Hi Rachel, If your daughter loves
Big Thunder Mountain Raildroad, then she's sure to be a fan of
Space Mountain. My 7 year old is a thrill-seeker & she loves both of these as well as
Expedition Everest.
Comparing the two, I feel that you get "tossed" around more on Big Thunder than on Space Mountain. That's likely due to the "rickety train track" theme. It has it's dips and goes pretty fast around the corners. Space Mountain is an exciting roller coaster, too. Like Big Thunder, there aren't any flips, loops
or corkscrews on this ride. There are several big "dips", but that's
it. In fact, the highest speed Space Mountain reaches is 28 miles per
hour, it just feels much faster in the dark. My daughter rode it with
her hands in the air, and begged to go right back on it. The minimum height
requirement for Space Mountain is 44 inches, so to avoid disappointment be sure she
measures up ahead of time. I just double checked with 3 of my kids and they all agree that Big
Thunder is "pretty equal" to Space Mountain as far as the "fun" factor. The key difference is that Space Mountain is in the dark. If your daughter doesn't like the dark, then she might not like it. I should clarify though that it isn't pitch dark, there are "stars", "comets", and other lights. It's a LOT of fun. It's like riding a rocket ship through space, and is one of our favorite attractions.
If your daughter is at least 44 inches, she will also be able to ride
Expedition Everest at Disney's Animal Kingdom Park. After 3 times in a
row, I had to pry my little girl away from it.
Hope this helps and that you have a Magical Vacation!
Kaylene