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The Best of Walt Disney World for Adults

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The Best of Walt Disney for Adults

Welcome back to Part 5 of my blog series – The Best of Walt Disney World! In case you missed it, over the next several weeks, I’ll be sharing with you the top picks in attractions for various groups of travelers visiting the Walt Disney World theme parks. So far we’ve discussed favorites for babiespreschoolersgrade school kids, and teens. Next up are the young-at-heart adults. When checking out the list, keep in mind each attraction that made the cut scored at least four stars by the adults surveyed. Come on, everybody, here we go!

Space Mountain
©Disney

The Best of Magic Kingdom for Adults

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad

Location: Frontierland
FastPass+: Yes
Thrill: Drops, Fast
4½ Stars

Don’t let the name fool you; this is definitely more roller coaster than railroad. Take a ride in a runaway mine cart at speeds up to 35 mph through an old mining town. More Details

Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin

Location: Tomorrowland
FastPass+: Yes
Thrill: Spinning, Dark, Slow
4½ Stars

Climb aboard and take aim as you help Buzz Lightyear save the universe from the evil Emperor Zurg. Ride along on this slow-moving attraction where you control the spinning as you shoot your laser and score points. More Details

Jungle Cruise

Location: Adventureland
FastPass+: Yes
Thrill: Slow
4 Stars

Set off on a fun-filled cruise through the wild where you’ll encounter Animatronic elephants, gorillas, and headhunters while enjoying the hilarious narration delivered by your top-notch skipper. More Details

Mickey’s PhilharMagic

Location: Fantasyland
FastPass+: Yes
Thrill: Entertainment
4½ Stars

Lose yourself in this enchanting 3D musical masterpiece featuring favorite Disney characters and songs from animated classics. More Details

Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor

Location: Tomorrowland
FastPass+: Yes
Thrill: Entertainment
4½ Stars

The monsters of Monstropolis need laughter to power their city and they are after yours in this hilarious interactive show. More Details

Peter Pan’s Flight

Location: Fantasyland
FastPass+: Yes
Thrill: Small Drops, Dark, Slow
4½ Stars

Climb aboard a magical pirate ship and fly high over London with Peter Pan on your way to Never Land. Unique to this attraction, your pirate ship is suspended in the air from a guide rail to allow for a more authentic flying sensation. More Details

Pirates of the Caribbean

Location: Adventureland
FastPass+: Yes
Thrill: Small Drops, Dark, Slow
4½ Stars

Climb aboard and set sail on a voyage past exquisitely themed scenes of pirates’ adventures from the blockbuster movie franchise. More Details

Seven Dwarfs Mine Train

Location: Fantasyland
FastPass+: Yes
Thrill: Drops, Fast
4½ Stars

Climb aboard your mine train and get ready for an adorable ride filled with small thrills and beautiful details as you adventure along with Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. More Details

Space Mountain

Location: Tomorrowland
FastPass+: Yes
Thrill: Big Drops, Dark, Fast
Height Restriction: 40″ or taller to ride
4½ Stars

Take off on a high-speed rocket (roller coaster) in darkness while feasting your eyes on magnificent views of far-off galaxies and comets. More Details

Splash Mountain

Location: Frontierland
FastPass+: Yes
Thrill: Big Drops, Water
4½ Stars

Journey on a 10-minute anything but traditional log flume ride, with enchanting music (including “Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah”) and characters from the Disney movie Song of the South. You will get wet! More Details

The Haunted Mansion

Location: Frontierland
FastPass+: Yes
Thrill: Slow, Dark
4½ Stars

Board your own Doom Buggy for a creepy tour of this spooky haunted house filled with extraordinary details and effects. More Details

Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover

Location: Tomorrowland
Fastpass+: No
Thrill: Slow, Dark
4½ Stars

Take a relaxing ride on this smooth tram of the future that provides fantastic views of Tomorrowland and Cinderella Castle; especially beautiful at night. More Details

Walt Disney World Railroad

Location: Main Street, U.S.A., Frontierland, Fantasyland
FastPass+: No
Thrill: Slow
4 ½ Stars

