Goofy’s Sky School review
At Disney’s California Adventure, Goofy’s Sky School is of its the best kept secrets. It is not one of the most well known rides amongst first time visitors, but it is one of the more exciting and thrilling attractions in the park.
This ride does not draw the same hour or more long lines that others might, though it is one of the fastest rides in the park. If you are looking for a good rush of adrenaline but don’t want to wait up quite as long as you would for some of the other faster rides in the park, Goofy’s Sky School is a great option.
Built in 200, Goofy’s Sky School was originally called Mulholland Madness based on the busy street that runs through Los Angeles. It was renamed and themed to include Goofy throughout the ride in 2011. Smaller than the Incredicoaster, Goofy’s Sky School is a great ride for little ones who are looking to go on one of their first roller coasters. It has plenty of fast drops and quick turns but it does not go as fast as Incredicoaster and it is located completely outside, meaning there are no dark parts of the ride.
Goofy’s sky school overlooks part of Disney California Adventure from the Paradise Gardens Park section of Disney California Adventure. On this ride you can get great views of Paradise Bay and Paradise Pier while on the top level where speeds are not that fast. Goofy’s Sky School is constructed of three levels that you will weave your way through while navigating the track.
If you are looking for a fun, exciting ride while you are at Disney California Adventure, be sure to give this one a try. It is the perfect amount of thrill and butterflies in your stomach without being too overwhelming for new roller coaster riding kiddos.
Overall this ride earns 3 out of 5 stars. Goofy’s Sky School is an exciting ride to experience and a fan of many local frequent Disney guests. It offers some fast drops and turns which can be inviting for a lot of older children and adults. One of the only drawbacks from this ride is that it is rather short. Compared to some other Disney rides that can be up to ten minutes, this ride is only one minute and forty five seconds.
Waiting in a line of up to forty minutes on a busy day for such a short attraction can be frustrating and a cause for guests to possibly skip it all together. In addition this ride is not suitable for younger children and has a height restriction, making it difficult for some parents to ride. Despite this, it is still a really enjoyable ride that everyone visiting Disney California Adventure should experience at least once while they are there.
Goofy’s Sky School Height Requirement
Goofy’s Sky School does have a height restriction of 42 inches or 3 feet six inches minimum in order to ride. This means that many young children five or younger may not be tall enough to ride this ride quite yet. This may be disappointing for some little ones who love roller coasters and were looking to go on this fun attraction.
If you are traveling with a preschooler, try and keep this in mind as you plan your Disney day and what rides you are hoping to go on. If you are unsure if your little one is tall enough to ride this ride, there is a measuring point located at the entrance to the line that will easily let you know if they are able to. A cast member can assist you in measuring if they are right on the border and let you know if your child is in fact tall enough.
Disney is very strict on their height restrictions of their attractions for the safety and security of their younger guests. These requirements ensure no one gets hurt or put in danger by riding rides that are not yet safe for them. By having minimum height requirements Disney is able to ensure the ride will be enjoyable for little ones and they won’t get tossed around in their seat if there are jerky movements or big drops.
Even if you wait an hour or more in line and finally reach the front, if someone is too short to ride, they will absolutely not let them get on. Though this can be frustrating for parents who want to give their child the most magical Disney visit possible, remember these policies are in your best interest.
If your child is not tall enough to ride a variety of rides, it is best to simply avoid those specific attractions and find other ones that they can enjoy, rather than listing all of the things that they cannot do. Focusing on the rides that they are tall enough to ride and have interest in is a good way to prevent them from feeling like they are missing out on the fun stuff and possibly becoming upset. While roller coasters are well loved by many guests, there are plenty of other fun rides they will enjoy just as much.
Goofy’s Sky School is a great alternative for children who want to ride a rollercoaster but are not yet tall enough to ride the neighboring Incredicoaster. The height requirement for Incredicoaster is four feet or 48 inches, while the height requirement for Goofy’s Sky School is significantly shorter at 42 inches or three feet and six inches.
This is a good stepping stone for children who feel ready to take on the Incredicoaster but aren’t yet tall enough to do so. Goofy’s Sky School will still provide plenty of fun and thrill for those who are waiting to hit their next growth spurt and make it on the big coaster.
