Disney World Ride Speeds: 10 Fastest Attractions
Disclaimer: The following was written by my 10-year-old daughter. The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of Second Dad to the Right, usually on purpose. Also, she used the word archival correctly.
If you are a daredevil who enjoys high speed roller coasters, Walt Disney World Resort may not be the theme parks you would first think of. However, there are plenty of attractions that are for you. I’m a daredevil, too, and I have been to Disney World many times, so I have great experience on fast rides with high speeds. Keep reading to find out more about high-speed thrills.
I'll let you know the top 10 fastest thrill rides at Disney Parks in order of slowest to fastest based on top speed. First, here’s a chart. Feel free to pin it to Pinterest.
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train (34 mph)
Here I am, loving Seven Dwarfs Mine Train.
In Magic Kingdom, this roller coaster brings you through the Seven Dwarfs mine where you can find them digging for diamonds. Then you go on a giant lift hill and come blazing down! Then at the end, you find Dopey and Snow White dancing and the Evil Queen waiting outside the petite cottage. This roller coaster has twists and turns and lots of other good roller coaster elements. This is also a kids coaster, because it’s not too aggressive (unless you count when Dopey ripped Snow White's arm off, Youtube it).
My dad, pretending to be asleep on Seven Dwarfs Mine Train.
Also the queue is fun as well, such as barrels you need to turn at the same to have Snow White and the Dwarfs appear on the roof. Finally, it's great for younger kids because the height requirement is only 38", tied for lowest on this list. I really enjoy the amusing queue, and I love the thrills there are to offer.
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (35 mph)
My sister and I, about to go on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. We love it.
Staying in Magic Kingdom, Frontierland is home “To the wildest ride in the wilderness!” On this roller coaster, you go to an abandoned mine, which has secrets in store. This ride gives you the thrill of a true roller coaster. This ride may spook younger kids because of the cave scenes and the amount of lift hills and drops. I also recommend going at night, because of the cool lighting. It's my favorite ride at Magic Kingdom.
The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror (39 mph)
The outside of Tower of Terror at Hollywood Studios
Disney's Hollywood Studios is home to one of the most terrifying attractions ever. When you head to the hotel, it seems to be frozen in time. When you get to the television, Rod Serling appears and tells you what happened on Halloween night of 1939. A worker and other guests were using the elevator and disappeared. This ride has spooky elements that make the attraction a thrilling ride. In the elevator, you get tossed up and down as you travel to the Fifth Dimension. This can be really scary for 6 to 8 year olds (Most younger kids can’t even ride), so you may want to use Rider Swap for this ride. This one is a little different because the ride goes up and down, faster than gravity would normally make you fall.
Here I am, pretending to be scared of the Tower of Terror.
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure (40 mph)
Here’s a picture a few months before Tiana’s Bayou Adventure opened
Although this ride has not opened to the public yet, this is a very fun ride and a best way to cool off in Magic Kingdom. This rides you through the Louisiana bayou on a mission to find animals that want to play in Louis’ band at Tiana’s restaurant. This ride has at least 29 animatronics. This ride has a 50 foot drop (hill, not straight down). This ride is perfect for the scorching heat of Florida because you get wet. It has the same final drop as its predecessor, Splash Mountain. I can’t wait to try it.
Here’s my first time on Splash Mountain…and my dad pretending to be asleep again.
Slinky Dog Dash (40 mph)
My dad and my sister on Slinky Dog Dash
This ride is in Hollywood Studios, and is a very playful and fun roller coaster. In this ride, Andy (from Toy Story) got a new roller coaster playset and needs minifigures to ride in them. When you get there you get inside ride vehicles that look like Slinky Dog, then you are going through twists and turns and crazy heights. This attraction is a good roller coaster for those who really like heights. This ride is good for little kids who like roller coasters. I really enjoyed this ride because you get a great view of Toy Story Land and the heights on this coaster are very exhilarating. This attraction goes up to 40 mph.
