Disney Vs. Disney: Ranking Every Disney Kiddie Coaster

Disney Kiddie Coasters are compact themed roller coasters targeted at younger guests and those looking for a relatively tame experience.  The attractions can be found at three of the six Disney Resorts across the globe.  We’ve experienced every Disney Kiddie Coaster in person.

Major Similarities & Differences

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You can watch fantastic videos of all versions of the attraction online, so we won’t spend time re-hashing the details of each experience.  Instead, we will just point out the major similarities and differences we feel are worth calling out:

• The California and Tokyo Disneyland attractions, both named Gadget’s Go-Coaster, are mirror-image clones, both located in their respective parks’ Toontown areas.
• The Florida attraction was originally called The Barnstormer at Goofy’s Wiseacre Farm, before being re-themed in 2011. Prior to the roller coaster, the area housed a petting zoo attraction.
• All versions of this attraction except California have two separate roller coaster trains. California’s only has one.

The Rankings (from least favorite to favorite)

4. Flounder’s Flying Fish Coaster – Tokyo DisneySea (Tokyo)

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In last place on our list is the rare Tokyo DisneySea attraction that is the weakest of its peers. There is just so much wasted opportunity here. The backdrop of this coaster is the absolutely stunning Mermaid Lagoon façade, themed to King Triton’s Palace from Disney’s 1989 animated film The Little Mermaid. And it is among the most visually impressive facades at any Disney park on the planet. The coaster is placed perfectly in front of this underwater kingdom, and really could have been something truly incredible. As it stands however, it is a very minimally themed, fairly rough, and very short ride, with a few very uninspiring turns and twists. One can only wonder what could have been, had the coaster been given a heavier theme in and around the amazing rockwork, with a longer, more impressive, and slightly more thrilling track layout. There’s really no reason this couldn’t have been the headliner of Mermaid Lagoon, and a do-not miss at Tokyo DisneySea. Instead, it’s hands-down the worst attraction at this otherwise masterpiece of a theme park, and without a doubt the worst Disney Kiddie Coaster in the world.

 

3. The Barnstormer – Magic Kingdom (Florida)

There’s nothing particularly wrong with the Barnstormer coaster, by Kiddie Coaster standards. It’s got a fun theme that fits its land nicely, it packs just the right level of thrills to hit the “junior coaster” target audience, and, of course, Goofy. The only real issue here is the surrounding area, which does absolutely nothing to envelope or transport the riders to another place. Basic trees surround a large portion of the ride, but there is far too much visibility of the Tomorrowland Speedway. The “back side” of Dumbo’s attraction is an eyesore to the West. And the looming backdrop of the Tron Lightcyle Run building just throws everything completely off. Also, we understand the theme here, and we do like it, but the minimal flat signs just come off a bit cheap and tacky. We expect top tier from Disney, yet this coaster really doesn’t look or feel like it ever got the budget it deserved – and perhaps it didn’t. The Storybook Circus train station and Dumbo attractions are fantastic in theme and design – and only serve to further separate this attraction from its surroundings. Ultimately, there’s a decent Kiddie Coaster here that doesn’t live up to Disney’s standards of theming, and as a result this coaster is third on our list.

 

2. Gadget’s Go-Coaster – Tokyo Disneyland (Tokyo)

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Tokyo Disneyland’s Toontown is home to the first of two clone attractions that reside both here and in California. It’s difficult to rank cloned attractions, and usually means diving into a ridiculous level of detail that most guests would never even notice. Here, the attraction is a mirror copy of California’s, but a couple of things stand out quickly. First, the theming. While well done, this one doesn’t have that “cozy” feel that is found at its California cousin – the rockwork is more sparse, the berm hillside is obviously missing, and the overall density of Toontown attractions is less here, which takes away a bit from the experience. The other major difference is that this one does have two trains, but at the end of the day, that’s not entirely necessary on such a short attraction, as by the time the coaster completes its journey and arrives at the station, the other train is typically nowhere near ready to depart. Overall, however, like so much of the Tokyo resort, this attraction is impeccable maintained and provides just the right amount of kinetic energy in Toontown, while at the same time offering a fun, themed experience. It’s these reasons that give it a comfortable – and close – second place on our list of Disney Kiddie Coasters.

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1. Gadget’s Go-Coaster – Disneyland (California)

Just edging out the Tokyo attraction is Gadget’s Go-Coaster in Toontown at Disneyland California. It’s a close call, but as mentioned, the placement here is the distinguishing factor. Disneyland’s Toontown is a ridiculously congested place – and some will argue that this is one of its biggest problems. On a busy day, the land can be incredibly crowded, and the tight placement of the attractions only further emphasizes this. We will argue, however, that this is exactly what Toontown should be – a frantic, zany, busy place with something happening everywhere you look. Gadget’s Go Coaster here seems to almost run into Donald’s Boat, and uses the surrounding rockwork and train berm perfectly to make the attraction feel truly wedged into the last possible amount of space Toontown could possibly find to house a roller coaster. It really helps make the ride more a bit more entertaining to both watch and experience. Yes, the single train may feel as if it contributes to annoying slow queue (it doesn’t), and the spitting frogs are an unreliable feature that really should work (and ultimately don’t really matter), but overall this one just edges out Japan for its tight Toontown surroundings, and is at the top of our list as the best Disney Kiddie Coaster in the world.

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YOUR THOUGHTS?

Agree or disagree with our rankings? Have you experienced any of these attractions – either in person, or virtually via the internet? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

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