Magic Kingdom...things we haven't done.

[LibrarianBecky]

We have a trip coming up soon! I'm planning out our days and trying to add in some of the things we haven't done before. I wondered if I could get opinions on a few rides/attractions. It is myself, my husband, my best friend, and my 9 yo son. None of us are huge thrill ride ppl, if that helps.

Astro Orbiter: heights make me nervous, but I watched a video of this ride, and I think the solid looking platform and railings would make this ok to ride. Is it scary at all?

Tomorrow land Speedway: I could probably take or leave this, but I think my son would like it.

Enchanted Tales with Belle: Beauty and the Beast is my favorite. I thought this might be a good one to add.

Tom Sawyer's Island: if my son needs to burn off energy, I thought we would do this. Is it very hot in the afternoon or is there some shade?

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad: my son does not want to ride this (afraid), but I'm hoping he may change his mind. I want to try it! He went on Barnstormer 2 years ago, and was scared, but I'm hoping he is a bit older and willing to try.

WDW Railroad: we never rode this either. Is it worth the time to ride or is it more just a method to get from one place to the next?


Thank You!

 

[Disneylover99]

You must ride the railroad! Yes, it's great to get from here to there, but sometimes we ride it just to enjoy the sights and to take a break.

Lots of shady spots on Tom Sawyer's Island.

 

[ZephyrHawk]

Astro Orbiter - It's actually a bit more nerve wracking than you'd think. My husband who's afraid of heights does NOT like it.

Tomorrowland Speedway - It's classic.

Enchanted Tales - Not to be missed, in my opinion. More of a show than a ride, but adorable.

Tom Sawyers Island - It's very hot, but still great for burning energy. There's some shade in the caves, but that's probably not a place you want to hang out.

Big Thunder Mountain - I hope you manage to convince you son to ride. It's worth it.

WDW Railroad - I do recall there being things to see on some of the legs of the RR, but not all of them (I think).

 

[Happyinwonerland]

Enchanted tales with belle is a lot of fun for young children, but as a party of an older boy and adults you might be disappointed. It is a very underwhelming attraction if your aren't a small kid that's excited to be in a play with Belle.

 

[LibrarianBecky]

You must ride the railroad! Yes, it's great to get from here to there, but sometimes we ride it just to enjoy the sights and to take a break.

Lots of shady spots on Tom Sawyer's Island.

I just read that the railroad is going to be closed for refurb during my trip!! Bummer! Guess I'll just have to plan another trip....

 

[keepswimming76]

We've never done Astro Orbiter but I'm putting it as a must-do on our next!

Tales with Belle is nice, but it is geared toward young kids.

I did the speedway for the first time during our last trip and I was pleasantly surprised at how much fun it was. The others you mention are must-dos as well!

 

[JamieH]

I've never done Astro Orbitor but Speedway is a must every trip for my son, he's almost 10 now. He also liked Enchanted Tales ... I know it seems like it may be "girly" but he was chosen to be the Beast and loved it (he didn't openly rave about it but I could tell he enjoyed it). He also loves Tom Sawyer's island. He isn't into thrill rides at all so we don't usually do Big Thunder, I plan to get him to try it this time around, though!

 

[Princess Roo]

I was unpleasantly surprised by how fast Astro Orbiter goes. It messed with my stomach and I hope never to go again.
Hopefully your DS will like BTMR this trip. It's a good "gateway" roller coaster! It's less jerky than Barnstormer. When my ODS was 4, he was so-so about Barnstormer but LOVED BTMR. I'm looking forward to introducing DS2 to it this trip!
My kids LOVE the speedway. I definitely recommend it!
Belle was cute, but it's a pretty long attraction, so partly it depends if you're willing to give the time to it.
I think the railroad and Tom Sawyer Island are great if they fit in, but not necessary.

 

[theone74733]

Astro-Orbitor - This could be mildly scary as going in circles at a moderately fast paced, high altitude could potentially cause motion sickness for some people. You could always keep your orbiter at the lowest altitude at first and adjust it depending on how comfortable you feel. I like this ride better than Dumbo/Magic Carpets of Aladdin since you get better scenery of Tomorrowland being so high up.

Tomorrowland Speedway - Kids under 12 will love it since they can't drive in real-life. As an adult, I don't find anything worthwhile going on this ride. It is really hard to steer so you pretty much are just pushing a pedal the whole time going 5-10 mph. One ride is enough for me.

Enchanted Tales with Belle - Never done this.

Tom Sawyer's Island - Good place to check out when the park is crowded, but not somewhere to spend a lot of time as it can be cramped with a lot of kids running.

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad: This is one roller coaster that you have to do! A great introduction to roller coasters as this one has more tight turns ("g" forces) than drops. Only a slight dip, but you don't get that "drop" feeling like on splash mountain. Have your kid watch a youtube ride along so he knows what to expect on the ride. Also, request the front as it is less scary than in the back.

 

[tinkerbesh]

Ditto what others have said about Astro Orbiter. I do love it, but I remember that I was expecting a Dumbo feel and wound up with an unexpected thrill also.

