The Ultimate Guide to Choosing Dinosaur Roller Coasters

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For years, thrill rides have been the name of the theme park game. In fact, before COVID-19, Disney World had begun construction on two new coasters &#; Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind for EPCOT and TRON Lightcycle Run for the Magic Kingdom. However, not everyone loves coasters or thrill rides. In fact, there are many Disney guests out there who feel sudden drops, dizzying heights, and high speeds are anything but magical.

So for my fellow Disney ride chickens, I&#;ve created a ranking system to help you know what to expect and maybe what to avoid when compiling your Animal Kingdom touring plan.

I&#;m breaking down the different elements of a ride that may be a little scary or extreme, such as drops, height, darkness, and speed. I&#;m also using a simple 1 to 3 scale with 1 being less intense and a 3 being the most intense.

Avatar Flight of Passage

Flight of Passage is a flight simulator attraction where guests experience the sensation of flight on the back of a banshee over and through the breathtaking landscapes of Pandora. Flight of Passage is often compared to EPCOT&#;s Soarin&#; Around the World as it effectively simulates the feeling of flight and uses a giant screen coupled with scents and water effects. But what makes Flight of Passage unique from Soarin&#; Around the World is its use of 3-D coupled with unique bike-style ride vehicles.

It is a difficult attraction to rate since it&#;s sort of a thrill ride and sort of not. The feeling of flight is definitely thrilling, and there are some close calls in the ride film, but I can&#;t say the ride is scary. I think it helps that, despite the massive screen and your 3-D glasses, you&#;re subconsciously aware that you&#;re not actually moving or up in the air and that takes away a lot of the fear.

Also, the overall tone, along with the ride&#;s score, is  positive, triumphant, and even peaceful at times. The typical Disney ride formula where something goes wrong is absent so there isn&#;t that sense of alarm.

The ride vehicle definitely plays a part in how comfortable or uncomfortable guests feel on Flight of Passage. Some guests don&#;t like being isolated to their own bike or even riding in that position. Also, the restraints have been known to make some uncomfortable. On the other hand, other guests find that the restraints make them feel secure. It really depends on the rider.

Height Rating: 2

Since the ride film depicts flight, you can expect the ride film to include a lot of heights. If you can handle Soarin,&#; you can probably handle the heights in this attraction. I will add, however, that the rows of bikes are positioned on multiple floors; and if you look away from the screen and either far to the left or the right, you will notice other riders on bikes at various floor levels. Knowing you could be on a high floor may cause some uneasiness.

Claustrophobic Rating: 2

Once aboard your bike, restraints will come up against the back of your legs and your back to keep you secure during your ride. They do apply some pressure for optimal safety; but some guests find the pressure coupled with being locked in place claustrophobic.

DINOSAUR

DINOSAUR is a dark, thrilling hybrid of a dark ride and simulator where guests are tasked to travel back in time in a Time Rover to rescue a dinosaur before an asteroid hits the earth.

Many guests consider DINOSAUR to be the scariest ride in the park, and I&#;m one of them. This ride is very dark, very loud, very rough and jerky, and many of the audio-animatronics, including the hangry Carnotaurus, are legit scary. Still, there are no major drops or high speeds.

Darkness Rating: 3

As I said, this ride is very dark. Steer clear if this isn&#;t your thing.

Intensity Rating: 3

This rating isn&#;t because of any drops, inversions, or high speeds; it&#;s simply because of the scary nature of the ride. This is one where you need to know what your kids can handle before taking them on it.

Motion Sickness Rating: 2

Because this ride is so rough with plenty of up and down movements, motion sickness may be an issue for some.

Expedition Everest

Expedition Everest &#; Legend of the Forbidden Mountain is Animal Kingdom&#;s take on a runaway train coaster in a mountain. Think of it as a combo of Disneyland&#;s Matterhorn and the Magic Kingdom&#;s Big Thunder Mountain. This highly detailed coaster takes guests in and out of the snowy Forbidden Mountain to escape the legendary Yeti!

This coaster is the perfect blend of fun and thrill coupled with some of the best of Disney&#;s signature storytelling. There are no inversions, but you can expect a number of significant drops, high speeds, and an appearance from the Yeti.

Darkness Rating: 1.5

This coaster takes you in and out of the Forbidden Mountain so there&#;s a balanced mix of darkness and sunshine.

Drop Rating: 2.5

Expedition Everest offers several drops with the biggest at about 80&#;. They will take your stomach, but they don&#;t feel as intense as they look or as you might expect. Some guests, including myself, actually find that Splash Mountain&#;s drop feels more intense than Expedition Everest!

