is just what you need. Not only is this ride's retrofuturist vibe imminently charming, its rotating design ensures that there's almost never a wait. The best part, however, is the runtime; at 21 minutes it's perfect for digesting, getting out of the rain/sun, or taking a nap.