Have you done 7DMT yet? It's tamer than BTMRR, kind of in between Barnstormer & that. There's a slow down in the middle, which is a relief where you can rest if you had been nervous in the beginning.

You might also try Swiss Family Treehouse around sunset. It's nothing hugely exciting, but it is a neat place to burn off energy. And the views from up high are gorgeous at sunset.

Check a ride list and see if there's anything else you haven't done. You couldn't pay me enough to do Stitch every again, but other than that I think everything's worth trying at least once. And I love it when a new ride becomes an old favorite.

Oh and also check out any entertainment you've never seen. Our favorite is watching The Dapper Dans sing on Main Street.

 

[Kelly014]

Ditto what others have said about Astro Orbiter. I do love it, but I remember that I was expecting a Dumbo feel and wound up with an unexpected thrill also.

Agreed. We had done the magic carpet ride earlier and I was expecting something like that. Heights freak me out a little so while I did appreciate the nice view I'm not sure I care to ride it again!

 

[HeidiGW]

BTMRR is one ride I'd push him to go on if he resists, only because I know he will LOVE it! My younger two daughters were total ride wimps, but since we were at Disney--and, "nothing is scary" at WDW/their words--they tried it against their better judgements. Later they were going on by themselves (very short lines) at ages 7 & 9 while I waited at the gate with the baby.

In my old age--44--I am starting to have motion/ride problems. But, 12 or 13 years ago I rode it for the last time. Kids loved it. It is all I could do from barfing. It should be renamed the barfinator. It was fast--to me--and it seemed like it ran forever. The line actually did take forever. Only thing in the park I'd tell to skip without question. Well, it and the tea cups.

 

[minniemous]

The railroad is fun. There are scenes set up to view as you go through the different lands. It is very enjoyable.

Astro Orbiter- I would say if you are afraid of heights perhaps skip. You are high up. I am not too squeamish with heights and it was a bit uncomfortable for me being up that high and spinning.

Tom Sawyer- it depends. I had not been in years and we went decided to go (daughter (5), husband, myself) and we had fun. There is also a seating area at on of the unused docks with rocking chairs. My daughter and husband ran around while I put my feet up and enjoyed the view of big thunder mountain railroad in the shade. It was fun exploring as well the cave area. It was a very pleasant temperature that day (70's) I think if it was much hotter it would have been something I would have wanted to skip. If it is not crowded and you do not have to wait for the raft I say give it a try. It is very different from other attractions at disney and it is a nice change to be free roaming and exploring.

Big Thunder is Fun- My daughter loved it. She was apprehensive but then loved it.

 

[FrillNFroo]

We went to Enchanted Tales with Belle right at the end of our very last day. It was kind of a "what do you want to do that we haven't done before we leave?" kind of thing. My oldest just played Belle in her school play, and for some reason, this attraction should have been high on our priority list, but we almost overlooked it. We LOVED it! My youngest got to play the Beast, while wearing her pink Mickey ears. I am SO glad we did. It was her favorite experience of the entire trip.

We rode Big Thunder on a loop, several times...a family favorite!

 

[JennaDeeDooDah]

Astro Orbiter is the only ride at MK that I have absolutely no intention of doing again. The first time I did it was on my honeymoon during Wishes. They put my 6'81" husband and me in the same rocket. It was so crowded and uncomfortable that it was hard to enjoy the fireworks. The second time I did it, I made sure I got my own rocket. It was in early January and was raining. It was terribly cold and I didn't want to be high up there. I felt like I was going to fall out because I didn't want to raise my rocket. The third time was this past April. Again, I made sure I had my own rocket. The weather was lovely so I expected things to go better. I made sure to raise my rocket up so that I was perfectly level - not tilting out or in. Now, I suffer from motion sickness on some rides such as the tea cups, Star Tours, and Mission Space. I was taking non-drowsy Dramamine and had been having fantastic results. I had ridden the tea cups 3 times in a row with no problem and had done Star Tours multiple times without an issue. As such, you can imagine my surprise when I ended up filling very ill up there. I closed my eyes and leaned back hoping that the breeze would help me feel better. It might have helped a little. When we got off, my husband took our daughter on the speedway while I went into the Cosmic Ray's bathroom to splash water on my face and then I got a cold drink and sat out for a while util I felt better. I've never had to take a break like that before, even after the tea cups or Star tours without medication. So, if you suffer from any kind of motion sickness, I'd avoid. Also, don't try to put two adults into one rocket and only do it if the weather is nice. And since you are afraid of heights, make sure you raise up your rocket so that it levels out and you don't feel like you are going to fall out.


Tomorrowland Speedway is only one I would recommend someone do if there was little to no wait. The kids really seem to enjoy it but there is nothing fun about standing in line in the hot Florida sun for over 30 minutes, smelling lawnmower fumes, to only drive around in a tiny car that doesn't go very fast.


Enchanted Tales with Belle is cute but I'm not sure it would be right for your family. As others have said, it's great for little girls and other kids who want to be in a play with Belle, but not really something older boys tend to love. But I that is something up your son's alley, go for it.


