Last Updated on May 21, 2024 by Suzy McCullough
This is my list of the Top 10 best family-friendly rides across the four parks at Walt Disney World. These are the not to miss rides for families with kids aged around 4-10 years old that enjoy a thrill/fun ride but aren’t excessively scary. Some of the rides have height limits. Please remember there are plenty more rides.
These ten have been picked per my own preference as the ultimate 10 rides not to miss! You may or may not agree however I urge you not to miss these ten rides. I haven’t included any rides from Hollywood Studios. That’s not because we don’t like it there, we do, but there wasn’t a ride that could quite make it to this list as they mostly didn’t compare to the 10 below. All rides have Fast Pass available so you can book your time slot and not miss out.
#1 – Avatar Flight of Passage (Pandora) – Animal Kingdom
Height limit – 112cm (44″) and over to ride Avatar. This is the most popular ride across the 4 parks and the hardest to get a Fast pass for. Without an FP you are looking at queues from 1-3 hours long. Avatar is an exhilarating 4D ride on the back of a banshee.
You lean forward onto a bike-like structure and then put on some extra special 3D glasses. The ride is incredibly immersive and makes you feel like you are really riding a banshee. The ride itself is almost 5 minutes long and although your child will be next to you they won’t be in the same seat as you.
#2 – Expedition Everest – Animal Kingdom
Height limit – 112cm (44in) and over. This is quite an extreme roller coaster and certainly, the fastest with a relatively small height limit as my four-year-old was able to ride it. There are some pretty steep drops including meeting a broken track where you ride backwards to meet the Yeti. It’s not for the faint-hearted however it is a lot of fun and I am glad we got our four-year-old on it. The ride is just over 3 minutes long. You sit 2 in a row.
#3 – Seven Dwarfs Mine Train – Magic Kingdom
Height limit – 97cm (38″) and over. This ride is a great introduction for younger children to a rollercoaster ride. It’s the gentlest rollercoaster ride that I’ve ever been on and even my four-year-old didn’t need my arm around him. The slower parts through the mine with the dwarfs are really fun and colourful. It is one of the most popular FP rides in the Magic Kingdom. The ride lasts for approx. 3 minutes. You are sat 2 in a row.
#4 – Soarin’ – Epcot
Height limit – 102cm (40″) and over. This is one of the best and most popular rides in Epcot. You sit in aisle-long seats which elevate slightly in the air. You then go on an air-born journey over the world. It was very realistic and the kids were ducking as birds whooshed past and we narrowly missed mountains. The 4D elements such as wind made the experience even better. The ride lasts for around 5 minutes. You have your own chair but you are sat in rows together.
#5 – Big Thunder Mountain Railroad – Magic Kingdom
Height limit – 102cm (40″) – This is a runaway train that can go quite fast at times. There are a few medium and small drops, with nothing too scary. (certainly not compared to Everest – if your kid can go on Everest then they can go on anything for 44″ and smaller). It’s set in the wild wild west of America and it’s well worth looking around you as the train rushes along the track. The ride lasts for approx. 3 minutes. You sit in twos.
#6 – Tron Lightcycle Power Run – Magic Kingdom
Height Limit – 122cm (48″) Located in Tomorrowland, Magic Kingdom. Leave the real world behind and join Team Blue in a quest across the Grid—the dark, computerized world with no horizons from TRON. Here, there’s no limit to the excitement.
#7 – Dinosaur – Animal Kingdom
Height limit – 102cm (40″) This ride was actually quite a surprise. It’s a bit like a very bumpy ghost train ride but with dinosaurs and flashing lights. I have to say that I laughed hysterically all the way around as it basically flings you here there and everywhere. Make sure your valuables are safe! The ride lasts for approx. 3 minutes. You sit in safari-type vehicles which move along a track and each row sits up to four people.
#8 – Kilimanjaro Safari Ride – Animal Kingdom
No height limit – Basically this ride is like going on Safari in Africa. You board a safari Jeep with lots of other people and you go for a ride around the Savannas of Africa. We loved every minute of it. The guide was very good and left me feeling in awe that they must have to do this many times a day.
We saw so many animals. Our highlight was when we had a Rhino run past the back of the Jeep where we were sitting. We also saw lions, elephants, giraffes, alligators, hippos and much more. The safari lasts at least 20 minutes. You don’t really want to sit more than four in a row as it will restrict your view.
#9 – Frozen Ever After – Epcot
No Height Restriction – This ride was so much better than I was expecting. We love Frozen and we have seen it many times so it was rather magical to take a boat ride through Arundel and see the cast of Frozen. There are a couple of surprises along the way and I won’t spoil them.
All I can say is we weren’t expecting it to be quite as exciting as it was. Obviously, it’s not as full-on ride-wise as the other rides on this list but if you’re expecting a boat ride then you will be pleasantly surprised. The ride lasts for around 5 minutes. You can seat 4 riders per row.
#10 – Test Track – Epcot
Height limit – 102cm (40″) – Test Track allows you to design your own test car. Then you ride in that car through a series of tests like driving in inclement weather, brake testing, and more. The ride ends with a speedy lap outside that is very fast. It is thrilling but less scary than any of the coasters at Magic Kingdom.
It’s also a great way to teach children about cars and how they work. You can seat 3 in the front of the car and 3 in the back. Please note that if you use a single rider you will skip the designing your own car stage as that is part of the queue. The ride itself lasts for around 5 minutes.
