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WDW rollercoasters
- Thread starter spb825
- Start date
tdonald
Active Member
Compared to Busch Gardens and Six Flags, Disney's roller-coasters are all pretty tame.
Rock 'n' Roller Coaster is probably the most intense, is the fastest (60mph), and the only one that goes upside-down (3 times).
Expedition Everest is less intense than RnRC, goes about 50mph, but is most more scenic a "Disney".
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and Space Mountain are both quite tame. BTMR only goes 35mph and isn't really about thrills, but it's a really fun ride the whole family can enjoy together.
Space Mountain, though it only goes about 26 mph, is more intense than BTMR because it's inside and in the dark, so you don't really know what's coming next.
I hope I helped you, welcome to WDWMAGIC, and have a great trip!
Rock 'n' Roller Coaster is probably the most intense, is the fastest (60mph), and the only one that goes upside-down (3 times).
Expedition Everest is less intense than RnRC, goes about 50mph, but is most more scenic a "Disney".
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and Space Mountain are both quite tame. BTMR only goes 35mph and isn't really about thrills, but it's a really fun ride the whole family can enjoy together.
Space Mountain, though it only goes about 26 mph, is more intense than BTMR because it's inside and in the dark, so you don't really know what's coming next.
I hope I helped you, welcome to WDWMAGIC, and have a great trip!
GenerationX
Well-Known Member
The first coaster-type rides my boys went on were Test Track (age 4), Primeval Whirl (age 5-6), Space Mountain (age 5-6), and Big Thunder Mountain (age 5-6). These are all relatively tame, and the boys handled them well - they wanted to ride again immediately.
With Space Mountain, the kids need to not be afraid of the dark. Also, the rocketships are one passenger per seat; you'll have to sit in the rocket in front of or behind your child. Primeval Whirl can really make you dizzy if you spin it a lot. Big Thunder is fun and a great way to introduce kids to coasters.
Rock 'n' Roller Coaster and Expedition Everest are quite a bit more intense, and we didn't take the boys on these until the youngest was 7. Two out of our three boys loved them, and one declined offers to ride again.
Have fun! :wave:
With Space Mountain, the kids need to not be afraid of the dark. Also, the rocketships are one passenger per seat; you'll have to sit in the rocket in front of or behind your child. Primeval Whirl can really make you dizzy if you spin it a lot. Big Thunder is fun and a great way to introduce kids to coasters.
Rock 'n' Roller Coaster and Expedition Everest are quite a bit more intense, and we didn't take the boys on these until the youngest was 7. Two out of our three boys loved them, and one declined offers to ride again.
Have fun! :wave:
DonaldDoleWhip
Well-Known Member
Here is how I would rank WDW's roller coasters by intensity.
1. Rock n Roller Coaster-DO NOT TRY unless you are ok with all the others, this one features a launch at the beginning and some inversions
2. Expedition Everest-There is a pretty big drop on this ride, but the really gut-wrenching part is the backwards portion for a good 20 seconds
3. Space Mountain-This is not very intense for roller coaster standards, but it contains some short drops and it's bumpy, jerky, and DARK.
4. Big Thunder Mountain-This one is very tame. It contains few dips, but it turns sharply and there is a rattling part for a "runaway train" effect.
5. Barnstormer-This barely counts as a roller coaster. Located in Toontown, this ride is for preschoolers and it isn't very thrilling.
1. Rock n Roller Coaster-DO NOT TRY unless you are ok with all the others, this one features a launch at the beginning and some inversions
2. Expedition Everest-There is a pretty big drop on this ride, but the really gut-wrenching part is the backwards portion for a good 20 seconds
3. Space Mountain-This is not very intense for roller coaster standards, but it contains some short drops and it's bumpy, jerky, and DARK.
4. Big Thunder Mountain-This one is very tame. It contains few dips, but it turns sharply and there is a rattling part for a "runaway train" effect.
5. Barnstormer-This barely counts as a roller coaster. Located in Toontown, this ride is for preschoolers and it isn't very thrilling.
LudwigVonDrake
Well-Known Member
Big Thunder is a good starter coaster 
mwbrown
New Member
If you are asking for first-timers that are kids, then my opinion is to avoid Space Mountain. Although I like it, it has many very sharp turns that are in the dark and throw your head around. Also, you sit single file so you cannot sit beside a child. I ended up stretched forward holding my six-year olds head in my hands to try to soften the ride.
Big Thunder Run Mountain is better as the corners are more banked and the ride is largely lit/outdoors.
Kids love the Barnstormer in Mickey's Country Fair. It is pretty zippy, just very short. Good test to see if ready to move to BTRM.
