Top 11 Magic Kingdom Rides at Disney World

By CJ Tiernan

Magic Kingdom is known as "The Happiest Place on Earth" (step aside DMV). It is a magical wonderland full of child-like awe and impossible thrills. You get to enter a piece of history and nostalgia, a world from various Disney properties, and have an uncompromising blast with friends and family. I have everlasting memories of spending time in Disney World, as I was fortunate enough to return over and over again as a kid. The rides on this list are steeped in the joy I first experienced over 30 years ago. Without further ado, these are my Top 11 favorite Rides I've ever ridden in Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom.

1. Splash Mountain

Myself, my Dad, and three of my siblings (plus two randos in the back), June 2004

The last time I was at Disney World was 2021. I have yet to experience the new version of this ride, modeled after The Princess and the Frog (which I also haven't seen). I am quite disappointed that it was changed, because it was one of my favorite rides in all of Disney World (you can clearly see I have it positioned as number one here on my list). It was weird and unique and the first thrill ride I ever rode as a child (that drop at the end is a treat). I'm bummed that I'll never get to ride it again, but I cling to and cherish the memory of all the times I did get to ride it. From catchy ear worms to joyous animated characters, the ride was a banger. It was also littered with animatronics, which tend to always be my favorite part of a Disney ride.

2. Pirates of the Caribbean

"Drink up, me hearties yo ho" or, as I thought it was said as a kid "drink up, me hearty joe ho." This ride has pirates, adventure, looting, pillaging, plundering, and an assortment of memorable scenes. Who can forget the imprisoned men beckoning a dog with a bone to bring the keys. It has changed over the years. In conjunction with the release of the second Pirates of the Caribbean movie, they altered the ride to include Johnny Depp throughout as well as some cannon fire from Captain Barbossa. It's awesome! I love water rides (my top two rides in the park are two of the four water rides on my list) and while they lessen the maximum thrill, there is some tangible quality they lend to a ride that can't be faked. You can smell the water, and fell the boat rock and carom off of the guide rails. Disney magic, baby!

3. Haunted Mansion

The first ride on my list was based on a movie, and now the next two have had multiple movies based on the ride. Disney clearly knows how to pick 'em. The ride vehicle on this one is fun and unique, serving as kinda like a high-back chair with a lap bar that can spin all around to orient you toward the particular ghoulish tableau you're meant to enjoy in the moment. It is a wild trip through not only a haunted mansion but a graveyard. This ride pulls out all the stops and even has a really fun pre-ride setup, with comical gravestones outside and an elevator that breaks your brain on the way to loading onto the ride vehicles.

4. Carousel of Progress

I'd imagine this one is higher on my list than it is for most. At this point, I've seen this show probably a dozen times. The final scene has been altered a few times over the years in an attempt to keep up with the times, but the rest is perfectly unchanged (except for maybe some rerecorded dialogue). I love the idea that the audience spins around from scene to scene while the stages remain stationary. How wild is that? It is a simple story of a family growing and changing as technology advances. It changes seasons as it goes as well. It is simple and beautiful and I can't get enough. And again, it has animatronics! Yay!

5. Space Mountain

For those of us in the non-astronaut camp (which, statistically speaking, is 99.999% of us), space travel is nothing more than a fantastical notion. The proverbial pipe dream, if you will. So, when Disney gives you the chance to traverse space without that pesky training and education bit, you take it. You wait in line, and you take it. You hop aboard their space toboggan and fly to the moon or the stars or whatever. It's awesome.

6. Peter Pan

"And away we go! We're off to Never-Never land!" That's the opening line as you climb aboard your flying ship and set sail over London. It's incredible. You get to just spend the ride looking down and sailing over various scenes from the animated movie. It is such a cool concept. Very few rides have you tower over other things the whole way. It gives you the sense of flying because you are literally above the action. Giving kids a chance to fly is (to quote the Britons) bloody brilliant.

