Top Ten Disneyland Attractions for Toddlers: No Height Limits

I love traveling with my kids, but let’s be honest, they really slow us down and limit our options. At places like Universal Studios and Six Flags Great America, they are too young and short for several attractions. This was even more true a couple of years ago when the youngest was still a toddler. Enter Disney. Disney caters to young children more than any other company of which I am aware. This is the case for all of its properties, but Disneyland in particular has some of the best rides with no height requirement. In this article, I cover my top ten Disneyland attractions for toddlers — the no-height-requirement classics that earn their spot, plus the handful of planning details that have changed since you last looked.

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Quick Take: Is Disneyland Good for Toddlers?

Yes — emphatically. Most of the best Disneyland rides for little kids have no height requirement at all, so your two-year-old can ride almost everything you can. Below are the ten attractions that earned a spot, ranked from “fine” to “worth the wait,” with the honest version of each. First, three planning truths that have changed since this post originally went up.

• Both a ticket AND a park reservation are required. A ticket alone won’t get you in — you have to lock in a reservation for your date too. Don’t learn this in the parking structure.
• FastPass and MaxPass are gone. The paid line-skip is now Lightning Lane. There is no free version anymore — it’s pay or stand by.
• The map changed. Critter Country is now Bayou Country, and Pirates of the Caribbean is closed for refurbishment as of this writing. More on both below.

Toddlers have attention spans equivalent to those of Steve-O and Bam Margera. Lines are not their bag. To cut down on waiting, make a touring plan prior to arrival. I like Touring Plans, an app that lets you input the attractions, meals, and breaks you want, then spits out a plan to navigate the park efficiently. If you want the bigger-picture version of saving money and dodging crowds, start with our Disneyland trip-planning guide before you book anything.

How Do You Skip Lines at Disneyland Now?

Here is the part that has aged the most. The old FastPass and MaxPass systems are dead — retired, renamed, and not coming back. There is no longer a free paper FastPass to go fetch, old school style. Your two real options now are to pay for Lightning Lane or to wait in the standby line like a peasant.

Lightning Lane Multi Pass is the spiritual successor to MaxPass: you book ride-skip return times right from the Disneyland app, and it still includes unlimited PhotoPass digital downloads from that day (so if your kid hates one of the rides, the photo will probably make for some great prom material). Pricing is dynamic now, not a flat rate — it starts around $32 to $34 per ticket per day and climbs higher on busy days, and it’s cheapest if you buy it in advance. Check the app for the current price before you commit, because it moves.

Lightning Lane Single Pass is the à la carte version: you pay per ride (it starts around $15 per person) for the handful of headliners not included in Multi Pass. With toddlers, you probably don’t need it — most of the rides on this list rarely have brutal lines. Honestly, with little kids and a solid touring plan, you can often skip the paid skip entirely. Whether or not you pay, use the Disneyland app to watch wait times and pounce when something dips.

One more gotcha that did not exist when this post first ran: you now need a park reservation in addition to a valid ticket, and reservations can fill up on busy dates. Book it the moment your plans are firm. If you are still deciding whether the whole trip pencils out with little ones in tow, our take on how to save money on Disney trips covers the parts nobody warns you about.

Best Disneyland Attractions for Toddlers

10. King Arthur Carrousel

King Arthur Carrousel (not a typo) is a basic carousel located in Fantasyland. Children ride on white horses. Insert every reason your toddler loves any carousel, and you will know why he or she will enjoy this ride. There is something magical about riding a carousel at Disneyland near Sleeping Beauty Castle, which makes it more special than your average carnival experience. You can stand next to your child during the ride, and there is rarely much of a wait. One heads-up: it goes down for short refurbishments now and then, so a quick glance at the app’s refurbishment list before you walk over can save you a tantrum.

9. Mad Tea Party

Mad Tea Party is a famous Disneyland attraction in Fantasyland. You sit in teacups and spin. You have some control over the amount of spinning, but you can’t completely prevent it. I like to help my kids spin by holding onto the wheel tightly, giving them the impression it is really hard to turn. It’s good for their biceps, and I don’t vomit. Win win. While Mad Tea Party is not different from a lot of rides at other theme parks, it is one of the best Disneyland attractions for toddlers because of its infamy and location. The line for this ride is usually reasonable.

8. Jungle Cruise

Jungle Cruise is an outdoor, slow-moving boat ride in Adventureland. There are no seat belts or harnesses, so they can move around to a degree. There is nothing dark or scary. During the ride, you cruise by several animatronic animals toddlers will be eager to identify. For adults, there is a skipper on board telling jokes. This can be a blessing or a curse depending on the quality of the jokes and your sense of humor. I am a tough audience because I am hilarious (according to me only), but I have had a mixed bag of skippers over the years. The ride was reimagined a few years back — the old trapped-safari scene with its cartoonish racist depictions is gone, and Trader Sam now runs a Lost & Found instead of trading shrunken heads — so it’s a smidge less awkward to explain later. Regardless of your enjoyment, your toddler should be happy. The line can get long, so check wait times on the app before committing.

7. Pirates of the Caribbean

Pirates of the Caribbean is an indoor, slow-moving boat ride in New Orleans Square. There is a little bit of a drop during the ride, but I think the average toddler has had a more thrilling ride down a playground slide. This attraction is a good length, air conditioned, and has a ton to see. The pirates are fun to watch. Best of all, the alcohol consumption and crime will fly right over the toddler’s head. No life lesson today, child. One important caveat: as of this writing, Pirates is closed for refurbishment with no announced reopening date, so check the Disneyland app or website before you build your day around it. If it’s down during your trip, don’t sweat it — there are nine other rides on this list.

