At a glance
This is a rollercoaster that combines a dark ride with thrill sections. At the start, the vehicle, which looks like a turtle shell, glides gently past underwater scenes from the film Finding Nemo. You can spot characters such as Nemo and Squirt, brought to life with digital projections and real sets.
The pace changes when the shell starts climbing in total darkness. That’s when the vehicle begins to spin freely, depending on the weight of the riders. You then feel a real sense of speed, with tight turns and sudden drops that recreate the force of the East Australian Current.
Crush’s Coaster is one of the most popular rides in the park, because every ride feels different depending on how the shell spins. The track is almost entirely indoors, which adds to the feeling of speed, as riders lose their visual bearings in the dark.
As it’s in such high demand, Crush’s Coaster regularly closes for maintenance. Before you go, check the refurbishment calendar.
The most original spinning coaster in the resort. Turtle-shell vehicles spin freely in a dark ride inspired by Finding Nemo, with unexpected bursts of speed and turnarounds. Single Rider is almost a must to avoid the very long queues on busy days.
History
Opened on 9 June 2007 in the Toon Studio area (now Worlds of Pixar), Crush’s Coaster was designed by Walt Disney Imagineering together with the manufacturer Maurer. Exclusive to Disneyland Paris, it is the first spinning coaster in a Disney park and the first thrill ride based on a Pixar film, in this case Finding Nemo (2003).
Technical data
- Top speed
- 61 km/h
- Duration
- 2 min 20
- Length
- 550 m
- Opened
- 2007
- Type Rollercoaster
- Opening date 9 June 2007
- Duration 2 min 20
- Model Indoor spinning coaster (Maurer SC 2000 model)
- Top speed 61 km/h (38 mph)
- Maximum height 15.5 m
- Vehicle type Spinning turtle cars
- Number of vehicles 11
- People per vehicle 4
- Hourly capacity 895 people/hour
- Minimum height 1.07 m
- Design Walt Disney Imagineering
- Builder Maurer Rides GmbH
- Composer Thomas Newman (background music in the queue)
- Track length about 550 m
Theme & story
Levels & accessibility
- Fear level moderate
- Thrill level moderate
- Emotional impact moderate
- Perceived wait high
- Minimum height 1.07 m
- Recommended age tweens, teens, adults
- Wheelchair accessible
- 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.
"Single rider" queue: you fill the empty single seats, often much faster than the regular queue.
No PhotoPass on this ride.
Usually open during this slot before the park opens to the public, reserved for Disney hotel guests and Disneyland Pass Gold holders, among others. The right time to ride it with a shorter queue.
Who it’s for
Pros and cons
Strong points
- A one-of-a-kind feeling thanks to the vehicles that spin around
- Immersive theming that faithfully recreates the Pixar world
- Big thrills guaranteed without being too rough for children
Weak points
- Extremely long queue times all day long
- Can trigger motion sickness because of the spinning
My verdict
Crush’s Coaster is the most original spinning coaster in the resort: 4-seat turtle shells that spin freely in a dark ride inspired by Finding Nemo. 61 km/h (38 mph), a minimum height of 107 cm and a very handy Single Rider queue. Big thrills guaranteed, without being rough for children who meet the height requirement.
It’s one of my personal favourites in the Worlds of Pixar land, truly one of a kind. The only real problem: its queue times are among the longest in the resort all day, so Single Rider is almost essential. My tip to pass the time: use the queue to play the smartphone game designed specifically for the ride, few people know about it. Avoid it if you suffer from motion sickness, as the free spinning of the cars is unpredictable.
Best time to visit
Calculated from the ride’s queue time history, updated every day.
Map & getting there
Crush’s Coaster is in the Worlds of Pixar land, close to the Cars Quatre Roues Rallye attraction.
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.
