The Best Rides of the Magic Kingdom

In today’s post, I’m going to rank the Best Rides of the Magic Kingdom!

The Magic Kingdom is by far my favorite of all the parks at Walt Disney World. And, of course, I have my favorite rides.

Here’s my countdown of the top 10 best rides of the Magic Kingdom, why I love them, and some cool t-shirts from TeePublic inspired by each ride!

Best RIdes of Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom

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10. Peter Pan’s Flight

Despite having no high-tech effects or wild and crazy thrills, this ride consistently has one of the longest lines in the Magic Kingdom. Our family totally gets why.

This ride totally captures the nostalgia and spirit of the movie, giving guests the opportunity to fly over all the iconic scenes of Peter Pan.

We especially love the “pixie dust” sprinkled over the ride vehicles by cast members as you get started on your journey.

(Pro Tip: Don’t be too disappointed if you end up using the stand-by queue for this ride. It’s incredibly interactive, and will amaze your little ones while you wait).

We love this awesome Peter Pan themed shirt inspired by the classic movie:

Get yours here: Peter Pan Inspired Shirt

9. The Mad Tea Party

Another absolute classic Disney ride that my whole family loves.

You can’t truly experience the Magic Kingdom without spinning around in these teacups until you’re almost sick.

We’ve gotten some really fun pictures and video on this ride, and my kids ALWAYS insist that we ride it on every trip.

Check out this clip of the wild and crazy ride:

Check out this awesome Alice in Wonderland shirt inspired by the ride:

Get yours here: Round & Round Teacups Shirt

8. Splash Mountain

Splash Mountain is a bit of an odd ball for Disney Parks.

The ride features characters from a movie that most park goers have never seen, and many people don’t recognize the characters featured throughout the climb to the top.

While considered by some to be a thrill ride because of the drop at the end, our family doesn’t classify this attraction as much of a roller coaster.

For us, this ride is all about the music. Zip-a-dee-do-da is one of our favorite Disney songs, and we all end up singing it, as we travel through the scenes of Brer Rabbit’s adventures.

Make sure you ride this one mid-day, so you have time to dry off if your unfortunate enough to sit in the splash zone.

The songs are some of the best parts of this ride. This t-shirt is a great reminder of the classic theme song!

Get yours here: Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah Shirt

**NOTE: Disney is planning to completely overhaul this ride and replace the Song of the South theming. The new theming that will feature The Princess and The Frog is LONG overdue.

Don’t worry, Disney is keeping the iconic giant drop at the end of this ride!

7. Pirates of the Caribbean

This ride has evolved so much since I first rode it in the 80s. Back then it was all cutesy music and hokey animatronics.

Now they’ve added elements of the movie series, including Captain Jack Sparrow, to the ride, while still keeping a lot of it’s nostalgic charm.

It’s the perfect ride for pirate lovers!

Check out this cool shirt, inspired by the Pirates of the Caribbean movies.

Get yours here: Tortuga Supply Company Shirt

6. Jungle Cruise

I love that Disney World hasn’t tried to update this ride.

There is something so charming and wholesome about the classic animal animatronics and the silly puns from your tour guide that makes my whole family smile.

I mean, where else can you see the BACK SIDE OF WATER!!!!!! Check out this clip of the “punny” jokes from a seasoned Jungle Cruise guide:

Disney is releasing a Jungle Cruise movie in the coming months starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Emily Blunt.

While the previews look great, I hope they don’t mess with this ride after the movie is released!

Check out this shirt featuring that classic jokes of the Jungle Cruise!

Get yours here: Schweitzer Falls Back Side of Water Shirt

5. Haunted Mansion

The perfect mix of spooky without being terrifying, the Haunted Mansion has been one of my favorites for years.

Step into your Doom Buggy and visit the 999 happy haunts that inhabit the ride.

Using classic illusions and some amazingly simple tricks, this ride delivers frightening fun for the whole family.

The stand-by queue for this line is super interactive. Be sure to pay attention to the tombstones.

Especially the one marked Leota on the left hand side, near the entrance to the building. You might just spot something special.

We managed to catch some of it in the video below:

There are a TON of great shirts inspired by this ride. Here’s a few of our favorites! (click on the picture to find where you can buy yours)

Get the shirt pictured above here: Grim Grinning Ghosts T-shirt

Get the shirt pictured above here: Hatbox Ghost T-shirt

Get the shirt pictured above here: Haunted Mansion Foolish Mortal Shirt

4. Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin

This ride is always a must-do for our family.

It’s a little dated, but still incredibly fun. The black light effects are a bit corny, but the ride makes up for that with the fun challenge of trying to shoot as many targets as you can.

It’s definitely like visiting the grandpa of Hollywood Studio’s fantastic and wildly popular Toy Story Mania.

We’re a wee bit competitive (ok, a lot competitive) and always try to see who can get the highest score.

(Pro Tip: Some of the targets are worth more points than others. Check out this Attractions Magazine article to know which targets to aim for!)

Be the coolest Space Cadet out there with these awesome shirts inspired by the ride.

Get yours here: Star Command Space Cadet

3. Space Mountain

Lots of people think that this classic would be at the top of any list of best rides of the Magic Kingdom, but in my book, there are two that just make me happier.

But still, the thrills offered by this in-the-dark roller coaster are some of the best you can find in all of the Disney World.

Pro-Tip: If you attend one of Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Parties in the Magic Kingdom, be SURE not to miss riding Space Mountain during the party.

It’s the one and only time you can ride it in the PITCH black, without any ambient light in the ride.

They also change out the music, which makes the whole experience much more intense!

Check out this awesome shirt you’ll want to where everywhere, not just at Disney World:

Get yours here: SPC MTN shirt

2. Seven Dwarfs Mine Train

This relatively new addition to Fantasyland is surely a winner!

The swinging mine train carts and the thrilling coaster make this a fantastic experience.

We always find ourselves singing and rocking back and forth through the slower parts of the ride.

The animatronics of this ride are spectacular and really capture the spirit of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

We especially love the shadow effects at on the way up the first hill.

The queue for this ride can get long, but it’s definitely worth the wait.

Check out this cool shirt inspired by the ride:

Get yours here: Seven Dwarfs Mining Co. Shirt

1. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad

My #1, all-time favorite ride in all of Walt Disney World is Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.

I love the classic, Old West theming and the interactive queue.

The ride is longer than you might expect. Just when you think it’s coming to an end, you enter a new section of the ride.

Both the front cart and the back cart provide thrilling experiences, and we absolutely adore riding it at night when the darkness makes it feel extra speedy.

(Pro tips: glance to your right at the top of the first hill for a stunning view of the castle, and if you can, try to ride it during the fireworks show. It’s especially spectacular then!)