12 Disney World Rides That Are One And Done (And 11 You’ll Never Get Enough Of)

There are over 50 attractions around the Disney World parks, so it’s quite literally almost impossible to do them all in one day.

Trust us, we’ve tried many times to do as many things in Disney World in one day, and it’s HARD! So when you’re narrowing down your must-dos, things can get a little tricky. That’s why we’re here — to help you make sure you’re not wasting time doing things you won’t enjoy. So if you’re planning your next Disney World trip, here are some rides that we think are one-and-done, and some that you can’t get enough of!

One-And-Done

Now, some of these are about to get a little controversial, but hear us out! And to clarify, if you love these rides, that’s amazing! But we just want to warn the newbies out there why they may not want to ride these over and over again.

Alien Swirling Saucers

Is this a fun ride in Toy Story Land? Sure it is. But is it very similar to some fair rides you’ll find around the country? Also yes.

Now, this ride does have some pretty cool remixes of popular Disney songs, and you may hear a different one when you ride, but that’s the only thing that changes about this ride. Unless you’ve got kiddos who are obsessed with it, ride it once so you can say you have, and then move on.

Dinosaur

Now WAIT, don’t click away yet! Dinosaur is a classic attraction that many people love, but let’s be honest — IT’S TERRIFYING.

It’s in the dark, it’s SO LOUD, and the whole storyline is that there’s a massive meteor that destroyed pretty much every living thing on Earth touching down in MINUTES and you’re surrounded by dinosaurs. Yeah, if you’ve got people in your group who don’t like loud noises or hate the dark, this is definitely a one-and-done. But hey, maybe safe near-death experiences are your thing — we don’t judge.

Dumbo

AS AN ADULT. Okay, we had to clarify that before you clicked away again — Dumbo is a classic Disney attraction that’s a staple of Magic Kingdom, but unless you’re riding with your kiddo, it’s a one-and-done.

You just rise up a bit off the ground and spin in a car that looks like an elephant — that’s it, that’s the ride. Is it fantastic for kids? YES! Is it great to ride to bring you nostalgia? YES! Is it otherwise something you’ll want to ride tons of times? …Didn’t think so.

‘it’s a small world’

You knew it would be on here. Once again, this Magic Kingdom ride is a CLASSIC attraction that everyone needs to ride once. And then once is probably enough.

Again, if you have kids, completely different story. Or if this ride is very sentimental to you, you may be riding it often, and that’s amazing. But for us, we’re okay riding it every now and then and then promptly try and get that song out of our heads as fast as possible.

Journey Into Imagination With Figment

Figment lovers will likely vehemently disagree with this take, while everyone who experienced the original iteration of this attraction in the 80s may wholeheartedly agree.

Listen, many members of our team weren’t even ALIVE for the first two iterations of this ride, so the third is all they know. However, between the unpleasant smell of skunk, the complete lack of Dreamfinder, and the overall bizarreness of the ride, this is a one-and-done for many people.

Kali River Rapids

If you’ve watched our YouTube videos, you know many members of our YouTube team are not fans of Kali River Rapids (but often have to ride it for challenges). Why? Because it’s one of the shortest water rides we’ve ever experienced.

Seriously! If you’re a water ride fanatic, you’ll likely be really disappointed with this. Again, we think everyone should ride it once to say they’ve done it, but after that, if you avoid it like the plague…we get it.

Mission: SPACE

Is anyone surprised to see this ride on here? Mission: SPACE is so intense it has to have a LESS INTENSE OPTION (Green Mission), and even then, you’re still dealing with major claustrophobia on this ride.

If you’re sensitive to motion in any way, do not step on this ride (ESPECIALLY Orange Mission, don’t even think about it). While it’s a really cool marvel of technology and a ride unlike any other, as one of our social media girlies so eloquently put it, “if you love throwing up and claustrophobia, this is the ride for you.”

Na’vi River Journey

Yep, another controversial one for you, that many members of our team don’t really agree with, so we struggled whether or not to add it as part of this list. But ultimately, a lot of people end up disappointed when they leave Na’vi River Journey.

Why is this? Well, in comparison with Flight of Passage next door, this ride isn’t nearly as exciting. It’s absolutely gorgeous and such a relaxing ride, plus has one of the most impressive animatronics ever created, but it’s just a boat ride. It’s well worth doing once, but many people think once is enough.

The Seas With Nemo and Friends

Ah, a classic EPCOT omnimover ride, The Seas with Nemo and Friends is great for families with kids and those who love Finding Nemo…and that’s about it.

Is this ride cute? Absolutely, but it’s really mostly made up of a lot of screens, and many guests just aren’t big fans of that. It’s a one-and-done to see it once, and it’s helpful that it’s usually got a very short wait, but if you ever see it over 15 minutes, don’t get in line.

