Sometimes, the simplest things in life are just the best.
RC Racer is exactly that, but in theme park form. It’s a simple ride - you know exactly what it is about the moment you see it - and it’s also pretty fun. Sure, it’s not the best attraction in the world, and there are definitely better rides at Walt Disney Studios Park, but it’s still a fun half-pipe coaster, and children absolutely love it. Major props for it looking exactly like a giant toy, which reminds us of when we were kids playing in our own yards. For me, that was 30 years ago. Ouch.
What we like about RC Racer
You will probably already know if you’ll like this ride just by looking at a picture of it. It’s basically a pirate ship ride, but in car form. You know the drill by now: enter the car, sit down, put on the over-the-shoulder restraints, and then swing back and forth. The ride reaches speeds of 49.7 mph, making it the second fastest ride in Disneyland Paris, just behind Avengers Assemble: Flight Force.
The ride also looks fantastic and really fits the Toy Story theme. The tracks are orange, making it feel like something straight out of Hot Wheels, and the sports car looks like an oversized child’s toy car. The mix-and-match of colors is great, and it’s hard not to smile when you see it.
Children also love this ride, since it is simple and gives them exactly what they want: some thrills and high speeds. The colorful tracks help too, making it less intimidating for young children and first-time riders. This ride can also be a good warm-up before trying roller coasters like Avengers Assemble: Flight Force or even Crush’s Coaster.
Another good perk? It is very, very smooth. I mean, it would be a problem if a ride that is basically a straight line was bumpy, but thankfully you won’t feel any shaking and you won’t be bouncing your back around (I’m looking at you, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril).
What we don’t like about RC Racer
This kind of ride has a major drawback: there is only a single vehicle on a single track. I mean, that’s just the nature of this type of ride, right? In the case of RC Racer, this means the ride needs to have a short run time, otherwise the queues would get massive. In practice, once the ride starts, you’re only inside the car for about 43 seconds. That’s an incredibly short amount of time, especially for a thrill ride. Seriously, you sit down, get comfy, and the ride is basically over. Here at Famvia, we complain about other short rides like Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril, which clocks in at just 1 minute and 10 seconds, but RC Racer manages to beat it in that regard.
It’s also a bit disappointing that not much happens during the first ten seconds or so. There isn’t an initial launch like on Avengers Assemble, and you are just nudged back and forth like on a classic pirate ship ride. I would have loved it if this ride had done something different with an initial launch. That would have made it more intense and made the 43 seconds feel really worthwhile, since you would immediately start at the highest speeds and enjoy the ride from start to finish. For now, nearly half the ride is just gently bouncing back and forth.
So, there you have it, folks. It’s a fun ride, but it is very short. It feels like taking a bite out of a delicious ice cream and then having it fall on the floor before you get a chance to eat it again. The ride ends way too soon, thanks to the low ride capacity. And another issue? Because of the low capacity, wait times can be rough, ranging from 30 to 50 minutes throughout the day. That’s way too long for a ride that only lasts 43 seconds.
Conclusion
RC Racer is a pirate ship ride in car form. It’s fun, but it lasts just 43 seconds. If the ride were 90 seconds or more, or if it had an initial launch to get you straight into high speed, it would score much higher. Unfortunately, that is not the case. Still, you won’t find this ride in the USA, so it’s worth experiencing at least once.
