Duke's 10 Best and Most Overrated Things at Disney World

[Dukefrukem]

Flying home now. Expect the kind of list posting like my other threads. This is my fifth time here. Previously visited at 5, 12, 18 and 23. Now 35, it's been my longest stretch of time having not attended and it's crazy how some things have changed, some have stayed the same and some I have a completely new perspective.

PS, Disney World is still awesome.

[Dukefrukem]

Best Things
10. Peter Pan's Flight
9. Tower of Terror
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MOST Overrated
10. Avatar: Flight of Passage / Soarin'
9. Kilimanjaro Safaris
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1.

[Morris Schæffer]

Seems like a cool idea.

[Dukefrukem]

Ok I'm back. Let's get rollin'

Most Overrated
#10. Avatar: Flight of Passage / Soarin'
What is it?: 4D Stationary Thrill Ride
Park: Animal Kingdom / Epcot

Why it's overrated: I'm coming out of the gate hot with this take because this is probably the most popular, longest line out of all 4 parks. (over 3 hours long at some points) This was the first time I've been on it and everyone in their mother told me it was the greatest thing since the discovery of electricity. I'm here to say it's the most overrated ride at Disney. It's essentially sits you on a fake motorcycle-like seat in front of a giant IMAX screen, while wearing 3D glasses and the motorcycle moves in the direction of the video. When your griffin flies through a waterfall, they spray a little bit of water in your face. When you fly through a forest, they spray miny sent in the air. All the while experiencing it with surround sound and feeling the griffin breathe in and out under you. It's also super short.

I'm throwing Soarin' in this same slot too because it's essentially the same ride, minus the franchise.

[Dukefrukem]

Best Thing
#10. Peter Pan's Flight
What is it?: Slow Ride
Park: Magic Kingdom

Why it's awesome: Simple and effective. It follows the story pretty well as the ride lets you dangle your feet above a nighttime London, through the clouds to Neverland, and past the Pirates and Indians. The miniature work is excellent. It helps build the universe while you wait in line as tinkerbell bounces around the line allowing kids to interact with her. What's not pictured in the video, is during the wait in line, they somehow are able to project shadows onto the wall of a bedroom, and when you move your hands up into the light, you can interact with the shadows. For example, when bells are shown, if you smack the bells with your shadow, the bells ring. I'm sure it's all done with lasers and motion sensors but it's a great way to keep folks entertained while they wait.

[Lazlo]

Ok I'm back. Let's get rollin'

Most Overrated
#10. Avatar: Flight of Passage / Soarin'
What is it?: 4D Stationary Thrill Ride
Park: Animal Kingdom / Epcot

Why it's overrated: I'm coming out of the gate hot with this take because this is probably the most popular, longest line out of all 4 parks. (over 3 hours long at some points) This was the first time I've been on it and everyone in their mother told me it was the greatest thing since the discovery of electricity. I'm here to say it's the most overrated ride at Disney. It's essentially sits you on a fake motorcycle-like seat in front of a giant IMAX screen, while wearing 3D glasses and the motorcycle moves in the direction of the video. When your griffin flies through a waterfall, they spray a little bit of water in your face. When you fly through a forest, they spray miny sent in the air. All the while experiencing it with surround sound and feeling the griffin breathe in and out under you. It's also super short.

I'm throwing Soarin' in this same slot too because it's essentially the same ride, minus the franchise.

WOW! Hot take! My buddy went last fall and said it was incredible. His seven-year-old daughter was brought to tears, claiming it was the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen. Who to trust?

[Dukefrukem]

Most Overrated
#9. Kilimanjaro Safaris
What is it?:A Zoo Tour
Park: Animal Kingdom

Why it's overrated: I'm not a big zoo guy to begin with; it all seems so sad. You get to see Hippopotamus sleeping, Lions sleeping, Crocodiles, sleeping Giraffes, Elephants and Rhinos eating and a slew of different birds doing bird things.
Sure you might get lucky with animals coming close to the bus like they did in the video, but I'd be curious to know how often that happens. I'm guessing not very often as it did not happen with my tour. I get the purpose of this ride, but this definitely might be one you never need to go on again once you've done it once.

[Dukefrukem]

WOW! Hot take! My buddy went last fall and said it was incredible. His seven-year-old daughter was brought to tears, claiming it was the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen. Who to trust?

You know what was way more incredible than the ride itself? The detail of the Pandroa section of the park and the line leading UP to the ride. I swear the line must be a quarter of a mile long, twisting and turning up a mountain and through a forest until you get inside. And inside you get to a room like in the movie, where an actor on a screen tells you to stand. They somehow (with Disney magic) show the outline of all 12 people in your group on a screen where they "pair" your DNA with your avatar. It's all done very well and this ride must be one of the most expensive at Disney... It makes me wonder if if they have anything else planned with the sequels coming out.

I found another video of the queue and chamber you are led into so you can get a sense of what you are shown BEFORE the ride starts.

[Dukefrukem]

Best Thing
#9. Tower of Terror
What is it?: Drop Ride
Park: Hollywood Studios

Why it's awesome: Another ride where the build and queue is almost as good as the ride itself. The level of detail outside and inside is just astounding. When the detail is applied to the screen and ride portion it tells a great story. I forgot that the ride actually moves forward before it gets to the tower portion and then of course the expected and unexpected drops are wonderfully timed, as is the part where the side of the ride opens at the top to snap your picture.

[Skitch]

I don't know if anything can live up to a 3 hour stand in line. I better get sucked, blown, lubed, and safari hunt some child molesters or some shit. And they damn well better change the oil in my car too.

