Top 10 Fastest Rides at Disneyland and California Adventure

What make a theme park ride considered a thrill ride? For many, including myself, it's all about speed! The faster a coaster or attraction moves, the more intense the rush and the bigger the thrill. But at the Disneyland Resort, the top speed of a ride is just one piece of a much larger puzzle. The park's Imagineers are masters at manipulating the perception of speed on an attraction. They know that a sudden drop in a pitch-black tunnel or a series of dizzying, sharp turns can raise your heart rate just as effectively as a high-velocity launch. Elements like darkness, wind, and immersive sound also tend to trick your brain into believing a ride is traveling far faster than it really is. This post provides a definitive countdown of the fastest rides at Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure, based on their actual documented maximum speeds.

The Definitive Countdown: Ranking the Fastest Rides

Image Courtesy of Loren Javier

10. Indiana Jones Adventure (Disneyland Park)

Maximum Speed: 14 mph

Don't let these numbers fool you. While it might be the slowest ride on this list, Indiana Jones Adventure is still one of the most pulse-pounding attractions at the Disneyland Resort. Deep into Adventureland at Disneyland, you'll board a rugged transport vehicle for a high-stakes journey into the cursed Temple of the Forbidden Eye. The ride's true genius isn't about raw speed, but more so it's about a masterfully executed illusion of speed and thrill. The vehicle's motion simulation technology syncs every lurch, bump, and jolt with a barrage of special effects. This really creates the feeling of a chaotic (and speedy), off-road chase. You'll dodge fiery booby traps, screaming mummies, and the classic Indiana Jones massive rolling boulder, all while the vehicle’s chaotic movements trick your brain into experiencing a far more intense journey than its 14 mph top speed would suggest. It’s a perfect example of Imagineering creating a thrilling experience through clever engineering and immersive effects, not just raw velocity alone.   

Image Courtesy of Loren Javier

9. Gadget's Go Coaster (Disneyland Park)

Maximum Speed: 21.7 mph

Tucked away in Mickey's Toontown, it is kind of funny to see such a kid ride in the top 10 fast rides at Disneyland Resort. Gadget's Go Coaster is the perfect ride for little ones just starting their thrill-seeking career. The junior roller coaster is themed to the Rescue Rangers and takes guests on a quick and scenic journey through a world that makes you feel very very small. Maxing out at a speed of 21.7 miles per hour and a ride time that is less than a minute long, this attraction is designed to introduce the sensation of drops and turns in an accessible way for young kids. The ride's deliberate pacing and quick ride time are key to its function in the park, providing a first roller coaster experience that's exciting while not being overwhelming. It proves that speed is a tool used strategically by designers to create a tiered system of thrills, ensuring there's a ride for every level of adventurer.   

Image Courtesy of Loren Javier

#8 (Tie). Matterhorn Bobsleds (Disneyland Park)

Maximum Speed: 27 mph

The Matterhorn Bobsleds holds a unique and celebrated place in theme park history. When it opened in 1959, it was the first tubular steel roller coaster in the world. At a top speed of 27 miles per hour, the ride’s thrills come from its tightly wound turns, unexpected drops, and sudden encounters with the Abominable Snowman. Its age makes it so beloved, even though this can be quite a bumpy and jerky ride. That rattling and careening feeling genuinely makes you feel like you're in a runaway bobsled careening down a mountain. The attraction’s speed, while moderate by today's standards, was absolutely revolutionary for its time and remains a classic that proves a ride's legacy is defined by innovation and storytelling, not just its pure velocity.   

Image Courtesy of Loren Javier

7 (Tie). Goofy's Sky School (Disney California Adventure)

Maximum Speed: 27 mph

Tying the Matterhorn in speed, Goofy's Sky School delivers its thrills through an entirely different ride system. Located in Paradise Gardens Park within California Adventure, this is considered a "wild mouse" coaster. This is a ride type known for its sharp turns and unpredictable drops. The track design creates a continuous that you are on the verge of plunging off the edge. At its highest point, the ride reaches 55 feet, and those sharp, unbanked turns at 27 miles per hour create a sense of being out of control. This ride is a wild example of how the shape and layout of a track can be just as important as the top speed in creating a feeling of genuine excitement and unpredictability.   

Image Courtesy of Loren Javier

6 (Tie). Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (Disneyland Park)

Maximum Speed: 35 mph

Known as "the wildest ride in the wilderness," Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is a thrilling coaster that takes you on a runaway mine train adventure through a haunted gold mine. Clocking in at 35 miles per hour, the ride's kinetic energy comes from its rapid-fire succession of quick drops and tight turns through caves and mines. The ride is visually rich and operates with a classic design that relies on the combination of speed and constant directional changes to create a thrill. Its popularity demonstrates that an effective roller coaster experience doesn't need to be a record-breaker to be a crowd-pleaser, but just all around fun and immersive.

Image Courtesy of Justin Ennis

5 (Tie). Space Mountain (Disneyland Park)

Maximum Speed: 35 mph

If there's one ride that proves speed is a state of mind, it's Space Mountain. A top speed of 35 miles per hour is respectable, but it's not what makes this ride feel so breathtakingly fast. This high-speed voyage takes place entirely in the dark. Without a visual reference point, my brain is unable to properly gauge speed that I am going. This makes every turn and every drop feel exponentially more intense. The effect is then further enhanced by fans that blow wind in your face which adds a physical sensation of velocity to the disorientation of the darkness around you. This deliberate use of sensory deprivation turns a moderately fast coaster into a heart-racing adventure that feels far more intense than its statistics suggest. It's a masterclass in psychological ride design, where the illusion of speed is the primary component of the thrill.   

