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The Barnstormer at Goofy’s Wiseacre Farm
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Photo by Werner Weiss, 2009 |
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There’s an airplane embedded in the water tower at Goofy’s Wiseacre Farm (or Goofy’s Wise Acres Farm according to the sign on the water tower) here at Mickey’s Toontown Fair. How did it get there? Walk across the street to Minnie Mouse’s house for the answer. |
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Photo by Werner Weiss, 2009 Art by Minnie Mouse |
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Minnie Mouse is quite an artist. From her atelier at the front of her house, Minnie created a dramatic painting of Goofy crashing his home-built airplane into the water tower. She watched it happen out her window. Don’t worry. Goofy wasn’t hurt. (Sometimes it’s good to be a cartoon character rather than a human.) |
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Photo by Werner Weiss, 2009 Barnstormer at Wise Acres Farm |
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Goofy is a stunt pilot—a “barnstormer”—in the tradition of the daredevils of the 1920s who used surplus Curtiss JN-4 “Jenny” biplanes to entertain rural audiences with aerial acrobatics. Goofy has a better idea. Instead of just having you watching him fly his biplane through turns and dives, you can fly in an airplane designed by Goofy. |
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Photo by Allen Huffman, 2007 Rules |
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Goofy has a few rules for you. You only need to be 35 inches tall. That means even most four-year-olds are tall enough. Goofy wants the whole family to enjoy this experience. |
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Photo by Allen Huffman, 2007 Design for “Multiflex Octoplane” |
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Goofy has designed and built a special “Multiflex Octoplane” with eight articulated sections, each with side-by-side seating for two guests. You can examine his drawing before you fly. Who knew Goofy is such a skilled engineer? Notice that the emergency escape parachute has been “cut for budgetary reasons!” |
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Photo by Allen Huffman, 2007 Outdoor queue |
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Okay, let’s be honest. This isn’t a flight in a real airplane. This is a roller coaster ride. In fact, it’s a great “first roller coaster” for young children. |
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Photo by Allen Huffman, 2007 Popcorn field |
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The queue is half the fun. Now you know where popcorn comes from. |
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Photo by Allen Huffman, 2007 Service door |
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Yep. The queue really is half the fun. |
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Photo by Allen Huffman, 2007 Cluck, cluck |
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Welcome to the chicken room. The chickens go nuts every time a train—excuse me, an Octoplane—goes by. |
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Photo by Allen Huffman, 2007 One of Goofy’s windmills |
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At other farms, windmills capture wind to pump water. But Goofy’s windmills create wind. That’s a good thing if you’re waiting for the ride on a hot day. |
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Photo by Werner Weiss, 2009 Ready for take-off? |
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You’ve made it through the queue. Now take a seat in the open cockpit, the tail section, or in one of the six “airplane sections” between them. That works out to a total of 16 passengers per flight, although adults may not want to share one of the rather tight seats with anyone else. |
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Photo by Allen Huffman, 2007 Lift hill |
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Your “flight” begins with the ascent up the lift hill. Less than 30 seconds after leaving the loading area, you’re at the top. Now the real fun begins. Enjoy the ride! |
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Photo by Allen Huffman, 2007> Wee! |
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Photo by Werner Weiss, 2009> Radio station WACKY |
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Photo by Allen Huffman, 2007> Following Goofy’s flight path |
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Photo by Werner Weiss, 2009 After the safe landing |
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The thrilling part of the ride lasted only around 25 seconds—but they were a fun 25 seconds. |
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The Barnstormer premiered at the Magic Kingdom on October 1, 1996—the 25th anniversary of the opening of Walt Disney World. The Barnstormer replaced Grandma Duck’s Petting Farm as part of the transformation of Mickey’s Starland into Mickey’s Toontown Fair. The attraction was officially called The Barnstormer at Goofy’s Wiseacre Farm, but almost everyone just called it Goofy’s Barnstormer. The track was a customized version of a standard junior coaster from Dutch ride manufacturer Vekoma International. |
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Photo by Werner Weiss, 2011 Construction wall blocking the former Mickey’s Toontown Fair |
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After 14 and a half years with the Wiseacre Farm theme, the attraction closed on February 12, 2011, along with the rest of Mickey’s Toontown Fair. |
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Concept art © Disney Concept art for the re-Imagineered version |
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The ride came back February 12, 2012, as the Barnstormer featuring the Great Goofini. Why the change? Mickey’s Toontown Fair represented a rural fair in the cartoon world, but the Storybook Circus section of the New Fantasyland represents a circus in the tradition of the one in Walt Disney’s 1941 animated feature Dumbo. |
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Photo by Werner Weiss, 2020 Great Goofini entance |
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Photo by Werner Weiss, 2020 Flying through a billboard |
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Goofy’s skills as a pilot aren’t any better as a circus barnstormer than as a rural fair barnstormer. The re-Imagineered attraction continues to be a “first roller coaster” for new generations of young children—and a fun attraction for anyone else who enjoys a mild thrill ride. It seems that everyone still calls it Goofy’s Barnstormer, instead of using the official nomenclature. |
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© 2024 Werner Weiss — Disclaimers, Copyright, and Trademarks Updated November 1, 2024 |
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