7. Seven Dwarfs Mine Train

The Seven Dwarfs Mine Train was the newest attraction last time I was in Disney World. It is insane how smooth the ride is. They designed the vehicle in such a way that it's attached high on the bucket part that you're in to the part that rides the train tracks. This allows the bottom portion to swing freely, hinging at that top part. It is so wild how smooth the ride is; I can't even believe it. Now, I have beef with this ride. Not enough animatronics and way too many screens. If I wanted to watch TV, I could have stayed home. Disney, tighten up. Plus, the wait is really long and the ride didn't last nearly long enough. Oh, but that smooth ride. Chef's kiss.

8. It's a Small World

This ride and The Carousel of Progress both debuted at the same World's Fair in 1964/1965. How crazy is that? Pepsi and UNICEF were actually the sponsors of It's a Small World at said World's Fair (C'mon, be honest: which of those two sponsors feels like the outlier?). It's a Small World is a delightful little water ride that features global cultures. It creates scenes so big and spectacular that you simply can't take it all in at once and you know that you're leaving that thing humming the song the rest of the day (week? month? year?). The Sherman Brothers (Robert and Richard) wrote the song for the ride. These guys also created the song for The Carousel of Progress (It's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow), Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious and others for Mary Poppins, the Chitty Chitty Bang Bang song, One Little Spark for the Journey Into Imagination with Figment ride, and I Wan'na Be Like You from The Jungle Book, along with so many others. These guys are true wonders. Shoutout, Sherman Bros and shoutout to all the animatronics on the ride. Woo hoo!

9. The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh

While the fear of heffalumps and woozles can hit a little close to home for small children afraid of monsters under the bed, don't worry, the panic is over quickly. This ride may be simple and seemingly designed for kids, but I like it. The design features a moment when the ride vehicle bounces along like Tigger (very cool) and it also heavily incorporates visuals of the written material. I like this a lot because it's similar to the way the movies adapt the original source material from A.A. Milne The words on the page seem to come to life and help foster a sense of whimsy. The ride queue is also very elaborate and has fun things for kids to do.

10. Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover

The idea of simply riding around in a loop is kinda the backbone of all rides. If you don't end up where you started, that not a ride, it's just a mode of transportation. The PeopleMover foregoes the idea of being a mode of transport and adds a fun wrinkle. You have to climb up a level to board the continuous moving vehicle. Then you just cruise around Tomorrowland. You get to peek in on Space Mountain and Buzz Lightyear, but you just kind of chill. At a theme park, you spend a lot of time standing around in line and then when you get to the ride, it's over too quick. This ride, and the Carousel of Progress, are two spots in Tomorrowland where you get some time to chill and just sit for a spell. It's nice.

11. Jungle Cruise

Weird Al scribed a song about a hypothetical acting phenom who resorts to becoming a Tour Guide on this ride because it's the only job he can get. I gotta say, I respect the acting chops these guides seem to have. Yes, they tend to offer up hammy puns in the name of the entertainment game, but I love hammy puns. Put it in my veins! I'll never tire of seeing the backside of water (It's the Eighth Wonder of the World, doncha know?). Disney again knocks it out of the park with the animatronics. When you go to the zoo, you never know what kind of view you're going to get to see of the animals. "Where's the lion?" "Oh, he's sleeping in the back, come back again next year." Not a problem on this ride. The elephants are always bathing for your viewing pleasure. Traversing rivers in Asia, Africa, and South America all in under 10 minutes is a real treat. Go on, taste it.

Final Thoughts

Magic Kingdom, man. What a wonderful invention. It was the first of the 4 Disney parks to be built in Disney World. It is "The happiest place on Earth" for a reason. You can eat and drink to your hearts content, but nothing beats the rides. The magical excursions, steeped in hope and wonder, never fail to make me smile. I hope they did the same for you when you went there (or do if you've not yet had the pleasure). If you disagree with my list, please make sure to shove your gripes in the comment box below. Thanks!