It’s the world’s largest theme park, filled with magical moments, beloved movie characters and hours of entertainment. Walt Disney World’s biggest draw, however, is obviously the rides. Everyone has a favorite, a ride worth waiting in a line, no matter how long. So how do the rides stack up with the public?
Magic Guides, a Disney travel planning agency, has released the results of its ride rankings to help you plan your next visit to the Magic Kingdom. In a survey of every ride from all four theme parks at Walt Disney World Resort, Orlando (Magic Kingdom Park, Epcot, Disney's Animal Kingdom and Disney's Hollywood Studios), Magic Guides looked at three key factors: Instagram hashtags, Tripadvisor ratings and average monthly search volume for each ride.
Scoring high in all metrics, the ride that came in at number one is Splash Mountain, despite the fact that it’s actually closed. The love for Splash Mountain, which is currently being transformed into “Tiana's Bayou Adventure” inspired by Disney’s The Princess and the Frog, is evident, with an average of 205,193 monthly searches, 323,813 Instagram hashtags, and a high rating of 4.5 out of 5 on Tripadvisor.
The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror and Space Mountain follow at numbers two and three. Though the theme song is maddening to some, It’s a Small World comes in at number four. Rounding out the top ten rides at Disney World, in order, are Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, Expedition Everest, Haunted Mansion, Big Thunder Mountain, Star Tours and Jungle Cruise. One surprising fact the study—which also looked at the most popular rides by state—found is that Florida is the only state where Splash Mountain is not the favorite. Epcot's new Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind ride is the favorite there.