The Barnstormer
Is The Barnstormer open today?
Yes — The Barnstormer was operating, posted wait 5 min, as of 8:10 PM ET, Oct 30.
The Barnstormer: quick answers
Is there a height requirement for The Barnstormer?
Yes — riders must be at least 35 inches (89 cm) tall to ride The Barnstormer.
How long is The Barnstormer?
The Barnstormer lasts about 1 minutes.
Is The Barnstormer scary?
SupaPark rates The Barnstormer 3 out of 5 for intensity: moderate thrills. The 35-inch height minimum is a good guide to who it's built for.
What is the best seat on The Barnstormer?
SupaPark's verified tip: Ask for the back row. The short train whips harder through the turns at the crest, and the little plane hits its best airtime behind the front seats.
How long is the wait for The Barnstormer?
The Barnstormer's posted wait has averaged 8 minutes over the last 7 days, measured by SupaPark (as of 2026-10-30). Check the live board for today's wait. Live waits for every ride
Does The Barnstormer have Lightning Lane?
Yes — The Barnstormer is part of Lightning Lane Multi Pass. Disney-resort guests can book up to 7 days before arrival and everyone else 3 days before, from 7:00 AM ET.
What is the best time to ride The Barnstormer?
Measured by SupaPark over the last 28 days (Oct 2–Oct 29, 2026): The Barnstormer's shortest average posted wait was 8 AM–9 AM (5 min) and the longest 6 PM–7 PM (24 min).
Where is The Barnstormer?
The Barnstormer is in Fantasyland at Magic Kingdom, Walt Disney World.
As of Oct 30, 2026, The Barnstormer has averaged 8 min this week (SupaPark measured data).
Measured by SupaPark over the last 28 days (Oct 2–Oct 29, 2026), The Barnstormer's shortest average posted wait was 8 AM–9 AM (5 min) and its longest 6 PM–7 PM (24 min).
| Hour | Avg wait | |
|---|---|---|
| Quietest | 8 AM–9 AM | 5 min |
| Quietest | 9 AM–10 AM | 6 min |
| Quietest | 8 PM–9 PM | 8 min |
| Busiest | 6 PM–7 PM | 24 min |
| Busiest | 7 PM–8 PM | 18 min |
| Busiest | 5 PM–6 PM | 17 min |
Overview
The Barnstormer is a short junior coaster in Fantasyland at Magic Kingdom, built for kids who are ready for their first real Disney World coaster step. It lasts about 1 minute, so the experience is quick: a few swoops, turns, and small coaster thrills without committing your child to a long ride.
Is it worth it?
Worth it for younger kids, coaster-curious first-timers, and families using Fantasyland as a low-stakes thrill test. The standout is that it gives kids a true coaster feeling without the length or intensity of bigger rides like Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. The catch: the ride is extremely short, so it is not worth a long standby wait unless your child is specifically excited for it or you are using it as a confidence-builder.
Insider tips
- Treat this as a first-coaster test, not a headliner. If your child handles The Barnstormer happily, that is a good sign they may be ready for bigger family coasters later.
- Because the ride is only about 1 minute, avoid burning a prime morning chunk on a long standby line. It is best as a quick add-on when you are already in Fantasyland.
- The Barnstormer is typically a better rope-drop add-on than a rope-drop priority. If you have Early Theme Park Entry, bigger Fantasyland priorities usually deserve first attention, then use The Barnstormer when it is convenient.
- Use Lightning Lane Multi Pass only if it fits naturally into your day. Do not anchor your whole Multi Pass strategy around this ride unless you are traveling with a child who really wants it.
- Rider Switch is available, which helps if one child is tall enough and excited while another is not riding.
- If your child is nervous, frame it honestly: it is fast and swoopy, but very short. The short duration is the selling point.
Who can ride
Guests must be at least 89cm tall. The thrill level is moderate for small kids but mild for most older children and adults, about a 3/5 because it is a real coaster with turns and speed. Motion sickness risk is usually lower than on spinning rides, but sensitive riders may still feel the quick dips and curves. For very young kids, the scary part is usually the anticipation more than the ride itself, so skip it if they are already uneasy or overtired.
The Barnstormer Lightning Lane sold out?
The Barnstormer at Walt Disney World (Magic Kingdom) offers Lightning Lane Multi Pass. When its return times are gone, some can come back as guests cancel or modify, and a SupaPark alert tells you when one reappears (free by email; you book it in My Disney Experience).
Get a Lightning Lane alert · How often sold-out Lightning Lanes come back
Plan your The Barnstormer visit
- Best time to ride every Disney World headliner
- How busy is Magic Kingdom today? Hour-by-hour crowd forecast
- Magic Kingdom wait times now and typical waits by hour
- Every Magic Kingdom ride with this week's measured average
- Disney World crowd calendar (31-day forecast)
- Rope drop at Magic Kingdom: measured first-hour waits by ride
More in Fantasyland
- Meet Cinderella and a Visiting Princess at Princess Fairytale Hall — averaging 18 min this week
- Meet Princess Tiana and a Visiting Princess at Princess Fairytale Hall — averaging 25 min this week
- Seven Dwarfs Mine Train — averaging 37 min this week
- Cinderella Castle
- Dumbo the Flying Elephant — averaging 8 min this week
- Prince Charming Regal Carrousel — averaging 7 min this week
- The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh — averaging 22 min this week
- it's a small world — averaging 11 min this week
Best reads on The Barnstormer
Live now: The Barnstormer
See The Barnstormer's live wait and status next to every other ride, and set a free alert for when the wait drops.