Dumbo and Tomorrowland Speedway...a rant...

[acarsme123]

What does everyone think about the new queue setup for Dumbo's Elephants? That new play area setup was pure chaos. When we got in the standby line, it said the line was only 20 minutes. No way did that hold up at all. The line seemed to barely move! Once we finally got inside the building the line just seemed to come to a grinding halt. And once we saw how chaotic the play area system was, we got too frustrated and left. My son didn't even want to be in the line anymore. That new setup seems like a horrible decision by Disney. Just pure chaos.

My other gripe is with Tomorrowland Speedway......That is another line that just......doesn't.......move...
We got in line with the standby line saying only 20 minutes. We thought, "oh, that isn't that bad." But once we got in line and saw how slow things were moving we immediately got skeptical. But we stuck it out for awhile. But we eventually just left because that line just came to a grinding halt....not moving for minutes on end. That's seriously a ride that needs re-done, with electric cars, and a faster way to load people!

 

[WishICouldSpeakWhale]

We love the play area in the Dumbo line. It is as crazy as any play area I've taken my kids to. My kids were 9 and 6 on our last trip though, so I can sit and relax and let them play. If my kids were little, and I needed to follow them more closely, I am sure it would feel crazier.

My kids were a bit disappointed when our buzzer went off and it was time to go on the ride.

 

[Delirium]

We plan both rides so the wait times are minimal. Speedway in the early morning as the second ride after rope drop (Buzz as the first), or as a 4th FP. Dumbo is after 11 o'clock at night. We've NEVER waited in line for Dumbo since the new version opened, not even for 5 minutes.

 

[Shanti]

What does everyone think about the new queue setup for Dumbo's Elephants? That new play area setup was pure chaos. When we got in the standby line, it said the line was only 20 minutes. No way did that hold up at all. The line seemed to barely move! Once we finally got inside the building the line just seemed to come to a grinding halt. And once we saw how chaotic the play area system was, we got too frustrated and left. My son didn't even want to be in the line anymore. That new setup seems like a horrible decision by Disney. Just pure chaos.

My other gripe is with Tomorrowland Speedway......That is another line that just......doesn't.......move...
We got in line with the standby line saying only 20 minutes. We thought, "oh, that isn't that bad." But once we got in line and saw how slow things were moving we immediately got skeptical. But we stuck it out for awhile. But we eventually just left because that line just came to a grinding halt....not moving for minutes on end. That's seriously a ride that needs re-done, with electric cars, and a faster way to load people!

We always FP Tomorrowland Speedway. The nature of the ride (kids driving, parking, etc.) makes the line take a long time, and those fumes aren't something I want to be directly exposed to for more than a few minutes. So even though it's not a top-tier ride per se, imo it's always one that needs a FP.

And yes, switching to electric cars would be better for everyone's health, especially the poor CMs who have to work that ride. If only the Disney executives would allocate one of the millions they're going to make off resort parking lots to seriously renovating this out-of-date attraction...

 

[disneyvoice]

I was SO, SO happy when my son outgrew Tomorrowland Speedway. In my opinion it is the WORST line in all of WDW. Even on days that aren't particularly hot all that asphalt turns the ridiculously long wait into a sauna. The sun blazes down on you while you inhale sickening fumes. It's like waiting in line for a slow descent into Hell.

 

[mdelano4]

Tomorrowland speedway is one of the most disappointing rides in all WDW. I agree with pp, we were happy when kids outgrew it. Even so, it was never a ride they wanted to wait to get on. Any major rehab in tomorrowland should include replacing speedway with something more interesting/exciting.

 

[paisleys]

Ugh, thank you! I used to love this ride as a child but won't go on it anymore. I feel congested all day after and can't stop coughing between the fumes and also the double-whammy of the cars passing through the smoke from the nearby smoking area. It really needs to change

quaAnd yes, switching to electric cars would be better for everyone's health, especially the poor CMs who have to work that ride. If only the Disney executives would allocate one of the millions they're going to make off resort parking lots to seriously renovating this out-of-date ride...

