Mountains attractions have been a staple at Walt Disney World since 1975 with the opening of Space Mountain.
Since then, others have been added and while there can be an argument for which attractions should be in this category, there is no denying that these rides are some of the best that WDW has to offer.
I will argue that there are 4 Walt Disney World mountain attractions; Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain, and Expedition Everest – Legend of the Forbidden Mountain.
What is your favorite?
What other attractions do you consider to be Disney Mountains?
These attractions all give you something different and are some of the longest running and longest wait-time rides at WDW.
Space Mountain
The original mountain of Walt Disney World, Space Mountain has been thrilling riders for nearly 45 years. This classic ride, found in Tomorrowland at the Magic Kingdom, blasts Guests into outer space. Passengers board a rocket-shaped vehicle, seating three single-file riders, climb the 180-foot mountain past Mission Control, and propel through the dark universe at a top speed of 28 mph (it feels faster, right?).
Space Mountain continues to be a fan-favorite at Magic Kingdom and due to its unique indoor, in-the-dark feel, it shows no signs of slowing down. The Tron roller coaster is currently being built right beside Space Mountain which should only boost attendance in Tomorrowland, but giving some needed wait-time relief to the original WDW mountain.
Splash Mountain
We have all seen log themed rides at various them parks, where they all end with a wet plunge down a giant hill. Splash Mountain is that and so much more.
This attraction in Frontierland in the Magic Kingdom tells the story of Br’er Rabbit and his adventures is told with a flare and precision that only Disney can attain. This ride is full of animal animatronics that give the riders more than just a wet and thrilling ending. It com
The story told throughout this ride is just as important and exciting as the thrilling final plunge itself. By the way, chances are, you will get wet!
Big Thunder Mountain
Big Thunder Mountain joins Splash Mountain as the 2 main attractions in Frontierland. It is an old school train ride on a rickety railroad through a replica of the red stone of Arizona’s Monument Valley. This the roughest mountain in terms of how the ride feels. It is jerky and jumpy but a fun experience nonetheless.
Special care was taken by the Imagineers to make it appear that the rocks were there originally, and the track was built around the rocks, which gives a more genuine landscape feeling. There is also a dinosaur skeleton that the train passes by, built into the side of the mountain. A cracked eggshell is nearby, and there is a pleasant lake with water that is shot up while the train passes on the warmer days.
Sound effects of a typical locomotive operation are piped into the surrounding scenery to add realism to guests viewing the ride from observation platforms, including the steam whistle sounding, even though there is no whistle displayed on the locomotives.
This ride is meant to give an old west feel and delivers.
Expedition Everest – Legend of the Forbidden Kingdom
Dare to climb the Forbidden Mountain, and you will find yourself facing down a beast so monstrous you’ll never question the legend again. Standing 18-feet tall, the Expedition Everest Yeti is the largest audio-animatronic figure ever created. He does his job well, though, twisting the tracks and rerouting coasters, hurling them through dark twists and turns before allowing their safe return to base camp.
This ride begins soaring through the mountain but then runs out of track and must go backward through a portion of the attraction only to find the Yeti and soar through the remainder of the course.
This ride, for me is the most thrilling of all of the mountains. The creativity that is used to increase the amount of thrills on this coaster is second to none. (Also, my daughter’s favorite ride)
Other Mountains???
There has been some controversy about whether Mount Gushmore is considered a Disney mountain, as well as, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train.
My opinion is “no” on both.
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, while it looks like a mountain, has more of feel of entering a miners cave. This is a fantastically smooth ride and one of the favorites to do at Magic Kingdom, but I think we need to give it some time to see if it holds up over time the way the 4 main mountains have.
Mount Gushmore, located at Blizzard Beach water park has the look and feel of more like a staging area for multiple water slides than an actual attraction. Mount Gushmore is not the title of the ride itself. Again, I am not willing to put it up on the Disney Mountain Mount Rushmore yet.
No matter what type of ride you like, these mountains offer a variety of sights and thrills. There is a reason some rides have come and gone but these remain staples of the Parks.
Click Here to set up a trip to ride the four Disney Mountains