The Disney Parks in California and Florida were celebrating National Roller Coaster Day this past week, taking a look at some of the attractions Roller-Coaster fans love. Expedition Everest in Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Space Mountain in Magic Kingdom, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster in Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind in EPCOT, were just a few of the attractions that sprung to mind around the Walt Disney World Resort. Of course, there are more thrill rides around the resort that aren’t specifically roller coasters; the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, for example, is one of the most thrilling rides on the property without the traditional form of a coaster. The list contains all of my favorite attractions, which made me think; does Disney need more thrill rides in the parks?
I like to be fair, so I considered the question carefully before deciding on a position. At first, I thought, probably not, reflecting on my almost-equal love for family-style rides like Peter Pan’s Flight and Pirates of the Caribbean. However, the more I pondered the ratio of more thrilling attractions to softer ones, I landed firmly on the side of yes! Many of the slower rides that I have come to love act in the form of filler attractions, and when I asked myself if I would spend as much time on them if there were more exciting alternatives, I discovered the answer was likely no. Of course, a few standouts would remain unchanged, like Haunted Mansion, but would you spend as much time on smaller rides like “it’s a small world”?
What do you think DIS Community? Do Disney Theme Parks need more thrill rides? And if so, what sort of attraction would you like to add to which park?
Zoë Wood is a travel writer from Sydney, Australia. Since her first visit to Disneyland at the age of 6, she has spent her years frequently visiting Disney Parks and traveling around the world.
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