Casey Jr. Circus Train

Is it worth it?

Go if you have small kids or love trains or Disneyland history. It's one of the park's true opening-day attractions, and it shows you the miniatures from a train instead of the water. Anaheim's version is an Arrow Development narrow-gauge train. Don't confuse it with the Casey Jr. at Disneyland Paris, which is a powered roller coaster.

Adults without kids can skip it. The cars are built for children, and grown-ups often find the seats tight. If you mainly want to see the miniature villages, the Storybook Land Canal Boats get you closer, give you more room and include narration. The downside is that the train is slow and short, so if time is tight, pick just one of the two.

About Casey Jr. Circus Train

A 4-minute opening-day train that circles the Storybook Land miniatures in Fantasyland. It's worth riding with small kids and easy to skip if you're already doing the Canal Boats. Based on the train from Dumbo, it rolls past tiny Arendelle, Elsa's ice palace and the Seven Dwarfs' cottage, with no narration. It ran on Disneyland's opening day, July 17, 1955, closed the next day for safety testing and reopened July 31.

Insider tips

• Try for a cage car. Some cars are circus cages, so kids can ride as one of the "animals." Little ones usually ask for these first.
• Turn the scenes into a game. You'll pass Arendelle and Elsa's ice palace from Frozen, the Seven Dwarfs' cottage and more miniature villages. There's no onboard narration, so have kids call out each film as it goes by.
• Rock Candy Mountain was never built. Casey Jr. was once supposed to circle a candy mountain here. Concept art was drawn, but it was never made. A Rock Candy Mountain window display on Buena Vista Street in California Adventure honors the idea.
• If time is short, skip one of the two rides. The train and the boats show the same miniatures. Take the train for the ride itself, or the boats for comfort and narration.
• Plan one Fantasyland loop. The Canal Boats are right next door, and Dumbo the Flying Elephant and King Arthur Carrousel are also in Fantasyland. With small kids, do them together so you don't cross the land twice.
• Check it's running before you walk over. Casey Jr. and the Storybook Land Canal Boats share the same miniature-village area, so refurbishment work there can close the train too. Check the ride's status in the Disneyland app on your date.
• Lightning Lane: Casey Jr. doesn't offer Lightning Lane Single Pass. As of November 2026, it also isn't on Disneyland.com's published Multi Pass attraction list. Plan to use the standby queue, and check the Disneyland app on your date in case the list changes.

Who can ride

Height: check the requirement posted at the ride entrance.

Intensity: very low. It's a slow miniature train with no drops or high speeds.

Motion sickness: low risk, since the motion is gentle.

Scary for little ones? No. It's a calm ride past cheerful miniatures, which makes it a good first ride for toddlers. Since there's no narration, an adult pointing out the scenes makes the 4 minutes much better for a toddler. Adults can ride, but the cars are sized for kids, so taller guests should expect cramped seats.

Nearby

• Dumbo the Flying Elephant — steps away
• King Arthur Carrousel — steps away
• Pinocchio's Daring Journey — steps away
• Red Rose Taverne — steps away
• Troubadour Tavern — about 1 min walk
• Edelweiss Snacks — about 2 min walk

Quick answers

Is Casey Jr. Circus Train worth it?

Go if you have small kids or love trains or Disneyland history. It's one of the park's true opening-day attractions, and it shows you the miniatures from a train instead of the water.