Orange County Register

Strodder has agreed to help answer Disneyland history questions. We’ll mix his answers in with our regular Ask Us Anythings. Click here if you want to ask us anything.

What is, or has been, the fastest ride at Disneyland?

When picking the fastest, keep in mind that the speeds in the park are not the speeds the vehicles are capable of reaching. That is, while the Monorail usually tops out at around 30 mph for guests, it’s capable of going much faster (probably at least double that in-the-park speed). Same with the Main Street vehicles–they can go faster than the brisk-walking-pace they maintain in Disneyland (in 1958 the motorized fire truck was actually driven in traffic for an hour down the freeway from Burbank, where it was built, to Disneyland).

Anyway, our nominee for the fastest Disneyland vehicle of all time–fastest while in the park–is the “log” that guests sit in for the plunge down Splash Mountain; that one hits about 40 mph. In the 25-30 mph range are Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, the Monorail, the extinct Rocket Rods, Space Mountain, and the extinct Viewliner train. At 20 mph there’s the Matterhorn Bobsleds, at 8-10 there’s the Tomorrowland Autopia, and at  4-6 there’s the King Arthur Carrousel, the various Main Street vehicles, and the extinct PeopleMover. Coming in at 1-2 mph are the subs in the lagoon. There’s a table of vehicle speeds in The Disneyland Encyclopedia, along with detailed individual entries on all the attractions named above.

Chris Strodder, who we wrote about here, is author of “The Disneyland Encyclopedia.” Strodder is not connected to Disney and makes sure to note that his guide is just his unofficial guide to Disneyland.

Related posts:

• Tips on meeting characters
• Restaurant Review: Pacific Wharf Cafe
• Get in Disneyland for free on your birthday.
• Tips on avoiding the heat at Disneyland
• Ask Us Anything: What is the old train along the Rivers of America?

You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.