Epcot is loved by adults for its multitude of international food and drinks, but it also has a handful of great rides for adults.

Epcot has a large selection of rides that appeal to adults, including the brand new Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind. We’ll share our favorite grownup rides, along with some insider advice to help you enjoy your time at Epcot.

When you’re finished picking your rides, be sure to check out our picks for the Top 13 Best Epcot Restaurants for Adults.

Ranking the Best Epcot Rides for Adults

#7: Living with the Land

Living with the Land
Living with the Land

The first ride on our list is slow and educational, perfect for any age adult. Living with the Land is a classic Epcot ride that takes you on a boat ride through a huge greenhouse system. The ride is interesting and also educational as it shows what Epcot believes to be the future of agriculture and food production.

Once you load up into your boat, you’ll find yourself weaving through different parts of Epcot’s in-park farm. Fruits and vegetables from around the world will be seen all over, many of which are being grown using innovative techniques developed by Disney horticulturalists.

There’s even a section of the ride that showcases a hydroponic system, complete with sturgeon, catfish, and tilapia. Many of the fruits, vegetables, and herbs featured in this exhibit are served at Disney World restaurants.

This ride is slow-paced and won’t knock your socks off, but it’s a traditional Epcot ride that appeals to adults more than it does small children. It’s interesting enough to see the interior of a technologically advanced greenhouse and almost always has a very low wait time.

#6: Frozen Ever After

Frozen - A Top Tier Epcot Ride

The Frozen feature film is a movie that many parents are all too familiar with. Even so, the Frozen Ever After ride at Epcot has just enough to make it fun for adults as well as for kids.

The line queue for the ride is well executed and shows the kingdom of Arendelle in preparation for a celebration. That celebration is for the anniversary of the winter thaw. In the Frozen movie, winter ended when Anna saved her sister Elsa, who then restored the warm weather to the kingdom. You’ll load up into a boat that will take you through some familiar scenes from the Frozen movie.

Frozen Ever After is less about thrills than it is the presentation, but it does have one decent drop toward the end of the ride. It also features some of the best animatronic work at Disney World. It’s extremely popular and frequently has wait times north of an hour. A Lightning Lane reservation is highly recommended if you intend to ride this one.

Frozen Ever After is one of only two Epcot rides in the World Showcase.

#5: Test Track

Test Track Epcot

Test Track has long been an Epcot staple and many consider it to be their favorite thrill ride in the park.

You’ll start off by designing a vehicle on a touchscreen monitor. Your creation will be implemented into the ride and you’ll see how your vehicle stacks up against others. Test Track is basically a coaster and reaches pretty high speeds. You’ll wind through courses that are meant to simulate real-life car testing.

The best part of the ride takes place toward the end. You’ll leave the indoor test facility and run wide open down the outdoor portion of the track.

This ride is definitely well liked and is a favorite of many Epcot regulars. It’s the only roller coaster type of experience at Epcot. Even though it doesn’t invert at any point, it’s a solid thrill ride that adults will enjoy.

#4: Spaceship Earth

Spaceship Earth Epcot Egypt

Everyone is familiar with the iconic Epcot “golf ball” at the front of the park. The ride inside that golf ball is called Spaceship Earth and it is arguably the most iconic ride at Epcot. This is another slow and educational ride that takes you from the beginning of the world to the potential future.

Spaceship Earth takes you on a dark, slow ride to the top of the structure. The theme of the ride is humanity’s progress throughout history and how the Earth is our own “spaceship”. The ride’s track will take you through scenes ranging from ancient Egypt to the Sistine Chapel. You’ll smell Rome burning and you’ll see the inside of one of the first computer rooms.

Adults will enjoy the historical nature of this ride. They’ll also appreciate the painstaking lengths Disney went to in order to create impressive animatronics and historically accurate sets. This ride is a must-do for anyone who wants the quintessential Epcot experience.

It’s a good idea to have a Lightning Lane for this one, but wait times are often not bad. You can get more in-depth details about the ride experience on this post about Spaceship Earth.

#3: Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind

Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind

This brand new ride is impeccable, showcasing lots of Disney’s state-of-the-art ride technology. It’s impressive by many standards and is a favorite for those who love thrill rides and Marvel movies. The best way we know how to describe the ride for those who have never been is to compare it to both Space Mountain in Magic Kingdom and Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster in Hollywood Studios.

Guardians currently runs on the Virtual Queue system, so you’ll have to be prepared to book your spot as early as 7am the morning on your Epcot trip. If you miss booking a time slot at that point, another set of time slots comes available at 1pm, but you have to be physically in the park to get a slot.

The Guardians of the Galaxy are the main characters of this coaster and they’ll give you a special mission before you hop into the ride vehicle. First, you’ll walk through the Galaxarium which compares the world of Xandar with our own Earth in several different exhibits displayed in the queue. At the end of the tour Nova-Prime (or Glenn Close), leader of Xandar welcomes you to the planet. The Guardians suddenly interrupt the tour to warn you about an incoming danger to the planet and urge you to escape as quickly as possible.

Guests are led to a room where they’ll board their escape pod (or ride vehicle) to flee Xandar. This is Disney’s first ever reverse-launch coaster so prepare for a whole new experience on this thrilling Guardians ride. Star-Lord’s Awesome Mix plays in the background as you fly backwards through space and jump time zones to evade the impending evil. This indoor coaster not only propels you backwards, but your individual vehicle will also rotate a full 360 degrees to view different features of the ride. Trust us: you won’t want this one to end!

#2: Mission: SPACE

Epcot Mission Space Intensity Orange & Green

Many people don’t realize that Mission: SPACE is actually the most intense ride on the entire Disney World property. It’s a space shuttle simulator that generates some serious g-force, making it a perfect adult-friendly ride.

The theme of the ride revolves around taking a trip to Mars in a shuttle. You and three others will load into a tight shuttle capsule and will be “launched” into space. The most intense part of the ride comes early, as you’ll feel the force of blasting off. Screens directly in front of you will show you where you’re headed.

Mission: SPACE’s intensity can be surprising for first-timers. The capsules will spin fast to create quite a bit of force. It’s definitely not a ride for those who get motion sickness. There is a “less intense” version of the ride for those who may not be capable of handling the full effect. The “More Intense” and “Less Intense” options will be presented to you when you enter the line queue.

Lightning Lane for this ride is definitely recommended. It’s reasonably popular and 45 minute wait times are very common for it.

#1: Soarin’

Epcot Soarin Around the World Ride

The number one pick on our list of best Epcot rides for adults is Soarin’, the undisputed king of Epcot rides. Soarin’ is truly unique, taking you on a “hang glider” tour of some of the world’s most impressive settings. It achieves this tour with a hang glider simulator and giant screens. It’s an awesome concept and it definitely makes you feel like you are flying.

You’ll strap into your glider before it lifts you high into the air and places you directly in front of the screen. You’ll visit a variety of impressive locations ranging from the tip of the Matterhorn to the Taj Mahal. The ride even includes scents that will change depending on your scenery.

Soarin’ is unique, impressive, and especially good for adults. It hits its mark as a lifelike simulation of what it would feel like to hang glide over amazing landscapes and famous areas. It’s very, very popular, so Lightning Lane is usually a must, unless you don’t mind waiting for what could easily be 60-90 minutes or more. It’s absolutely worth a Lightning Lane slot and continuously receives high praise from adult Epcot guests.

Need Help Booking Lightning Lane for These Attractions?

We built a whole post on booking ride passes and selecting the best ones for your group on the Insider’s Guide to Epcot Fastpass Tiers. Check it out before planning your trip!

The Best Epcot Rides for Adults