Spotlight: What are Disney's top roller coasters?

I think the issue is that Disney parks lack coasters with top end thrills. Disney coasters often rank highly in polls because more people have experienced them than coasters at smaller, less visited parks. As good as Everest, GotG:CR, and Tron are, there are a handful of coasters within an hour's drive of WDW that blow the pants off those Disney coasters (Velocicoaster, Mako, Hagrid's, Iron Gwazi, and Manta).

I will give Disney credit for typically doing a solid job theming their coasters, which are clearly designed and planned with the theming in mind (so many coasters out there in other parks are themed as an afterthought), but that, along with their desire to make their rides as accessible as possible, means that intensity and the overall thrill factor are sacrificed. The most thrilling Disney coasters (Incredicoaster and Rock 'n Rollercoasters) are probably their least themed, and most would not even consider those 2 that thrilling when compared to other comparable coasters around the world.

Yes, Disney does have a decent collection of roller coasters, but they're continuing to fall behind in terms of creating coasters that can thrill while still meeting their high bar for theming and accessibility. I anticipate the announced Monsters Inc. coaster will be yet another mediocre coaster with great theming.

Big Grizzly Mountain in HK Disneyland is fantastic. It has charm for days, offers fun surprises and thrills, and has a non-IP story/vibe which is vintage Disney. Used to be my favorite Disney ride in the world. But, Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind is my number 1 now. It's combination of visuals, storytelling, and music take it over the top and the spinning cars definitely add to the ride experience.

Let's not forget about the oldies but goodies too... Matterhorn and Space Mountain.

BTM at DL Paris is, for me, the best coaster I've ridden at a Disney park. Followed closely by GotG & Everest. As a footnote, I've been to WDW + DL in Anaheim and Paris.

For anyone out there, how would you compare Crush's Coaster to other themed coasters? I've never been to Europe and I don't ever watch videos on rides I've never been on. It's not nominated here so it must not be at the level of the ones presented here, I'm assuming.

@Manny - I have not personally ridden Crush, but everything I've seen and heard about this coaster is that it's rather disappointing, especially considering the typical wait times. The coaster has an incredibly low capacity, and is located in a park where there aren't a lot of other attractions, so that contributes to the long lines. All of the strategies I've seen for this is to hit it first thing in the morning, because it's not worth waiting more than 20-30 minutes, which indicates to me that it's not anywhere close to the other Disney coasters (I would say the same thing for SDD BTW).

Rock n Roller Coaster is a blast as well. It's always the theming that gets you and Disney putting in great detail that helps them pop better than other coasters. So even if not as wild in twists, speed and such, the theming makes a Disney coaster more special.

@MikeW - I would say that was true 2 decades ago, but other companies have seen the benefits of providing more intricate theming on coasters. Disney coasters are no longer unique in that respect, and rarely stand out compared to coasters that have opened in the past 5-10 years. Even at a regional park like Carowinds, Copperhead Strike has a dark ride section.

FWIW, I feel RnRC is one of the weakest themed Disney coasters. Don't get me wrong, the queue is really good (especially the studio preshow), and the rotating on-ride soundtrack lends to some re-rideability. However, theming on the coaster itself is pretty lackluster with the train passing by a bunch of flat signs illuminated with black lights. When it comes to Premier Spaghetti-bowl coasters, I think Poltergeist at SFFT has almost as much theming as the DHS coaster and was built with a fraction of the Disney coaster's budget. If you want to compare to coasters just in Orlando, Revenge of the Mummy blows RnRC out of the water in terms of well-themed indoor roller coasters.

Crush Coaster wouldn't merit this list. It's an amusing ride but not worth the wait.

I haven't ridden the newest coasters at Walt Disney World (Guardians & Tron), nor have I visited any of the China parks, but here's what I'd say about the rest as a coaster fan (by resort)...

California: As the only true thrill coaster at the resort, Incredicoaster is the best here, though it is also largely a vanilla coaster rather than a highly themed experience. Space Mountain, however, is a bit slept on by coaster fans, as it's both the best version of that attraction at any Disney park and a really solid family coaster enhanced by being in the dark. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and Matterhorn Bobsleds are both good attractions but pretty dull as a pure roller coaster. Chip & Dale's Gadget Coaster and Goofy's Sky School both have no place in a modern Disney park as they're stock models.

Florida: My favorite Disney coaster I've experienced is Expedition Everest, but even though I like the ride quite a bit it's still not something I feel is worthy of a top 100 spot on my list (out of over 700). Rock 'n' Roller Coaster and Space Mountain are the other two coasters at this resort I consider solid rides from a coaster perspective. Much like California, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is a fairly blah coaster enhanced by excellent theming, and Seven Dwarfs Mine Train fits in that category as well. Slinky Dog Dash is hard to place...it's not themed that heavily, but it fits well in the park's lineup. Barnstormer is pure filler.

Japan: If you're looking for Disney coasters, this is not the resort to visit. Their version of Big Thunder Mountain is somehow worse than the US versions and Raging Spirits feels like a carnival coaster with set dressing.

France: This one's interesting, because they've got both the best version of Big Thunder Mountain (the only one I feel is actually thrilling from a coaster perspective) as well as the most intense coaster at any Disney park in Star Wars Hyperspace Mountain (though I personally think Rock 'n' Roller Coaster is a bit better ride-wise). Crush's Coaster is weird...the first half is a dark ride that's actually pretty well done, but the second half is just a generic spinning coaster in the dark with some light effects. Indiana Jones et le Temple du Peril is pretty much the same as Raging Spirits...highly themed carnival coaster.

Overall, Disney isn't a place I'd ever go if I were seeking out roller coasters, but most of the resorts do have at least one that's a quality thrill ride for those needing to scratch that itch. Fortunately, all of them are located relatively close to other destinations that can be blended with the trip to satisfy the true adrenaline seekers in any group.

Crush's Coaster is a good themed coaster - but is not on the same level as above mentioned here. The queue/loading room is well themed and the dark ride style start is Disney standard. The brief outdoor section is also nice. The issues are more the type of ride that this is, so soon as you spin in the second/main section it feels less special (Disney rides should feel special) - but then that's the point of being in the EAC I guess. Other Coasters in the resort are better and agree the Paris Big Thunder is the best version anywhere.

I love a Disney Coaster. They often feel magical and special. But I just want them to be longer. Tron, Seven Dwarfs, Slinky.. even Guardians - I want them to be Hagrids length. Imagine if they were longer? All eyes now on the Monsters Inc coaster - hopefully this isn't another 2 min coaster, but after "Wandering Oaken's Sliding Sleigh" I'm not hopefull.