May 26, 2026, 5:31 PM ·
Today is the official opening day for Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets at Walt Disney World’s Disney’s Hollywood Studios. I was invited by Disney to preview the ride last week, so today I thought it would be a good idea to offer up my latest ranking of Walt Disney World’s nine roller coasters, from best to worst.Follow the links below for my in-depth reviews and on-ride videos for each coaster.Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind: EPCOT was the last Disney theme park to get a roller coaster. And this one was worth the wait. Perhaps Disney’s best coaster worldwide, Cosmic Rewind sits in Theme Park Insider readers’ top five for the world’s best coasters. A near-perfect blend of story, setting, and thrills, Cosmic Rewind is an easy pick as Walt Disney World’s best coaster. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad: Big Thunder was the other Disney coaster to crack our TPI Top 40 list this year, so I am giving it the second spot on my list. The prototype for themed family coasters, Thunder continues to deliver for Disney fans, especially with its recent rebuild. Expedition Everest: This Disney’s Animal Kingdom coaster has made our top coasters list in years past and deserves a spot in Disney World’s second tier, right below Cosmic Rewind. It’s another great Disney mountain, though I prefer the visuals on Thunder, given the ongoing disability of Disco Yeti.TRON Lightcycle Run: This import from Shanghai Disneyland offers a short but fun ride with its motorbike seating. The ride is substantially better at night, when the exterior lighting complements the interior’s. Honestly, you could jumble these three coasters in any order behind Cosmic Rewind and I would not argue that ranking.Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets: Judging show quality, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster ranks behind only Cosmic Rewind in my book. But this 27-year-old Vekoma headbanger is one of Disney’s two roughest roller coaster rides. Balance those two issues and Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster falls exactly in the middle of Walt Disney World’s coaster lineup for me.Seven Dwarfs Mine Train: A delightful introduction to coasters in the Magic Kingdom’s Fantasyland, Mine Train offers a dark ride scene along with a clever rocking element that help make this a worthy ride for any coaster fan. But this starts the tier of Disney’s three kiddie coasters that lack the broader family appeal of Thunder and Everest. Slinky Dog Dash: This Mack Rides launch coaster pulls some gently forceful moments that have unlocked more than few lifelong coaster habits among its young riders. It’s a cute setting within Toy Story Land at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, too, with some fun decorations along the track. Unfortunately, the queue here is set in Andy’s Easy-Bake Oven, making it a ride that is too often not worth the grueling wait. The Barnstormer: You can find Vekoma Junior Coasters in theme parks around the world, including Legoland’s Dragon and Universal’s Flying Hippogriff. This one is fine, and well worth riding with a young coaster enthusiast. It just lacks the extra something – in show quality or launch thrill – that its two companions above it on my list offer. Space Mountain: If you were wondering what was the other of Disney’s two roughest roller coasters, besides Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, here it is. Disney’s original roller coaster in the dark simply does not have enough show quality compared with the resort’s other coasters to move it up above any of the better – i.e. less painful – ride experiences above it on my list.Planning a Disney visit?For assistance in planning a Walt Disney World vacation, please contact our travel agent for a free, no-obligation vacation quote.To see what is available at the Walt Disney World theme parks, please check out our one-page visitors guides, which include our reader rankings as well as on-ride videos and links to reviews:Finally, to keep up with more Disney and theme park news, please sign up for Theme Park Insider’s weekly newsletter.
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