Enjoy beautiful views while riding the rails on a vintage steam-powered train during a 1.5-mile full loop around Magic Kingdom. A great place to rest your feet! More Details

Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress

Location: Tomorrowland
FastPass+: No
Thrill: Entertainment
4 Stars

Travel in time from 1900 to the present in a rotating theatre as you witness how technology has changed over the decades through the eyes of an Audio-Animatronic family. More Details

Living with the Land
©Disney

The Best of Epcot for Adults

Disney & Pixar Short Film Festival

Location: Future World
FastPass+: Yes
Thrill: Entertainment
4½ Stars

Enjoy this lively and entertaining 3D experience that includes three animated Disney short films. More Details

Frozen Ever After

Location: World Showcase Norway Pavilion
FastPass+: Yes
Thrill: Small Drops, Slow, Dark
4½ Stars

Set sail on an adventure through the fictional land of Arendelle complete with your favorite Frozen characters and songs from the animated blockbuster hit. More Details

Living with the Land

Location: Future World
FastPass+: Yes
Thrill: Slow, Dark
4½ Stars

Hop aboard this relaxing boat ride to learn about food production and to tour several greenhouse that actually provide food to The Land pavilion. More Details

Mission: SPACE (Orange)

Location: Future World
FastPass+: Yes
Thrill: Small Drops, Dark
Height Restriction: 44″ or taller to ride
4 Stars

Climb into an authentic shuttle simulator for a ride through earth’s orbit enjoying a trip to Mars. More Details

Soarin’

Location: Future World
FastPass+: Yes
Thrill: Small Drops, Slow, Dark
Height Restriction: 40″ or taller to ride
4½ Stars

Fly high in the skies taking in beautiful landscapes from around the world in this hang-gliding simulator ride. More Details

Spaceship Earth

Location: Future World
FastPass+: Yes
Thrill: Slow, Dark
4½ Stars

Travel through time to relive the story of communication from the beginning of recorded history until today. More Details

Test Track

Location: Future World
FastPass+: Yes
Thrill: Small Drops, Dark, Fast
Height Restriction: 40″ or taller to ride
4½ Stars

Create your own virtual concept car and then put it through the paces against other people’s creations on the test track. More Details

The American Adventure

Location: World Showcase America Pavilion
FastPass+: No
Thrill: Entertainment
4½ Stars

A stirring and patriotic show depicting the history of America brought to life with touching stories, beautiful photography, and moving music. More Details

Turtle Talk with Crush

Location: Future World
FastPass+: Yes
Thrill: Entertainment
4 Stars

Adults and kids alike will be entranced by this interactive marvel where young dudes and dudettes can have a hilarious improvised conversation with the sweetest turtle around, Crush. More Details

Beauty and the Beast - Live on Stage
©Disney

The Best of Disney’s Hollywood Studios for Adults

Beauty and the Beast – Live On Stage

Location: Sunset Boulevard
FastPass+: Yes
Thrill: Entertainment
4½ Stars

Watch this enchanting retelling of the classic Beauty and the Beast filled with delightful music and dancing that everyone is sure to enjoy! More Details

For the First Time In Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration

Location: Echo Lake
FastPass+: Yes
Thrill: Entertainment
4½ Stars

A retelling of Frozen by the outrageously funny royal historians of Arendelle complete with Anna, Elsa, Kristoff, songs, stories, sing-alongs, and even snow. More Details

Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular!

Location: Echo Lake
FastPass+: Yes
Thrill: Entertainment
4½ Stars

An incredible stunt show that demonstrates and explains how some of the Indiana Jones movie magic was made. More Details

Jedi Training: Trials of the Temple

Location: Echo Lake
FastPass+: No
Thrill: Experience
4 Stars

Parents, watch your kids ages 4 – 12 years old volunteer to train as a Jedi and then try to defeat the Dark Side. More Details

Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith

Location: Sunset Boulevard
FastPass+: Yes
Thrill: Big Drops, Loud, Dark, Fast
Height Restriction: 48″ or taller to ride
4½ Stars

Take off to a rock concert in your stretch limo going 60 mph in the blink of an eye and speed along through the darkness to pounding Aerosmith music. More Details

Star Tours: The Adventure Continues

Location: Echo Lake
FastPass+: Yes
Thrill: Drops, Dark, Loud
Height Restriction: 40″ or taller to ride
4½ Stars

Blast off on an exciting 3D motion-simulated journey into the world of Star Wars. More Details

The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror

Location: Sunset Boulevard
FastPass+: Yes
Thrill: Big Drops, Dark
Height Restriction: 40″ or taller to ride
4½ Stars

Embark on a tour of the Hollywood Hotel and into the haunted elevator that plummets 13 stories. More Details

Toy Story Midway Mania!