[Dukefrukem]

I don't know if anything can live up to a 3 hour stand in line. I better get sucked, blown, lubed, and safari hunt some child molesters or some shit. And they damn well better change the oil in my car too.

Funny story; I knew about the ridiculous wait times (as anyone can by looking at the Disney app at any point during the day) so the plan was to go super early. The park was supposed to open at 9am for peasants (aka anyone not staying at a Disney owned resort) which should have included me since I was staying with my mother in law. If you were staying at a Disney owned resort you got let into the park at 7am (2 friggin hours early). Upon being questioned what resort I was staying at the gate, I simply lied and said I was staying at "All Star resort". I deliberately bought a pass not linked to those Disney armbands, my non-existent hotel reservation was not linked to my pass. When they scanned it, nothing comes up, so they just take my lie as truth. So I got let in, sprinted to Avatar, and proceeded to ride every other ride in the park before 9am. I was done with the park in 2 hours.

[Ezee E]

Yeah, the avatar ride doesn't sound like my type of thing. As for the safari, I'll save that for a zoo.

So far, so good Duke.

I've never gone to DisneyWorld. I traveled through Orlando and it doesn't seem like a city I'd ever want to visit.

[Skitch]

That's epic Duke. Have you ever sprung for those behind the scenes type passes?

[Dukefrukem]

That's epic Duke. Have you ever sprung for those behind the scenes type passes?

Yup. I've done the Keys to the Kingdom Tour twice. It's a full day tour and they take you under the park into all the secret tunnels. Before 911, they took you on carts and by the power plant. Post 911 they only show you one section of the tunnels and part of the water treatment plant. You get to skip the line on several rides too and they feed you lunch.

[Dukefrukem]

Most Overrated
#8. Rock 'n' Roller Coaster
What is it?:Roller Coaster
Park: Hollywood Studios

Why it's overrated: Another hot take with the only Disney Rollercoaster that goes upside down. It's an inside roller coaster to loud Aerosmith music. That's really the bottom line. The lead up to it is kinda lame. There's no drop. It just shoots you into a loop and a few twists and turns. This is one of those rides that I guess everyone goes on because there's nothing really going on at Hollywood Studios until Star Wars opens in August.

[Dukefrukem]

Best Thing
#8. Spaceship Earth
What is it?: Slow Ride (the Ball ride!)
Park: Epcot

Why it's awesome: I was really close at putting this into overrated and I'll explain why. This was one of my favorite rides as a kid. It takes you on the history of human race, across technology and where Walt Disney thought the future would take us. Well it's since been upgraded towards the end that allows riders to customize their future by answering questions via a touchscreen in the ride. At the beginning of the ride, it take your picture, and sticks it on an animated cartoon and plays through the choices you make. While you are making your choices, and watching your customized short movie, the ride is basically over and is just moving through a dark room. They removed all the miniatures and future stations at the end of the ride. Don't get me wrong, the beginning and middle is still great, but I really wish they took time to finish the ride instead of copping out with the built in screen.

First video is the upgraded ride. Second video is what it was prior to 2007.

[Dukefrukem]

Most Overrated
#7. Every Fireworks Show
What is it?:Fireworks
Park: Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios

Why it's overrated: Most fireworks are overrated. New Years. 4th of July. At sporting events. It's not just painful watching them either. Try to leave the park immediately after the show, Monorail is jammed. Parking lot is jammed. The buses. Everything sucks afterwards. That said, the Christmas and Halloween Fireworks a bit more unique and festive, thematically.

[Dukefrukem]

[Dukefrukem]

Best Thing
#7. Fantasmic!
What is it?: Fireworks / Laser / Animatronics / Everything Show
Park: Hollywood Studios

Why it's awesome: I know I just said Fireworks suck, but that was to misdirect you. First of all, there are seats around this show which point you out towards the bay area of Hollywood Studios. So there's no sitting on the curb on Main Street, saving a seat for 2 hours in the Magic Kingdom to wait for a 9:15 PM show. You just show up and sit down. Boom done. Second, it's not just a fireworks show as the video shows. It's a water show. A laser show. A character show. An animatronic show. A puppet show. A boat show. A dance show. It's a spectacle. And it's entirely worth watching every second of it.

[Dukefrukem]

Most Overrated
#6. Na'vi River Journey
What is it?:Slow Water Ride
Park: Hollywood Studios

Why it's overrated: 0 for 2 with Avatar rides. This was another first time ride for me. It also might be the most boring ride at Disney. Nothing really happens. It's just a ride through a Pandora jungle kind of showcasing all the creatures that exist in their world. What makes this ride suck more, is you are so close to other boats. It would be kind of neat if it was an isolated ride so you felt like you were alone, but they jam so many boats on this thing you can hear everyone else talking around you.

I will say, the animatronic Shaman at the end of the ride, is the most advanced robot at Disney. It's so lifelike I thought it was a real person. They need to upgrade every other ride with this technology immediately.

[Dukefrukem]

Best Thing
#6. Frozen Ever After
What is it?: Slow Water Ride
Park: Epcot

Why it's awesome: Top notch animatronics with projected cartoon faces. I love this tech, and there are not that many rides that utilize it. But it looks incredible bringing cartoon and pixar characters to life. Aside from that, this is a perfectly timed heart-stopping ride. At 3:15 in the video when they begin singing Let it Go, to 3:35 where the boat starts going BACKWARDS, it's goosebumps city for me. I love the transition into fog too. Just brilliantly designed and executed all around. This replaced a really crappy Vikings ride that I remember from years ago.

But damn, look at those faces at 2:53 and 5:15! That technology is stellar.

[Irish]

I've only been to Disney World once, and I was 2 years old and don't remember it, but I'm still getting a huge kick out of this thread.