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Ranking Every Single Ride in EPCOT


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Ahhhh… EPCOT. The rides will take you into space, under the sea, on race tracks, and around the world.

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EPCOT

BUT… Which ones should you prioritize? Can they all be ridden in one day? What’s the best way to ride them all in one day? If you’ve got these questions, we’ve got the answers. Today, we’re going to take a dive into each of the EPCOT rides and how they’re ranked by the team here at DFB. Plus, we’ll talk about which rides use Disney Genie+ and Individual Attraction Selections, which is just an Individual Lightning Lane. While these totally aren’t necessary, especially in EPCOT, they’ll only help you out if you do decide to purchase them — so just decide what’s best for you and your crew.

Alright, who’s ready to talk EPCOT rides? First, we’ll start with the rides in World Celebration, home of what many call the “EPCOT ball.” That pretty lady has a name — Spaceship Earth! That leads us to our first ranking for World Celebration.

World Celebration Ride Rankings

1. Spaceship Earth — 9/10

If you’re reading this, thank the Phoenicians! Spaceship Earth is a 16-minute omnimover dark ride that takes you on a journey inside Spaceship Earth — the park icon! This will take you across a timeline of communication to see just how far we humans have come over the centuries. Each scene (aside from the first one) features animatronics and intricate background work. It’s educational, but also quite interesting!

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Spaceship Earth

At the end, you’ll start moving BACKWARDS through a starry tunnel, and the screen in front of you will allow you to “Choose Your Own Future” with a fun activity. While we do find this ride quite charming, it’s in dire need of a refurbishment. In 2019, Disney told us at the D23 Convention that the ride would be undergoing MAJOR renovations “featuring great moments of human history along with a focus on storytelling rather than inventions and technology.

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Inside Spaceship Earth

As for the typical wait times for this ride, they’re usually pretty manageable. If they ever seem outrageous, just do something else and come back later because those lines will definitely die down. Our one piece of advice is to never rope drop this ride! The lines will remain short, so rope drop another ride that’ll have outrageous lines late in the day.

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Spaceship Earth

We recommend this ride to anyone seeking a classic EPCOT dark ride, but if you’rer uncomfortable with extended dark sections of rides or get motion sick from slow moving and rotating rides, this one is probably a skip.

2. Journey Into Imagination with Figment — 6/10

Journey Into Imagination is all about… Imagination! During this slow-moving ride, Dr. Nigel Channing is tying to take you through his Sensory Lab inside the Imagination Institute, but his purple dragon — Figment — is pretty spunky and has other plans. The ride takes you through mind tricks, illusions, and even a SKUNK SMELL.

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Journey Into Imagination with Figment

Kiddos either love or hate this ride — be prepared for loud noises, sudden rushes of air blown in your face, and some slightly creepy scenes — like Dr. Nigel Channing’s face projected onto the moon. For the most part though, people find Figment to be pretty adorable.

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So cute

The wait for this one is typically pretty short, so just check on the Disney Genie app to see the expected wait times and if you should come back later. You totally don’t need a Lightning Lane.

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Journey Into Imagination With Figment

This ride is super kooky and colorful, great for smaller kiddos. However, older kids and teens typically find this one pretty “cringe-y.”

World Discovery Rides

World Discovery is all about spacey, futuristic vibes — kind of like Tomorrowland in Magic Kingdom. World Discovery has felt even MORE high-tech and futuristic than Tomorrowland recently with a brand new coaster and the space-centric restaurant, Space 220. There are three rides here, all of which include Lightning Lane options. However, how you approach getting one is going to be a little different. Let’s talk about it!

3. Mission: SPACE

This ride is… one of a kind. That’s for sure. It’s a NASA-style mission simulator that assigns you a role (pilot, navigator, engineer, or commander) and then it puts you on a space shuttle and blasts you into space. During the ride, you’ll be commanded to push buttons for your assigned role. If you fail to do so, don’t worry. You’re not gonna mess up the story of anything.

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Mission Space

There are TWO versions of this ride. The Green Mission is a gentle, family-friendly ride that takes you around the Earth and back again. You’ll feel some subtle movements but it’s nothing intense. However, the Orange Mission still stands. If you’ve ever wanted to know what it feels like to be blended into a smoothie, this ride experience is pretty close. MAJOR spinning G-Forces, major risk of losing your lunch.

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Mission Space is known for making people nauseous!

