At a glance
The name Autopia blends automobile and utopia: the ride shows the optimistic vision of the motorways of the future as imagined in the 1950s. It draws directly on the cartoon Magic Highway, U.S.A., broadcast in 1958, and follows in the footsteps of the original Tomorrowland Autopia, dreamed up by Walt Disney himself for Disneyland in California.
You take the wheel of a small, stylised hybrid car, the Astrocoupé, and follow a winding track through the fictional city of Solaria, a retro-futuristic metropolis where city, nature and motorways live in harmony. The queue winds between metal structures that call to mind Art Deco skyscrapers, topped with turquoise and purple neon. Along the way, billboards with a 1950s feel line the road, including an animated poster where a hand seems to move on its own and a nod to the Rocket Café near Space Mountain.
For safety reasons, a central rail guides the cars and the speed is limited, which makes the ride suitable for young children: you need to be 81 cm to ride as a passenger and 1.32 m to drive alone. The cars have bumpers and come in more than sixty different Art Deco-inspired designs.
Discoveryland’s retro-futuristic driving track. Little hybrid cars guided by a rail, which kids drive themselves around a landscaped circuit. Very gentle, and loved by the youngest ones taking the wheel for the first time. The wait can climb at busy times because capacity is limited.
History
Opened on 12 April 1992 along with the park, Autopia is the Disneyland Paris version of a car circuit ride that dates back to Disneyland in Anaheim (1955), where it was one of the opening-day attractions. You’ll also find it at Tokyo Disneyland (1983) and Hong Kong Disneyland (2005). The Paris version, in Discoveryland, keeps its original layout.
Sponsored in turn by Mattel, Esso, Ford and then Avis since 18 December 2023 (since that date, drivers can ask for a commemorative driving licence), it was renovated in 2019 (6,000 m³ of track concrete replaced, lighting switched to LED, electricity use cut by a factor of ten). The cars switched to hybrid versions in 2025.
Technical data
- Duration
- 5 min
- Opened
- 1992
- Type Car ride
- Opening date 12 April 1992
- Duration 5 min
- Minimum height 81 cm
- Design Walt Disney Imagineering
- Sponsor Avis (car hire)
- Inspired by Autopia (Disneyland, California, 1955)
- Speed 12 km/h (7 mph)
Theme & story
Levels & accessibility
- Fear level none
- Thrill level low
- Emotional impact moderate
- Perceived wait moderate
- Minimum height 0.81 m
- Recommended age kids, tweens, teens, adults
- Wheelchair access must transfer from wheelchair
- Suitable for pregnant visitors
Premier Access, Single Rider, PhotoPass
Skip the regular queue whenever you like. Handy in peak season, when the wait often goes over 60 minutes.
No Single Rider here. To save time, count on Premier Access or park opening.
No PhotoPass on this ride.
Not open during Extra Magic Time: it opens at the same time as the park.
Who it’s for
Pros and cons
Strong points
- Ideal for a first go at driving
- Hybrid versions of the cars
- Beautifully designed cars
Weak points
- Low hourly capacity
- Little happening during the ride
- Weather-dependent (no cover when it rains)
My verdict
At Autopia, children drive little cars themselves along a central rail, in a retro-futuristic Art Deco setting. The minimum height is 81 cm to ride as a passenger, which makes it one of the few thrill rides open to very young kids. It’s the fifth Autopia in the world, following the original dreamed up by Walt Disney himself in 1955.
I think it’s a perfect first driving experience, so don’t miss it if your child dreams of being behind the wheel. Capacity is low and there’s no shelter if it rains, so go early or late in the day. A little-known tip: since December 2023, drivers can ask for a commemorative Avis driving licence. And don’t forget the free photo spot in an Astrocoupé at the entrance.
Best time to visit
Calculated from the ride’s queue time history, updated every day.
Map & getting there
Autopia is in Discoveryland, between Orbitron and Star Wars Hyperspace Mountain.
Your questions about this ride
01 How can you avoid long queues for the most popular rides?
To avoid long queues at Disneyland Paris, I combine several tactics. First, Single Rider is free and really speeds things up on the rides that offer it, including Crush’s Coaster, Flight Force, Ratatouille and Spider-Man, as long as you’re happy not to ride with your group. Next, Disney Premier Access is a paid service that gives you priority access to the headline rides. If you’re staying in a Disney hotel, Extra Magic Time lets you into the park before official opening, and it’s the best time to ride the popular attractions back to back without queuing. Finally, heading to the most popular rides during a parade or a big show empties the queues considerably.
02 Are the queue times shown in the park reliable?
Yes, the queue times shown in the app or on the screens around the park are generally reliable. They’re often the same as, or slightly longer than, the real wait, which helps you plan your day better.
03 How can I find out if a ride will be closed for refurbishment during my trip?
Disneyland Paris publishes the list of rides closed for refurbishment on its official website, several weeks in advance. Because the parks are open all year round, the maintenance teams sometimes work on days when the parks are open, which leads to temporary closures. My advice: check this calendar (or the one on my blog) before booking, especially if there’s one particular ride you really care about.
04 What are the minimum heights for each ride at Disneyland Paris?
Here are the minimum heights for the thrill rides at Disneyland Paris. In Disneyland Park: Autopia 0.81 m, Star Tours and Big Thunder Mountain 1.02 m, Star Wars Hyperspace Mountain 1.20 m, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril 1.40 m. In Disney Adventure World: Toy Soldiers Parachute Drop 0.81 m, The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror 1.02 m, Crush’s Coaster 1.07 m, Avengers Assemble: Flight Force and RC Racer 1.20 m. The other rides have no height restrictions, which makes them ideal for families with young children.
05 Which rides might scare young children?
Several rides at Disneyland Paris can frighten young children even without a height restriction. Blanche-Neige et les Sept Nains, in Fantasyland, has dark scenes with the witch that can catch them off guard. Les Voyages de Pinocchio also has some unsettling scenes. La Tanière du Dragon, under Sleeping Beauty Castle, is home to a very impressive animatronic dragon. Phantom Manor, in Frontierland, plays on a ghostly atmosphere and is really intense for toddlers. Pirates of the Caribbean switches between cheerful moments and darker scenes. I’d suggest watching how your child reacts before you get on.
