Which Disney Attractions Have the Worst Throughput?
When you visit a Disney theme park, it’s not the crowds that are your enemy.
Disney builds plenty of rides that function as human vacuums. They suck in crowds and keep them off the streets.
Then, we have the attractions that work the opposite way. They simply cannot cycle as many guests through the rides.
You’ll notice that difference while waiting in line because the ride carts simply cannot satisfy as many guests.
![4 theme parks](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Screen-Shot-2022-04-14-at-9.04.34-AM.png)
![4 theme parks](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Screen-Shot-2022-04-14-at-9.04.34-AM.png)
Photo: Disneyplanning.com
Here are some of the Walt Disney World attractions with the worst throughput.
Frozen Ever After
![Frozen Ever After](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/frozen-ever-after-olaf-anna-elsa-16x9-1.webp)
![Frozen Ever After](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/frozen-ever-after-olaf-anna-elsa-16x9-1.webp)
![Frozen Ever After](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/frozen-ever-after-olaf-anna-elsa-16x9-1.webp)
Photo: Disney
First, let’s discuss a few knowns here. Over the years, some of this data has become public.
In other instances, people have relied on formulas and speculation to make semi-informed guesses.
![Frozen](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/frozen-ever-after-norway-epcot-walt-disney-world-005.jpg)
![Frozen](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/frozen-ever-after-norway-epcot-walt-disney-world-005.jpg)
Photo: Disney
For this reason, I’ll make no pretense in claiming that this information is perfect.
Even on sourced websites, I’ve discovered conflicting information, some of which surprises me.
![Frozen Ever After](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/frozen-ever-after-olaf-anna-elsa-16x9-1.webp)
![Frozen Ever After](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/frozen-ever-after-olaf-anna-elsa-16x9-1.webp)
![Frozen Ever After](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/frozen-ever-after-olaf-anna-elsa-16x9-1.webp)
Photo: Disney
For example, while people criticize the duration of Tron Lightcycle / Run, its hourly throughput is 1,680 riders per hour.
That’s actually slightly better than Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, which has 1,650 riders per hour.
![Frozen Ever After World of Frozen Hong Kong Disneyland](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Frozen-Ever-After-World-of-Frozen-Hong-Kong-Disneyland-3.png)
![Frozen Ever After World of Frozen Hong Kong Disneyland](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Frozen-Ever-After-World-of-Frozen-Hong-Kong-Disneyland-3.png)
Photo: Disney
Everything we’ll discuss today has previously been confirmed as having significantly fewer riders per hour.
Why does that matter? Well, let’s use Frozen Ever After as an example.
![Easter Eggs](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/frozeneverafterpuffins.png)
![Easter Eggs](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/frozeneverafterpuffins.png)
Image Credit: Kevin-Davis-Photography, Flickr
The prevailing belief is that Frozen Ever After has a theoretical hourly throughput of 1,000 people.
So, the other two roller coasters offer 68 and 65 percent more hourly capacity, at least theoretically.
![Frozen Ever After Boat](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Frozen-Ever-After-Boat.jpg)
![Frozen Ever After Boat](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Frozen-Ever-After-Boat.jpg)
Photo Credit: MousePlanet.com
We’ll dive into that more in other sections. However, that statement should tell the story here.
Generally, boat rides offer plenty of throughput. In the case of Frozen Ever After, that’s not the case, though.
![Frozen Ever After](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Epcot-Kids.jpg)
![Frozen Ever After](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Epcot-Kids.jpg)
Disney
Disney retrofitted a new design on top of Maelstrom, which was never a hugely popular ride.
Frozen Ever After offers the same hourly throughput as Maelstrom, but the demand is exponentially higher.
![Frozen Ever After](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Frozen-Ever-After.jpg)
![Frozen Ever After](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Frozen-Ever-After.jpg)
Photo: Disney
For this reason, you’ll wait much longer for Frozen Ever After.
Mad Tea Party
![Alice and the Mad Hatter](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/2020-wdw-mk-magic-kingdom-fantasyland-mad-tea-party-alice-in-wonderland-mad-hatter-meet-and-greet-2-scaled.jpg)
![Alice and the Mad Hatter](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/2020-wdw-mk-magic-kingdom-fantasyland-mad-tea-party-alice-in-wonderland-mad-hatter-meet-and-greet-2-scaled.jpg)
Alice and the Mad Hatter
I suspect that most of the attractions on this list will make sense to you.
