Tomorrowland Speedway Review
Ladies and gentlemen, start your engines
Are you ready to hop in a Formula One car and drive at 200mph? Great, you won’t do that here, but you can definitely use the power of imagination to think that you are Lewis Hamilton getting the pole position in Silverstone.
The Good
I am happy to say, however, that Tomorrowland Speedway is one of the most unique attractions in Disney World. This one is similar to a go-kart, where guests hop on a vehicle with a steering wheel and a single pedal that accelerates your car. You press down on it and you move forward. You let it go and your vehicle stops. Simple and straightforward, right? Just don’t expect to move at crazy lightning speeds. This is an attraction aimed at kids, and they really love the feeling of being on the driver’s seat and controlling their own car.
It is pretty rare to see a ride where you are the one in charge of your own vehicle. It’s also a fun attraction for a big group of family and friends, as pairs can get in separate cars, take pictures of each other and have fun while driving together (and, uhh, crashing at each other). Do keep in mind that it might be a good idea to come here at night. The track takes you very close to Tron Lightcycle Run, giving you a good new angle of the roller coaster with all its gorgeous visual effects.
Your vehicles can only reach a speed of 7mph and nudge a bit to the left and ride when you use the steering wheel. Your vehicle is also attached to the ground by some sort of metallic arm, which means that you can’t change lanes or anything like that. I mean, can you imagine the amount of accidents (and lawsuits) if this was actually a real go-kart where people could just drive at their own leisure?
The Bad
Many people have voiced complaints about the strong smell in Tomorrowland Speedway, especially considering that guests drive gas-powered vehicles. Disney has an ongoing plan to replace all vehicles with electric cars, but this is unlikely to happen anytime soon. Additionally, the vehicles can be quite loud, which may be intimidating for some children, especially the really sensitive ones.
Some people also think that this ride should be more exciting, but I’m not sure if I agree with that. Letting guests have more freedom behind the wheel could be dangerous, and it’s perfectly fair that this is mostly aimed at our younglings. It’s a fun way for parents to bond with their children and do something different as they drive through Tomorrowland.
Will Kids enjoy it?
Yes, most kids will have a great time here. Just remember that you need to be at least 32” AND have an adult with you to go on this ride, so it’s a great option for a parent and a single child. Only older children or adults can drive alone, since you need to be at least 54” for that.
There’s a good chance that the adult in the party will be the one that accelerates the car, since it’s pretty common that the child isn’t tall enough to reach the pedal. The pedal is located in the front-middle section of the vehicle, so it doesn’t matter if you decide to take the left or right seat. Let your child decide where they want to sit and have fun!
Teenagers might find this one a little meh. You can’t drive fast, you can’t change lanes and the ride lacks excitement overall. As we stated before, this is aimed at young kids that want a rather unusual attraction and feel like they are in complete control of the ride.
