10 Best Disneyland Rides for Toddlers That Are Great
Parents are always excited to go to Disneyland with their young kids, but that excitement is often laced with a bit of trepidation. How will a toddler respond to certain rides and attractions? Will they be too scary or intense or too fast or too high up in the air? If these worries are racing through your mind, don’t worry, as I will recommend to you today the best Disneyland rides for toddlers that I think are not only great for very young children, but can also be quite fun for adults too.
Top Disneyland Rides for Toddlers
Let’s begin with a Peter Pan-inspired ride!
Peter Pan’s Flight
This attraction is without a doubt one of the most peaceful rides in the entire park and is great for children who want the right experience without the fear and stress of something a bit larger. Guests are taken via pirate ship up over neighborhoods and straight to Neverland!
Toddlers will love this ride because it allows them to feel like they are flying, but it still allows them to feel safe because they can sit right next to you and hold your hand on the ride. If your kiddo is a nervous rider, this would be a great one to bring them on!
There are no height requirements for this ride, and entering the ride vehicle is super easy for small kiddos! There is no rush for any of the rides at either park, so take all the time that you and your family need to safely board the ride vehicles!
Jungle Cruise
This ride does have some sudden noise and rather intimidating animal statues as well as animatronics that could scare a young kiddo, all things considered it’s an incredibly peaceful ride.
Children on the younger end of the toddler age range may not appreciate the decorations, sights and sounds. However, they can still enjoy the feeling of the boat, being able to sit in your lap and the cover on the boat also offers a great break from the sun! The toddlers on this ride may not appreciate the jokes, but they will enjoy the laughter from their parents and it’s still a very enjoyable, memorable experience!
There is no height requirement for this ride, so toddlers of any size and age can safely participate in this excursion! There is a fairly large step to get into and out of the boats, however cast members are more than willing to give you time to board! There is also a wheelchair accessible boat that families can ride on!
Inside Out Emotional Whirlwind
This ride is about the most peaceful attraction you can find and is a big hit with younger members of the family, toddlers included! It’s very similar in concept to Dumbo or Astro Orbiters, but it can be found in DCA at Pixar Pier next to the track for Incredicoaster. The bright colors, bubbly sounds and fun, upbeat music will keep toddlers engaged, but the baskets are safe and secure to help young children feel at ease!
The best part about this ride is that toddlers can see exactly what’s going to happen to them before it happens, so there’s no sudden fear or unexpected movements! This is one of my favorite rides for when I’m feeling extra sensitive or just ate a big lunch because it’s just so smooth!
There is no height requirement for this ride, and wait times are generally pretty short making this a great option for a last minute excursion for those tired kiddos who just want to sit down and rest!
It’s A Small World
While the music can get stuck in your head and play on repeat for the entirety of your trip, that’s part of the appeal for young children and part of what makes it fun for them to see and experience! This attraction takes riders on a tour of the world, exposing them to dancing, music and visual input from many different cultures!
This attraction’s length makes it wonderful for toddlers who haven’t quite mastered spending all day walking around, and it gives them an opportunity to sit and enjoy the bright, beautiful colors in a safe environment! I’ve actually seen a couple of toddlers fall asleep on this ride in the past, as the boat gently rocks them much like a rocking chair would!
There are no height requirements for this ride, and I’ve seen kiddos as young as six months old being held by their parents on this attraction before! There is one ride vehicle that can accommodate a wheelchair, so if you have a disabled member of your party this would be a great option for everyone to be able to participate at once!
King Arthur’s Carousel
King Arthur’s Carousel is an absolute must do for any animal loving toddler! There are so many different options for those kiddos who have differing comfort levels, and this ride allows parents to stand next to the horses and hold onto their children who maybe can’t balance on their own or who don’t feel comfortable going by themselves!
There are also ride seats that do not move around during the experience, and chariots are available for families in the event of a child not wanting to sit on a horse. If your toddler is a big fan of princesses, you’ll definitely want to make sure they participate in this attraction as it’s pretty common to find characters on this ride at multiple points throughout the day!
There is no height requirement for this ride, and rarely ever a line longer than 30 minutes which makes this a perfect option for kiddos who struggle to wait in line!
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
This attraction is so full of bright colors, familiar characters and beautiful scenery that toddlers are almost guaranteed to enjoy participating in this experience, no matter how old they are! This gorgeous ride features characters from the hundred acre woods including favorites such as Tigger, Eeyore, Piglet and Winnie himself along with some gorgeous, eye-catching color!
If your kiddo enjoys bold, beautiful colors and soft but detailed decorations that truly bring you into the setting, this truly is a ride that you have to experience! While the interior of the ride is dark, the colors and lights light up everything around them and make it look much less intimidating than some of the other indoor counterparts!
There is no height requirement for this attraction, and the honey parts that serve as the ride vehicles can accommodate multiple rows of family members, making this the ultimate family adventure for just about anyone!
Ariel’s Undersea Adventure
Up next on the list we have another calming, peaceful ride that every toddler is sure to enjoy! This attraction features characters and scenes from The Little Mermaid film and is one of my absolute favorite rides in DCA! This ride is absolutely perfect for toddlers and I would label this as one of calmest and peaceful rides in DCA!