We’re talking about rides with shorter lines, yet you still stand in them for a while.
![Mad Tea Party](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Mad-Tea-Party.jpg)
![Mad Tea Party](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Mad-Tea-Party.jpg)
![Mad Tea Party](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Mad-Tea-Party.jpg)
Photo: D23
We’ve all done that with Mad Tea Party, right? Even during the slow season, this ride typically requires a 15-minute wait.
Well, there’s a reason for that. Mad Tea Party’s theoretical hourly ride capacity is around 850 people.
Also, please understand that total is when everything goes right.
Let’s say that someone suffers a Protein V spill on the ride. Now, the cast members must spend a few minutes cleaning it up.
![Mad Tea Party](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Screenshot-2024-04-15-at-08-00-07-Yesterland-The-Original-Mad-Tea-Party.png)
![Mad Tea Party](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Screenshot-2024-04-15-at-08-00-07-Yesterland-The-Original-Mad-Tea-Party.png)
The New Fantasyland Mad Tea Party at Disneyland. Photo: Yesterland.
Instead, what most people consider in these discussions is the realistic hourly ride capacity, which assumes life isn’t perfect.
With Frozen Ever After, the ride suffers an hourly loss of roughly ten percent, which means 900 people ride it rather than 1,000.
![Mad Tea Party](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Mad-Tea-Party.jpg)
![Mad Tea Party](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Mad-Tea-Party.jpg)
![Mad Tea Party](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Mad-Tea-Party.jpg)
Photo: D23
With Mad Tea Party, everything must go ideally to reach 850 riders in an hour.
In execution, the more reasonable number is 765 people. That’s again a loss of roughly ten percent from the perceived maximum number of guests.
Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin
Now that you understand the core concepts here, everything is largely data-based.
Also, you’ve probably spent enough time at the parks to understand which rides face natural limits.
![](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Space-Ranger-Spin-targets.jpg)
![](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Space-Ranger-Spin-targets.jpg)
Photo credit: http://buzz-lightyear-rides.wikia.com/wiki/File:Snake_(Space_Ranger_Spin).jpg
For instance, Omnimover rides typically offer massive throughput.
Some of them, like Haunted Mansion, could theoretically host 40,000 guests in a single day!
![Space Ranger Spin](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Buzz-Lightyear-Space-Ranger-Spin.jpg)
![Space Ranger Spin](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Buzz-Lightyear-Space-Ranger-Spin.jpg)
Photo: Disney
Then, we have others like Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin, which have smaller tracks.
This gamified attraction can host 800 hourly guests…in a perfect setting.
![Space Ranger Spin](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Buzz-Lightyear-Space-Ranger-Sping.jpg)
![Space Ranger Spin](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Buzz-Lightyear-Space-Ranger-Sping.jpg)
Photo: Disney
Again, when we factor in the realistic, aka chaotic circumstances, the total drops by roughly ten percent.
That’s a general number, and there is variance involved. I typically use it for convenience, though.
So, we’re discussing an attraction that generally hosts about 720 hourly guests.
Peter Pan’s Flight
Now, here’s the one I’d expect most of you to name quickly, as we all know the deal.
The wait time for Peter Pan’s Flight usually hovers around 60 minutes, which tells the story.
![Peter Pan's Flight](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/peter-pan-flight-00.webp)
![Peter Pan's Flight](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/peter-pan-flight-00.webp)
Photo: Disney
In 1955, Imagineers designed a fascinating ride mechanics that carries guests into the sky.
Working that far off the ground comes with its own challenges, forcing Disney to construct a shorter attraction.
![Peter Pan's Flight WDW](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/peter-pans-flight-gallery03.webp)
![Peter Pan's Flight WDW](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/peter-pans-flight-gallery03.webp)
Photo: Disney
Even though Peter Pan’s Flight is an early precursor to the Omnimover concept, it again lacks the throughput.
Like Buzz Lightyear, this one maxes out at 800 people per hour, but the more reasonable throughput is 720 guests.
Magic Carpets of Aladdin
![Tarp on The Magic Carpets of Aladdin](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Magic-Carpets-of-Aladdin-Tarp-scaled.jpeg)
![Tarp on The Magic Carpets of Aladdin](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Magic-Carpets-of-Aladdin-Tarp-scaled.jpeg)
The Magic Carpets of Aladdin
We’ve got a quirk here in that I often discuss Walt Disney World’s flat rides.