Goofy’s Sky School Speed
With top speeds of up to 27 miles per hour, Goofy’s Sky School is sure to give you some butterflies in your stomach. This ride also has some big drops with a total height of 55 feet, creating some moments of speed. Though this ride is not as fast as some of the other roller coasters, it still has enough speed to be considered thrilling and exciting.
Kids and adults alike flock to this ride to enjoy a fun and exciting attraction. This ride does not have a story book but instead focuses on aviation and is narrated by Goofy. You get to step into the role of a pilot and navigate your way through the attraction. During the ride you will see various steps on how to fly, including:
- Lesson 1: How to Take Off
- Lesson 2: How to Fly
- Lesson 3: How to Turn
- Lesson 4: How to Nosedive
- Lesson 5: How to Land
These fun signs correspond with parts of the ride. For example, when learning how to nosedive you will experience a big drop in the roller coaster. Fun photos of Goofy accompany each lesson billboard.
There are some jerky movements at the beginning of the ride which can make you feel as if your car is going to tip over the edge and off the rails. This ride does not take up much surface area of the park, but being three stories of track there is still plenty of room for some exciting twists and turns. This fast and exciting ride with medium high speeds, quick turns and fun drops earned three out of five stars with good reason.
Despite not showcasing any major Disney motion pictures, this ride is still a hit with many park guests who are sure to take flight everytime they visit. Once you ride you will see what all the fuss is about.
Goofy’s Sky School Drop Height
Though Goofy’s Sky School has a total height of 55 feet, you will not get from the top to bottom all in one drop. The largest drop on this ride is twenty feet, which is not as scary as some other roller coasters in the park but will still make your stomach tickle a bit. There are a few other drops throughout this ride though they are not as big as twenty feet.
This makes this ride a good starter roller coaster for young kids who are tall enough to ride but still a little apprehensive of going on some of the larger coasters. The medium drop and speed is one of the reasons for its score of three stars in our Goofy’s Sky School review.
Drops are the only times this ride reaches its maximum speed. Besides this, this ride goes medium fast while navigating sharp turns. About half of this ride is spent at full speeds while going down big drops or coming out of them.
It is important to note that this ride is not suitable for people with neck and back problems, pregnant mothers or those with heart problems according to Disney. This is due to the sharp turns rather than the large drop. Be sure to remember this if this affects your ability to ride.
Unfortunately this ride does not have an opportunity to have your photo taken.
While you may be expecting it during the big drops or fast turns, do not worry about having your picture perfect smile ready.
Getting In Line For Goofy’s Sky School
Goofy’s Sky School can get a long line even on quiet days in the park. If you are hoping to ride this ride, it is best to go early in the day. Unfortunately since Disney has discontinued the fastpass system you are unable to obtain one for this ride now.
Disneyland will be introducing the Disney Genie to both Disneyland and Disney California Adventure in Fall of 2021. This program will allow guests to navigate and plan their day in both parks as well as give current wait times and predicted wait times for attractions throughout the day. Disney Genie+ will allow guests, for $20 per day per ticket, to choose the next available time to arrive at certain attractions using the lightning lane, bypassing the normal wait time. This will serve as a shortcut around the line, cutting your wait time down significantly.
Individual attraction selection is another feature that is available with Disney Genie+ which will allow guests to schedule a specific time to arrive at up to two popular attractions each day. Pricing for this option will vary by day and attraction that you are choosing, and we don’t know the specifics yet- hopefully we will soon as the launch of Disney Genie+ at Disneyland and Disney California Adventure gets closer!
With this new feature, we hope that the wait time for Goofy’s Sky School will be decreased significantly when used. Until then, the standby line will be the only option. This line does seem to move faster than some others despite the relatively slow load process. When waiting we have found that sometimes you may be in line for a shorter amount than the estimated wait time. Estimated wait times can be seen when entering the line or on the Disney app. Until Lightning Lane is introduced as Disney California Adventure, you can expect to wait up to forty minutes for this ride on a busy afternoon.
A good way to bypass the line is the single rider line if you are able to utilize it. This line pairs single riders with cars that have an empty seat, and this line usually moves significantly faster than the regular line. If you are unable to go in the single rider line, consider trying to go during popular events within the park, such as during a parade or popular show. These times may have shorter lines for many rides, such as Goofy’s Sky School.
