Disney Rides – What Should I Be Afraid Of?

While searching the internet for reviews of different Disneyland and Disney World rides, the one thing that often goes overlooked is how scary a ride might be.

Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort both boast theme parks that offer fun and magical experiences for guests of all ages. With the over a hundred rides and attractions at both the California and Florida Disney theme parks, we often get asked how scary they are and what exactly you might be afraid of. In fact, this topic comes up so often because it's not fully or thoroughly addressed.

That's where our Disney ride guides come in.

We at MickeyVisit have gone to both Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort countless times. We understand that while every Disney theme park is made for guests of all ages, not all guests may enjoy every single ride. To more thoroughly address the question of how scary a particular ride might be, we've put together a series of guides for you to learn about what might make each Disney ride scary for you.

Read on for a list of our current ride guides and a full explanation how we rated the scariness of each ride.

How We Rated How Scary Each Disney Ride Is

Having a rating system is crucial when putting together a series of ride guides on their “scariness” factor.

A clearly-defined rating system gives you a crystal-clear idea of what to expect from a particular Disney ride. It's also a consistent measure when comparing 1 Disney ride with another Disney ride. 

So, in order to clearly define just how scary each Disney ride is, we created our own grading system. We call it the Mickey Visit Ride Rating System – MVRRS for short. Here's the breakdown of each grade on the MVRRS:

• Wimp Proof: Not scary at all
• Wimp Proof-ish: Seems scary at first, but after, you feel it's nothing to worry about
• Scary but Survivable: Moderately scary
• Scary: Definitely scary, but you'll be able to sleep at night
• Bravest Riders Only: The scariest ride you'll find in a theme park

Topics to Expect From Each Disney Ride Review

In every ride guide, we will cover the same set of topics, giving you the best way to directly compare different rides.

Here's what to expect:

A Ride Overview

This will give you a short summary of the ride, where it's located, and how popular it is. This section also gives you important statistics on the ride, including:

• Access: This may include Disney Genie+, Single Rider, or Rider Switch
• Height Requirements
• Highest Speed
• Length in minutes
• Highest Ride Drop
• Number of Loops
• Other Notable Features

A Detailed Description of the Queue and Preshow

This will give you what you need to know about everything leading up to the ride itself. This section will be especially useful if there are any elements like jumpscares, scary elements, or dimly lit areas. In this section, you'll find information such as:

• Where the entrance and merge points are for the standby queue, Lightning Lane queue, and single rider que are
• What to expect out of the ride's preshow
• If there are any “chicken exits” and where they are located
• What the boarding process is like to get into the ride vehicle

To note, a “chicken exit” is a way for guests to exit the ride queue if they become to afraid to ride. Think of it as a form of insurance in case you initially chose to ride a ride but then are too afraid to ride it while you're in line.

Information on the Type of Ride Vehicle You'll be Riding

The type of ride vehicle can greatly influence how scary or thrilling a ride might be. This section will include any crucial pieces of information you need to know. This will include:

• How you are situated when you sit in the ride vehicle
• If there are ride vehicles outside the ride to test
• What type of restraints the ride vehicle has
• If the sides are enclosed or open
• If you are sitting solo or with a group

Every ride vehicle at a Disney theme park is unique, so it's important to know what ride vehicle elements may make your ride experience more thrilling

A Description of the Ride Experience

This section gives you a good idea of what to expect while on the ride itself.

Every Disney ride has slightly different ride elements that affect how scary they are. And while there are ride elements that are discussed more often (like drops, turns, loops, and spinning), there are plenty of other elements that guests – especially parents – want to know that might scare their kiddos. This will then help you decide whether or not it's worth your time to wait 60 minutes to experience a potentially scary ride.

In this section, expect information such as:

• Height: How high the ride goes and if you can see how high you are
• Audio/Visual Effects: If there are any soundtracks or visual effects that are synced to the ride
• Launch Sequence: If a ride vehicle accelerates very fast from its starting position
• Dark Portions: If a ride is lit up or in the dark and how it may take away or add to the scariness of the ride
• Speed: How fast the ride goes and how it may contribute to its scariness
• Drops: How many, how large or small
• Fast Turns: How sharp the turns may be
• Length: If a ride might feel extra-long or if a ride is extremely short
• Other Elements Specific to the Ride: This includes any startling story elements, 3D glasses, screen projections, and more

Favorite Moment of the Ride

This section of the guide gives you the reason why you should still consider riding the ride even if it is a little bit scary. Here, we share personal experiences that make the ride feel special to us. This is aimed to help you decide whether or not the ride is still worth trying.

Scary Verdict

To wrap everything up, we'll give you our final rating using the MVRRS. The MVRRS takes every element we discussed above and compiles it into a final rating for you to better understand if a ride is worth trying for you or your kiddos. 

Let's go over all the ride guides we've released so far. Remember, there are more ride guides to come, so check back in the future for an expanded list of rides!

Rides at Disneyland Resort

• Space Mountain – Disneyland Park
• Radiator Springs Racers – Disney California Adventure Park
• Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT! – Disney California Adventure Park
• The Incredicoaster – Disney California Adventure Park
• Soarin' Around the World – Disney California Adventure Park

Rides at Walt Disney World Resort

• Soarin' Around the World EPCOT
• Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind – EPCOT
• Avatar Flight of Passage – Disney's Animal Kingdom Park
• Twilight Zone Tower of Terror – Disney's Hollywood Studios
• Expedition Everest – Legend of the Forbidden Mountain – Disney's Animal Kingdom Park