There is only one villain appearance from Ursula, and when compared with the rest of the attractions that feature film villains, it’s pretty tame and shouldn’t be too outlandish for younger toddlers! The air conditioning is also a lifesaver for toddlers who frequently overheat in that warm Southern California air!
There is no height requirement for this attraction, and the conveyor belt used to load ride vehicles can be slowed or even stopped completely to accommodate children who may struggle to properly board the ride vehicles. There is also a wheelchair accessible shell although it can only accommodate one additional passenger outside of the wheelchair.
Pixar Pal-A-Round
If your toddler is a fan of the Ferris wheel at your local summer County fair, this is definitely a ride for you and your family to put on the must do list! If you have children in tow, you will definitely want to make sure that you ride in the non-swinging baskets, as the swinging gondolas will definitely be too much for toddlers to handle (it’s almost too much for me to handle, and I’m way older than I would like to admit!).
If you choose the non-swinging baskets, this is one of the most peaceful rides that you will find in DCA and is a great experience for children who may just be learning to ride rides (and have a good time doing so)! If your toddler is not scared of the dark, this would be a great ride for later on in the evening when they are trying to settle down because it offers a great view of the parks and the beautiful lights! If it’s past your toddlers bedtime, this would be a great ride to help them settle down and fall asleep because of the soft, gentle swinging!
There are no height requirements for this ride and the gondolas are completely enclosed for safety purposes! There is also a wheelchair accessible gondola that can see one wheelchair and several family members so that you can all enjoy the ride together as a family!
Disneyland Railroad
If your kiddo is absolutely exhausted from walking around all day (or you’re exhausted from pushing the stroller, Diaper bag, lunchbox and all of the other necessary toddler equipment all day), this is absolutely a perfect option for you and your family to sit back, unwind and spend some quality time in the shade! This attraction is a great way to take a good long rest for your toddler’s tired little body, and it is approximately 18 minutes round-trip to visit all four stations!
As a whole, the ride is peaceful, quiet and truly a delight although if your toddler is not a fan of dinosaurs, you may want to skip that portion of the route! You can also ride more than once, so if you need to quiet place to start your toddler’s daily nap or otherwise calm down and relax, this is the perfect way to do so!
There is no height requirement for this ride, and three out of the four stations are wheelchair accessible! There are several trains that loop around the park, so wait times are usually no longer than 10 or 15 minutes unless you are trying to ride during peak times such as late afternoon or mid day!
Alice in Wonderland
Rest assured, while it may not seem like it from the outside this attraction truly is calming, quirky and fun for folks of all ages, but especially toddlers who love bright and fun colors! This attraction brings riders down into the rabbit hole with Alice, and the bright colors and quirky movements are great for toddlers who love bright lights and fun music!
This is a great attraction for kiddos who are more nervous with villains and dark lighting, as the gorgeous neon colors and fun characters make it nearly impossible for the darkness to cover the ride vehicle! This ride is a great way to get those energetic toddlers out of the sun while also still having a great time and getting the most out of your trip!
There is no height requirement for this ride and although the ride vehicles are smaller, they are super easy to board for children and adults alike!
Honorable Mentions
Maybe your toddler just can’t handle the rides yet or would rather be involved in more personal and engaging experiences! Well thankfully, there’s plenty of other options for these kiddos too!
One of the best things that toddlers can do in Disneyland is character meet and greets! There’s such a huge variety of characters to meet in the parks, there’s bound to be a character that every toddler would enjoy! The princesses and Mickey and friends will likely have the longest lines, so you want to make sure to do those earlier in the day, but there’s also characters from Star Wars, Marvel, Pixar and many other things spread throughout the two parks!
Another option for kiddos who don’t want to do rides is the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique! While toddlers are just a hair too young to fully participate in this experience (ages limits are 3-12), they can accompany older siblings, and guests of any age can get a little bit of pixie dust!
There are shows scheduled every day throughout the day in both parks that would not only give toddlers a chance to sit down, but also see up close some of the Disney magic without getting on a ride! Shows are usually rotated out throughout the year, but feature things such as The Lion King and several of the princesses! Some of the shows are even choreographed with actors and cast members out in the audience to really involve guests in the performance!
It’s surely no secret that toddlers love sweet treats, so another great option for those kiddos who don’t want to get on rides is to try out all those wonderful sweet treats that your child has had their eye on your entire vacation! Dole Whips, churros and even popcorn can be enjoyed by toddlers and can be a great snack for those long stretches of time between meals!
Turtle Talk is another great way for your child to have a meet and greet experience, but is a wonderful workaround for shy kiddos who don’t want a one on one conversation with a character! This experience is in a group setting and gives guests an opportunity to interact and ask questions with everyone’s favorite turtle, Crush! This is also a great place to sit and cool off during your long park days!
Conclusion
Taking your toddler to Disneyland is an exciting moment, and one that parents will remember for years to come. But it can fill parents with a bit of anxiety, because you don’t want your toddler to cry, scream, or feel unhappy on their trip due to a bad ride experience. So hopefully this list of the best Disneyland rides for toddlers will better help you plan your trip and figure out which attractions deserve the highest priority.
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