Attractions like Dumbo the Flying Elephant, Magic Carpets of Aladdin, and TriceraTop Spin share the same ride design.
![The Magic Carpets of Aladdin](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/The-Magic-Carpets-of-ALaddin.jpg)
![The Magic Carpets of Aladdin](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/The-Magic-Carpets-of-ALaddin.jpg)
Photo: WDW Magazine
We’re talking about basic spinners that start on the ground but then lift guests in the air.
There’s nothing fancy to these rides, but we do have some variance in their throughput.
![Magic Carpets of Aladdin](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/The-Magic-Carpets-of-Aladdin-2.jpg)
![Magic Carpets of Aladdin](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/The-Magic-Carpets-of-Aladdin-2.jpg)
Photo: Disney
The other attractions didn’t make this list, but Magic Carpets of Aladdin did.
That’s something informational for you in that you should choose Dumbo the Flying Elephant when you have a choice.
![Magic Kingdom live stream](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Magic-Carpets-of-Aladdin.jpg)
![Magic Kingdom live stream](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Magic-Carpets-of-Aladdin.jpg)
Photo: Disney
You should board that attraction more quickly. That’s because Magic Carpets of Aladdin maxes out at 550 guests.
As a rule, Disney does well to cycle 500 guests through it in an hour.
Tomorrowland Speedway
![Tomorrowland Speedway](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Tomorrowland-Speedway.jpg)
![Tomorrowland Speedway](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Tomorrowland-Speedway.jpg)
Photo: Disney
Now, we’re entering the realm of fractional throughput.
The final three attractions we’ll discuss simply cannot churn enough guests through them in an hour.
![Tomorrowland Speedway](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/tomorrowland_speedway_disney_-_Google_Search_-_2019-05-01_15.47.14.png)
![Tomorrowland Speedway](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/tomorrowland_speedway_disney_-_Google_Search_-_2019-05-01_15.47.14.png)
Photo: Disney
Their throughput is comically low, a problem that’s so much worse with Tomorrowland Speedway.
As I’ve discussed a lot – you gotta listen to me on this one, Disney! – this ride takes up a giant piece of prime real estate.
Disney gets nothing in exchange for ceding this much Magic Kingdom land except a ride that cycles, at best, 500 riders per hour.
Realistically, we’re talking about 450 people an hour, which is indefensible for such a large attraction.
The Barnstormer
We’ve reached the “Ye gods!” phase of the conversation.
I’ll just go ahead and tell you that when everything goes great on this junior roller coaster, 350 guests ride it in an hour.
![Barnstormer 50 minute wait](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/barnstormer-crowd-2024-scaled.jpeg)
![Barnstormer 50 minute wait](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/barnstormer-crowd-2024-scaled.jpeg)
Barnstormer in Magic Kingdom
That’s information you should know as you approach your summer vacation.
Common sense may tell you this is a good idea, but now you have David Sense letting you know that only 315 people ride this per hour.
![Christmas Party attractions](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Barnstormer.png)
![Christmas Party attractions](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Barnstormer.png)
Disney
Unless your child is dead set on riding The Barnstormer, you should carefully pick your shot here.
Ride this one early in the morning or later in the day when you KNOW the line is shorter.
Enchanted Tales with Belle
Remember during the pandemic when we weren’t sure whether Disney would reopen Enchanted Tales with Belle?
There was a good reason for that doubt. While this attraction delights everyone who experiences it, there’s a problem.
To my knowledge, Enchanted Tales with Belle offers the worst throughput at Walt Disney World.
Before the pandemic, the presumption was that Disney could host a maximum of 300 guests per hour.
While this one tends to go right more than most, its reasonable expectation is 270-285 people.
In other words, this attraction hosts fewer guests in ten hours than Haunted Mansion does in one!
When we discuss throughput limits, you need to know that information while planning your visit.
Unless you’re a superfan of these attractions or you’re there when the park is slow, they’re just not the best ideas.
![Enchanted Tales with Belle](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Enchanted-Tales-with-Belle.jpg)
![Enchanted Tales with Belle](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Enchanted-Tales-with-Belle.jpg)
Photo: Disney
Otherwise, you’ll be standing in line far too long for a batch of rides that frankly aren’t Disney’s best.
Thanks for visiting MickeyBlog.com! Want to go to Disney? For a FREE quote on your next Disney vacation, please fill out the form below, and one of the agents from MickeyTravels, a Diamond Level Authorized Disney Vacation Planner, will be in touch soon!