Location: Pixar Place
FastPass+: Yes
Thrill: Spinning
4½ Stars

Climb aboard and try your hand at simulated 3D midway games with the Toy Story gang. More Details

Walt Disney Presents

Location: Mickey Avenue
FastPass+: No
Thrill: Experience
4½ Stars

A fascinating exhibit of Walt Disney memorabilia and models of upcoming Disney theme park projects. More Details

DINOSAUR
©Disney

The Best of Disney’s Animal Kingdom for Adults

Avatar Flight of Passage

Location: Pandora – The World of Avatar
FastPass+: Yes
Thrill: Drops
Height Restriction: 44″ or taller to ride
4½ Stars

Board a banshee for a one-of-a-kind extraordinary flight soaring high above the moon’s magnificent landscape. More Details

DINOSAUR

Location: Dinoland U.S.A.
FastPass+: Yes
Thrill: Drops, Dark, Loud
Height Restriction: 40″ or taller to ride
4½ Stars

Board a time travel vehicle for a rough and bumpy ride in search of a dinosaur. More Details

Expedition Everest – Legend of the Forbidden Mountain

Location: Asia
FastPass+: Yes
Thrill: Big Drops, Dark, Fast
Height Restriction: 44″ or taller to ride
4½ Stars

Climb aboard your train for an exhilarating ride through the Himalayan Mountains. More Details

Festival of the Lion King

Location: Africa
FastPass+: Yes
Thrill: Entertainment
4½ Stars

This 30-minute extravaganza combines puppetry, acrobatics, and music to tell the moving story of The Lion King. More Details

Finding Nemo – The Musical

Location: Dinoland U.S.A.
FastPass+: Yes
Thrill: Entertainment
4½ Stars

This Broadway-caliber production is an impressive combination of music, puppets, lighting, colors, and special effects that together tell the story of Nemo. More Details

Flights of Wonder

Location: Asia
FastPass+: No
Thrill: Entertainment
4½ Stars

A trainer demonstrates the incredible talents of several exotic birds. Keep in mind that some of these fine-feathered friends swoop into the audience. More Details

Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail

Location: Africa
FastPass+: No
Thrill: Experience
4½ Stars

A tranquil pathway where you observe animals such as gorillas and meerkat. More Details

Kali River Rapids

Location: Africa
FastPass+: Yes
Thrill: Small Drops, Spinning, Water
Height Restriction: 38″ or taller to ride
4½ Stars

Climb aboard your raft for an incredibly wet and wild ride down the river and through the lush jungle. More Details

Kilimanjaro Safaris

Location: Africa
FastPass+: Yes
Thrill: Slow, Bumpy
4½ Stars

Climb aboard an open-air safari vehicle for an 18-minute journey through the savanna where you can spot exotic creatures like hippos, elephants, giraffes, and lions in gorgeous natural settings. These animals are the real deal; no Audio-Animatronics here. More Details

Maharaja Jungle Trek

Location: Asia
Fastpass+: No
Thrill: Experience
4½ Stars

A self-guided pathway where you can observe several animals such as tigers, deer, foxes, and birds. More Details

Well, there you have it folks. I hope you’ve enjoyed Part 5 of The Best of Walt Disney World series. Look for Part 6 – The Best of Walt Disney World for Seniors coming soon!

Other Posts In This Series:

Have you traveled to Walt Disney World as an adult? Do you agree with this list? Have any additions or subtractions? Please leave a comment; we would love to hear from you!

