Walt Disney World offers a wide variety of attractions over its four theme parks, with rides for everyone from young children to thrill seekers to grandparents. EPCOT alone features rides that fit into all these categories. However, just because Disney has different rides for every potential guest doesn’t mean that every ride is for every potential guest.
Spaceship Earth
In my 30+ years visiting EPCOT, my own body has started reacting differently to different rides, to the point where I’ve had to change some of my every visit list (apologies to my chiropractor for skipping Mission Space). In addition, even certain rides that I can still handle physically may not have the same emotional appeal to me that they do to others, and I’m only in my late 30s. How about Walt Disney World guests in their 50s? Which EPCOT rides do some in that age range tend to skip? Well, this is what our anecdotal research shows!
Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind
A strong case can be made that this MCU-based coaster is the top thrilling ride in Walt Disney World, thanks to its innovative omnicoaster ride system. However, the experience isn’t for everyone.
Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind
Riders 50+, especially those with motion sickness or physical issues, may desire to skip over Guardians thanks to its backwards launch, spinning coaster cars, and 60 MPH speed.
Cosmic Rewind
Mission Space
Similar to Guardians, those in the 50s age range may skip out on the somewhat controversial simulator attraction, thanks to its ride system. Specifically, the ride’s spinning centrifuge can be especially bothersome to those with motion sickness issues. Of course, on top of that, some guests in the age range to have visited EPCOT in the 1980s and early 90s might be boycotting Mission Space since it replaced the beloved Horizons, a concept we’ll revisit again in a bit.
Mission Space
Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure and Frozen Ever After
We’re grouping these two rides together mainly because some in the 50+ age range may be skipping them, for the same reasons. See, both of these attractions feature long waits and are based on intellectual properties that were introduced in the last 20 years.
Hey, Remy!
In other words, for riders of a certain age, these rides mean a long wait for something they likely have little emotional attraction to, unless they’re visiting with their kids or even grandkids, of course.
Frozen Ever After
Journey Into Imagination With Figment
Finally, we have the modern incarnation of the Imagination Pavilion’s ride. This one is purely based on the fact that old school EPCOT fans in the 50+ age range likely have a distaste for the current incarnation of the ride, and miss the original Dreamfinder & Figment version of their youth.
Figment!
Not every ride in EPCOT is for everyone, and that includes guests in their 50s. Stay tuned to AllEars for more on Disney World!
4 EPCOT Rides We’re Getting Worried About
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What dribble. I’m in my 40’s and I despise mission space because it replaced my beloved Horizons.
Just as I despise the new Journey into Imagination, as a matter of fact I despise Test Track for replacing my favorite World of Motion. Just as I despised the the destruction of Communicore for Innoventions. 80’s through early 90′ Epcot was an amazing place.
I think it would have been better to have someone in their 50s write this article… I’m about to turn 50 and love most of those rides! Guardians is one of my favorites across all 4 parks. Figment is really the only one I agree with here, and it’s for the reason stated. I won’t ride Mission Space Orange, but green is fine. I do have a 4 year old daughter, and Remy and Frozen are rides I am happy to get on with or without her. Please don’t age shame Gen X, we’re a lot tougher (and a lot more fun) than you realize!!!
I’m 70 and I ride them all except Mission Space. Bad back and abdominal issues. Love the others!
Why just 50’s? Your comments should include everyone OVER 50 which means 60’s, 70’s, 80’s! FYI many of the families visiting your park are there with the grandparents who PAID for their entire families trip – hotel, airfare, tickets. Why are you changing/eliminating their favorite rides? We miss everything at Hollywood Studios so we don’t even go to that park anymore! Epcot is our favorite – best food, great rides – don’t ruin it for us!
GOTG:CW is the smoothest roller coaster I’ve ever ridden. It is nowhere near as jerky and jarring as Space and Thunder Mountains or the Rock and Roller Coaster. I’m in my 60s and think GOTG:CWk and all the other rides in this artIcle are great. Don’t put all of us only on the boat rides just yet!
I say shenanigans here!!!
50+, AP, and DVC here…I, and my 50+ wife, ride all of these multiple times every visit!
My husband and I are both in our 50’s and we ride all of those.
I am 65 and I LOVE Guardians of the Galaxy AND Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure!! Have always been a fan of roller coasters (count me in on Space Mountain and Expedition Everest as well!), and find the only problem now is that getting in and out of Space Mountain is not as easy as it once was….and who doesn’t love a trip through Paris?!
