M: “I want to ride Mater!”

A: “It’s Lightening McQueen.”

M: “I want to ride Lightening *the* Queen!!!” 


Kids say the darndest things, eh? We spent one afternoon and one very long morning with three highly excited (and one that didn’t know he was excited yet) children. The Step2, Cars 3 themed Roller Coaster came packaged in a box that very much told what was inside and the Cars 3 chatter didn’t pause on the outside from then on.

There was no putting them off: rain or not, we were going to unpackage that toy! Luckily, by the second afternoon it cleared up and was bright and sunny for our first test run of the coaster. What a test run it was. My 9 year old was slightly put out when she read the side and saw it was meant for kids aged 2-5. Rest assured, I read the instructions and found that she was within the 50 pound weight limit (almost) and she got quite a few rides in (click here to view my video on Facebook). When she wasn’t riding, she was helping the baby who loved the coaster though a little under the recommended age. That said, this toy is amazing for a one year old. He loved it and even when the track isn’t out, the Lightening McQueen car serves as a ride on- two toys in one. You know how much I appreciate versatility! 

The two who fit best within the weight and age range were my middle children. They took advantage of that fact and snuck in quite a few extra rides. 



What I love: It’s really great for a wide range of ages especially if your children are petite like mine are. The ultimate plan is to put this in the kid’s play area for the winter. It’s multi function. Heck, my kids even used the track as a slide when I had to take the car away momentarily (it was pausing in the foyer before finding its way to the basement and children kept riding it into the cabinets- is it just my kids that are crazy?). Lastly, it was really easy to assemble and the stickers went on beautifully. I would say from opening the box to placing the finishing sticker with only one person working on it, was under 20 minutes. This would make a fabulous Santa gift for that reason. 

What I don’t love: The bickering over whose turn it is. They all wanted to ride at once and the day may have ended in me throwing up my hands and telling them it was time to go inside. Then again, having a toy the kids want to play with all day is not really a downside so there are two sides to that coin. The only real can’t get around it issue is that the track is big. If you plan to use it indoors, plan for storage because it’s long. But, I knew that when I chose it so this is something to keep in mind but not a deal breaker- it comes apart easily so would stow away pretty compactly in a garage for outdoor use or a closet (well a big one) for indoor. 

What my kids love: everything. The three year old boy was really excited about the theme. The older girls loved that they could get in on the riding action. And, the one year old excitedly signed more as soon as he reached the bottom of the track. 

Overall Rating: I can’t really think of a downside to this toy. Step2 products are always well made so I know when I purchase one it will last for years. This item was no different. It’s sturdy, well designed, easy to use, and functional. 

If I have to roll with my kids anywhere these days, I want it to be with Step2. This Cars 3 Roller Coaster toy was a hit. Kid tested, mom approved. 


Disney Pixar Cars 3 Roller Coaster: c/o Step 2

***Step2 sent me this product to test as part of their toy tester program in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and I have not been compensated monetarily to give a good review. Nor has my opinion been swayed or influenced by anyone other than myself, my husband, and my children. ***

48 Comments

  1. Such a cute toy. It looks like the kiddos love it! Up on that track it looks like a mini rollercoaster lol so cute.

  2. My twin nephews have a similar toy from Step Two and they love it! I know it helped them during those long stir-crazy winters.

  3. This looks like such fun! I agree that Step2 makes great products — we bought a water/sand table this summer and it was awesome!

  4. How cute! I’ve seen something similar to this in one of my local parks and all of the kids love it! I see why you may have had to take it away momentarily. Lol. But what a great buy nonetheless!

  5. Oh my goodness, it looks like so much fun! I can see how the kids want to argue over whose turn it is, but I’m sure they had fun anyway! Thanks for sharing!

  6. Sometimes a toy comes by and you think hey I want a turn! My kids (4 and 6) are on the older side of this age range but fall under the 50lbs. They would love this toy!

    1. This is totally that toy! And, that’s where we are too. I think this toy easily hits a larger range of age but the suggestion is so people don’t buy it and find it too small. I would love if they made another in one size up to hold up to 100 lbs. then I could (almost;) ride it.

    1. So much bickering but I have a feeling it’s going to be such a life saver for long winter days! ❤️

  7. There is a similar toy at the indoor play place we love. My son loves it too! It is a great toy. I like the subtle lessons of putting something back to play again and taking turns that go along with it. I never thought of buying one for home. But Christmas isn’t too far away and grandparents have been asking for ideas… 😉

  8. We have the original version of the Step2 coaster and my kids (age 2 and 5) LOVE it. I love it for that reason. It’s such a lasting toy. My 6 year old nephew is obsessed with it too, and my youngest was able to play with it at 18 months old. Awesome toy, and the cars version is so adorable.

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