While the Declaration of Independence may state that all men are created equal, that sentiment doesn’t necessarily apply to all fans of the Disney Parks. Yes, there are a number of things to love about the iconic theme parks inspired by Walt Disney’s vision of family fun. However, not every guest loves every aspect of the experience. For example, some people may not consider themselves the adventurous type when it comes to rides.
Since a trip to Disneyland, Walt Disney World, or any of the other Disney Parks around the world can cost a pretty penny, those who feel that way may seek freedom from the pressures of riding rollercoasters and other thrill rides in order to get the most bang for their buck. As the Mouse House expands its horizons and explores the latest technology to keep up with the demand for more exciting and cutting-edge experiences, it may seem like the theme parks are catering to thrill seekers and adrenaline junkies.
Despite attractions like Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, Tron Lightcycle Run, or the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, the Disney Parks still have plenty to offer those who hate rollercoasters. To help navigate the best options across the 12 parks over six resorts (not including the two Florida water parks), this guide can help you seek out your relaxed type of Disney magic.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom
Hate rollercoasters, but love animals? Then Disney’s Animal Kingdom is the perfect park for you. Despite being the home of Expedition Everest (one of the coolest coasters in any Disney Park today), Animal Kingdom focuses more on nature and animal conservation, which were themes that were near and dear to Walt Disney. The Florida theme park integrates traditional Disney magic with experiences typically found in zoos and aquariums.
Through attractions such as the Kilimanjaro Safaris, Maharajah Jungle Trek, and Dinosaur, guests visiting this part of the Walt Disney World Resort will learn about various animals from around the world and across time. And thanks to Pandora – The World of Avatar, fans of James Cameron’s high-grossing franchise can follow in Jake Sully’s footsteps and discover the local flora and fauna of the home of the Na’vi, including floating mountains. Disney Imagineering really outdid themselves when it came to bringing Pandora to life, so it is definitely worth checking out with your own eyes.
One of the best things to do in Animal Kingdom is to visit the Theater in the Wild and experience “Finding Nemo – The Big Blue and Beyond!”. This 25-minute fan-favorite puppet stage musical features songs from Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez, the award-winning duo behind “Frozen,” “Coco,” and “WandaVision.” Catchy tunes and colorful ocean puppets are excellent companions while you stay safe and sound on the ground. Seriously, prepare to have “Go With The Flow” stuck in your head.
Disney’s Hollywood Studios
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Disney’s Hollywood Studios has come a long way from the original vision of the park. Initially, it was meant to bring the world of Hollywood to Florida by bringing guests into the movies and showing them the ins and outs of the industry through a hybrid theme park/production studio complete with a backlot, animation facilities, and other attractions that focused on the creation of film and television. But over the years, Hollywood Studios evolved into more of a gateway into beloved worlds that audiences first experienced through the magic of moving pictures.
Thrill-seeking park hoppers head to Hollywood Studios to ride The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror and the Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith, but there is so much more to do if you’re interested in live shows. In addition to Fantasmic!, Beauty and the Beast – Live on Stage, and the Frozen Sing-Along Celebration, The Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular and Muppet*Vision 3D are among the most beloved experiences in the park. While Indy’s show pulls the curtain back on the death-defying stunts seen in his movies, Kermit and the gang welcome guests into Muppet Labs to show off 3D effects and the wild antics that lead up to one of their shows. After Muppet*Vision’s closure at Disney’s California Adventure, Hollywood Studios is now the only Disney Park in the world to offer these experiences. Both shows are excellent ways to pass the time until the line dies down at Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway.
EPCOT
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EPCOT originally lacked the traditional thrill rides found in most theme parks. Instead, rather than becoming the self-sustaining futuristic community of tomorrow that Walt Disney envisioned, it favored more edutainment-focused attractions like World of Motion, Innoventions, and Journey Into Imagination (that’s still open today!), which taught guests about various parts of nature, science, and culture. Now, EPCOT is home to some of the most exciting experiences in Walt Disney World, like Test Track, Mission: SPACE, and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, plus rides based on hit movies “Moana,” “Frozen,” and “Ratatouille.” Despite these thrilling rides, EPCOT is still one of the best places to go if you’re looking for a more laid-back theme park experience.
Food and drinks have a lot to do with it. Many young people will go to EPCOT specifically to drink in every country in the World Showcase. Others will schedule their visit around the Flower & Garden Festival or the Food & Wine Festival to taste all the new delicacies that the renowned chefs have brought with them. And for those looking for holiday cheer, the Festival of the Holidays puts the spotlight on holiday traditions found around the world.
EPCOT may be making more moves to attract younger guests these days, but so far it remains one of the best parks on the Disney roster for those looking to escape rollercoasters.
Tokyo DisneySea
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While EPCOT presents guests with opportunities to sample food from around the world, the Tokyo Disney Resort is more focused on highlighting treats from Japan that are simultaneously the most adorable and most artistic food you’ll ever lay your eyes on. Though you can still find Disney Park staples like churros, popcorn, and turkey legs at these Asian parks, there is a much wider array of sweet and savory offerings available for guests.
For example, Tokyo DisneySea has the Donald Duck Ukiwa bun, a steamed bun filled with shrimp, pork, and veggies shaped like a life preserver with packaging that looks like Donald is gleefully floating in it. But as cute as that sounds, the Toy Story Mochi might top it. Served as a trio of custard, chocolate, and strawberry, the green mochi looks like the heads of the little green aliens from Pixar’s classic 1995 film, complete with the eyes and mouth that you can almost hear being in awe of The Claw.
In addition to the incredibly Instagrammable food, Tokyo DisneySea features “ports of call” that transport you into some highly immersive worlds, such as Mermaid Lagoon featuring Ariel and other characters from “The Little Mermaid” or the Jules Verne-inspired Mysterious Island. But soon, guests can dock at another port of call when Fantasy Springs opens in Summer 2024. You’ll be able to disembark to Peter Pan’s Never Land, Anna and Elsa’s “Frozen” kingdom, and Rapunzel’s forest from “Tangled,” which are all destinations that do not feature roller coasters.
Disneyland
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While this list of best Disney Parks for people who hate rollercoasters has not been in any particular order, it does feel like Disneyland should be at the top. Yes, Disneyland is the happiest place on Earth, but this decision purely comes down to the numbers.
After taking a tally of the number of rollercoasters in each Disney Park, we then counted how many rides each park had that were not rollercoasters or thrill rides. Based on our findings (without including the monorail, the vehicles that run on Main Street USA, or the various boats on the Rivers of America), Disneyland has 6 rollercoasters/thrill rides versus 25 non-coasters. And even if you take out the Mad Tea Party, Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run, and Star Tours – The Adventures Continue (which were all on the fence when it came to our definition of a “thrill ride”), that still leaves 22 rides and the various shows that take place on a daily basis around the park.
For those curious, the next parks on the list with almost as many non-coaster rides are Tokyo Disneyland, Disneyland Paris, and Magic Kingdom, which are all essentially copies of Anaheim’s Disneyland. At the end of the day, Walt Disney wanted to create a place where families could go and have fun together. Whether that means riding rollercoasters or not, you’ll definitely find something entertaining to do at Disneyland.
