8 Facts and Secrets About The Barnstormer Featuring the Great Goofini

You will find the Barnstormer Featuring the Great Goofini at the Magic Kingdom within the circus area of Fantasyland toward the back right side of the park.  It is a really fun attraction that is great for families and kids who love the idea of a thrilling coaster but isn’t too wild for the younger ones.  It may be a simple attraction, but it does have a pretty cool history. Here are eight facts and secrets that you may not know about our beloved Barnstormer:

8 – When did the ride first open?

This attraction has lived and operated within the Magic Kingdom since October 1, 1996. This fun attraction that is a family-friendly favorite. This is one that my kids beg to go on over and over and enjoy it just as much as the first time. We are glad that even with changes, it is has a long-standing home in the Magic Kingdom.

7 – It takes longer to walk through the queue than the ride actually lasts.

This ride is actually a pretty short coaster. The full-ride time is under a minute and a half. In all fairness, the ride queue is quite long and goes all the way back and then back up toward the loading area. The ride is definitely shorter than the walk, but that doesn’t mean that the attraction still isn’t a ton of fun!

6 – It’s a coaster kids can ride.

The minimum ride height for this one is 35 inches. This means that kids of many sizes and ages can ride this attraction. If you are taller, you will definitely notice it is more designed for children based on the smaller amount of legroom than you may be used to on other attractions. My husband usually just sends the kids and me on the coaster for that very reason.

5 – The ride was re-themed in the New Fantasyland expansion.

The original attraction was “The Barnstormer at Goofy’s Wiseacre Farm.” When this circus area was refurbished and re-themed, the attraction was re-themed with the Great Goofini to fit into the new theming of this area of the land. It closed in February 2011 for the refurbishment and then reopened in March 2012 with the new theme. The ride itself didn’t really change, just the details, queue, and other elements of the attraction to help bring out the theme.

4 – Nod to “The Barnstormer at Goofy’s Wiseacre Farm.”

There is a nod to the original theme for the attraction. If you look behind the sign at the entrance to the attraction, you will see a grouping of letters that are the letters that once read “Wiseacre Farm.” We love it when the Imagineers add in these little details so that we can always remember the fantastic past and history of our beloved attractions.

3 – The ride and its relation to Opryland USA.

The Barnstormer actually got its name from one of the attractions at the Opryland USA theme park. Not only that, it is one of the only three Disney attractions in the United States that got their names from Opryland. Pretty cool, huh?

2 – It looks faster than it is!

When you first glance at the attraction, you may be questioning putting your 35-inch tall child into the seat and letting them ride. The attraction actually only goes 25 miles per hour at its maximum speed, so it really is slower than it looks like it is going. It is still a really fun 25 miles per hour, and we definitely recommend that you give it a go!

1 – Goofy’s Sky School.

If you happen to be visiting California Disney parks, then take a trip on over to Disney’s California Adventure. There you will find Goofy’s Sky School, which is actually almost identical to Primeval Whirl in Animal Kingdom. Once you get flying lessons from Goofy, you’ll understand why flying with him on the Barnstormer is such a wild ride!