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Kristi Fredericks

Kristi is a lifelong fan of all things Disney and has been visiting the resorts since she was a baby. She is thrilled to share her passion for the Disney parks and feels that there is nothing better than enjoying a Disney vacation with the ones you love. Kristi is the author of "A Tale of Two Resorts: Comparing Disneyland and Walt Disney World" and "501 Ways To Make The Most Of Your Walt Disney World Vacation" and founder of the blog DisneyWorldEnthusiast.com. She can be contacted on Twitter @DWEnthusiast, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/disneyworldenthusiast or by email at disneyworldenthusiast@outlook.com.

15 thoughts on “The Best of Walt Disney World for Adults

  • There is some irony that this blog topic is so close to the topic about whether to take your kids out of school for a WDW trip.

    The last three years, because our kids are now in high school and college, DW and I have gone for a week by ourselves. At no time in the last three trips did we enter a park; instead, we focused on all of the other activities we have always wanted to do.

    It turns out that even an Alpha Planner like me can enjoy sleeping in, just sitting around a pool (the resort quiet pool), having leisurely meals at different hotels, renting a pontoon boat on Bay Lake for the afternoon, etc.

    So Kristi, just to follow up on the theme of DisneyDad, here is your assignment for (one of) your next blog(s): “The Best of Walt Disney World for Adults without Children and Park Admissions”

    Keep up the great work and I’ll let you work on a better title.

    Reply
    • Hi Chris – You asked, we listened! Just got approval from the “big cheeses” here at TouringPlans for your awesome follow up blog post idea. Be sure to stay tuned in the next few weeks for an article where I’ll cover tips on how to create the best Walt Disney World adults only trip including entertainment, dining, resorts, etc. that travelers without children enjoy. Thanks again for the great suggestion! 🙂

      Reply
  • Here’s what’s missing:
    Park & resort-wide restaurants that cater more to adults;
    The entertainment venues (along the BoardWalk, for instance) for adults only;
    Resort rooms more suited for adults traveling without children;
    Touring strategies for adults.
    Adults traveling to WDW without chikdren aren’t going to simply line up and ride attractions.

    Reply
    • Hi DisneyDad – Thanks so much for all of the great suggestions, definitely stay tuned in the next few weeks for a follow up post that will hopefully include more of what you would like to see! 🙂

      Reply
  • I agree with other comments – listing pretty much all the attractions isn’t helpful, I skim read at speed. Love the blog but this was a miss.

    Reply
    • Hi Christopher, so sorry to hear that you felt this post was a miss. There was definitely a lot of ground to cover for this age group since they rated nearly half of the attractions in Walt Disney World 4 stars or above. Hope you enjoy our upcoming posts even more! 🙂

      Reply
  • It might have been easier to just list the attractions that didn’t make the cut.

    Reply
    • It was close, Jerad! Out of the 79 attractions in Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom, 42 of them scored at least 4 stars with this age group. 🙂

      Reply
  • You guys didn’t post the REAL “Best of WDW for Adults”: Rose & Crown Pub, Biergarten, Choza de Margarita, La Cave de Tequila, Be Our Guest Restaurant, Trader Sam’s, Jock’s Hangar, Tune-In Lounge, Tutto Gusto, Raglan Road… 😀

    Reply
    • Yes. I could have used a Fastpass for La Cava last time I was there.

      Reply
      • Those lines at La Cava are crazy, aren’t they, jekylldog? Wouldn’t it be amazing if Disney added La Cava to the new mobile ordering system? I would love to have my Avocado Margarita ready and waiting for me as soon as I arrive! 😛

    • You’re right, Azree33, I didn’t include any restaurants or bars in this “Best of Walt Disney World” post, but stay tuned!

      Reply
  • I like this series, but not sure how helpful it is when every single ride is either a 4 or 4.5 stars.

    Reply
    • Hi Clonghurst, thanks so much for your feedback! So happy to hear that you’re enjoying my series, and I see you’ve noticed that all of the attractions listed in this article are rated 4 stars or above. For these posts, I’ve just written about the “Best of Walt Disney World” as rated by the readers we surveyed. However, you can find descriptions to all of the attractions in Walt Disney World listed here on the TouringPlans website if you are looking for more information. 🙂

      Reply

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