Let us be LOUD AND CLEAR. If you are prone to motion sickness, DO NOT DO THE ORANGE MISSION. It’s probably the most intense ride in all of Disney World. They provide sick bags on this ride, that’s how often people get off this ride and toss their cookies after.

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Mission Space

Neither side posts a long wait time, but the Green Mission side is always posted at a shorter wait time just to dissuade people from going to Orange. We recommend this ride to those of you who love space and have stomachs of steel. If you experience motion sickness, run far, far away from this ride.

Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind 9/10

It’s the latest and greatest, and it gives every other space-themed ride at Disney World a serious run for its money. Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind is a family-friendly indoor coaster where you’ll join StarLord, Rocket, Groot, Gamora, Drax, and Centurion Tal Marik (Terry Crews. We refuse to call him anything else because he’s Terry Crews.)

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Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind

The ride vehicle will launch you backwards into space right at the beginning. Don’t worry, though. It’s VERY smooth and will build up speed without feeling like you’re about to get whiplash. The ride also uses screen technology to project characters and scenes around the ride, which you’ll be able to see thanks to the ride’s 360-degree turning technology.

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Guardians Queue

A fan-favorite aspect of this ride is the soundtrack. You can get one of six different songs throughout the ride, and each song totally changes the vibe. There’s no bad way to experience it, though! Plus, depending where you’re seated on the ride, you’ll always have a different perspective and “feel” the ride in different ways. There’s no bad seat!

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Guardians

While Cosmic Rewind will reach speeds up to 55MPH, it’s so smooth you can’t even tell. While this ride isn’t super intense, it is still pretty thrilling. The ride makes the occasional visitor nauseous from the 360º turns and the projections on the wall, but we have several on our team who are prone to motion sickness that aren’t at all bothered by this ride.

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Cosmic Rewind

This ride opened a year ago on May 27th, 2022, and it still uses a Boarding Pass system. You can’t jump in line like other Disney World rides. You have to join via virtual queue on the My Disney Experience app at either 7AM or 1PM. You can also purchase an Individual Lightning Lane! It isn’t yet included with the purchase of Genie+.

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Cosmic Rewind Queue

If you’re looking for a family-friendly thrill ride, a great soundtrack, and all the Marvel vibes, don’t skip this one! If you get motion sickness reaaalllllyyyy easily, maybe skip this one.

Test Track — 7/10

This ride was originally a high-speed car ride that made you a test dummy in a vehicle testing facility. At the end of 2012, the ride was reimagined to give you the ability to customize your own ride vehicle while waiting in the queue, and then give you the ability to compete with other car designs.

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Test Track

The elements of the testing facility still remain, though. You’ll get buckled into your car and will go through a series of testing, which includes sudden drops, sharp turns, and a thrilling speed run at the end that will take you racing through an outdoor course at 60MPH.

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Test Track Line

This ride has pretty long waits for most of the day, so it would be a good one to grab a Lightning Lane or Genie+ reservation for, or a good one to rope-drop. We totally recommend Test Track to anyone who loves to go FAST! If you’re looking to only wait in short lines or hate jerky rides, skip this one.

World Showcase

If you’re hoping to take a trip around the world, you’re in luck! World Showcase presents 11 different cultural pavilions decorated to look like 11 different countries. Let’s check out the rides!

Gran Fiesta Tour — Starring the Three Caballeros — 8/10

Once you’re inside the Aztec Pyramid in the Mexico Pavilion, you’ll find shops, restaurants, and a giant smoking volcano. You’ll also find Gran Fiesta Tour — Starring the Three Caballeros! This is a gentle boat ride that takes you on a tour of Mexico — but Donald has gone missing!

This ride is comforting and a great way to cool off. It also might make you sleepy. It’s kind of like It’s A Small World in Magic Kingdom.

It also doesn’t usually have a line. If it does, you’ll probably wait for 5-10 minutes tops. There isn’t a Lightning Lane or Genie+ option for this ride, which is totally fine because there’s hardly ever anyone waiting. You can ride this one at any time throughout the day!

This ride is best for those seeking respite from the heat by going on a relaxing boat ride. It might feel a bit dated though, and it’s probably not ideal for those seeking something a bit more thrilling.

Frozen Ever After — 8/10

The Norway Pavilion once boasted a toll-infested boat ride called Maelstrom, but was replaced in 2016 with another troll-infested boat ride… plus Elsa and Anna. This ride will take you along a celebration of the anniversary of the day that Anna saved her sister Elsa form Prince Hans. (Ew. We hate even saying his name.)

