I spend a lot of time thinking about recommendations and trip planning, so this is a topic that comes up often enough that it’s important to at least put together an article to share.
Before we get into the list, here’s why this topic is important:
We spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to go on a vacation to Walt Disney World, but with 80%+ of the guests not being locals (ie within 100 miles), it’s a game of finding the best uses of your time.
Some of the rides listed below are important to ropedrop or Genie+, but I’m focusing on the rides that may not be worth experiencing if you have to stand in a line. I’ve included my “cut-off time” for each attraction, which is the amount of time that I’d be willing to wait for WITHOUT a Genie+ or Individual Lightning Lane reservation.
SEVEN DWARF’S MINE TRAIN
Editors Note: I love this ride!
For an attraction that averages a wait time of 90-minutes to almost 3-hours, it’s impossible to think that this attraction is worth the wait. In fact, the only time that I would ride it is when I’m rope dropping it…and this includes special events like Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party and Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party.
The other reason why it belongs on the list of being Overrated, is because the attraction itself was an after-thought when New Fantasyland was announced. It was originally going to house multiple princess meet & greet locations, and after a change in Disney Parks Leadership that plan was scrapped in order to bring an experience that would appeal to both boys and girls. This was never designed to be the attraction that guests spend the most time waiting for at the Magic Kingdom.
It’ll be interesting to see how the wait times will be impacted with the addition of Tron!
Stand-by Max Waiting Time: 30 Minutes
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TOY STORY MIDWAY MANIA
I have a blanket rule, which states that rides that are screen-based don’t belong at Walt Disney World. There are exceptions (ie Flight of Passage at Avatar), but this is an attraction that’s actually just a video game…and one that I own for the Nintendo Wii!
This ride is fun. It’s great for kids of all ages and allows older-kids (like me) to play video games at Disney. But is it a good attraction at a theme park filled with other experiences OR is it a great attraction because there are only a handful of attractions at Disney’s Hollywood Studios right now?
The other big issue with Toy Story Mania is that Park Management had a golden opportunity to improve Pixar Place by expanding into the the empty building next door. Instead of creating something new and exciting (a Monster’s Inc Roller Coaster for example) they just added a 3rd track to the attraction for guests with Genie+!
Stand-by Max Waiting Time: 30 Minutes
IT’S A SMALL WORLD
I try to ride this attraction each time that I’m on vacation, but I have to be honest in this list, and this may be an unpopular opinion; it’s a Small World is one of the most overrated attractions at Walt Disney World!
Walt Disney had his hands on the original ‘it’s a Small World’ attraction, which was designed and built for the 1965 New York World’s Fair. When the Fair closed, the attraction was dismantled and then re-assembled at Disneyland.
Now this list is about Walt Disney World, so why is it overrated? For some reason, it’s become “untouchable”. The improvements that were introduced to the Disneyland version, including the addition of Disney Characters (Stitch, etc) have been met with resistance from the fan community and park leadership at the Magic Kingdom. As a result, the attraction feels dated and shabby, especially when you put it into proximity of New Fantasyland’s experiences such as Enchanted Tales with Belle and Under the Sea with the Little Mermaid.
Stand-by Max Waiting Time: 5 Minutes
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TOMORROWLAND SPEEDWAY
This is pretty self-explanatory right?
Ok, well let’s start on the state of the vehicles, as they are not energy-efficient or anything special. Some would argue that you’d get a better go-kart experience at your local track.
There’s a standard that attractions have to live up to when they are put in the Magic Kingdom, which involves playing a role in the “themed land” to enhance the story. Tomorrowland Speedway feels as though it doesn’t fit in either land that it’s in. It’s not revolutionary or futuristic and it has no ties to fairytales.
Stand-by Max Waiting Time: 20 Minutes
KALI RIVER RAPIDS
Let’s look at why this attraction is never top of mind when you’re planning a day at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
To start with, the ride feels like it’s short. This is due to budgetary issues when the park first opened and actually shortened the ride by 50%. You get one “thrill”, one “oh” moment with the storyline of deforestation, and you get to push a green button in the exit line to soak guests already on the ride.
Honestly, my favorite part about this ride IS the button!
Outside of that, it’s not really exciting enough to waste a Genie+ reservation on…let alone wait in the standby line.
Stand-by Max Waiting Time: 20 Minutes
Related Article – Top Tips Before You Go To The Animal Kingdom
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MAGIC CARPETS OF ALADDIN
With space in the Magic Kingdom being precious (it is the most visited theme park in the world), we have to ask a question. Why do we need another aerial carousel-style ride when we already have a perfectly good Dumbo ride?
That being said, it’s also a disappointment as Aladdin is one of my favorite movies of all time with the potential to become an excellent Dark Ride.
Instead, we get this!
Stand-by Max Waiting Time: 5 Minutes
Related Article – 5 Attractions to Skip in the Magic Kingdom
NA’VI RIVER JOURNEY
Although it’s new, the Na’vi River Journey is not worthy of the massive lines.
Think “Jungle Cruise without the story” and with a ton of black lights! It’s not even close to being on the same level as the other attraction in Pandora, Flight of Passage, yet you’re forced to choose one or the other when planning your Genie+ day. This could be potentially damaging to your vacation if you choose poorly!
Stand-by Max Waiting Time: 30 Minutes
Related Article – What I learned on my last vacation to Disney World
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MAD TEA PARTY
Round and Round it goes – when it stops, you’ll regret having that churro before!
Seriously though, it’s a basic tea cup ride with very little theming and nothing memorable about it.
Stand-by Max Waiting Time: 10 Minutes
TEST TRACK
The thrill ride part of the attraction is a ton of fun! It’s the fastest ride at Walt Disney World and you will not be disappointed if you’re in the need for speed.
Having said that, the ride is a giant advertisement for Chevrolet (up to and including the high-pressure salespeople at the end of the ride). The original GM-version was better themed to be a part of EPCOT, as it focused on the education and entertainment of guests by providing insights into the ever-evolving landscape of transportation. What we got with Test Track 2.0 was a ride that had little storyline and stripped down elements that didn’t do anything to enhance the experience.
Stand-by Max Waiting Time: 30 Minutes
Related Article – How to use Single Rider Lines
Those are my Top 10 Overrated Rides at Disney World. I hope that the information was worthwhile to your trip planning and that it’ll allow you to be more prepared when you are thinking about which attractions are actually worth the wait!