Expedition Everest (50 mph)
Over at Animal Kingdom we have Expedition Everest. You are about to go on an expedition through the Himalayan peaks, and rumor has it, a yeti lives there. On your way you see murals for the yeti, but the abominable snowman is nowhere in sight. Then as you head up another hill you find there’s thousands of rubber bands on your side (will they ever clean that up?), and the track has been torn apart!
Expedition Everest at Disney’s Animal Kingdom
SPOILER ALERT: Then you hear the yeti roaring, and get sent backwards. The backwards element is a very good ride for thrill-seekers. I would recommend not bringing any kids under the age of seven or eight, because not only the backwards part is terrifying, but the roars of the yeti can really scare young children, too. It used to scare my little sister.
Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith (57 mph)
The entrance to Rock N’ Roller Coaster. The guitar is not part of the ride.
Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster is the craziest roller coaster in Hollywood Studios. In this attraction you have received backstage passes to Aerosmith’s concert (see if you can find the hidden Mickey in the wires during the preshow.) But, you end up being late. So, you have to travel at high speed on the Los Angeles highway. This indoor coaster has fun neon lights and you do go upside down. This ride is definitely for older kids, I would recommend anyone under 7-9 years old (7-9 due to whether they will be afraid of the coaster or not) to not ride. I really enjoyed this ride because I love how wild and wacky it is. At the moment, this ride is being refurbished.
TRON: Lightcycle Run (59 mph)
My dad, sister, and I in front of Tron. My dad says old people will think his hat is funny.
TRON is located in Magic Kingdom. You have been immersed into the video game world of TRON. You are racing against Orange Team to win the game. When you get on, you have to be in a position like you are on a motorcycle. Then you get launched from zero to 57 mph in almost 3 seconds! This is a very fast ride and fun roller coaster. I recommend going at night for insane lighting when you go outside. Kids younger than 8 or 9 maybe should not ride because of how fast this coaster is and the position you have to ride in. For those who cannot handle being in a motorcycle position, there is a seat that you don’t have to ride in a weird position.
Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind (60 mph)
That’s me with the hair blowing in my face. This ride is fast.
In EPCOT, my #1 favorite roller coaster (and the fastest roller coaster) at Disney World is Guardians. In this attraction, you are the test subjects for the teleportation chamber to transport you to the planet Xandar. But Eson steals the cosmic generator which is powering the entire ship. Then they call the Guardians and they send you through the generator. A random 70’s-90’s song will be playing, like “September” and “Conga”. This ride is not only an indoor coaster but there are also screens and props that tell the story. It's basically a roller coaster and a dark ride.
This ride has amazing pre-show and thrills. The ride vehicles rotate as well as move, which adds more intensity, and the sharp turns ramp up the g-forces. It also has a reverse launch! I recommend kids eight years old and older to ride. This is a very humorous roller coaster and has exciting thrills. This roller coaster goes 60 mph. It's currently virtual queue and individual lightning lane only, but it's totally worth it (especially because it's my parents' money). This is technically the fastest coaster because I wouldn't call the next ride a coaster.
Test Track (65 mph)
My dad better put his phone away before the ride starts.
Staying in EPCOT, Test Track is the fastest ride at Disney World. Although it is being reimagined at the moment, I will still tell you the plot of the attraction (archival info here). You are creating and testing a car. You need to make sure it has responsiveness, power, capability, and efficiency. Then on the power test it goes 65 mph around the track outside.
I guess my dad didn’t put his phone away. Here’s Test Track almost reaching the top speed.
Conclusion and Further Reading
Here’s the top 10 fastest rides at Disney World! Even though I said Test Track was the fastest, technically it would be Space Mountain because the speed of light is much faster than 65 miles per hour. (My dad would like to argue that time travel rides like Spaceship Earth and Dinosaur also travel at or above the speed of light). If you’re a daredevil, I hope you find time to ride these attractions. For more information about fast rides at Disney World click here:
The 5 best rides to rope drop at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.