There are attractions that people love at Disneyland. There are attractions that people don’t care for at Disneyland. And then there is the flying death trap that is the Pixar Pal-A-Round. The massive Ferris wheel found at Disney California Adventure in the Disneyland Resort looks like the classic amusement park ride you know and love but it’s actually a war crime, and there is new video evidence to prove it.
There are actually two ways to experience the Pixar Pal-A-Round, previously known as Mickey’s Fun Wheel. One is the traditional Ferris wheel method, where guests get in simple enclosed gondolas and go around in a big circle, getting some impressive views of Disney California Adventure when up top. But there is also…another way. There is a more “thrilling” option where the gondolas slide on a track and “swing” in the air. This option is without question, the worst experience at Disney California Adventure. It is more terrifying than any roller coaster. And if you don’t believe me check out this viral TikTok that proves I’m right.
@ricey_s2k ♬ original sound - Brandon Cotting
It’s the screaming that you hear before you know what’s happening that makes this terrifying. You can hear the other people on the wheel scared to death and you wonder what you got yourself into. Then the carriage begins to move and you realize what you have done, but it’s too late.
This family is not happy and if you’ve ever experienced the swinging gondolas then you know why. There is no way to strap yourself in or otherwise hold on, to you feel like you’re about to get tossed around the carriage more than any roller coaster. And at some point, you’ll be facing backward, which is even worse since you have no idea where you’re going.
And because the wheel stops every few seconds, to let new guests on and off, you never really get any momentum going. It’s a perpetual start and stop as your car changes positions, slides down a rail, hits the end, and then the carriage swings back and forth for a few seconds. Then it hangs there, as you wait for the next movement, wondering if you will survive.
This isn’t the first time that we’ve seen people absolutely terrified by this evil wheel, and it won’t be the last. Most people visiting Disney California Adventure just see a big Ferris wheel and they certainly aren’t going to expect it to be terrifying unless they are specifically afraid of heights.
Disney California Adventure has gone through many changes over the decades, and yet somehow the swinging gondolas still exist despite the fact that I don't know anybody who prefers them and very few who even like them. If you really must experience everything at Disneyland Resort, then you have to do this, but that's the only reason you should.
