Disclaimer: Animal Kingdom was not visited on this trip, nor were any Disney waterparks, therefore they are not included on this list.
- The International Flower and Garden Festival- Epcot
Taylor Andrews posing with a flower sculpture of Tiana from Princess and the Frog (Taylor Andrews) This festival only takes place in the Spring and it covers the park in large flower sculptures of popular Disney characters and moments. It presents wonderful photo opportunities and it’s really amazing to be leisurely walking around and to be able to look over and see one of your favorite Disney characters immortilized in a large flower sculpture.
- Pin Trading- All Disney Parks
Pin Trading is a fun Disney tradition, especially for those who may not enjoy rides. Every store in Disney parks has a multitude of pins that can be purchased. Along with that, every store and some other locations have an employee with a board of pins often not found in the stores that you can trade pins you have for. Pin Trading is a fun break from the hustle to come home with some cute pins to accesorize with.
18.Terralina-Disney Springs
Disney Springs is a Disney owned shopping center. Along with having chain stores such as Tommy Bahama, Vera Bradley, and Uniqlo, it also has many Disney specific stores. Disney Springs is a perfect stop if you need a break from rushing around parks.
Terralina is an Italian restaurant in Disney Springs and the food is absolutely delicious. My favorite would have had to be the Mozzarella Stuffed Rice Balls. Afte a long day of shopping, Terralina is a perfect stop to eat.
- Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railroad- Hollywood Studios
Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railroad is a fun family friendly ride in Hollywood Studios. You load into carts and ride through different clips. It’s a cute experience that not only taps into childhood nostalgia but is also fun for everyone.
- Epcot’s World Showcase- Epcot
The unique thing about Epcot is the fact that it has different parts of the world built into the park. You can walk around the world showcase, which has structures and experiences built for China, Morocco, Germany, and so many other places. It’s an amazing experience to walk place to place in the world and each location has their own unique foods and drinks.
- Space Mountain- Magic Kingdom
Space Mountain is a thrilling ride within Magic Kingdom. It is ridden completely in the dark, other than an occasional tunnel of light to stop your eyes from adjusting. The enjoyability of this ride is the fact that you can’t see where you’re going as you ride. Space Mountain is a fun experience with twists and turns all in the dark.
- Soarin’- Epcot
Soarin’ is another fun ride that is family friendly. You get to see the views of the world in a row of chairs that are suspended above the floor. It truly feels like a paragliding experience and it’s very enjoyable to fly over the world.
- Festival of Fantasy Parade- Magic Kingdom
A Peter Pan float in the Festival of Fantasy Parade (Taylor Andrews)
Parades are a great break from the thrill of rides and the rush of trying to get to everything. Not only do the parades feature dozens of beloved characters and amazing music, but they also have amazing special effects. My favorite part of the parade was Prince Philip fighting the dragon Maleficent, which breathed real fire.
- People Mover- Magic Kingdom
The People Mover is a truly calming experience and a great way to wind down. The People Mover takes you above Tomorrowland with great views. On top of that, it takes you inside of Space Mountain and Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin, as well as passing by a window to let you look inside one of the stores. People Mover is a great way to see what’s going on in Tomorrowland.
- Haunted Mansion- Magic Kingdom
There’s a reason that Haunted Mansion is a Disney World staple. This ride is another slower one that has such a fun atmosphere. You can ride through multiple scenes of ghosts, which is an awesome year round experience for any Halloween fans. After the fun ride you can also swing by the Haunted Mansion themed gift shop, Memento Mori.
- Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin- Magic Kingdom
Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin has a great atmosphere, as most of the ride is glowing and neon. This ride is also fun because it has an arcade shooting gallery element to it. You spend the ride operating the joy stick to spin your cart to face any direction you want it to and shooting at targets.
- Disney Skyliner
While the Disney Skyliner is not techncially a ride, it was one of my favorite parts of the trip. You can us the skyliner to transport yourself from Hollywood Studios or Epcot to some of the resorts, such as the Riviera. The Skyliner takes you high in the sky, providing a wonderful view of some of Florida’s nature while also being a convenient and free transportation option.
- Cheshire Cafe- Magic Kingdom
Although not a sit down restaurant, the Cheshire Cafe was a food highlight for sure. Locating next to the Madhatter’s Mad Tea Party, the Cheshire Cafe is a convenient stop to grab a quick snack for the day. They serve delicious food such as pepperjack cheese stuffed pretzel and Cheshire Cat Tails, pink and purple frosted pastries stuffed with chocolate chips. In Magic Kingdom, this is a must for a quick snack stop.
- Mission Space- Epcot
Mission Space is a ride in Epcot that simulates, as the name suggests, a mission to space. This ride is not for the claustrophobic, as it does close riders into a skinny metal box. This ride also has two different intensity levels, the green level for those who want a less intense experience, and orange level for those who are thrill seekers. I personally rode the orange level, and I loved it. It simulates space travel, even some of what the g-force feels like during flight and takeoff. I absolutely love this ride and would absolutely recommend it.
- Space 220- Epcot
Space 220 is a restaurant in Epcot. Guests take a space elevator up to the actual restaurant area, where every window gives a view out to space. The space view also has moving visuals, really giving the illusion that you are up in space. I personally found it very odd still having cell service in the restaurant because the illusion of it felt so realistic.
This restaurant had some of the best food I’ve ever eaten, along with glowing, vibrantly colored drinks.
- Remy’s Ratatoiulle Adventure- Epcot
Being one of the newest rides in Disney, this ride absolutely lives up to the hype it got. It’s a 4D ride, meaning that on top of being 3D it has physical elements to immerse you even more, such as bursts of wind or a spritz of water. This ride takes you on a fun ride set in the dimension or Ratatoiulle. It is highly immersive and enjoyable to ride.
- Pirates of the Caribbean- Magic Kingdom
A ride photo from Pirates of the Caribbean (Taylor Andrews)
This ranking comes with some bias because I am a huge Pirates of the Caribbean fan. This is a boat ride fit with animatronics acting out scenes from the Pirates of the Caribbean universe. It’s a very laid-back ride, other than one hill toward the beginning of the ride. Although it is a water ride, you’ll walk off very minimally wet, usually only getting hit with a few drops.
- Rise of the Resistance- Hollywood Studios
Rise of the Resistance is a must for any Star Wars fans. The visuals in line, although initially boring, become really cool when you walk off of a ship to a line of hundreds of storm troopers. The ride itself is a blast, being launched into a race against the clock when your group had been found assisting the resistance. This ride is a blast and the visuals are absolutely amazing.
- Be Our Guest- Magic Kingdom
This restaurant is an absolute must for Beauty and the Beast fans. It’s located within a cliff side that takes you into the Beast’s castle. The restaurant houses three rooms you can eat in: the ballroom where Belle and the Beast share their dance, the dark and dreary quarters of the Beast, and the Rose room, which contains a giant music box with Belle and the Beast dancing on top and multiple photos from the animated movie.
As someone who loves Beauty and the Beast, this restaurant was a dream. The food was absolutely delicious and the Beast even circle through the restaurant a few times.
- Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind- Epcot
Being open for just shy of two years and being the first Disney ride to feature Marvel characters, this ride more than lives up to all of the hype that has built up around it. The worst part about this ride was the wait to get on.
This is one of two rides currently operating on a virtual queue system, meaning you have to register for a queue position and hope that you get a slot that gets on before the park closes.
Cosmic Rewind is a time jumping adventure, sending you forward, backward, and flying around, easily making it the best ride at Disney.
