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The Barnstormer
at Goofy’s Wiseacre Farm

Image for article about Goofy’s Barnstormer

Photo by Werner Weiss, 2009


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.

Image for article about Goofy’s Barnstormer

Photo by Werner Weiss, 2009

Art by Minnie Mouse

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.)

Image for article about Goofy’s Barnstormer

Photo by Werner Weiss, 2009

Barnstormer at Wise Acres Farm

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.

Image for article about Goofy’s Barnstormer

Photo by Allen Huffman, 2007

Rules

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.

Image for article about Goofy’s Barnstormer

Photo by Allen Huffman, 2007

Design for “Multiflex Octoplane”

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!”

Image for article about Goofy’s Barnstormer

Photo by Allen Huffman, 2007

Outdoor queue

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.

Image for article about Goofy’s Barnstormer

Photo by Allen Huffman, 2007

Popcorn field

The queue is half the fun. Now you know where popcorn comes from.

Image for article about Goofy’s Barnstormer

Photo by Allen Huffman, 2007

Service door

Yep. The queue really is half the fun.

Image for article about Goofy’s Barnstormer

Photo by Allen Huffman, 2007

Cluck, cluck

Welcome to the chicken room. The chickens go nuts every time a train—excuse me, an Octoplane—goes by.

Image for article about Goofy’s Barnstormer

Photo by Allen Huffman, 2007

One of Goofy’s windmills

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.

Image for article about Goofy’s Barnstormer

Photo by Werner Weiss, 2009

Ready for take-off?

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.

Image for article about Goofy’s Barnstormer

Photo by Allen Huffman, 2007

Lift hill

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!

Image for article about Goofy’s Barnstormer

Photo by Allen Huffman, 2007>

Wee!

Image for article about Goofy’s Barnstormer

Photo by Werner Weiss, 2009>

Radio station WACKY

Image for article about Goofy’s Barnstormer

Photo by Allen Huffman, 2007>

Following Goofy’s flight path

Image for article about Goofy’s Barnstormer

Photo by Werner Weiss, 2009

After the safe landing

The thrilling part of the ride lasted only around 25 seconds—but they were a fun 25 seconds.


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.

Image for article about Goofy’s Barnstormer

Photo by Werner Weiss, 2011

Construction wall blocking the former Mickey’s Toontown Fair

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.

Barnstormer featuring the Great Goofini

Concept art © Disney

Concept art for the re-Imagineered version

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.

Barnstormer featuring the Great Goofini

Photo by Werner Weiss, 2020

Great Goofini entance

Barnstormer featuring the Great Goofini

Photo by Werner Weiss, 2020

Flying through a billboard

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.

And everyone still seems to call it Goofy’s Barnstormer, instead of using the official nomenclature.

 

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Updated May 8, 2020.