Walt Disney World/Orlando Top Attractions

Walt Disney World/Orlando Top Attractions

Big Thunder Mountain

This old classic coaster isn't too scary; it's just a really good, bumpy, swervy thrill. Set in gold-rush days, the theme of this thrilling roller coaster is a run-away train. It's a bumpy ride with several good drops and moments when you feel like you're going to fly right off the tracks, but there are no inversions and at least you can see where you're going. Everyone needs to ride this at least once.

Space Mountain

The needlelike spires and gleaming white concrete cone of this attraction are almost as much of a Magic Kingdom landmark as Cinderella Castle. Towering 180 feet high, the structure has been called "Florida's third-highest mountain." Although there are no loop-the-loops, gravitational whizbangs, or high-speed curves, the thrills are amply provided by Disney's masterful brainwashings as you take a trip into the depths of outer space -- in the dark.

it's a small world

Visiting Walt Disney World and not stopping for this tribute to terminal cuteness -- why, the idea is practically un-American. The attraction is essentially a boat ride through several candy-color lands, each representing a continent and each crammed with musical moppets, all madly singing. But somehow, by the time you reach the end of the ride, you're grinning and wagging, too, with the on-verse theme song indelibly impressed in your brain. Now all together: "It's a world of laughter, a world of tears. It's a world of hope and a world of fears."

The American Adventure

In a Disney version of Philadelphia's Liberty Hall, the Imagineers prove that their kind of fantasy can beat reality hands down. The 110,000 bricks, made by hand from soft pink Georgia clay, sheathe the familiar structure, which acts as a beacon for those across Epcot's lagoon. The pavilion includes an all-American fast-food restaurant, a shop, lovely rose gardens, and an outdoor theater often booked with first-rate live entertainment.

Disney's Boardwalk

At the turn of the 20th century, Americans escaping the cities for the Atlantic seaside spent their days on breeze-swept boardwalks above the strand, where early thrill rides kept company with band concerts and other activities. Here, across Crescent Lake from Disney's Yacht and Beach Club Resorts, WDW has created its own version of these amusement areas, a shoreside complex that's complete with restaurants, bars and clubs, souvenir sellers, surreys, saltwater taffy vendors, and shops. When the lights go on after sunset, the mood is festive in a very family-friendly way.

Kennedy Space Center

The must-see Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, just southeast of Titusville, is one of Central Florida's most popular sights. You'll have a chance to visit the Launch Complex 39 Observation Gantry, which provides unparalleled views of the twin space-shuttle launchpads, or even meet an astronaut who's actually been to space at the Astronaut Encounter. Either way, be sure you stock up on Tang and freeze-dried ice cream at the gift shop!