Looking for thrilling family fun ideas for your next vacation? Orlando boasts some of the top thrill rides in the world. Check out the best of the best! There's nothing like a good thrill ride to get the adrenaline flowing. So, we've put together a list of rides that theme park and attraction industry experts rank as their top experiences. They come in all shapes, sizes, and heights, and they're all extreme. From roller coasters, dark rides, and drop towers to Ferris wheels and mountain coasters, thrill rides are the stuff vacations are made of! Before you board, here are some things to keep in mind. You'll want to observe the park requirements regarding age and height limits. Some use only height as a guideline, while others also have age limits. Safety is their top priority. Health is also a consideration for these thrill rides. You should be free of high blood pressure, heart, back, or neck problems, and motion sickness. For some of the most extreme rides, it's suggested that expectant mothers also bow out. So, take a deep breath, strap in, and enjoy! Orlando If you're looking for heart-pounding, adrenaline-pumping, exhilarating thrill ride experiences, you won't find more in one place than in Orlando – the theme park capital of the world. With seven major theme parks and countless attractions, there are enough thrills there to last a lifetime. Walt Disney World Epcot's Mission: SPACE delivers a realistic, out-of-this-world experience complete with sustained G-forces that actual astronauts have felt. You'll blast off on a simulated NASA-style mission to Mars (the more intense Orange Mission), dodging meteorites and sling-shotting around the moon. Or, you can orbit the Earth with breathtaking views on a more gentle – but still exhilarating – Green Mission. Step inside the infamous Hollywood Tower Hotel at Disney's Hollywood Studios and prepare yourself for The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror™. Once you board the hotel's dark, rickety, elevator-style lift, you're committed. Get ready for sudden, rapid free-fall drops, rises back up the 13-story shaft, and harrowing moments of weightlessness. The worst part? You'll never know when they're coming! Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith, this coaster will take your breath away! Hop into a super-stretch limo and take off screaming into the LA night, all while listening to an Aerosmith soundtrack created for Disney's Hollywood Studios. (The classic “Love in an Elevator” was rewritten as “Love in a Roller Coaster” just for this attraction.) It's zero to 60 mph in 2.8 seconds as you fly around the coaster through sharp turns, two rollover loops and one corkscrew, reaching a G-force of 4.5.Wander into a Tibetan village and board Expedition Everest – Legend of the Forbidden Mountain at Disney's Animal Kingdom. After all, how bad can it be? Once your weather-beaten train has reached “the top of the world,” it's lights out as you plummet backward through the pitch-black mountain. After making your way through a double-looping turn, soaring speeds, and an 80-foot drop later, you've managed to escape the legendary snow monster – for now. One of the most famous indoor coasters in the world, Space Mountain at Magic Kingdom is a Disney classic. You'll blast off on a rip-roaring rocket into the furthest reaches of outer space, then feel the pull of gravity as you're drawn into a swirling wormhole. With inky blackness all around, you won't even realize your top speed is only 27 mph. If you don't want the kids to feel left out, here's one for them. Slinky Dog Dash is a coaster-style ride at Toy Story Land in the Hollywood Studios park. Take off on a family-friendly coaster that twists and turns past giant toys and carries you away. Slinky Dog's springy coils stretch to the limit as you zoom up hills, bend around curves, and drop back down. It's a wild ride for the entire family. Note: Be aware that children under age 7 have to be accompanied by a person at least 14 years old on these thrill rides. Also, due to the impact of COVID-19 on operations, Disney's FastPass+ service has been suspended for the time being. Universal Orlando Peaking 17 stories over Universal Studios, Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit is one of the tallest coasters in town. As you strap in, you pick the music you want to hear as you climb toward the sky at a 90-degree angle. Then you're dropping at 65 mph with six “near misses” and several attention-grabbing inversions, including the world's first non-inverting loop. Universal Studios' Revenge of the Mummy sends you on a precarious