Height Rating:

Since the drops come so quickly, you don&#;t have much time to realize how high up you are. However, that slow climb up the lift hill at the beginning of the ride offers a spectacular literal birds-eye view of Disney property and the park below. If heights aren&#;t your thing, be warned about looking down or around during this part of the ride.

Intensity Rating: 1.5

This may be controversial, but I don&#;t find Expedtion Everest as scary or intense as some other Disney attractions. It&#;s a massive attraction and looks extreme, but guests tend to walk away thinking more about the story and experience than its thrill factor.

With that being said, the coaster does go backwards at one point; and some may be alarmed by the giant Yeti reaching down at guests towards the end of the ride. For those concerned about this element, keep in mind that the encounter with the Yeti happens so quickly that some guests miss it completely.

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Motion Sickness Rating: 2.5

While the coaster is an overall smooth ride, there are some rough moments and sharp turns. The main motion sickness trigger however is definitely the rapid backwards motion.

Speed Rating: 2.5

Expedition Everest&#;s top speed is 50 mph, but it doesn&#;t maintain that speed throughout the experience. In fact, the first half of the ride is a slow climb; and the coaster stops completely at more than one point during the ride.

It&#;s Tough to be a Bug!

It&#;s Tough to Be a Bug is a 3-D/multi-sensory show starring Flik from Disney Pixar&#;s film A Bug&#;s Life. Through the use of a 3-D screen, audio-animatronics, and effects, Flik and other bugs attempt to demonstrate the importance of bugs, but also that it&#;s really tough to be one!

Darkness Rating: 3

There are moments of darkness during this show. What really tends to bother people is the darkness coupled with the implied presence of bugs.

Intensity Rating: 2.5

Believe it or not, this show truly terrifies people and especially kids. A large audio-animatronic Hopper from A Bugs Life makes an appearance, spiders lower down from the ceiling over the audience, and guests are sprayed with a giant can of bug spray. Plus, sensory effects are used to simulate both the presence and movement of bugs. Be sure to know what your kids can handle before checking out this show.

Kali River Rapids

Kali River Rapids is a whitewater raft ride through a lush Asian rainforest where guests eventually encounter the dangers of a logging site.

Drop Rating: 1

Kali River Rapids is shorter than most guests expect and a little anti-climatic. The biggest drop is 30&#; and more of a downward slide.

Motion Sickness Rating: 2

The Kali River Rapids rafts spin and bob up and down in the waves. While it doesn&#;t aggravate some who experience motion sickness, the motion of this ride is something to be aware of and consider.

Are you a ride chicken when it comes to Disney attractions? Which Animal Kingdom ride would you recommend for guests looking to avoid thrills?

 

First published November 21, . Revised May 28, .

70 miles per hour&#; that might read like the speed limit on the highway to Universal Orlando Resort but it&#;s also how fast the NEW Jurassic World VelociCoaster is at Universal Islands of Adventure. 

I&#;ve talked about my love for dinosaurs in a previous blog and how as a little girl I dreamt of having my own dinosaur in my backyard. I walked down the aisle at my wedding (in Costa Rica!) to the film score of my favorite movie, Jurassic Park. I&#;m not kidding when I tell you I was beyond PUMPED to combine my love for dinosaurs AND roller coasters on Jurassic World VelociCoaster.

Let me tell you, this coaster is INCREDIBLE. It&#;s one of those experiences that leaves you in such awe from the minute you step foot into the queue, you can barely put it into words.

Now, welcome to&#; the complete guide to Jurassic World VelociCoaster.

THE STORY

A little more about the ride&#;s story: this ride is imagined to take place shortly before the events of the first Jurassic World film when Claire Dearing, resort operations manager of Jurassic World, was challenged to add &#;more teeth&#; to the park. Claire has already green-lit development for the Indominus rex, but it seems there&#;s been a hiccup and that exhibit is being slightly delayed. With the Velociraptors showing signs of intelligence and responding to Owen Grady&#;s command, Claire has designed a new ride. It seems it would be a great idea to construct a roller coaster right in the middle of a Raptor paddock. Right?

THE QUEUE

As you make your way through the entrance of VelociCoaster, you&#;ll encounter two towering bronze Velociraptor sculptures framing the hero moment of the ride, showing off a signature inverted stall move.

In the lobby you&#;ll see a =sculpture representation of Jurassic World&#;s four star Raptors &#; Blue, Delta, Echo, and Charlie &#; before coming face-to-face with them on the ride. You&#;ll also see a safety message from Mr. DNA, of course.

