| The three most popular roller coasters at Walt | | | | colors before "blasting off into space". You dip and |
| Disney World are Splash Mountain, Space Mountain, | | | | swerve through the galaxy for two and a half |
| and Thunder Mountain Railroad. Each of them has a | | | | minutes with peak speeds of 28 miles an hour, riding |
| different feel. Sometimes it's hard to decide which | | | | past shooting stars and glowing planets. The ride may |
| one to go on first. | | | | be too intense for young children. |
| Thunder Mountain Railroad, in Frontierland, is themed | | | | Splash Mountain, in Frontierland, is themed as Walt |
| as the gold rush days in a flooded mine town called | | | | Disney's classic 1946 movie "Song of the South". The |
| Tumbleweed, and you are seated in a runaway mine | | | | crafty Brer Rabbit is chased by Brer Fox and Brer |
| car. It is relatively gentle and geared towards adults | | | | Bear through swamps and woods all the way to the |
| and teens. The ride is about 3.5 minutes of hairpin | | | | Laughin' Place. You should definitely use Fastpass for |
| turns and dark descents; where you feel like you are | | | | this ride. It is best to ride it during parades, either in |
| falling and you go around corners quickly enough to | | | | the day or at night. There is a long queue through |
| be tossed from side to side. There are 20 | | | | the inside of "Chickapin Hill" (this is one of the most |
| audio-animatronic figures including donkeys, chickens, | | | | popular rides in the park, especially in warm weather) |
| possums, and a rainmaker called Professor Cumulus | | | | until you reach the eight passenger "log" that will take |
| Isobar. There is antique mining equipment, falling | | | | you along the flume for 11 minutes. |
| rocks, an earthquake, and the smell of sulphur as you | | | | There are 100 audio-animatronics figures, (some |
| pass phosphorescent pools. You careen through a | | | | taken from an old attraction at Disneyland), as you |
| dinosaur's ribs, under a waterfall, past spewing | | | | travel through caves, swamps, and bayous. You see |
| geysers and over a volcanic pool. You really need to | | | | that initially Brer Rabbit outwits his pursuers but he is |
| be paying attention to catch all the detail. The lines | | | | headed for trouble. He plunges with you from the |
| are long but move fairly quickly. It is best to go | | | | top of Chickapin Hill, down five stories into the briar |
| during parades, or use a FASTPASS, or go late in the | | | | patch, at descent speeds of 40 mph. There are |
| day (many people say it's even better after dark). | | | | several familiar songs to clap, and sing aloud to. |
| The queue can get pretty hot in the summer so a | | | | During the ride there are three lifts and five drops in |
| mister fan could come in handy. | | | | total. Getting wet is inevitable. If you want to get |
| Space Mountain, in Tomorrowland, is an indoor | | | | really wet, though, ask if you can sit up front. There |
| attraction, themed as a ride through outer space. | | | | are ride photos taken just when your log begins to |
| You enter a space station and board and exit the | | | | tip down the 45 degree waterfall. It is pretty funny |
| ride at a space port. There are two almost identical | | | | to see your expression after the ride, at Splashdown |
| tracks in Disney World. Controlled lighting selectively | | | | Photos, as you exit. |
| hides portions of the track, so the element of | | | | Which roller coaster will you choose? Splash Mountain |
| surprise keeps this roller coaster as exciting as an | | | | is an obvious choice on very hot days. It is fun to |
| outside one would be. Space Mountain was the first | | | | sing along to as well. Space Mountain is basically a |
| rollercoaster that was completely controlled and | | | | fast, bone rattling roller coaster that is indoors and |
| operated by a computer system. When you enter | | | | largely in the dark. Thunder Mountain Railroad is |
| Space Mountain, there is a dimly lit queue that seems | | | | relatively gentle (which I like) but has plenty of the |
| endless. It is a good idea to use Fastpass, especially | | | | details that make Disney Theme Parks so much |
| at peak times. The best times to ride are during | | | | better than others. I would choose all three, |
| parades or late at night. Eventually you get to board | | | | especially on your first trip. They all have their own |
| six passenger "rockets", seated single file. Your | | | | special pleasures and should all be experienced at |
| vehicle goes through a tunnel of strobe lights and | | | | least once. |