by Christopher Rivard

Created on: August 20, 2008   Last Updated: December 08, 2008

So you have promised the kids a vacation to Walt Disney World, and are now dreading a week of rides and shows aimed children. But did you know that Walt Disney World has thrill rides? And Disney thrill rides are not just your run of the mill amusement park roller coaster, they use Audio-Animatronics, themeing and technology to the ride experience in a way that only Disney can. So let me tell you a little something about each of Disney's theme rides, hopefully without spoiling any surprises.

The Magic Kingdom was the first park to open in Walt Disney World. It is the most kid friendly of the Disney theme parks however; it does have three good thrill rides that are sometimes referred to as the Disney Mountain range. The thrill rides in the Magic Kingdom are Space Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, and Splash Mountain.

Located in Tomorrowland Space Mountain is a roller coaster that is inside, and takes place completely in the dark. The theme of Space Mountain is a wild ride through space. Space Mountain reaches speeds of about 35 miles per hour. While this is not very fast, the tight turns and the complete darkness make it feel as though you are going much faster. Another import thing to know about Space Mountain is that it's queue is almost entirely inside and air conditioned, which makes it a great ride to wait for on hot summer days.

Located in Frontierland Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is a roller coaster theme around a runaway mine train. This ride was built in the early 80's and by today's standard is fairly tame. This roller coaster is still fun, and makes a great coaster to introduce older kids to roller coasters on. If your schedule permits I recommend riding Big Thunder Mountain after dark, the hill provide a great view of the Magic Kingdom all lit up. Also the darkness gives the rider the feeling that the coaster is traveling faster than it really is.

Located in Frontierland Splash Mountain is a flume ride through the cartoon world of Disney's Song of the South. The ride tells the story of Briar Rabbit looking for adventure, and finding trouble when he is caught by Briar Bear and Briar Fox. The climax of the ride is being thrown into the Briar patch which is represented in the ride by a final drop of over 50 feet.

Epcot was the second park built in Walt Disney World. While this park is geared towards rides and shows that educate guest, there are still two thrill rides. The thrill rides in Epcot are Test Track, and Mission Space. Both rides

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