 

[JerseyJanice]

Believe it or not, the Speedway was popular with guests of all ages in the 1970s.

I think we were more used to breathing gas fumes back then.

 

[SaintsManiac]

We've never waited for Dumbo for more than 5 minutes and we refuse to ride Speedway because of the fumes.

 

[Shanti]

Believe it or not, the Speedway was popular with guests of all ages in the 1970s.

I think we were more used to breathing gas fumes back then.

I actually like the attraction itself. I just don't like the fumes.

 

[JerseyJanice]

@Shanti It actually is kind of amazing that in this day and age when there are electric cars that can travel on interstate highways, Disney is still using gas-powered vehicles on a ride.

 

[TheRealTeal]

You don't have to wait in the play area for Dumbo though. You can just walk past it into a line. DH and I have always just walked right onto it.

 

[ELSA711]

Believe it or not, the Speedway was popular with guests of all ages in the 1970s.

I think we were more used to breathing gas fumes back then.

My kids like Speedway for the fumes, crazy kids of a mechanic

 

[kwdw]

We love the new Dumbo queue and find that it works great.

As for Tomorrowland Speedway - the gas powered cars need to go. We avoid the ride and hanging out anywhere you can smell it. It just ruins that whole area of the park.

Now - we DO think its a classic style ride that should stay - so I just wish they would "re-do" the ride with electric cars. And maybe a variety of shapes and styles of cars. I realize that might slow down the line some - but they could still make that efficient if they really tired. As I get older - those LOW to the ground cars aren't as easy to get in and out of anymore!

 

[Jim Shuler]

My grandkids love the Speedway-so did my kids when they were younger. Hope they never change it. Young kids having the thrill to think they are driving is a great experience and the race car sounds are unique and exciting.
Driving around in electric cars would be a boring ride.

 

[msb578]

Electric cars are eerily silent (I drive a hybrid and it spooks people when it’s in “E” mode). I think a lot of people like the vroom vroom of the Speedway. That would be eliminated with electric cars.

I’m one who hates the fumes though. I had a migraine one day in the MK, and I was pushing a stroller around the tea cups (getting a kid to nap). After inhaling the fumes in that heat, I spent a few hours in First Aid.

 

[WedWayPilot]

I think the new queue at Dumbo works well and I suspect we will see more of it in the future in other attractions.

The fumes from TS have never bothered me. I never even thought of them until I saw it mentioned on this site.

I think everyone would be in favor of advancing technology and using updated vehicles but the same things that have gotten in the way of updating passenger car technology is the culprit here. Small and easy to fix go kart engines are magnitudes cheaper than designing and operating efficient electric vehicles that require constant battery power. And as long as there are people waiting for the ride they have no real reason to spend money and change it.

 

[ShadeDK]

Are we sure that the slow down on Speedway hasn’t been caused by CMs now collecting parking fees from guests as they get out of their cars and exit the ride? Those fees currently seem to be a thing in other parts of WDW ....

Really though - the wait for Speedway always seems to take twice as long as it really does with the heat, fumes, slow-loading, compact line, etc. I always feel bad for the CMs that staff the ride in the warmer months - I can’t imagine standing around on the asphalt in the sun with all the gas fumes and noise from the engines like they do.

The Dumbo queue is a nice addition. The Imagineers may have unintentionally nailed the chaos of the circus scene with that play area - but the kids seem to love it.

 

[AngiTN]

You are going to be in the minority about the queue at Dumbo. That is very popular and consider a major improvement to the ride when it was moved.

The speedway, we don't ride that because I really dislike the fumes, as most do. As to the comment about the electric cars and having no sound, you could replace that at the Speadway simply by adding a electronic version of the sound of a car's engine to the vehicles. Then you get both, no fumes and the sound. I know DL went with electric cars. I hope WDW does too one day. Until it does, it's a ride we will never do again (one and done)

 

[rteetz]

I think the Dumbo queue is great.

The Speedway line sucks because of FP. When it was added to FP the standby line just doesn’t move at all.