My daughter also enjoyed the Primeaval Whirl at Animal Kingdom, but it is a little more intense as it has a car that twirls so you sometimes are headed sideways or backwards. Also has one of the highest height requirements, so my tall 6 six old got on once and not on another time (depends on who's checking the height chart...) Good for first timers.
If you are talking adults, anything short of the Rock n Roller Coaster in Disney Hollywood is OK; save that ride until you have found everything else easy...it is an intense experience (that I love, but not everyone shares this feeling).
Enjoy your trip, and take one last piece of my advice; don't force kids onto a new ride first thing in the morning. I planned if we were going to try something 'ify', that it was just before we left the park for our daily afternoon break. That way, if I proved too much to handle, we had a few hours to recover, instead of ruining the rest of the day.
mwbrown
Big Thunder Run Mountain is better as the corners are more banked and the ride is largely lit/outdoors.
Kids love the Barnstormer in Mickey's Country Fair. It is pretty zippy, just very short. Good test to see if ready to move to BTRM.
My daughter also enjoyed the Primeaval Whirl at Animal Kingdom, but it is a little more intense as it has a car that twirls so you sometimes are headed sideways or backwards. Also has one of the highest height requirements, so my tall 6 six old got on once and not on another time (depends on who's checking the height chart...) Good for first timers.
If you are talking adults, anything short of the Rock n Roller Coaster in Disney Hollywood is OK; save that ride until you have found everything else easy...it is an intense experience (that I love, but not everyone shares this feeling).
Enjoy your trip, and take one last piece of my advice; don't force kids onto a new ride first thing in the morning. I planned if we were going to try something 'ify', that it was just before we left the park for our daily afternoon break. That way, if I proved too much to handle, we had a few hours to recover, instead of ruining the rest of the day.
mwbrown
wvdisneyfamily
Well-Known Member
I agree. I would add Splash Mt. (not that it is a roller coaster really) in between BTM and the Barnstormer simply because of the drop.
primetime52
Member
Thunder Mountain was my introduction to Roller Coasters as a child (I was probably about 6 years old), and I never felt any fear or had any complaints about its intensity. I would definitely rank BTMR as the top starting point (I don't really consider barnstormer or primevil whirl to truly fit into the roller coaster genre, since they are basically designed for kids.)
Space Mountain was the 2nd coaster I ever tried, and once I got over my anticipated fear and actually got on the ride, I fell in love with it instantly. Space will always be scarier for first timers, since you have no way of previewing what you are about to ride. Thunder was much less scary for me the first time I rode it, since you can see the entire ride from the line and know exactly what to expect.
RNRC and Everest are both much more intense. I wouldn't recommend them unless you have a little bit of coaster experience under your belt.
Space Mountain was the 2nd coaster I ever tried, and once I got over my anticipated fear and actually got on the ride, I fell in love with it instantly. Space will always be scarier for first timers, since you have no way of previewing what you are about to ride. Thunder was much less scary for me the first time I rode it, since you can see the entire ride from the line and know exactly what to expect.
RNRC and Everest are both much more intense. I wouldn't recommend them unless you have a little bit of coaster experience under your belt.
DivineMadness7
New Member
Thunder Mountain was my first coaster experience, so I guess I would suggest it. However, my mom (in her 50s) can't stand to ride it because she says it is too bumpy and her neck gets whipped around too much.
I used to like Space Mountain until last summer. It seems like such a rough, jarring ride. I'm fairly young (25) and it bothered my neck after I got off. I felt terrible for a few hours after. I told myself I wasn't riding it again until they rehab it and fix it up a bit. Too rough and bumpy for me and I never have problems with coasters other than the Steel Phantom at Kennywood several years ago. I made the mistake of wearing earrings and my head got bounced back and forth off of the harness
I think Everest would be ok for a first timer. It looks worse than it is. It is a smoother ride than Thunder or Space Mountain. Now, I wouldn't start out on RNRC because it is pretty intense. But I guess I would say the other 3 are about equal, just watch your neck!
I used to like Space Mountain until last summer. It seems like such a rough, jarring ride. I'm fairly young (25) and it bothered my neck after I got off. I felt terrible for a few hours after. I told myself I wasn't riding it again until they rehab it and fix it up a bit. Too rough and bumpy for me and I never have problems with coasters other than the Steel Phantom at Kennywood several years ago. I made the mistake of wearing earrings and my head got bounced back and forth off of the harness
I think Everest would be ok for a first timer. It looks worse than it is. It is a smoother ride than Thunder or Space Mountain. Now, I wouldn't start out on RNRC because it is pretty intense. But I guess I would say the other 3 are about equal, just watch your neck!