Hey Thrill Seekers,
After visiting Orlando recently for my third time, I’ve seen how quickly so much can change. Not just what you can see, but your opinions on the different attractions can change each time you visit.
Jamie has asked me what my top 10 rides are and it got me thinking. I guess it’s mainly due to the fact that there are always new rides and that they have to get rid of some rides to make way for the new, up to date rides.
Falcons Fury at Busch Gardens has got to be one of my top 10. It stands at 335 feet tall and it slowly rises up to the very top so you can see the whole of America! (ok, slight exaggeration..but you can see far, far away!) It then tilts you forward so you’re facing the floor and then drops you back down at 60mph.
Number 2 on my list is Manta at SeaWorld. I love this ride. Manta is different to your average roller coaster as you are facing the floor rather sat up right in your seat. They do this to copy the movement of a Manta Ray. Manta is also known for having one of the smoothest tracks in the world so it is definitely a pleasure to ride.
Back to Busch Gardens for my number 3 which is Cheetah Hunt. At 4400 feet long, it’s the longest coaster track in the park. The wait might be slightly longer than other rides, but it’s definitely worth it. Just like Manta, Cheetah Hunt is designed to mimic the movements of a Cheetah in hunt, so at 3 separate stages the ride thrusts forward copying the animals amazing sprint speed.
Dudley Do-right’s Ripsaw Falls at Islands of Adventure is my favourite water ride so there was no doubt about it that this was going in my top 10. My recent holiday to Florida was actually the first time I’d experienced this ride, I didn’t know what to expect. It makes you think you’re ready for the big drop several times but instead you just get soaked. I can’t even begin to explain how wet you get on this one.
This year I also got to experience The Simpsons Ride. I’m not particularly a big fan of the Simpsons or anything in 3D (3D creeps me out) but I was so impressed with this ride as it seemed to last a lot longer than the majority of the other rides. There is nothing more annoying than waiting ages in a queue for the ride to be over in a flash!
Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringott’s at Universal Studios…what can I say!? This ride was incredible. You have an experience from the moment you step into the queue. As you walk through the bank you see all of the goblins working hard and it takes you to the back of the bank to explore. Bill Weasley sees you watching him chat to a goblin and decides to take you on your journey through Gringotts.
The first ride I ever went on during my first trip to Orlando a few years back was Aerosmith’s Rock n’ Roller Coaster at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and it has continued to be one of my favourites to this day. Accelerating from 0 to 57 miles per hour in 2.8 seconds you experience 4.5 g’s as you shoot off into the darkness. Its a one of a kind coaster in Orlando as there are not many coasters that are completely indoors.
Number 8 on my list is Expedition Everest at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. The story behind it is you’re trying to get away from the Yeti hiding in Mount Everest. With speeds of 50mph you will holding on for your life! (I know I was!) For a rider that has never been on this before, there will be some nice surprises so I won’t give it away as you will NOT be expecting it! 😉 You may want to take a look as you pass through the queue at the model village as that can be quite interesting to see too.
Now for number 9, I had to include Dragon Challenge in Universal’s Islands of Adventure. I love both of the tracks; Chinese Fireball and Hungarian Horntail. Both tracks give you a different experience and you will be pleased to know that whichever track you choose, you can quickly join the ‘re-ride’ line after to save you from queuing up again completely! We took a massive advantage of this. Reaching speeds of 55mph while you are just inches away from the neighbouring track definitely gets your heart pumping!
Finally, number 10 has got to be Space Mountain at Disney’s Magic Kingdom. There was no way I was not going to include this in my top 10 so here it is. Although it only reaches a top speed of 28mph, it feels like you are going so much faster. It is near enough pitch black as you’re flying around in a spaceship shaped carriage. Something you will notice about this ride is you have no one next to you, you are all in single file (sort of like a bobsleigh). A must ride on any trip to Disney.
- Falcons Fury
- Manta
- Cheetah Hunt
- Dudley Do-right’s Ripsaw Falls
- The Simpsons Ride
- Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringott’s
- Aerosmith’s Rock n’ Roller Coaster
- Expedition Everest
- Dragon Challenge
- Space Mountain
So there we have it, my top 10 rides at Orlando. What are your favourites?
Smiles included…
Louise
