The Walt Disney World Resort is one of the best vacation destinations for families to enjoy as there are countless attractions and experiences that Guests of all ages can safely do together. While there are absolutely family-friendly options in every corner of each Disney Park, there are also plenty of more intense and exciting attractions for thrill-seekers to enjoy.
Throughout the Walt Disney World Resort, Guests can find plenty of big thrills and intense adventures in the form of high-speed attractions. Some of these attractions might surprise Guests with how fast they can travel and some might even be the opposite where theming and details help to make speeds seem faster than they actually are! Let’s check out the fastest attractions at the Walt Disney World Resort to satisfy any need for speed!
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Test Track Presented by Chevrolet – EPCOT
The fastest attraction at the Walt Disney World Resort can be found in EPCOT’s World Discovery. Test Track Presented by Chevrolet is an innovative attraction that immerses Guests by allowing them to design their own SIM cars, with control over everything from color and tire size to aerodynamics. Each individual SIM car is then put to the test on the track through a series of scenarios designed to measure power, capability, responsiveness, and efficiency.
Each different scenario on Test Track Presented by Chevrolet is exciting in its own way, but the ultimate thrill comes with the high-speed joy loop around an outdoor portion of the track, where Guests continue to gain speed and whip around a tight bend at a tilted angle. This high-speed loop is the fastest portion of any attraction at the Walt Disney World Resort and Guests top out at sixty-five miles per hour which they can note on an overhead speedometer sign.
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Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith – Disney’s Hollywood Studios
Disney’s Hollywood Studios is home to some of the most thrilling attractions at the Walt Disney World Resort, including one that Guests might be surprised to find out is slightly slower than Test Track Presented by Chevrolet. Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith can be found at the end of Sunset Boulevard and brings Guests on a tour of G Force Records where they run into Aerosmith and find themselves invited to a concert across town.
After strapping into a super stretch limo, Guests pause for a brief countdown before enjoying a high-speed launch that propels them into the nighttime darkness, past neon signs, and through several inversions – the only ones at the Walt Disney World Resort. The high-speed launch on the Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster brings Guests from zero to fifty-seven miles per hour in seconds flat and is arguably the most thrilling moment on any attraction in the Disney Parks.
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Expedition Everest – Legend of the Forbidden Mountain – Disney’s Animal Kingdom
Roller coaster fans at the Walt Disney World Resort have another high-speed thrilling option in the Asia section of Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Expedition Everest – Legend of the Forbidden Mountain is a highly immersive attraction that signs Guests up for a trek to Everest’s base camp on a former tea train with an ill-advised shortcut through the Forbidden Mountain which is protected by the Yeti.
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After a scenic beginning, Guests soon find themselves blocked by a broken piece of track and face to face with the Yeti all while scrambling (forwards and backward!) to escape his clutches. With a steep drop, sharp twists and turns, and moments in darkness, Expedition Everest – Legend of the Hidden Mountain packs high-speed moments topping out at fifty miles per hour.
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Splash Mountain – Magic Kingdom
When thinking about fast-moving attractions, the Magic Kingdom is home to one attraction that might be surprising to Guests. Splash Mountain can be found in the heart of Frontierland and focuses on the adventures of Br’er Rabbit who sets off to find his way while being chased closely by the scheming Br’er Fox and ambling Br’er Bear.
Guests enjoy Splash Mountain from rustic logs and while most of the attraction moves at a leisurely pace through vibrant and musical scenes, there are several drops that lead to some soaking moments. The climax of Splash Mountain is the steep five-story drop into the Briar Patch from Br’er Fox’s lair, and Guests reach speeds of forty-five miles per hour before splashing into the briars and getting soaked.
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Slinky Dog Dash – Disney’s Hollywood Studios
The Toy Story films have always showcased Woody and the gang enjoying some thrilling adventures, and Guests who visit Toy Story Land in Disney’s Hollywood Studios have the opportunity to enjoy their own high-speed adventure. Slinky Dog Dash is a roller coaster designed and built by Andy in his backyard that invites Guests to climb aboard Slinky Dog and rocket through the skies of the Park.
Slinky Dog Dash features two separate launch sequences that blast Guests past blocks, various toys, string lights, and even favorite characters like Jessie, Rex, and Wheezy. With the duo of launches, twists and turns, elevated portions of the track, and several camelback humps, Slinky Dog Dash reaches top speeds of forty miles per hour that pair perfectly with unmatched views of Toy Story Land and Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
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The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror – Disney’s Hollywood Studios
Across Disney’s Hollywood Studios at the end of Sunset Boulevard is another thrilling attraction that offers up an unmatched view of the Disney Park paired with a high-speed thrill. The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror brings Guests into the Hollywood Tower Hotel where five individuals mysteriously disappeared into The Twilight Zone one fateful Halloween night many years ago leaving the hotel abandoned.
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Guests who are brave enough to experience The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror find themselves retracing the steps of the fateful night by boarding a service elevator and starring in their own episode of The Twilight Zone where the laws of physics no longer exist and the elevator is in control! The climax of the attraction comes when the elevator passes horizontally through The Twilight Zone before initiating a random sequence of movements where Guests find themselves lifted and dropped over and over again. With a brief pause at the very top to enjoy a panoramic view of Disney’s Hollywood Studios, the random drops move faster than gravity pulling Guests down at top speeds of thirty-nine miles per hour.
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Big Thunder Mountain Railroad – Magic Kingdom
Frontierland in the Magic Kingdom is home to Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, a classic attraction dubbed “the wildest ride in the wilderness” that has been plunging Guests into the mines of Tumbleweed on runaway trains for years. The attraction brings the mining town to life through immersive theming, and Guests quickly learn that many of the shafts were ruined in a massive flood, leading the town to some hard times.
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Big Thunder Mountain Railroad has Guests board rustic and worn mine trains that may look old, but still pack some serious speed throughout the mountain. With moments plunging through bat-filled caves, around sharp twists and turns, and through the small town of Tumbleweed itself, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad tops out at thirty-six miles per hour!
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Seven Dwarfs Mine Train – Magic Kingdom
Guests have several mountain experiences to choose from in the Magic Kingdom, all of which feature some big thrills and high speeds. The Seven Dwarfs Mine Train in Fantasyland might be considered on the lower end of thrilling, but it still packs some memorable moments, beautiful views, and relatively high speeds.
Guests who enjoy a ride on the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train board unique individual mine carts that sway independently with each twist and turn on the track as well as move through the mine where the Dwarfs can be found singing “Heigh-Ho” and ending their workday digging for gems. The overall movement of the attraction is very smooth and there are several small drops as well as many curves and turns with the top speed reaching thirty-four miles per hour.
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Space Mountain – Magic Kingdom
The final attraction that makes the list of high-speed experiences at the Walt Disney World Resort is one that might actually surprise Guests because of how slow it actually goes! Space Mountain in the Magic Kingdom is the final mountain attraction of the Disney Park and immerses Guests in Starport 75, an intergalactic travel hub where they have the chance to board rockets and blast off into space.
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The majority of the experience of Space Mountain takes place in near darkness, making every twist, turn, and drop thrilling as Guests cannot clearly see where they are heading. With the element of surprise and the sensation of rocketing through space, Guests might be completely shocked to hear that Space Mountain only tops out at twenty-seven miles per hour making it one of the slowest thrill attractions at the Walt Disney World Resort.
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What is your favorite thrill ride at Walt Disney World?