If there is a World of Color show, be sure to ride before as this ride along with most other rides at Paradise Pier will close during this specific event.
Goofy’s Sky School is wheelchair accessible. If you or someone in your group is using a wheelchair or ECV vehicle, simply go in the standard line. At time of loading, you will have to transfer into the car on your own or with the help of someone that you are with.
Is Goofy’s Sky School Scary?
Though this ride is not as fast as some others in the park, it still has its moments of speed and thrill as any roller coaster does. Some may find this ride a bit scary if they are not a fan of big drops and high speed.
This ride is suitable for children who are comfortable with aspects of a rollercoaster. Be careful when taking young children on this ride as it may be a little scary for them due to the speed and sudden movements.
One thing about this ride that differs from other fast attractions in the Disney parks is that the front edge of the car that you are riding in is ahead of the wheels. Because of this, the illusion of being close to falling straight off of the tracks is created when going on sharp turns. This combined with the height of the turns, being on the top level, can be a bit much for some to handle.This ride has been referred to as a madhouse before for good reason. What it lacks in Disney magic it makes up for in heart stopping twists, turns and drops.
Though most adults will not consider this ride scary, some young children who have little experience with rollercoasters might feel that it is. Besides medium fast speeds and some drops and sharp turns, there are no elements of surprise. Without dark sections or pop out features, there is little that will cause a sudden fright besides the track itself.
If you or your little one doesn’t yet feel ready for the thrill of Goofy’s Sky School, there are other great rides in both Disneyland and Disney California Adventure to give a try. Some other rides are slightly less fast and thrilling, but still are a great medium. One ride that may be a good substitute if you just want a little bit of thrill is Pirates of the Caribbean located in Disneyland.
This ride has only two drops that are slightly smaller, a maximum of fourteen feet, and the rest of the ride is very slow as you travel through the world of Pirates of the Caribbean. Another good ride that can replace Goofy’s Sky School is the Silly Symphony Swings. This ride is pretty straightforward as you ride on a giant spinning swing set. Here, you do get some height but there is not a big dip or high speeds such as with Goofy’s Sky School.
In addition, the height requirement for Silly Symphony Swings is two inches shorter than Goofy’s Sky School at three feet and four inches, making it an option for little ones who are not quite tall enough yet to ride this roller coaster.
Overall, this ride is pretty low on the fear scale, making it a good option for those who don’t want to be too shocked after any attraction. Though it does reach moderately fast speeds with some big dips and jerky turns, there are no dark portions or sudden pop-ups to surprise you. If you are alright with mild roller coasters and want a little bit of thrill, this ride should make you feel excited and full of adrenaline for a moment rather than fearful.
Wrapping Up
Goofy’s Sky School is one of the last attractions that is based on a movie that was created so far back in Disney’s history, making it a unique and nostalgic attraction. It earned three out of five stars in this Goofy’s Sky School review based on its moderate thrill factor and versatility for guests. Kids and adults love this ride and it gathers long lines for good reason.
Unfortunately, that is one of the reasons it did not receive five stars in addition to its short duration. On busy days this line can be up to forty minutes, making it a long wait for a rather short time actually on the ride. With a duration of less than two minutes, some may find it hard to justify waiting for when the line can be over a half an hour. Hopefully as Disney Genie+ rolls around this will change and lines will shorten, making this ride easier to go on.
While Goofy is the main character of this ride, it is not super noticeable. There are some fun billboards throughout the ride with Goofy and his flight school instructions, but besides that and some narration from him, there are not a lot of story components. Many guests have never seen the short film, Goofy’s Glider from 1940, which this ride is based upon. This would be a good reason to incorporate more of the movie into the ride so guests can get a feel for the film while enjoying the attraction.
Besides its drawbacks, Goofy’s Sky School is still a very fun and exciting mid level rollercoaster for all ages. Adults and kids alike love riding this attraction every time that they visit the park. If you find yourself in Disney California Adventure for the first time and are wondering if this attraction is worth adding to your itinerary, we feel that it is. While it may not be as popular as some of the other fast attractions in the park, it still draws crowds with good reason. Be sure to give it a try and see what all the hype is about on your next visit to Disney California Adventure.
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