Image Courtesy of Jeremy Thompson

4. Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT! (Disney California Adventure)

Maximum Speed: 39 mph

Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT! isn't even a roller coaster and made the list. It's actually just a vertical drop ride that uses acceleration in a way that is unique at the resort. The ride is a drop tower where you board a "gantry lift" that is part of The Collector's fortress, an ominous building in Avengers Campus. The Guardians attempt a prison break, which leads to the gantry lift being sent accelerating up and down the tower shaft at a high speed. The feeling of freefall and weightlessness is exhilarating and unpredictable. The ride's top speed of 39 miles per hour is achieved not by horizontal momentum but through a series of sudden, powerful vertical drops, creating a completely different and more intense feeling of speed and motion. The ride provides a thrilling jolt that separates itself from traditional coasters by lifting and dropping its riders.

Image Courtesy of Jeremy Thompson

3 (Tie). Tiana's Bayou Adventure (Disneyland Park)

Maximum Speed: 40 mph

Tiana's Bayou Adventure, a recently reimagined attraction in New Orleans Square, replaced the classic Splash Mountain while preserving its most thrilling element. This element being the high-speed drop into water. This log flume ride takes you on a musical journey through a vibrant bayou before ending in a steep descent down a 52-foot drop at a 45-degree angle, reaching a maximum speed of 40 miles per hour. The new ride is a musical journey with advanced Audio-Animatronics and an original story based on The Princess and the Frog. The experience is, much different the basic coasters with a hybrid of a scenic, story-driven dark ride and an explosive moment of high velocity.

Image Courtesy of Ruth Hartnup

2 (Tie). Radiator Springs Racers (Disney California Adventure)

Maximum Speed: 40 mph

Located in Cars Land, Radiator Springs Racers, is a thrilling ride that combines a leisurely dark ride with a high-speed outdoor race. After a gentle drive through the scenic Ornament Valley, your vehicles are prepared for a race in which they line up on parallel tracks with a competitor. The race portion of the ride is where the vehicles reach a top speed of 40 miles per hour. The feeling of speed is magnified by the competitive element, as you are pitted against the car on the neighboring track. This attraction uses speed as a narrative climax, rewarding guests for their journey through the dark ride portion with a finale of pure velocity.   

Image Courtesy of Jeremy Thompson

1. Incredicoaster (Disney California Adventure)

Maximum Speed: 55 mph

The Incredicoaster is officially the fastest attraction at the Disneyland Resort. This launched steel roller coaster reaches an astounding top speed of 55 miles per hour. Located on Pixar Pier, the ride's most defining feature is its Linear Induction Motor (LIM) launch system. This system propels the coaster from zero to its top speed in just a mere four seconds. The explosive acceleration creates a feeling of intense G-force and the fastest actual speed in the Disneyland Resort. The ride is a high-speed chase after the mischievous Jack-Jack, and the feeling of velocity is sustained throughout its more than 6,000 feet of track. To add to its thrill, this is also the only ride on the resort premise that includes an inversion. Unlike some of the other rides at Disneyland and California Adventure, the Incredicoaster's speed is not an illusion.

Honorable Mentions: The Thrills Beyond the Top 10

While speed is a primary factor for many thrill rides, it is not the only way the Disneyland Resort creates exciting experiences. Several attractions deserve recognition for delivering a sense of velocity or a classic thrill without making the top 10 list.

• Disneyland Monorail: This iconic transportation system, which carries guests between Downtown Disney and Tomorrowland, operates at a top speed of 30 miles per hour, making it faster than many of the rides on the list. However, its purpose is transport, not thrills, but the sensation of gliding along above the park at a brisk pace is a unique experience.

• Autopia: This classic go-kart ride allows guests to take the wheel on a miniature freeway. Its top speed is a modest 6.5 to 7 miles per hour, but for a child, the sensation of being in control of a moving vehicle is a significant thrill. It is a testament to how the perceived excitement of an attraction is just as, if not more important than its physical speed.

The Official Top Speeds: A Quick Reference

For all you thrill-seekers out there planning your day, here’s a quick-reference table that ranks the ten fastest attractions at the Disneyland Resort. The list includes both traditional roller coasters and other high-speed attractions that offer a similar level of kinetic energy and excitement.

Rank	Ride Name	Park Location	Top Speed (mph)
1	Incredicoaster	Disney California Adventure	55
2 (Tie)	Radiator Springs Racers	Disney California Adventure	40
2 (Tie)	Tiana's Bayou Adventure	Disneyland Park	40
4	Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT!	Disney California Adventure	39
5 (Tie)	Big Thunder Mountain Railroad	Disneyland Park	35
5 (Tie)	Space Mountain	Disneyland Park	35
7 (Tie)	Matterhorn Bobsleds	Disneyland Park	27
7 (Tie)	Goofy's Sky School	Disney California Adventure	27
9	Gadget's Go Coaster	Disneyland Park	21.7
10	Indiana Jones Adventure	Disneyland Park	14

Final Thoughts: The Magic of Imagineering

So while Incredicoaster may be the fastest attraction at the Disneyland Resort, this list proves that speed isn't the only thing that gets your heart racing with thrills. The true magic isn't in a number. It's in the masterful blend of art and science that makes every single ride feel fast, thrilling, and completely unforgettable. From the psychological manipulations of Space Mountain's darkness to the pioneering engineering of the Matterhorn and the immersive motion of the Indiana Jones Adventure, each ride is a meticulously crafted experience to entertain and thrill guests at the parks. Speed is a key component, but it is just one of many tools used by Imagineers to create a broad spectrum of thrills for every guest. It is this dedication to holistic design—where story, setting, and sensation work in perfect harmony—that makes a Disney attraction a timeless and unforgettable experience.