Top Rides at Walt Disney World

These are in no particular order, but definitely rides that you should make time for while you're at Walt Disney World!

1. The Haunted Mansion (Magic Kingdom) - One of the original attractions, this is a must-do! Although the ambiance is a little scary, I've seen children of all ages enjoy this ride. You'll want to gauge for yourself whether or not you think your young ones can handle this one. It does have it's dark/scary noises and rooms, but it's nothing that is going to absolutely terrify anyone in your party. One tip though, when you're in the first area of the ride (also known as the stretching room) look up at the very end when you hear thunder and see lightening; you'll see something entirely unexpected. I've been on this ride over 30 times, and it's just been the past 3 times that I've noticed that surprise, so I'm not sure if it's new or if I just never paid attention to it before. (Note to the parents: if you do decide this ride is OK for your children, don't let them look up during that time. That may be the only area that truly frightens them, if they're old enough to understand what it is.) This ride is a sit-down slow-moving attraction; no sudden jerks and no drops. It's very laid back and pretty relaxing; great if you've been out in the sun all day! The happy haunts of the Haunted Mansion are more than welcoming, and a must-see!

2. Kilimanjaro Safari (Animal Kingdom) - Make sure you go to this ride first thing in the morning; the longer you wait and the hotter it becomes outside, the less animals you're going to see. If you go first thing, they're all normally waking up and eager to eat/stretch/just be out in the open. I've gotten some of my best photos during the early hours. If you do decide to wait on this ride, it's a good one to get a fast pass for; the line is entirely outside and in a very tropical environment. It gets HOT in there! Always seems to be a ton of miserable little kids who do not enjoy the ride once they get there because they're sweaty and tired. This is the closest you're going to get to an African safari without actually going to Africa, though. The ride is laid out great; the areas for the animals are very impressive, and you feel like you've left the park entirely. Make sure to always keep on the look-out for furry friends, and keep those cameras inside the walls of your safari truck. This ride gets bumpy!

3. Rock-N-Rollercoaster (Hollywood Studios) - This is definitely a teenager and up ride; unless, you're got some little thrill-seekers in your family. The cues for this line are always very long; if you can, fast pass it. You'll end up waiting in that line for 20-30 minutes, too, but it's definitely shorter than the regular lines. There's a cool show at the beginning to get you in the Aerosmith mindset, and then you're let in to an area that resembles an alley in a major city. The cars are made to look like a stretch limo and include speakers that will blast an exclusive Aerosmith song in your ears. This ride definitely takes off; it goes from 0-60 in less than 30 seconds and never slows down the entire time. The whole rollercoaster is in the dark, so you don't see much of where you're going. It's a short one, but worth the wait!

4. Toy Story (game) Rides (one at Magic Kingdom named after Buzz Lightyear, and one at Hollywood Studios with just a basic Toy Story name) - These rides are both a blast for kids of all ages! They're interactive, so you shoot at targets during the ride. It's a fun way to be competitive with your family/friends, and to visit the characters of the movie! The cue areas for both of these are also very cute and mostly inside; the one at Hollywood Studios has a giant Mr. Potato Head that talks to you, and the one at Magic Kingdom has a giant Buzz (although, he's a bit outdated compared to the new Mr. Potato Head.) The one at HS is also 3-D; it's an awesome sensory shock to be shooting things that seem to be really flying at your face. Also note, you do not have to play video games all the time to win these games; I ended up beating my husband horribly at both of them (and, still brag about it to this day) when we were there for our honeymoon!

5. Soarin' (Epcot) - Another ride to make sure you get a fast pass for; we still had to wait nearly 45 minutes in the fast pass line, but boy was it worth it! I was a little apprehensive about this ride; I can't do the others (like Star Wars) without getting horrible motion sickness. So, I was nervous the entire time that we were waiting, but there was no reason to be! This ride is wonderful; it takes you on a hang-glider experience through California; the sights, sounds, and smells (yes, smells) make you feel like you're really there. And, the way your feet dangle on the hang-glider make you feel like you really are flying. This is one of the most popular attractions out of any of the parks and the lines are always long, but put it on your must-do list! Even if you get a fast pass, make sure to get there early to get one of those. We got there an hour after the park opened, and our fast pass time wasn't until later that evening.

6. Tower of Terror (Hollywood Studios) - This is based on the original Twilight Zone series; the walk through area and the beginning of the ride are creepier (to me, anyway) than the entire Haunted Mansion. The majority of the ride takes place in the dark, so if you have kids that are afraid of dark/confined spaces, I'd steer clear of this one. I have a horrible fear of heights, but I love this ride! You step through the Twilight Zone and end up in a haunted elevator; the only way back down is to fall. At one point, the doors open and you can see out over the entire park. It's awesome! The falling sequences are always different, so no matter how many times you ride this ride, it's never going to be exactly the same and you never know when you'll be falling down through the Twilight Zone!

7. Splash Mountain (Magic Kingdom) - This ride is based on the Brier Rabbit story, which seems to have faded from popularity over time, but the attraction is still fun and a bit of a thrill, none-the-less. It's a log-flume ride, but Disney has gone above-and-beyond what people normally expect from a log ride. The entire ride is themed and has some of the cutest scenes you'll find in any of the parks. There are a few small drops, and then one big one close to the end. The drop is no big deal though, and I'd still recommend this one to all kids that meet the height requirement. It's definitely not a scary one and would be a great first drop-ride for the kids. I'd recommend riding it at night though; you can't tell exactly where the main drop is, so if you want a big more of a surprise, make sure to do this one at night time.

8. Expedition Everest (Animal Kingdom) - One awesome coaster! The lines are normally long, but I still don't know if I'd fast pass it. The cue areas are amazing! Some great details to look at about the Yeti, and a lot of things to keep you occupied. You won't get bored no matter how long you wait; if you miss the cues, you're going to miss some of the story line behind the ride. This coaster goes backwards at one point, but it doesn't last for long and isn't a head-jerker. Very smooth! The last few times I've ridden it though, the Yeti has been out of order. I've read stories that the area he's standing on is cracking, so they've got to re-build him. It was better when the Yeti was moving, but it's still a neat rollercoaster to ride, even without the full Yeti experience.

9. It's a Small World (Magic Kingdom) - Yes, this ride and the song can be quite annoying, but you can't visit Disney World without seeing this ride (especially if you're a first timer.) It's got all of that Disney magic in it, and is very cute for the kids. It's a very laid back boat-ride with a great meaning about world peace. It's definitely not a thrill ride, but a must-see (at least once in your life.) Be prepared to be humming the theme song to yourself for quite sometime after you step out of the boat, though.

10. The Land (Epcot) - This attraction is a slow boat ride also located in the same building as Soarin'. It's a learning ride, but my family and I have always enjoyed it. You learn a lot about how they grow food on the Disney property, and see a lot of interesting things. When you pass the pumpkins, make sure to look for the ones shaped like Mickey Mouse. They're very, very cute! It may be a bit boring for younger kids, but it's great for early teens and up. I always seen teenagers pointing at things they think are interesting, even if they'd be bored out of their minds if it was something they were being shown at school. Disney just has a way of making anything learning fun, too. It's definitely not a thrill-ride, but a great in-sight in to the future of farming and food. It's also neat to see where they grow some of the food that they serve at the food court in that building (which, by the way, is some of the best food court food you'll find anywhere!)