Which Disney Rides Aren’t for Everyone?

I’ve been thinking about Disney rides obsessively recently.

That’s what happens when you spend six weeks trying to detail every single aspect of a theme park visit.

Throughout the process, I’d discuss rides with friends, and something became clear.

Several popular Disney attractions – and I mean popular ones – have their detractors.

Here are nine Disney rides that aren’t for everyone.

Astro Orbiter

Before we get started, I’ll acknowledge my (anti?) bias here. I like most of the rides on this list.

In fact, I’d only list three as ones that aren’t ideal, and I still ride two of them during most visits.

Then, we have the exception, which is Astro Orbiter. This ride hates me, and it’s not subtle about how it feels.

I should preface this by saying that during my last doctor’s visit, I checked in at 6’3” and 218 pounds.

 I’m a big dude, and that’s a lot of the problem here. On Astro Orbiter, a Cast Member sticks you in a bucket.

Okay, technically, it’s a rocket, but those tin bathtubs that were popular in the 19^th century look bigger.

Even worse, whenever I ride this, Disney insists on sticking me with another person.

Usually, it’s my thankfully tiny wife, whose 5’2” frame fits a bit better…unless I’m sitting in the rocket beside her.

We have virtually no room to move on this ride, which is a problem because it spins us in a circle.

So, my knees spend most of Astro Orbiter feeling like an NFL linebacker is diving at them. I need an MRI after this ride.

Avatar Flight of Passage

Here’s my other trouble ride on this list. Due to alphabetization, I’m getting mine out of the way early.

Cast Members proudly proclaim Avatar Flight of Passage Soarin’ on Steroids, which it is.

The ride mechanic works eerily similar in that the rider faces a giant IMAX screen.

There’s one key difference, though. Soarin’ takes inspiration from erector sets, carrying a large group of guests at once.

Avatar Flight of Passage uses motorcycle-style ride carts instead. They require different harnesses.

So, rather than having a lap belt, guests must be strapped into the safety apparatus, which presses against the back.

My L5-S1 is absolutely wrecked, so much so that I may need spinal fusion surgery at some point.

Every time I board this ride, I ask the Cast Member not to push the apparatus straight against my back.

Inevitably, they don’t at first, but then the system shows the wrong light indicator, meaning I’m not locked in yet.

At that point, they just wreck my back trying to get the light to change colors.

From that moment forward, the ride becomes pretty miserable for me, even though I love Avatar.

I know the scenes by heart, and I just count through them, anxiously anticipating the Banshee landing.

None of that would have happened if Disney had just used the Soarin’ setup instead. Ah well.

It’s a Small World

Now, we’ve switched from physical issues to emotional ones, as It’s a Small World charms you while you ride.

Okay, that statement should come with an asterisk, as it charms most of you.

A vocal minority…feel differently. They also cannot wait to tell you just how much they dislike the ride.

In a way, I get it. I often make jokes about the repetitive nature of the song, which plays in every scene.

Apple Music includes playlists for a reason. Few people want to hear the same song ten straight times.

Perhaps that’s the reason why this one never bothers me. I often listen to my favorite music on repeat.

So, I may be wired better for It’s a Small World than some people. Even so, it’s such a nice ride!

I honestly don’t understand how something as shamelessly optimistic as It’s a Small World could annoy people.

Mad Tea Party   

The one ironclad law of Disney theme parks: Never ride Mad Tea Party immediately after eating.

When you do that, Cast Members inevitably participate in a round of clean-up, mopping your meal off the ground.

You’re just renting food when you eat before Mad Tea Party.

Mission: SPACE (Orange)

In 1959, NASA astronauts trained for outer space travel by flying in the C-131 Samaritan.

This aircraft earned the nickname of “the vomit comet” because it provided a zero-gravity experience.

NASA wanted to train engineers on the differences between low-gravity and full-gravity sensations.

When Imagineers built Mission: SPACE, they created a similar experience and…well, you know.

The problem only exists on the Orange Mission, though, as it’s the one using the ride’s centrifuge.

Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure

Do a Google search for “Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure M,” and you’ll notice that “motion sickness” autofills.

That tells the whole story right there. Unlike Universal Studios, Disney doesn’t have many motion simulation rides.

Yes, there’s the one, and I’m getting to it in just a moment. However, the Ratatouille ride isn’t that.

Honestly, I don’t even completely understand what the problem is, but something happened to us in 2024.

My wife exited Ratatouille and sprinted to the bathroom. When she returned, she looked like a victim of the zombie apocalypse.

We needed to go somewhere and sit down so that she could catch her breath.

Thankfully, the France pavilion offers several amazing options for people to rest and recuperate.

Still, if you’d seen her that day, you’d fully understand why I’m listing it here.

Also, I’ll add that the first coherent sentence she said afterward was, “Never again.”

I’ll be doing Single Rider on Ratatouille from now on. The last time I even suggested it, she gave me a look.

It’s the same look she gives me when any female friend texts me after 10 p.m. I…didn’t push the point.

I’m fine with Single Rider on Ratatouille, but I don’t want to be Single Rider in life. 

Space Mountain

Here’s one I love because it defines the concept of classic Walt Disney World attraction.

Magic Kingdom introduced Space Mountain to the adoring public, and it’s remained iconic for 50 years now.

However, a segment of fans – and I know two of them in my immediate family – are over this ride.

To them, Space Mountain hasn’t aged gracefully. Nowadays, they’re equally likely to get a headache or backache from it.

A few Disney trips ago, we were part of a party of eight. When the subject of this coaster came up, opinions were split.

Half were like me and said, “Oh yes, we’re doing the classics today!”

The other half not only begged off but also cast aspersions about Space Mountain on the way out the door.

Star Tours – The Adventures Continue!

Remember when I said that Disney doesn’t really do many motion simulation rides?

Well, there’s one glaring exception, and it was the first of its kind. Imagineers invented motion simulation.

Disney sought to create a believable story in the Star Wars universe. The company didn’t have much space, though.

Star Tours embodies the brilliance of Imagineering, but Disney quickly soured on the concept.

No, I don’t mean Star Wars, which the company loves so much it even acquired the brand.

I’m referring to motion simulation rides, which Disney officials realized wasn’t a good fit for a family-friendly theme park.

Don’t worry, though. If you like motion simulation rides, you’ll find a dozen of them at Universal Studios.

At Disney’s Hollywood Studios, many guests have decided that this kind of ride simply isn’t for them, though.

Twilight Zone Tower of Terror

You’ve heard the phrase “lipstick on a pig.” In a way, that’s how some people perceive this ride.

While everyone loves the eerie, highly detailed theming for the Twilight Zone ride, it’s still something else.

No matter how Disney dresses the exterior, Tower of Terror remains a drop-tower ride.

Sure, Disney does it better, as Imagineers redefined what’s possible with this ride concept.

However, the basic truth is undeniable. Your ride cart bounces straight up and straight down.

That’s how drop-tower rides work, and they’re just not for everyone. In fact, there are analogs on this list.

Tower of Terror’s zero-gravity moments mirror those on Mission: SPACE.

Similarly, the sudden motions mimic the sensations you feel on Mad Tea Party.

So, critics of those two rides probably aren’t fans of Twilight Zone Tower of Terror either.

Personally, I could ride it all day and all night, but that’s the thing.

Many of you reading this probably have no issues on Astro Orbiter or Avatar Flight of Passage.

Everyone’s different, and we all have our individual breaking points about which rides don’t work for us.

The beauty of Disney is that the parks host so many attractions that you’ll never miss the few you skip.

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