2. Space Mountain – 75 minutes
Perhaps no ride in theme park history is as significant as Space Mountain. It triggered the roller coaster arms race that has defined the industry over the last few decades. It’s also old and rickety and kind of lame relative to its successors. When you think of awesome roller coasters, Space Mountain won’t spring to mind unless you’ve lived a generally roller coaster-averse life. It’s not one of the best 25 coasters in America.
The decision you’ll have to make is whether you are willing to visit Magic Kingdom without riding Space Mountain. Some people are better equipped to make hard choices like this. Others give in to peer pressure. Personally, I can’t go to Magic Kingdom or Disneyland without taking a spin on Space Mountain. My wife would never ride it again if not for me. Nobody’s right or wrong here on waiting 75 minutes to do Space Mountain, but my final answer is…
Verdict: NO (but yes if you can get a FastPass)
1. Seven Dwarfs Mine Train –120 minutes
This is unquestionably the most divisive of the attractions listed here. I watch a lot of YouTube videos of Disney lifers, people who livestream their various park adventures. A shocking number of them have ridden Seven Dwarfs Mine Train less than five times, which is to say that when they don’t have a FastPass for it, they don’t bother.
I’ve ridden Seven Dwarfs Mine Train five times in a day. For that matter, I’ve ridden it four times in an hour. I’m borderline obsessed with it. This twisty coaster puts a smile on my face like few theme park attractions in the world. It incorporates music, visuals, and an inimitable ride element into a wholly satisfying immersive attraction.
Here’s the question, though. Is any theme park attraction worth a two-hour wait? I know that many of us have done this before. I know that Millennium Force and Top Thrill Dragster at Cedar Point were rides that required three- or four-hour waits during their first years in operation, and I love both of them. I feel similarly about Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. As I’ve gotten older, however, the thought of standing in line waiting that long has become a non-starter. The younger me would have said yes to waiting two hours for Seven Dwarfs Mine Train but…
Verdict: NO (but make Seven Dwarfs Mine Train your highest FastPass priority)
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