Everyone has a favorite ride at the Most Magical Place on Earth. It could be the one where you’re zooming in complete darkness through space, the one where pirates sing a catchy tune or one where you’re trying to escape hitchhiking ghosts. Defining which ride is considered the very best for most visitors, however, is a difficult one. One person’s exhilarating coaster can be another person’s idea of pure terror.
So buckle up because according to a new study by online casino Kasinohai, Tower of Terror is Disney’s most popular ride.
To determine visitor’s most favorited attractions, the site analyzed every ride across all four theme parks at Walt Disney World Resort based on three key factors: Instagram hashtags, Tripadvisor ratings and average monthly search volume for each.
The haunting drop tower claiming the No. 1 spot
Just as spooky as the television series it’s inspired by, The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror is a favorite for thrill seekers with the highest number of hashtags out of any ride on Instagram — over 465,000! It also earned a 4.5 out of 5 rating on Tripadvisor and received a staggering 75,943 monthly searches in the country.
Located over at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, the suspenseful ride with unpredictable drops was the most expensive Disney had ever built when it opened in 1994, costing a whopping $140 million. And standing at 199 feet, it is the second tallest attraction at the resort behind Expedition Everest.
On the ranking, Tower of Terror was followed by another exhilarating attraction in second place: Space Mountain. The cosmic coaster was the second most Googled Disney World ride in America, receiving 128,593 average monthly searches, and 128,593 hashtags. Since its opening at the Magic Kingdom in 1975, Space Mountain’s popularity has stood the test of time, as it is also the oldest operating rollercoaster in the Sunshine State.
It’s a Small World placed third in the list, with the colorful boat ride gaining an incredible 49,558 monthly searches and 352,796 hashtags on Instagram.
Magic Kingdom dominated with five of the top 10 rides based on the research, reflecting its enduring popularity. The top 10 most popular rides at Disney World ranked as follows:
- The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
- Space Mountain
- It’s a Small World
- Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance
- Expedition Everest
- Haunted Mansion
- Big Thunder Mountain
- Star Tours
- Jungle Cruise
- Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith