Usually our opinions are pretty positive and optimistic, but I think it’s time to buckle down and give you some hot takes on Walt Disney World. We asked you what the worst rides at Walt Disney World were, so this list was also constructed with the help of all of you. This is also a perfect time to mention that Always Theme Parks dot com is the place to vote
. Now sit back and be sure to keep your hands, arms, feet, and legs inside as we count down the top 10 worst rides at Walt Disney World. Number 10.
This first ride we’re gonna start off with is Primeval Whirl at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Disney announced that they would be closing this ride for good, but since the coaster structure is still up in Dinorama, it needs a spot on the list, sort of as an honorable mention. Now a lot of people have issues with the Dinorama theming thinking it looks like a cheap carnival in a parking lot, but that’s exactly what Imagineers were going for.
I think the theming works really well for being a roadside attraction, and there’s a lot of detail here with a pretty extensive backstory. I’ve always been a fan of the theme, but why was Primeval Whirl one of the worst rides then? Well, theming aside, I just don’t think the ride was very enjoyable. In a way this wild mouse coaster was unique since the cars spun, but the ride just left you feeling really dizzy.
For us, the dizziness always overshadowed the thrill. The ride spun excessively, and as it aged, it became increasingly rough. Disney’s decision to close it seems to validate its reputation as one of the less favorable attractions. Additionally, the ride was reportedly a maintenance nightmare, especially since its manufacturer is now defunct.
Now, let’s discuss a ride that might be a bit controversial. According to a survey conducted on AlwaysThemeParks dot com, many of you consider it’s a small world to be among the worst Disney rides. First and foremost, it’s undeniable that this ride is a classic.
Its debut at the 1964 World’s Fair was monumental, paving the way for many of the Disney attractions we enjoy today. However, despite its legacy, a significant number of you expressed your dislike for it. When asked why, the most common reasons were:
• Creepiness of the Animatronic Dolls: Many of you felt that the dolls have an eerie presence, with some describing them as staring into your soul. While I understand this perspective—the dolls do have a certain uncanny quality—it doesn’t personally bother me too much.
• Repetitiveness of the Song: The ride features a song that repeats itself continuously. Although it’s sung in various languages throughout the 13-minute journey, the tune remains the same, which many find monotonous and, over time, quite annoying.
These insights shed light on why it’s a small world might not resonate with everyone, despite its historical significance.
That aside, it does have a great message though since it’s an anthem for world peace. Something that the world needs a lot of right now. Number 8 When it comes to the rides at Animal Kingdom, most live up to the expectations and deliver a Disney experience, but when it comes to Cali River Rapids, it really falls short.
Literally. I’ve heard from many first timers say, that’s it, as the ride ends. For a River Rapids ride, it’s very short and tame when you compare it to others in the Orlando area, or just any theme park for that matter.
It feels like Disney forgot to build part of the ride and it’s kind of true since it was supposed to be a much longer experience. The original plans called for the ride to be named Tiger River Run. All the empty space behind the ride was actually meant for the original concept.
It would feature live animals in the same fashion as Kilimanjaro Safaris, showcasing the animals native to Asia. But after some budget cuts, the ride was scaled back and it became Cali River Rapids. Prior to construction, Disney canceled even more elements, leaving us with only one major show scene which was the deforestation area.
Now the ride isn’t horrible, I mean the theming is pretty detailed, but you don’t get very wet for it being a rapids ride where the norm is to get soaked. Cali River rapids always leaves me feeling like I was cheated of an experience that could have been much better.
Number seven.
The next ride on the list is the Seas with Nemo and Friends, and personally I just think it’s a really boring ride when you consider other dark rides at Walt Disney World. It’s a way to get into the aquarium of the pavilion and a great escape from the heat, but other than that, I don’t think you’re missing much. With most Disney dark rides having no height requirement, Nemo really feels like it was designed for younger audiences.
It’s pretty much just video of Nemo and Friends on screens with no animatronics and minimal kinetic elements along the ride. It also doesn’t help that over the years the line for the ride has gotten so long where waiting over an hour is not worth it, in my opinion. There are so many other rides that are just okay where waiting an hour is more justified.
It wouldn’t be so bad if the waits were shorter, there just isn’t anything imaginative about the ride and it’s pretty forgettable. Don’t you agree? When I think of Disney dark rides, Nemo never crosses my mind. Quite frankly the best part of the ride is when it ends where you get to explore the aquarium.
Now that is impressive.
Number 6.
Tomorrowland at Magic Kingdom has its own issues as a whole, but let me preface this by saying I love Carousel of Progress and it’s the one attraction on the list that I never miss when I’m at Magic Kingdom. Although it’s one of my go-tos, it has to be the worst ride at the resort when it comes to maintenance.
Disney has really neglected Carousel of Progress to the point where it’s literally falling apart. If you’ve seen the animatronic malfunction or breakdown videos, we’re always talking about this attraction and its problems all stem from lack of maintenance. Aside from hands falling off, the animatronics have become very stiff over the years.
The theater looks really tired and worn out, not to mention that Act 4 is extremely out of date. You’re not going to tell us about the old days when you didn’t even have a car phone! Hey Trish, for a while we didn’t even have a house phone, not to mention laser discs. The attraction really needs some love and fast!.