As you continue through the queue, you&#;ll be feet away from the 70mph launch. At this moment you&#;ll feel air pressure and Raptors screech past you. It&#;s a thrilling moment in itself, getting you even more pumped to ride!

MEET THE RAPTORS

You&#;ll then make your way into the Raptor Stable. You&#;ll come face-to-face (literally) with two full-grown Velociraptors &#; Delta and Echo. You&#;ll feel and smell their breath as they stand waiting to be groomed. I could have stared at these girls for hours on end with how realistic they were. 

(You&#;ll encounter all four Raptors again out in the paddock while you&#;re on the coaster, but keep an eye out for them &#; you&#;re moving pretty quick!)

Throughout the queue, the paddock walls offer a few &#;peek-a-boo&#; style views where you&#;ll watch the coaster weave in and out of the rockwork. If you look closely, you might even see a few Raptors in the paddock. Before riding, you&#;ll watch a safety briefing from Claire Dearing. We also see Owen from the Raptor Dispatch with a warning right before loading onto the ride.

THE RIDE

Jurassic World VelociCoaster is now the fastest and tallest launch coaster in Florida. It&#;s also equipped with FOUR inversions, with only a lap bar restraint. For me, going upside down with only a lap bar is a true thrill in itself!

At the very start of the ride, you&#;ll launch 70mph in just 2.4 seconds through the Raptor paddock, barely missing the Raptors and being way too close for comfort!

Photo Credit: Instagram @busch_studios

Then, you&#;ll launch to 50mph in 3 seconds before experiencing one of the most unique elements of the ride, a 155ft tall &#;Top Hat&#; which gives you the illusion of flying over Islands of Adventure for a moment before dropping 140 feet down at 80 degrees. The track also crosses over and under itself 40 times. To me, the disorientation of the track makes it hard for you to even realize where you&#;re going and next thing you know, you&#;re already in another awesome maneuver!

The entire ride is absolutely incredible, but my favorite maneuver is the barrel roll over the Islands of Adventure lagoon toward the very end. The cool part about this epic finale is that the airtime you&#;ll experience is JUST as intense as that &#;Top Hat&#; I mentioned, except this time YOU&#;RE UPSIDE-DOWN!

RIDE STATS:

• VelociCoaster has no brakes until it&#;s over.
• VelociCoaster is the fastest roller coaster at any Universal park.
• VelociCoaster does not slow down &#; it actually speeds up, the second half of the ride is faster than the first, and it maintains some of its fastest speeds all the way to the final brakes.
• VelociCoaster will have more extreme airtime than any other coaster at Universal, it&#;s all about speed, airtime, and direction changes. This airtime will be experienced not only right-side-up, but also upside down, and even sideways.
• There are several inversions on this ride that are not experienced on any other Universal coaster:
  • A dive loop where you rotate upside down while floating in your seat before diving down to the ground
  • An inverted stall where you quickly flip upside down and are weightless in your seat while navigating 100ft of inverted track  
  • A one-of-a-kind high speed barrel roll taken at around 50 mph where you roll upside down 360 degrees only a few feet from the surface of the lagoon

RIDE DETAILS:

• Minimum height requirement of 51&#; (130 centimeters) to ride
• You will need, and want, a locker for this ride (Plus, VelociCoaster offers the first ever dual lockers at Universal Orlando Resort)
• Child Swap is available upon request

MEET-AND-GREET: RAPTOR ENCOUNTER

The other really cool part about Jurassic World Velociraptors is that after the rollercoaster, you can head over to Raptor Encounter to meet Blue as well as our new baby Raptors, Sierra and Tango. It&#;s my absolute favorite spot for a photo. (Did I mention I love dinosaurs?)

FUN FACTS:

• In the trainer lockers at Jurassic World VelociCoaster, there is a small grouping of reference books including some by characters fans of the franchise will definitely recognize! 
• In the first inversion after the launch, if you look up, you&#;ll see a disrupted Pteranodon nest, complete with eggs. 
• The overlook window in the loading platform is modeled directly from the Indominus Rex paddock. Details like the light fixtures are identical.
• You&#;ll see the walkway for the Raptors to walk between VelociCoaster and Raptor Encounter if you look down on the floor between the two attractions.
• After the second inversion, you can spot some iconic props left over from the attraction&#;s predecessor, Triceratops Encounter. Keep a look out for a bag of Dino Chow. If you can spot it while going that fast! 

Are you ready to race alongside Velociraptors? Prepare to hold onto your&#; lap bar.

For more information, please visit Dinosaur the Ride.