Not every theme park attraction can be a five-star E-Ticket. Along with their all-time classics, Disney has also produced some duds that are still inexplicably close to our hearts. Today, we kick off a new series about Disney’s best worst rides, starting with Goofy’s Sky School, a low-rated attraction at Disney California Adventure’s Paradise Gardens Park that we somehow still can’t help climbing aboard.
Themed as Goofy teaching new pilots how to fly, Goofy’s Sky School is a designer Wild Mouse (sometimes also called a Mad Mouse). If you’re not familiar with the genre, it’s a small, convoluted roller coaster where the track dips and turns unexpectedly, presumably reminding its inventor of a mouse tearing through a maze.
To define it more in Disney terms, the ride is similar to Space Mountain at Walt Disney World, only outdoors and therefore in the light. Goofy’s Sky School is an off-the-shelf midway ride in which Disney has invested next to nothing to spiff it up. In other words, it’s fun but nothing special.
This is also a slow-loading ride that only lasts about 90 seconds, and it’s one that breaks down frequently. Ride during the first few hours the park is open or use the single-rider line (when open).
Children must be 42″ tall to ride, and it may induce motion sickness in riders of any age.
After all that, you may be wondering what we see in this three-star attraction. The next best thing to experiencing it for yourself is watching this POV video we shot of the ride:
For all there is to see and do at Disneyland, check out The Unofficial Guide to Disneyland by Seth Kubersky with Bob Sehlinger, Len Testa, and Guy Selga Jr. All Disneyland fans should also check out The Disneyland Story: The Unofficial Guide to the Evolution of Walt Disney’s Dream by Sam Gennawey.
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