Now I do enjoy the story of Carousel of Progress and it could definitely still be relevant in Tomorrowland if they just updated the attraction. I personally don’t think they’ll ever remove Carousel of Progress completely since it holds so much Disney history. It was one of Walt’s favorites and it’s the only attraction at Walt Disney World that Walt was personally involved with.
I’ll never stop visiting the attraction but it’s really sad seeing it fall into such despair because it could really be something great. Number 5. Staying in Tomorrowland, the Tomorrowland Speedway has got to be the worst ride in the land as it stands right now. Aside from taking up a lot of valuable space, the ride is just out of date with its gas-powered cars.
There’s nothing quite like the whiff of fumes you get as you walk by the ride. It’s quite the transition from Fantasyland to Tomorrowland. While the Tomorrowland Speedway was closed in 2019 for refurbishment, it was so nice walking through Tomorrowland and not smelling gasoline.
This would be such an easy fix for Disney to use electric powered vehicles, maybe even get Tesla to sponsor the attraction. It would fit the theme of Tomorrow much better than the current go-karts and this is not to say that I hate the ride. Honestly the first memory I have of driving a car was when I was a kid riding on the Speedway and I think it’s an experience that a lot of us remember.
It’s just in 2025 there’s a better way Disney can do go-karts in a theme park. Also can I just say that the steering on those cars is the worst? Anyone else agree? It’s always a struggle to not have your car hit the rails. Over the years the Tomorrowland Speedway has been shortened many times including in 2019.
So I wouldn’t be surprised if eventually Disney shortens the ride so much that they just remove it all together and something new takes its place.
Number four.
Next on the list is Adventureland’s Magic Carpets of Aladdin at Magic Kingdom.
Although this is where my favorite camels reside, I do have a couple problems with the ride. The first being location which is honestly the worst. Before the ride was built in 2001, this area of the land was very open with a lot more room to move.
The ride’s pretty compact but it’s placed right in the middle of Adventureland. It takes up way too much room. There’s always a bottleneck around this area since the paths are so narrow but this was never a problem before the carpets.
Honestly if Disney ever decides to remove the spinner I’d be sad to lose the camels but wouldn’t be opposed to it especially since the park already has three other spinners. Dumbo is a classic and Astro Orbiter at least gives you a unique view of the park and I get creating rides with no height requirements. But a majority of the rides at Magic Kingdom already fall into this category.
When you look at the ride mixed in with the overall theme of Adventureland, it kind of stands out like a sore thumb. In my opinion it brings too much fantasy into the land. Now what do you think?
Number three.
The next ride is Mission Space in Future World at Epcot. Now when this ride first made its debut in 2003, people were kind of upset that this replaced the classic dark ride Horizons. It was seen as a downgrade and right off the bat there was chatter about the ride being too intense.
Those who are prone to motion sickness or made uncomfortable by enclosed dark spaces, simulators, or spin should bypass this experience. The attraction spins vigorously and exposes you to forces up to 2.5 G which is twice the force of gravity at the Earth’s surface. It was so intense that Disney made motion sickness bags available at arm’s reach on the ride.
You know Disney ride is a bit too intense when there’s barf bags involved and this might be the only one. Now I love thrill rides. Drop me over 300 feet down a coaster and I’m in heaven.
But the orange mission on Mission Space made me so dizzy and nauseous that I had to sit down for a half an hour. It was honestly one of the worst rides I’ve been on. But there is the green mission that is much less intense.
That one doesn’t spin you but instead you just feel some rattles and shakes. It’s okay but the big issue with the ride cabins on both missions is how claustrophobic it makes you feel. There isn’t much room in there and why replace Horizons with this crap?
Now there are some who don’t mind this ride but for me it’s honestly one of the worst rides.
Now on to Number 2
I said earlier that I don’t mind the theming of Dinorama. I actually really enjoyed this area but I still think Triceratops Spin is one of the worst rides at Walt Disney World.
Now I get its purpose. It’s a ride for a younger demographic since there isn’t much for families with young children at Animal Kingdom. But it’s literally Dumbo with dinosaurs.
And out of the other three spinners at the resort this one gives you the worst views. If you’ve done Dumbo you’ve done Triceratops Spin.
Now over to Epcot for Number 1
Oh Figment. Figment Figment Figment.
As a character you’re adorable and I always come pay you a visit but when we look at Journey into Imagination as a whole, it’s one of the worst rides at Walt Disney World. For something that takes place in the Imagination Pavilion, the ride lacks a lot of imagination and innovation. Not to mention this is another ride that Disney has neglected in terms of maintenance.
Figment’s mobility has become pretty stiff over the years in the sound lab and the ride has just been plagued with audio issues. Now this might be one of the worst rides but this version of Journey into Imagination may not be the worst version we’ve seen. That award goes to Journey into Your Imagination which was far worse but when you consider the original version of the ride, this is a replacement that fell short.
Since debuting in 2002, it’s really starting to show its age in terms of technology. Figment looks like he belongs in one of those knockoff Disney animated films. Surely with Disney being an animation studio, they could bring him up to modern animation standards.
Dare I say even maybe replace Nigel Channing with another actor and create a new storyline? It has been rumored that this would be a ride that will eventually get a refurbishment. So I guess we’ll have to see what the future has in store for Journey into Imagination. So in your opinion, what’s the worst ride at Walt Disney World? I’d love to know! Leave a comment down below to start a conversation and don’t forget to hit that like button if you enjoyed the video!