adventure, dodging danger at every turn. Digging your nails into the safety rail, you hold on tight as you thrash forwards and back on the track, fleeing from the evil mummy Imhotep. Like it or not, you'll come face-to-face with your darkest fears: creepy bugs, free falling, and terrifying pitch darkness. After a gamma-ray accelerator goes bad and transforms you into the Hulk, the adventure begins. You're catapulted out of the accelerator tube aboard The Incredible Hulk coaster. With the force of a fighter jet, the coaster is launched 150 feet into the air at 67 mph. Lots of inversions and a crushing Zero-G roll follow as you hang upside down over the Islands of Adventure lagoon. You know it's going to be an ominous ride when you approach a pair of foreboding, 200-foot-high towers. Beware, Doctor Doom is intent on collecting your fear in his latest evil contraption. You'll be blasted 185 feet into the sky and then, without a second to catch your breath, hurled back down with a force stronger than gravity itself. Florida's fastest and tallest launch coaster – along with a pack of fierce velociraptors – is set to be unleashed at Islands of Adventure in Summer 2021 with the debut of Jurassic World VelociCoaster. The VelociCoaster will roar over tracks at 70 mph and rocket riders over 150 feet into the air. For the bravest thrill-seekers, this ride will send you twisting and turning upside down across 100 feet of track in a zero-gravity inverted stall, and barrel rolling just inches above the Islands of Adventure lagoon. Note: Universal Orlando recommends that guests read the safety information posted at the entrance to each attraction. Universal has also adopted an app-based system called the Virtual Line Experience that you can use once you're on property to choose a return time window for select attractions. Only one reservation is required for your entire party. When the ride is over, you can schedule another Virtual Ride return time. SeaWorld Orlando SeaWorld Orlando's mighty Kraken is a monster coaster like no other! Orlando's only floorless roller coaster, it's themed after a massive, mythological underwater beast unleashed from the depths of the sea. Be prepared for your feet to dangle as you travel in open-sided seating, riding on a pedestal above the track at a whopping 65 mph to heights exceeding 150 feet. Named for one of the ocean's fastest sharks, Mako is a hypercoaster known for high speeds, deep dives, and thrills around every turn. It has shattered records including tallest (up to 200 feet high), fastest (up to 73 mph), and longest roller coaster in Orlando. You'll feel weightless as you glide along the mile-long track at incredible speeds! International Drive Area Clocking in at 400 feet, The Wheel at ICON Park boasts one of the highest vantage points on Orlando's International Drive. Guests who take flight aboard this popular observation wheel enjoy a 20-minute trip to the tallest accessible point in Central Florida. You can even enjoy the thrill of high altitude with a cold beverage and tasty bite in hand. If you're looking for a heart-pounding thrill ride experience, buckle up for The SlingShot at Magical Midway. The platform you're sitting on will tilt you back into a reclined position and lower you into the heart of a volcano. As the heat rises, the volcano will start to erupt, causing you to catapult out at a force of 3 to 5 Gs. Once you reach the highest peak, you'll experience total weightlessness as you rocket over 390 feet above the ground. If you can brave opening your eyes on the “World's Largest Slingshot,” you'll see some stunning views of Orlando. Fun Spot America on I-Drive features two rides for extreme thrill-seekers. Ride in groups of up to three people as you take flight on the world's second-tallest SkyCoaster. This classic attraction takes you screaming down a harnessed, 250-foot drop to simulate the sensation of flight. Meanwhile, Orlando's only wooden roller coaster, White Lightning, treats riders to gravity-driven speeds of up to 48 mph and unexpected airtime while offering great views of other major park attractions. Book Your Summer Bay Orlando Vacation Today Summer Bay Orlando by Exploria Resorts has something for the entire family! Experience a luxurious resort that delivers the thrill of Orlando's world-renowned attractions with the comforts of a leisure getaway. Enjoy all the highlights of our 400-acre lavishly landscaped resort and 64-acre spring-fed lake, located just 10-minutes from Walt Disney World Resort. So pull out your bucket list and plan your next thrill-filled vacation with us today!
