Score the Top Best Rides in Orlando!

If you like the adrenaline rush and ‘scream-your-lungs-out’ theme park rides, then Orlando is the perfect holiday destination for you. This destination will never disappoint when it comes to giving you an electrifying and unforgettable experience. It offers the best in roller coasters, 3D attractions, interactive rides, exhibits, lights and sounds, and a host of other activities that will entertain kids of all ages. 

Planning to go to Orlando on your next family holiday? Here’s a quick guide to parks and rides to help you get your adrenaline fix and find the perfect rides and attractions for everyone in your party.

Meet the Top Theme Parks in Orlando!

The greatest theme parks in Orlando are arguably, Universal Studios Orlando and Walt Disney World. These two world- renown parks offer out of this world fun for the entire family. Each park offers more than a dozen unique performances, shows, rides, and attractions. Besides featuring Mickey Mouse and friends, and the movie glitter of Universal Studios, Orlando has lots of other amazing theme parks that offer the fantastic roller coasters, water rides and more for an exciting day time with the children – and sometimes at a more affordable price. Check out these top theme parks in Orlando.

Disney’s Magic Kingdom

Magic Kingdom preserves its place as the perfect amusement park for kids who want to be enchanted by seeing their well-loved characters come to life. Here, the dazzling and fantastic Disney charm never fades. Disney’s Magic Kingdom is divided into six different lands sprawled over a vast 107 acre site: Fantasyland, Adventureland, Liberty Square, Frontierland, Main Street, and Tomorrowland.

Universal Island of Adventure

Universal Island of Adventure is a multi-awarded theme park popular for its wide-array of roller coaster rides and attractions. It holds eight distinct zones: The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, The Lost Continent, Toon Lagoon, Hogsmeade, Skull Island, Jurassic Park, Marvel Super Hero Island, and Seuss Landing.

The Best Rides in Universal Studios Orlando - Universal Studios

Universal Studios Orlando is home to an extensive range of Hollywood-themed attractions and rides. No wonder a growing number of visitors come to experience its unique kind of adventure every day. In this popular park, you can fight off aliens like in The Men in Black, play with the minions of Despicable Me, or experience the world of magic at Harry Potter’s Escape to Gringotts ride. 

All the attractions and rides here are mainly focused on giving visitors a real-life movie experience, using advanced technology powered by advanced computer and robotic simulators.

SeaWorld Orlando

SeaWorld is a consistently high-performing theme park in Orlando that’s well-loved by visitors and locals alike. It offers aquatic-themed rides, numerous shows, and interactive animal experiences that will surely fill your family’s day with fun and excitement. Famed attractions here includes Stingray Lagoon and Dolphin Cove – with hands-on experience - as well as Shark Encounter Tunnel that allows you to travel to an underwater world.

Legoland

Legoland in Orlando, Florida stands in a 150-acre theme park inspired by the legendary construction toys from the Danish. It has more than 50 rides, attractions, shows, restaurants, and shops, which makes it one of the largest theme parks in Orlando. Legoland also offers a freestanding water park that features a great selection of attractions and rides including the lazy river, wave pools, and slides.

Most Sought After Disney Rides

Disney is one of the best theme parks in Orlando. It continues to offer visitors never-ending moments of fun and magical experiences with every visit. This being said, its rides and attractions deserve a special mention. Here are the best Disney rides that you shouldn’t miss when you visit Orlando:

Climb your way up to the highest mountain in the world in this high speed roller coaster ride! With its 200ft towers, every turn will surprise and leave you breathless. The mixture of drops, turns, and scary special effects contribute to the overall excitement of this ride. It is truly one of the best rides in Orlando and you can only experience it in Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

Drive in an ultra-speedy limousine as you travel to catch up with Aerosmith’s show. This intense speed should be enough to satisfy the thrilling needs of any theme park enthusiast. To make the entire ride even more exciting, the journey is accompanied by the music of Aerosmith as you make your way across Los Angeles landmarks,  the famed Hollywood sign, and the bustling streets. The ride is dim, with only landmarks and road signs illuminating the road. Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster will surprise and electrify you – and may just leave you weak in your knees by the end of the ride. 

Inspired from the iconic Disney movie, Song of the South, Splash Mountain will electify you as you follow the story of Br’er Rabbit. You’ll sit in an eight-passenger log flume at the start of the ride that will gradually move to an inclined chain lift before ascending on a rowdy ride towards the wetlands of old Georgia, USA. Of course, Splash Mountain wouldn’t be complete without the 5-story splashdown with a speed of 40 mph that will get you all soaked by at the end of the ride. There’s no other way to end this adventure than with a big SPLASH!

The Best of Universal

Another famous theme park that continues to dominate in Orlando is Universal which features all kinds of shows, rides, and attractions that are renowned worldwide. 

When this Harry Potter inspired ride first opened in the year 2010, its vivid detail and extreme level of interaction impressed Potter fans from all over the world. The main attraction of Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey is its incredible experience that’s composed of a journey to the Hogwarts Castle, an exciting encounter with the Death Eaters, an airborne Quidditch match, and plenty of other Harry Potter movie scenes that all come to life in this ride.

This psychological thrill ride offers a mixture of exceptional animatronics and solid special effects – all wrapped up in one dark and wild roller coaster experience. It will surely have you screaming at the top of your lungs!

The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man combines all the impressive things a theme park ride could offer, including dark ride concepts, 4D movie elements, 3D projected scenes, and plenty of other state of the art features.

On the lighter side, in The Simpson Ride, Krustyland theme park is brought to life in this thrilling adventure. Wild and funny, expect a different kind of adventure from this motion simulator. The movement is synced with a footage of wild animals. Visitors will experience hair-pin turns and falls from scary great heights. 

Best Tips for Getting the Most Thrills from Your Visit

Now that you know the best rides in Orlando at Universal Studios, Walt Disney World and other famed theme parks in Orlando, You’ll want to know how can you get the most when visiting any of these parks. To make sure that your visit is both fun and safe, read below for some important things that you should note on your next theme park adventure.

The best theme parks in Orlando have minimum age and height requirements for most of their rides and attractions. For instance, the Splash Mountain at Disney Magic Kingdom requires guests to be at least 38 inches tall, while the Revenge of the Mummy at  Universal Studios Florida sets their minimum height qualification at 48 inches. In terms of age, most rides require guests to be at least 3 years of age or more. You can check out the website of your chosen theme park to get acquainted with their full list of height and age requirements.

To make sure that you get the most out of your money and time in visiting the theme parks in Orlando, knowing the thrill level of rides is very important. Top-tier rides mean that they are entertaining, exciting, and a crowd favorite.

Having an express pass gives you and your family a lot of privilege inside theme parks. You can schedule your visits in advance so your place in line is “virtually’ held while you experience other rides.  Disney, Universal and SeaWorld all have their own versions of express passes. 

Spend your day wisely by going to the theme park early. This will leave you more time to try out the most popular rides and attractions and you’ll spend less time in line. 

Since theme parks are usually hot and sunny, don’t forget to drink plenty of water to hydrate yourself. Staying hydrated will help you enjoy all the rides and attractions until the end of the day.