At a glance
This ride is a thrill attraction that recreates a racing car track in Andy’s garden. Riders board RC, the remote-control car from the film Toy Story, sitting on a huge orange half-moon-shaped track. The vehicle doesn’t move freely on the track but stays attached to the rail for the whole ride.
It works with an acceleration system that launches the car back and forth. At first the movement is gentle, then RC picks up more and more speed to climb each side of the ramp. Each time, you reach the top of the track before heading back the other way, which feels like briefly flying over the land.
During the ride, you’ll feel butterflies in your stomach, especially on the fast descent after reaching the highest point. This ride is all about speed and verticality, giving thrill seekers a short but intense experience. The surrounding sets use giant props such as dinosaurs and toy accessories to make you feel shrunk to the size of a toy.
The most dizzying half-pipe in Toy Story Playland. A giant RC car shoots back and forth on a U-shaped ramp until it goes vertical, with noticeable hang time at the top of each climb. Short but intense thrills. There’s a minimum height, and the queue grows quickly due to the low capacity.
History
Opened on 17 August 2010 in the Toy Story Playland area, RC Racer is a pendulum-style ride inspired by the film Toy Story. An identical attraction can be found at Hong Kong Disneyland (2011) and later Shanghai Disneyland (2016), the Paris version being the first one built.
Technical data
- Top speed
- 68 km/h
- Duration
- 1 min
- Length
- 82 m
- Opened
- 2010
- Type Rollercoaster
- Opening date 17 August 2010
- Duration 1 min
- Model Half-pipe coaster
- Top speed about 68 km/h (42 mph)
- Maximum height 25 m
- Hourly capacity 600 people/hour
- Minimum height 1.20 m
- Design Walt Disney Imagineering
- Builder Intamin
- Track length 82 m
Theme & story
Levels & accessibility
- Fear level low
- Thrill level big thrills
- Emotional impact moderate
- Perceived wait moderate
- Minimum height 1.20 m
- Recommended age teens, adults
- Wheelchair access must transfer from wheelchair
- Suitable for pregnant visitors
Premier Access, Single Rider, PhotoPass
Not offered on this ride.
"Single rider" queue: you fill the empty single seats, often much faster than the regular queue.
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
- Very strong sensations of falling and speed
- A bird’s-eye view over Toy Story Playland from the top of the track
- Very colourful theming, true to the film
Weak points
- Queue times often long for a very short ride
- The sensations can be too strong for people prone to vertigo
- Capacity limited to 20 riders per cycle
My verdict
RC Racer is the most dizzying half-pipe in Toy Story Playland: a giant orange remote-control car that shoots back and forth on a 25-metre U-shaped ramp, going vertical at each end, at 80 km/h (50 mph). Minimum height 120 cm, Single Rider available, capacity limited to 20 riders per cycle. An extremely short ride (1 minute) for intense thrills.
I find the sensations really strong for such a compact ride, it’s a proper thrill. My spotting tip while you wait: look at the remote control to the right of the queue entrance, it moves depending on the ride’s status. On the downside, the wait-to-ride ratio isn’t great, so fit it into a full Toy Story Playland session to make it worthwhile. Avoid it if you’re prone to vertigo, as the moments of hang time at the top can really catch you off guard.
Best time to visit
Calculated from the ride’s queue time history, updated every day.
Map & getting there
RC Racer is in the Toy Story Playland area, in the Worlds of Pixar land, close to the Slinky Dog Zigzag Spin 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.
