Visiting Walt Disney World with Teens

Kids of all ages love Walt Disney World. However, many people still see Walt Disney World as the place to bring young children. Sure, It's a Small World and Dumbo the Flying Elephant still reign over the Magic Kingdom, but there are some great rides that teens will love, too. From the classic but still thrilling Space Mountain to Walt Disney World's newest thrill ride, Expedition Everest at Disney's Animal Kingdom, thrills abound in all four of Walt Disney World theme parks.

Space Mountain (Magic Kingdom)
This classic Disney ride takes space travelers on a high-speed, indoor rollercoaster ride through space. As your rocket is set to "launch," you travel past mission control on your way to the launching pad (and, being this is an attraction built in the 70's, the mission control mannequins are dressed in the finest polyester space crew uniforms of the day). Once at the top, your rocket begins its travels through space as it twists and turns and encounters a few, albeit small, drops along the way.

Splash Mountain (Magic Kingdom)
Get ready to get wet on this Disney take on the classic log flume ride. At first this attraction seems like a slow-moving, leisurely ride as your "log" travels through scenes from the movie "Song of the South." However, it soon becomes apparent that Br'er Rabbit is in trouble as Br'er Fox and Br'er Bear follow him thought the ride. Finally, you see that Br'er Rabbit has been caught in the brier patch and things go downhill from there, literally. Your "log" (with you in it) plunges 52 ½ feet down to a watery finish and everyone winds up soaking wet!

Mission Space (Epcot)
Feel the sensation of blast off with the same technology that NASA uses to prepare their astronauts for flight. In the space vehicle, each person on the four person flight crew is assigned a task to make the mission successful. As your space craft "launches" into space, you feel the G forces push you back as your window to space shows your progress as you race toward the heavens.

Test Track (Epcot)
You would have to be a "crash test dummy" not to enjoy this high-speed tryout of the latest safety technology for automobiles. Riders put concept cars through their paces at the GM Epcot proving grounds. While some of the tests are not that exciting (sure, the car can handle at slow speeds a road made of "Belgium blocks" - whatever those are), it's the breaking at high speeds without the anti lock break on or the outdoor speed tests that will get your adrenalin pumping.

Rock 'N' Roller Coaster (Disney's Hollywood Studios)
Aerosmith invite riders to be VIP's at their concert. The only problem is that the show beings in just a few minutes. Riders get into a stretch limo and it shoots of from 0 - 57 miles per hour in 2.8 seconds. From there, it's a super-fast journey through the freeways of LA to get to the show on time. Along with plenty of ups, downs, and loops, riders rock out to an awesome speaker system in each "limo" playing some of Aerosmith's greatest hits.

The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror (Disney's Hollywood Studios)
Find yourself in an episode of the classic TV show "The Twilight Zone." From the moment you step in to the deserted Hollywood hotel, you know something is not right. From the hotel's boiler room, riders are whisked in to a service elevator for a journey to the top of the hotel... 13 stories up. Along the way, the elevator stops on different floors to reveal scenes straight out of the Twilight Zone. Then, without warning, the elevator plunges 13 stories straight down.

Expedition Everest (Disney's Animal Kingdom)
Enjoy a scenic train trek to the top of Mount Everest, that is at lest until the infamous Yeti changes the plan. As your train emerges from a cave, riders catch a glimpse of the Yeti's shadow and notice the train track ahead is ripped into two. Unable to proceed, the train starts going backwards, downhill into a dark cave and speeds over and around Mount Everest to escape the Yeti.