Top 10 Greatest Disney Parks Roller Coasters
We've included rides like Raging Spirits, Matterhorn Bobsleds, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and more!
#10: Matterhorn Bobsleds
Located at the original Disney park, Disneyland in California, this ride was inspired by the famed alpine mountain. This coaster has been around since 1959, making it the world’s first tubular steel roller coaster, so it makes it onto our list because of a nostalgia factor and some old timey charm. The ride was closed for several months in 2015 so it could get an update for the 60th anniversary of Disneyland. Unlike many of the other rides on our list, this one is exclusive to only the one park.
#9: Incredicoaster [aka California Screamin']
While many of the coasters on our list get their appeal from their creative Disney theming, this one is just simply good fun. Located at Disney’s California Adventure, the Incredicoaster is in the boardwalk themed area of the park. Originally opened as California Screamin’ in 2001 and styled to look to look like a vintage wooden coaster, the ride was modified and renamed 17 years later to accompany the release of the “Incredibles” sequel in June 2018. The Incredicoaster is the only coaster at this park to go upside down and is definitely more of a grown up ride than some of the others on our list.
#8: Raging Spirits
Based on a similar ride from Disneyland Paris, Raging Spirits is a fast thrill ride located at Tokyo DisneySea. While the original Parisian version, Indiana Jones et le Temple du Péril, is expressly themed to the Indiana Jones movies, the Tokyo ride is more subtle in its inspiration. Guests on this exciting ride are propelled through an archeological dig site at an imagined Incan ruin. Sadly, if you’re based in North America, there is nothing like it at the American Disney parks -although there is a totally different Indiana Jones ride in Anaheim.
#7: Big Grizzly Mountain Runaway Mine Cars
Hong Kong’s Disneyland may not be one of the company’s most beloved parks, but in the early 2000s there have been several new ride openings that have made it more of a destination than ever. One of these rides is Big Grizzly Mountain. Reminiscent of the classic Big Thunder Mountain Railroad that can be found in Paris, Tokyo and the States, this ride offers slightly different theming and an even more thrilling ride. It even features a section where the mine cars go backwards on the track!
#6: Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
When Disney World revamped their Fantasyland section of the Magic Kingdom, one of the most exciting changes was the addition of this Snow White themed roller coaster. This coaster is tame enough for kids to enjoy, but entertaining enough to interest riders of all ages. The Disney parks are notorious for their long lines, but they’ve gotten wise to the fact that guests will have to wait. For this new attraction, the queue area features seven dwarfs-themed activities that create an exciting experience all on its own.
#5: Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith
One of the fastest and most exciting rides at any Disney park is Aerosmith’s Rock 'n' Roller Coaster. The premise behind this indoor coaster is that you’ve got to get to an Aerosmith concert and there’s no time to lose. At the beginning, your car (a stretch limo) accelerates from zero to 57 miles per hour in just a couple of seconds. There’s an inversion and a corkscrew and it’s all over so fast you’ll hardly know what happened. Although the coaster in Paris is transitioning to an Iron Man theme, the Disney Hollywood original is staying true to its “Sweet Emotion” roots.
#4: Tron Lightcycle Power Run
One of the newest rides at any Disney property is this indoor/outdoor roller coaster hybrid in Shanghai. The ride opened at the same time as the rest of the new Disneyland park in June of 2016. Riders get to take a night through the Grid in an experience that is unlike anything else Disney has to offer. And they do so on cycles that recall the cool lightcycles in the “Tron: Legacy.” At D23 in 2017, it was announced that a similar Tron ride would be making its way to Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World in Florida at some point in the near future.
#3: Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
Get ready for the wildest ride in the wilderness! Of all the rides we’re featuring on our list today, this one might be the most prolific. With versions existing at Frontierland in Disneyland California, Disneyland Paris, Disney World and Tokyo Disneyland, people around the world have been enjoying this ride for decades. It’s one of the more tame coasters Disney offers, so it’s a favorite among the younger set. People seem to like the Paris version even more than the others, and France’s is the newest iteration, having been built in 1992.
#2: Space Mountain
When you think of the classic Disney roller coaster, it’s very likely that your mind goes straight to Space Mountain. Opening in 1975 in Orlando and several years later in Anaheim, Space Mountain is one of the landmark attractions at the American Disney parks. The Paris version of the ride originally featured a Jules Verne theming and a track that is much more thrilling than the originals. Almost all Disney parks have some form of Space Mountain, which has changed themes at various times. Perhaps its most noteworthy change has been the adoption of a Star Wars re-theme, making it even more exciting than ever.
#1: Expedition Everest – Legend of the Forbidden Mountain
Our number one pick may come as a surprise because it’s relatively new compared to some of the other classics on our list. You may have thought that Walt Disney World was set with its trifecta of mountains (Space, Splash and Big Thunder), but as of 2006 there was a newcomer to the pack. Expedition Everest opened at Animal Kingdom and quickly became a crowd favorite. Even though it’s been years since the ride’s famed yeti was actually functioning, there is so much to love about this expertly themed attraction. From the drops and sharp turns to the surprising backwards portion, we could ride this again and again.