Tom Sawyer Island is a great place for kids to burn off energy and there are some spots in the shade. It's big, though, so you might not want to be sitting in the shade while your son runs around by himself.


I really hope your son changes his name about Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. It's such a great ride.


Since you can't do the railroad this trip, I would definitely recommend you work it in for the next one. It's relaxing and it's nice to see the little touches that they have put up out there just for the railroad.

 

[to be tink]

I have 3 boys, 10, 17, and 21. We have been going to Disney World since my oldest was little. My family does love Astro Orbiter but don't always ride every trip. It is a slow loading ride so the wait can be long. If the wait isn't too long I say go for it! You should try every ride at least once My recommendation would be to ride on a clear night. The views are amazing!

I have never been able to talk my boys into Enchanted Tales so I can't offer any advice there. It's actually on my list for our upcoming trip in February.

Tom Sawyer's Island is a must do for us! The raft ride over can be crowded but I have never felt crowded on the island. We love exploring the caves and fort. And when I have enough running around I find a rocking chair overlooking the water and relax for a few minutes.

My youngest loves BTMR! But I agree with an earlier post that 7DMT is a bit smoother of a coaster.

Sorry to hear that the Railroad will be closed while you are there. It's a great little break during the day!

I hope you have a magical trip!

 

[biondagirl]

We've never done the Hall of Presidents or Tom Sawyer Island.

We did Astro Orbitor, Stitch, ETWB and Swiss Family Robinson Tree House once a piece and we're good.

If your son was scared on Barnstormer, I don't think he'll like BTMRR. My neice isn't big on fast rides and she hated it. (She was almost 8 at the time.) I think he'll like the Speedway (my kids still do at 9 and 12) and ETWB.

Have fun!

 

[lahobbs4]

Astro Orbitor made me more nauseous than any other ride!! And I'm not a big chicken. I was SO dizzy and off balance for a while when that was over.

The others are must-dos if you can!

 

[ErinInCT]

My dd11 was super scared to go on BTMRR (we had forced her when she was 6 and she hated it and still held a grudge!!). Being older, we begged her to try it and if she hated it we'd never ask her to do another ride she didn't want to do. She LOVED IT! So much so that we stayed one night until close and rode it over and over (and it's MUCH scarier at night). She doesn't like coasters with drops (didn't even like the little drop on PotC) and this is not that kind of coaster. If you son can do Test Track he should be fine on BTMRR. Try to encourage him as I think he'll be pleasantly surprised.

I'm too scared to do Astro Orbitor so I never even bring it up to my kids and they don't ask to go on it. This seems way scarier than BTMRR but I am not a fan of going in circles.

Never done Tom Sawyer.

Belle was fine when my girls were younger but they had no interest this time. They wouldn't even watch the show at DHS.

Personally I think the Speedway is something that can be done at any amusement park so we have never done it. I find it smelly and the lines are always super long (which I just don't get). But we have girls so maybe your son will wanna do it if he is into cars.

We only use the RR as a way to get from point A to point B. Usually to get to Splash and BTMRR when we first arrive! Sorry it won't be available. Last time it was a lifesaver to get from the old Toontown back to the entrance when it was just too hot to walk another step!

 

[5kidsmommy]

We have a trip coming up soon! I'm planning out our days and trying to add in some of the things we haven't done before. I wondered if I could get opinions on a few rides/attractions. It is myself, my husband, my best friend, and my 9 yo son. None of us are huge thrill ride ppl, if that helps.

Astro Orbiter: heights make me nervous, but I watched a video of this ride, and I think the solid looking platform and railings would make this ok to ride. Is it scary at all?

Tomorrow land Speedway: I could probably take or leave this, but I think my son would like it.

Enchanted Tales with Belle: Beauty and the Beast is my favorite. I thought this might be a good one to add.

Tom Sawyer's Island: if my son needs to burn off energy, I thought we would do this. Is it very hot in the afternoon or is there some shade?

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad: my son does not want to ride this (afraid), but I'm hoping he may change his mind. I want to try it! He went on Barnstormer 2 years ago, and was scared, but I'm hoping he is a bit older and willing to try.

WDW Railroad: we never rode this either. Is it worth the time to ride or is it more just a method to get from one place to the next?


Thank You!

I won't do Astro Orbiter, I am terrified of heights, my DH and four of my kids though love it.

Tomorrowland Speedway is a must do, it's a classic ride and we all love it.

Enchanted Tales with Belle, my daughter enjoyed it, my boys didn't even want to go so they didn't.

Tom Sawyer's Island, another must do, it's so fun and nostalgic, a nice way to relax during the day.

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, I am not a coaster girl but it is my absolute favorite ride ever. I do it 4-5 times each trip. My kids, even my youngest who isn't a coaster rider loves it too. It's just fast enough to be fun but not so fast as to be terrifying.

WDW railroad, another must do but alas it will be closed on our next trip, if you have a chance to ride it, then do it. Nice slow relaxing ride.