Our Toddler’s First Roller Coaster: Slinky Dog Dash In Disney’s Hollywood Studios
In my opinion, one of the best themed lands that Disney has created for guests to enjoy is Toy Story Land in Hollywood Studios. It’s here that you’ll find Slinky Dog Dash Roller Coaster. With Slinky Dog as your guide, riders travel along Andy’s Mega Coaster Play Kit as you race up and down hills, zoom through corners and experience multiple launches. Riders will need to be at least 38 inches tall in order to ride. In this post we’ll share our toddler’s experience riding his first roller coaster and all the ups and downs along the way. (A little Roller Coaster humor for you).
Planning Your Trip
Slinky Dog Dash is an extremely popular ride in Hollywood Studios. The wait time is almost always quite long, definitely longer than my toddler is willing to wait. We typically get to the parks in the afternoon, but if you’re rope dropping Hollywood Studios, heading straight for Slinky Dog Dash would definitely be beneficial.
Another option is to purchase a Lightning Lane Multi Pass. We’ll be doing an entire separate post dedicated to understanding how Lightning Lane passes work. But essentially, they allow guests to book up to three different experiences at a Disney park prior to your arrival and skip waiting in the main line. If you’re staying in a Disney hotel, you can book up to 7 days in advance. For all other guests, you can book your Lightning Lanes up to 3 days in advance. Passes for Slinky Dog Dash can be difficult to come by because of the ride's popularity. Try booking your experiences as early as you possibly can and check back often throughout the day, as sometimes different arrival windows open up.
The Ride Experience
My toddler is a bit of a thrill seeker at heart. He loves watching roller coaster POV videos on Youtube and was very excited to give this one a try. You know your little one best and will be the best person to help them decide if they’re ready for this ride. Watching POV videos, talking it through and watching the ride in person can help your tots to prepare for what the ride might be like for them. Our toddler was well over the height requirement and we knew that it would be something he’d enjoy. Ultimately, it was his choice if he wanted to ride and he did!
The queue line is expertly themed with oversized toys and games. There are portions of it that are in the sun, and other portions that are covered and in shade. The trains look like Slinky Dog, and riders sit 2 to a car. There’s a lap bar that pulls down. As I previously mentioned, there are multiple launch points during the ride, as well as small hills, drops and turns.
With top speeds averaging approximately 40 mph and an average ride time of 2 minutes, I would consider it a worthwhile ride experience. The overall feel of the ride is pretty smooth, but it is a slightly more intense family-friendly coaster which is why I would encourage those conversations with your little ones prior to riding to ensure they will be ready for it.
Final Thoughts
Slinky Dog Dash is a really fun, highly-themed family coaster that my toddler truly enjoyed. We spent quite a bit of time preparing him for what the ride would entail, and ultimately left the decision up to him if he would ride. I think for my toddler, it was a great first roller coaster. Would I recommend this as every toddler’s first roller coaster, probably not. There are certain elements, like the small hills and multiple launches that might be too intense. But once they’re ready, Slinky Dog Dash will surely become one of your family’s favorite Disney rides!