Today we are all sitting down to talk about our most recent trip to Walt Disney World. Specifically, we are sharing our favorite rides from the trip, what we found most surprising, and what we would like to see in the future. Pull up a chair at our Rider Roundtable and let’s get started!

Astro Orbiter is a spinner or “hub and spoke” design ride that allows guests of all heights to pilot their own space rocket through the cosmos. This ride is almost identical to two other rides in the Magic Kingdom, Dumbo the Flying Elephant and the Magic Carpets of Aladdin. Dumbo is the most famous of the three Magic Kingdom spinners, but as we will discover today, Astro Orbiter tops that ride in at least one way.

If you have never been to Walt Disney World before, Space Mountain probably won’t be the first ride that comes to mind when you think of high thrills. However, for those that have been visiting the park since 1975 this is the ride that introduced high thrills to the Magic Kingdom. This ride has a rich history, containing many firsts in roller coaster design, and continues to offer up screams year after year.

The famous Imperial March signifies the impending entrance of Darth Vader. This larger-than-life villain awaits brave young Padawans at The Jedi Training Academy. Those that are accepted into the Jedi Training Academy will be provided a temporary Jedi robe and lightsaber for the training. A Jedi master will appear on stage and proceed to give a most impressive display of his lightsaber skills. The master will then turn to the younglings and tell them new Padawans are needed to help in the fight against the Dark side.

Star Tours is a motion simulator ride that takes you on high thrill journey into the dogfight between the evil Empire and the heroic Rebellion. Even if you are not a huge Star Wars fan, I believe this ride can be a lot of fun. Of course, to have fun you need a good ship. Fortunately, I know a ship that might suit us. She is called the Starspeeder 1000. What, you’ve never heard of the Starspeeder 1000? It’s the ship that made the Kessel run in less than 12 parsecs! No wait, I’m thinking of another ship, but this one will still do the job nicely. If that doesn’t make any sense to you, please pause the podcast and go watch Star Wars: A New Hope. Before you get on board your Starspeeder 1000, you get to wind through the elaborate queue of Star Tours.

Today will wrap up our month long exploration of rides the whole family can enjoy. We started at EPCOT, inspired by the annual Flower & Garden Festival. Since then we have explored the beauty of France at Impressions de France, enjoyed a tropical musical revue at Walt Disney’ Enchanted Tiki Room, and learned about nature’s most abundant members of the animal kingdom at It’s Tough To be a Bug! Today, we will head back to EPCOT as we finish this round of family-friendly rides related to nature.

We are continuing our theme of family friendly rides this month by heading over to Disney’s Animal Kingdom. This week we are lining up for a circus of a show as we go underground and learn why It’s Tough To Be a Bug!

Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room is one of the world’s most famous musical revues. Even if you have never seen the band live you can probably still sing along with the chorus. The quartet of macaws: José, Michael, Fritz, and Pierre are the faces of this large assemble. While the band has been delighting audiences for over 50 years, like all big musicians, their story is one of highs and lows. Today we will take a look back at how this group got their start, their successes, their challenges, and the new resurgence of the show. Come along with me now as we look at Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room.

Impressions de France is a travelogue film that transports you to the many majestic venues of France through sweeping cinematography and incredible music. As the films title fades out and the clefts of Etretat in Normandy fade in, you are immediately immersed in the tranquility of this 200 degree film. The theater consists of five screens each measuring 21 feet tall and over 27 feet wide. I love this venue as it is wide enough to reach beyond your peripheral vision, but not 360 degrees requiring you to constantly spin around. At one point, you are part of a wedding audience with the bride and groom in the distance ahead. However, if you turn to your right you are meet with the larger than life view of another guest as if they are sitting next to you. This forced perspective continues through the film and gives the environments tremendous depth.

Welcome to the Himalayas! Expedition Everest is an imagineering masterpiece that represents the mountainous region that contains the famous Mount Everest. Awaiting adventurous riders is the largest steel roller coaster in all of Walt Disney World. The mountain boasts an 80 foot drop, the steepest in the kingdom. However, there is something far more terrifying protecting this sacred Forbidden Mountain, the legendary Yeti!