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Frozen Ever After

You’ll see Elsa’s big music number, be pushed backward down a waterfall (gently) and even experience a minor drop! The thrills aren’t huge — babies can ride this ride.

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Frozen Ever After in Disney World

We’re talking about Frozen, here, so this line can get LONG. If you don’t purchase Lightning Lane or Genie+, we recommend waiting to ride this ride until EPCOT Forever starts at night.

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Loooong lines.

If you love Frozen, catchy-music, and happy vibes — this ride is for you. If you’re seeking a ride with more of a plot, maybe skip this one. The drop could be a little scary for the super little ones, so keep that in mind as well! (But also keep in mind that babies ride this with no problem.)

Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure — 8/10

This trackless dark ride originated in Disneyland Paris, but is now also nestled in the France Pavilion at EPCOT. Here, you’ll jump in a rat-shaped ride vehicle to follow Remy and his friends as he tries to whip up his ratatouille dish while narrowly escaping Chef Skinner.

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Ratatouille

This ride boasts both larger-than-life props as well as screen technology to make you feel like you’ve truly shrunk down to rat size. It’s charming and family friendly, but is it worth the 2-hour wait that this ride seemingly ALWAYS has? No. Nope. If you wanna ride without a long line, you’ll either have to rope drop or purchase an Individual Lightning Lane or use Genie+.

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Ratatouille line

If you’re looking for a cute, dark ride — this is the ride for you! It’s not the best if you don’t want to wait forever for a short, not-so-thrilling ride. It also has a tendency to make some people motion sick, so keep that in mind as well.

World Nature

World Nature is home to land, air, and sea. All three rides found here are peaceful and relaxing. Plus, you might learn something along the way! They all have Lightning Lanes as well, but you don’t really NEED them. Well, you might need it for one. Let’s go!

The Seas with Nemo and Friends — 7/10

This is a dark omnimover ride where you’ll help Marlin, Dory, and the rest of the gang find Nemo. It’s a super cute ride, and it’s very similar to the Little Mermaid ride in Magic Kingdom. Kids typically love this ride, but might close their eyes for a moment when you encounter the shark friends.

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The Seas

The queue is ridiculously long, but it’s empty. You’ll have to trek for a couple minutes before you actually arrive to the ride boarding area. You absolutely don’t need a Lightning Lane or Genie+.

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The Seas

If you love Nemo, you’ll love this ride. It’s not the best if you’re looking for something more thrilling. It also has moments that might induce motion sickness.

Living with the Land — 8/10

Living with the Land is a 14-minute boat journey that’s half a dark ride, and half a tour through EPCOT’s working greenhouses. It’ll teach you all about Disney’s innovative growing methods and fish farming techniques, while also telling riders all about the history of farming and cultivation.

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Living With The Land

While this ride is generally very interesting for adults, it can feel very boring to younger riders. It’s safe to say that as far as wait times go, you totally don’t need to book a Lightning Lane or Genie+. In most cases, you’ll be able to walk right on.

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Living with the Land

If you’re looking for an educational boat ride, this one is for you. However if you have squirmy kiddos or are looking for a thrilling ride, skip this one.

Soarin’ Around The World — 9/10

Soarin’ is a multi-leveled flight simulator that givves you aerial views of the world! You’ll see scenes like Sydney Harbour, Mount Kilimanjaro, the Great Wall of China, and more. There’s also a pretty relaxing song to accompany the ride as well as some amazing smells based on each scene.

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Soarin

While this ride holds a ton of people at once, the view can be a bit… distorted based on where you’re seated. The Eiffel Tower has a bit of a curve to it from certain perspectives. Our favorite spot on the ride is the first row in the middle section.

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Soarin

This is a ride that Genie+ or an Individual Lightning Lane might be great for, although you can totally wait. The rides typically peak around 40-60 minutes each day.

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Soarin’ line

If you have a fear of heights, this ride is not for you. If you’re on the top row, you are suspended at 50 feet above the ground. If you’re seeking an aerial view of the world, hop aboard!

Whew! There you have it! Those are rankings of EVERY EPCOT RIDE, so we hope this list helps you make decisions about your day in the park. We’ll continue to give you all the Disney tips and tricks, so make sure to follow along for more!

Looking for more ride rankings? Click here for more!

 

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What’s your favorite Disney World ride? Let us know in the comments!

The post Ranking Every Single Ride in EPCOT first appeared on the disney food blog.

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