One of the great things about Disneyland is the fact that nearly all of the rides can be enjoyed by everyone in the family. Only the Mountains (Splash, Space, Thunder, and the Matterhorn), Indiana Jones, and the Gadget Go-Coaster in Toon Town have height requirements. Babito is already tall enough to meet the Go-Coaster and Matterhorn’s 35 inch requirement.
With that said, some rides are more toddler-friendly than others. Until recently, Babito was afraid to ride Pirates of the Caribbean and The Haunted Mansion. He loves them both now. He’s still afraid of The Jungle Cruise, so we don’t ride that one. We’re waiting for him to ask us to ride it. I think that he thinks the animals are real. If I thought they were real I wouldn’t want to ride it either!
While every toddler will be different, I’ll share with you The Babito’s favorite rides now:
Disneyland Railroad – A fun grand-circle tour of Disneyland. Not only does the train allow you and your toddler to get a tour of the entire park, it also gives you a nice 20 minute break from walking around.
The Disneyland Railroad
The vehicles of Main Street – The double-decker bus, fire engine, horse-drawn streetcar, and horseless carriage are always fun for the little ones.
The Monorail – The Babito LOVES the monorail. Try to sit in the front with the driver. It gives you a great view, and the drivers are usually very friendly with your kids.
View from the front of the Monorail
Peter Pan’s Flight - If you arrive early, I recommend you hit this ride first. Surprisingly it’s one of the longest lines at Disneyland. You ride in a pirate ship and fly over various scenes from Peter Pan. It’s a fun ride with amazing scenery, but I’m not sure it’s worth the 45-60 minute wait you’ll encounter later in the day.
Dumbo – Another ride known for it’s long wait times. Ride this one right after Peter Pan’s Flight. It’s basically a typical carnival-type ride with better theming, but the kids love it.
Mad Tea Party (better known as “The Teacups”) – This was long The Babito’s favorite ride. Not for those that get motion sickness. I recommend taking a video camera with you on this one. The kids’ reactions are priceless.
King Arthur Carousel – Another kid favorite.
Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride - Another fun Fantasyland dark ride. This one has the added bonus of a steering wheel on each car. Let your toddler sit on your lap so he can “steer” the car on the wild ride. The ending of the ride may be scary for some toddlers. You drive through Hell at the end, along with the Devil, demons, fire, and heat. Then again, they probably won’t even notice it.
Casey Jr. Circus Train – Casey Jr. is a fun train ride on a circus train. Ride in the monkey cage for added fun. This ride is especially fun at night. This train has some speed to it!
It’s A Small World – Talk about sensory overload, this classic ride will have you singing “It’s a Small World” for the rest of the day. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
Winnie the Pooh – This is a fun ride for toddlers, and the good news for parents – there’s rarely a line for this one. The added bonus is there’s a meet and greet with Pooh, Tigger, and Eeyore right next to the ride where you can get some great pictures. The line for the meet and greet is always much longer than the line for the ride.
Autopia - Another driving opportunity for the kids. I hate this one, because I’m too tall for the cars, but I take The Babito on it every time anyways. The lines are usually long for this one. It’s good to hit this one early in the day too.
Other good kids rides:
Alice in Wonderland
Astro Orbiter (better known as “The Rockets”)
Buzz Lightyear
Finding Nemo Submarines
Like I mentioned earlier, some rides like Pirates, Haunted Mansion, and The Jungle Cruise may be scary for young kids, but they are allowed to ride. Pirates and Haunted Mansion are scary because they’re very dark in some parts. The Jungle Cruise is not so scary, Babito just has some fear of it that we haven’t quite figured out.
Tips for The Rides
- Like I mentioned earlier, Peter Pan, Dumbo, and Autopia are the three most popular kids rides, so ride them early in the day before the lines get crazy. The Nemo submarine also has long lines.
- Have something with you to entertain the kids while you’re waiting in the lines, whether it be a toy, snacks, or whatever. Most rides have good theming in the lines that will help you keep your child entertained.
- Don’t rush from ride to ride. Enjoy the scenery and the other shows and attractions (which I’ll cover in my next post). Take it slow and enjoy the day.
- Ride the most popular rides during the fireworks, Fantasmic, and the parades. The lines are usually shorter.
My next post will cover the many shows and attractions offered at Disneyland, and tell you which ones your toddler will probably enjoy the most.
Tags: Disneyland, Tips, toddler
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#1 by shannon on April 29th, 2009
This makes me want to go to Disney
I miss it!
shannons last blog post..Memory Monday
#2 by Gaby on April 29th, 2009
These are such great posts. Thanks for taking the time to do these. I’ve done Google searches for info like this and nothing this concise is out there. Thanks!
Gabys last blog post..Crib sleeping dust…
#3 by Jennifer on April 29th, 2009
Thank you so much for doing this! Like Gaby said, I have looked for good information on taking a toddler to Disneyland but found nothing. This is great! Thank you again!
#4 by techskip on May 7th, 2009
Sorry to hear the little guy’s afraid of Jungle. Hopefully you can get a good Skip when he decides to go on it! Also forgot to mention Tiki…
#5 by Daddy Dan on May 7th, 2009
Actually, I’m saving The Tiki Room (Babito’s favorite) for my post on shows.
Like Babito tells me all the time, “Tiki Room’s not a ride, Daddy!”