Space Mountain

Back again with the controversial takes! Space Mountain makes this list because while it’s, and we’ll use the word again, classic, it’s also gotten VERY rough over the years.

Now, we have noticed that the track on the right, where those with Lightning Lanes go is noticeably smoother than the track on the left, where most guests get directed to. Regardless, the ride is still pretty jerky, so beware that you may stand up and go, “well I wanted to do that again, but now I’m not sure it’s a great idea.”

TRON Lightcycle / Run

Yes, Magic Kingdom’s newest ride lands on this list too because of one singular factor: It’s. So. Short.

Now, if you go in expecting this, it’s not too bad, but this ride was under construction for FIVE YEARS, so many guests weren’t too happy to find that the ride is only a minute long. It’s definitely something we say you need to experience once, especially since there are regular roller coaster seats available (instead of the bikes) on certain cars, but you may find that it’s a one-and-done for you.

Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster

And last on this list, we have Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster also for just one reason, and it’s simply because WOW OH WOW DOES IT HURT.

Over the many years this ride has been open, it’s gotten progressively more rough and jerky. No matter how hard you try to keep your head from banging into the sides of the headrest as you ride, it’s no use (unless you have the neck muscles of steel, and maybe you do, we don’t know), so we often leave this ride with a massive headache.

We Can’t Get Enough

And now that we’ve thoroughly angered you, let’s make up for it by telling you about the rides we CANNOT get enough of! Starting off strong with Flight of Passage — this is a ride EVERYONE needs to ride at least once, and if you’re like our team members, prepare to cry at least the first time. We could ride it 14 million times and never get tired of it.

The wildest ride in the wilderness, aka Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, is also on this list! Located over in Magic Kingdom, this roller coaster is so much fun, isn’t too intense for kids, and is something the whole family can enjoy time and time again.

And back over in Animal Kingdom is Expedition Everest, because of course we have to visit our favorite Disco Yeti every trip (he’s in B mode because A mode was causing the ride to break apart — it’s a long story). This roller coaster is definitely more intense, but is a ride like no other, and it’ll certainly get your blood pumping!

If you can’t find us in EPCOT, it’s because we’re on Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind. We can’t WAIT for the day this ride leaves the Virtual Queue and gets a regular standby line, because we’d love to ride it several times a day. Talk about a ride that’s truly unique, unless you suffer from motion sickness (in which case, we don’t advise you ride this one), this is one you can’t miss. Plus, there are 6 different songs to get, so you’ll never know which one you’ll hear when you ride!

Get ready for an adventure, because Kilimanjaro Safaris is different EVERY time you ride! Thanks to those live animals you get to see, you never know what they’re going to do.

Get ready to travel to a galaxy far, far away on Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run, where you’ll never get enough because the experience is, once again, different every time! This is because YOU are literally controlling what the ship is doing! The pilots, gunners, and engineers are actively control how the ride goes, and we think it’s the coolest thing. (But if you get some untrained pilots…may the force be with you, padawan.)

Over in Toy Story Land, we highly recommend hopping on Slinky Dog Dash every trip. Yes, the wait time is super long most of the time, but it’s so FUN! Plus, you get an amazing view of Toy Story Land (especially at night) and it’s family-friendly.

Seven Dwarfs Mine Train is easily one of the most popular rides in Magic Kingdom, and for good reason! While this family-friendly coaster is a bit on the shorter side, it’s still tons of fun, has some very impressive animatronics, and is a great way to get a smile on your face.

We’ve got more for the Star Wars fans, because we also consider Star Tours a must-do ride more than once. Why? Because there are COUNTLESS different storyline options you can get (and more are coming soon!) and you have a chance of being the Rebel Spy (which is randomized and SO fun).

And don’t worry, Rise of the Resistance has made this list too! To no one’s surprise, because this is one of the most impressive attractions of this current time. The level of immersiveness, technology, and animatronics that goes into this trackless dark ride is immaculate, and we always want to ride it again, and again, and again.

And last, but certainly not least, we have Tower of Terror for those who don’t mind being yanked down multiple stories faster than the speed of gravity, this one is a must-do on every trip. The level of anticipation you get, not knowing how many times you’ll drop (since it’s randomized), the fear that creeps up on you as you look out over the whole park 199 feet in the air? INCREDIBLE. The adrenaline is addicting and we love it.

We’re always here to help you plan your next Disney trip, so stay tuned to AllEars for all the latest tips, tricks, and news!

We go to Disney World every day, and these are the best rides in Magic Kingdom!

What do you think of our list? Tell us in the comments!

Comments (1)