The Barnstormer is a steel junior roller coaster tucked into the Storybook Circus section of Fantasyland at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom. Built by Dutch manufacturer Vekoma and designed by Walt Disney Imagineering, it sends riders aboard Goofy’s homemade biplane as it careens through a comically out-of-control aerial stunt routine, complete with a barrel through a giant circus billboard at the finish.
The coaster traces its roots to The Barnstormer at Goofy’s Wiseacre Farm, which opened in Mickey’s Toontown Fair on October 1, 1996. That original version closed on February 12, 2011, to make way for the New Fantasyland expansion, and the rethemed Storybook Circus edition reopened on March 12, 2012. Despite its short stature and gentle 25 mph top speed, the ride remains a beloved first coaster for young Disney fans.
Stats at a Glance
- Park: Magic Kingdom, Walt Disney World Resort
- Manufacturer: Vekoma
- Opened: October 1, 1996 (original); reopened March 12, 2012 (current version)
- Height: About 30 feet (9.1 m)
- Top speed: About 25 mph (40.2 km/h)
- Length: About 680 feet (207 m)
- Inversions: 0
The Ride Experience
The Barnstormer casts Goofy as “The Great Goofini,” a bumbling circus stunt pilot whose biplane spins out of control moments after takeoff. Riders climb into open cars styled like Goofy’s rickety aircraft and follow his erratic flight path through quick swoops, twists, and turns before crashing through a painted circus billboard to end the trip.
At roughly 53 seconds long with no inversions, the ride is intentionally mild, but its tight turns and small drops still deliver enough punch to serve as a gateway coaster. Two trains, each with eight two-across cars, cycle guests through the circus-tent queue and loading station typical of Storybook Circus.
History and Location
Before its current form, the attraction operated for years as The Barnstormer at Goofy’s Wiseacre Farm in Mickey’s Toontown Fair, themed around a rural barn setting rather than a circus. When Disney closed Toontown Fair in 2011 to build New Fantasyland, the coaster’s track and trains were retained but the theming was overhauled for its new Storybook Circus home.
Today the ride sits near Dumbo the Flying Elephant and The Barnstormer’s circus-tent backdrop, forming a kid-friendly attraction cluster aimed at Magic Kingdom’s youngest guests and their families.
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The Barnstormer FAQs
How tall do you have to be to ride The Barnstormer?
Guests must be at least 35 inches (89 cm) tall to ride.
Who manufactured The Barnstormer?
Vekoma, a Dutch roller coaster manufacturer, built the ride, which was designed by Walt Disney Imagineering as a customized version of Vekoma’s Junior Coaster model.
Is The Barnstormer the same ride as the old Goofy’s Wiseacre Farm coaster?
Yes. It’s the same coaster structure that operated from 1996 to 2011 in Mickey’s Toontown Fair as The Barnstormer at Goofy’s Wiseacre Farm, retheed and reopened in 2012 in Storybook Circus.
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Photo: zannaland / CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.