I’m 76 years old and Guardians of the Galaxy is my absolute favorite ride in all of Disney World – ride it all the time. Second favorite is Expedition Everest at Animal Kingdom.
58yr old Disney goer here, been going since the 70s when Magic Kingdom opened, been going to EPCOT since the year it opened…
I’m never skipping Guardians, it’s awesome.
Mission Space I’ll skip, one dose of G-force introduction was enough.
I skip Frozen most trips. No I’m not insanely bitter about Maalstrom like most Xers, but the ride’s demographic is 100% little girls. Appreciate the movies but, meh.
Not gonna skip Ratatouille either. The single rider line has never taken more than 20 minutes and the immersive nature of the ride is simple cool.
And no way I’m skipping Figment. Maybe it’s the nostalgia of the early EPCOT days for me but Journey into Imagination is a must do.
✌🏼🤙🏼
I am a 57 year old woman and I love Disney World. I will ride everything except Mission Space in Epcot. I’m afraid I might get motion sickness. I particularly love Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind.
I can’t believe sometimes but I’m in my 70’s, I don’t enjoy the roller coaster rides anymore but Ratatouille is one of my favorites, along with Imagination, I would love to ride Frozen Ever After but I cannot get in and out of the boat. I may be in my 70’s but I’m a kid at heart and a BIGGG Disney fan. I wish more of the rides were really, I mean really handicap accessible. There little transfer devices are a joke. The mind and heart are able but physically not so much. All in all I am still a Disney fan and still get choked up when I get to the WDW arch, where I become a kid again.
I agree on the first 3 choices, never been on the Norway/Frozen attraction, at least in its present form. Had no issue with the Troll adventure or Figment.
That’s really nice and awesome
I’ve ridden every one of these and love them! I’m about to turn 61 and am a passholder. I just spent a year recovering from serious injuries from a car accidents and may end up not able to ride some of these. But that would only be due to the injuries from the accident not my age.
I’m 56 and the only one I slightly agree with is Journey Into Imagination because it’s not the first iteration. However, I still don’t skip it. I’ve only skipped the Orange side of Mission Space, but almost went on it this year.
As a 53 yr old frequent Disney visitor, I find this insulting. Being 50 doesn’t make you suddenly frail and fun aversive. I think the people you speak of had the same opinion before they turned 50
I’m 55 and love every one of these. Rode all of them on my last trip.
I am 63 and still am able, and love riding thrill rides. I have many friends, who after either giving birth or hitting their 40s or 50s are no longer able to enjoy them due to getting nausea, dizziness or other symptoms brought on by high blood pressure, vestibular disease or neck or back problems. I consider myself extremely lucky to be able to still enjoy one of my favorite past times. Unfortunately, many of my friends are no longer able to accompany me, so I make great use of single rider lines.
I’m 66 and rode Guardians last year. Loved it! I had a brief moment of dizziness while swirling through the dark, but after closing my eyes for about 10 seconds it passed. I agree about Frozen – I have zero interest it it & still miss Maelstrom. Disappointing or not, nothing can make me miss seeing Figment!❤️
AJ, love the heads up on the rides. My husband and I are both in our 60’s and we travel with my mom who is in her 80’s. We have all been going to DW for the last several years. I must say that Remy is one of our favorite rides in Epcot.
I’m 71 and love these rides! Ride them every chance i get.
This is a bunch of baloney. I’m 61, my husband 72 – annual pass holders. We ride Guardians at least 12 times in a 5 day trip. Remy? We loop it single rider – must go on it at least 15 times a trip. Frozen. LOVE IT and ride it multiple times. Mission Space – at least once or twice per trip (over it and not that much fun). The other one is for kids but we enjoy it and do it at least once. Where do you come up with these things??? 🙂
I’m 55 and happen to like Journey Into Imagination. It kind of reminds me of an old school carnival ride. Anderson Ratatouille is my favorite Pixar film, so I ride whenever the line is short or moderate.
I turned 60 this year. I’ve been on Cosmic rewind 27 times. My favorite Imagination was the first one but #3 is much better than #2. Remi? Well, my aching knees would prefer I didn’t. Frozen I’ll admit those are the worst audio animatronics I’ve ever seen. I just close my eyes and think of Maelstrom.
Gotta disagree with this article. 50+ year old here whose favorite ride ever is GOTG. I would ride that one all day if I could. Also enjoy all of the other rides you mentioned, but definitely green only on Mission Space. The only Disney ride I avoid is Aerosmith, and probably will still avoid even after the redo to Muppets theme.