6. “it’s a small world”

“it’s a small world” is an indoor, slow-moving boat ride in Fantasyland. It is a classic Disney attraction that is seriously long. The boat takes you through rooms with tons of animatronics intended to represent different cultures. It is fun to take it all in with kids and discuss different parts of the world. These animatronics were not manufactured yesterday. If they were, some would probably be considered slightly politically incorrect. Small children will not notice any of this. The line for this one is usually reasonable, and the length of the ride more than makes up for any wait. Bonus for desperate parents: it’s long, air conditioned, and the catchiest sedative ever recorded — a fine place to let a meltdown burn off.

5. The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh

The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh is an indoor, slow-moving ride in Bayou Country — the land formerly known as Critter Country, renamed when Tiana’s Bayou Adventure opened next door. (That log flume has a roughly 40-inch height requirement, so it’s not a toddler ride, but it’s worth knowing the neighborhood changed.) The attraction takes you through the Hundred Acre Wood. This air-conditioned ride in honey pots navigates through an episode of Winnie the Pooh if the show was around three minutes long and Piglet took LSD. My kids haven’t been to college yet, so this vibe seemed totally normal. It has some darker sections, but nothing that bothered my children. The animatronics are fun, and the ride will be particularly exciting for your child if he or she is familiar with the characters. I have never encountered any real wait for this one.

4. Dumbo the Flying Elephant

Dumbo the Flying Elephant is located in Fantasyland. While not an overly exciting ride, it makes the list of the top Disneyland attractions for toddlers because it is iconic. During the ride, you fly in a circle in a Dumbo car. Like King Arthur Carrousel, the ride is made more special by its location. The ride loads slowly, because toddlers are slow, but the line usually isn’t too long.

3. Storybook Land Canal Boats

Storybook Land Canal Boats is an outdoor, slow-moving boat ride in Fantasyland. It caters completely to small children. The ride takes you past mini sets from several famous stories, and there is a lot of detail packed into them. You begin by sailing into a whale’s mouth, and a guide narrates throughout. The line can feel long because it is slow to load — toddlers are even slower than normal when climbing into a boat. It’s a calm, low-stimulation pick for the part of the afternoon when everyone’s a little fried.

2. Alice in Wonderland

Alice in Wonderland is a slow-moving ride in Fantasyland. It goes through several parts of the movie and has both indoor and outdoor sections. The animatronics are fun to watch, and there is a scene with playing cards that is particularly entertaining. It also has a hint of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, but again, the kids had no idea. The line for this one also gets long, so watch the app.

1. Peter Pan’s Flight

Peter Pan’s Flight is an indoor, slow flight in Fantasyland. You sail over several scenes from Peter Pan, and the London section is especially impressive. The animatronics are super cute, and flying above them makes them seem even better. The music from the movie plays throughout, and the whole thing feels like a classic Disney attraction. With that said, the ride is short and the line is long — frequently the longest standby in Fantasyland. It is worth a wait, but pay attention to the app to minimize it, or hit it first thing at rope drop. The ride shuts down before the fireworks, so don’t wait until the last minute to get in line.

Disneyland with Toddlers: FAQ

Are there Disneyland rides with no height requirement?

Plenty. Every ride on this list — all ten — has no height requirement, which is exactly why Disneyland is such a strong pick for little kids. Your toddler can ride the carousel, the teacups, every dark ride in Fantasyland, and both boat rides right alongside you. The handful of rides that do have height minimums (like the log flume in Bayou Country, around 40 inches) are the thrill rides you weren’t planning to drag a two-year-old onto anyway.

Is Lightning Lane worth it with toddlers?

Often, no. Most toddler-friendly rides — the carousel, Dumbo, Winnie the Pooh, Storybook Land — rarely have killer lines, so a good touring plan and rope drop can do most of the work for free. The standby lines that actually hurt are Peter Pan’s Flight and occasionally Alice in Wonderland or Jungle Cruise. If those are must-dos for your kid, Lightning Lane Multi Pass (dynamic, starting around $32 to $34 per day) or a single Lightning Lane Single Pass for Peter Pan can be worth it on a crowded day. On a quieter day, save your money.

Disneyland or Disney California Adventure for toddlers?

For toddlers specifically, Disneyland Park wins on sheer volume of no-height-requirement rides. That said, the neighboring park has a genuinely great toddler corner — see our take on Disney California Adventure for whether a Park Hopper is worth it with little ones. The 11 a.m. Park Hopper restriction was recently lifted, so hopping between the two is easier than it used to be.

How much time do you need at Disneyland with a toddler?

You can hit every ride on this list in a single well-planned day if you start at rope drop and build in a midday break for a nap or pool time. With toddlers, two shorter days beat one death march — they melt down, you melt down, everyone loses. If you’re flying in, our Disneyland packing list covers what actually earns its space in the bag, and our tips for traveling with kids cover the rest of the chaos.

Final Thoughts on the Top Ten Disneyland Attractions for Toddlers

Disneyland is perfect for toddlers. The rides are family friendly, and the majority do not have height restrictions. The park can definitely be crowded, but a good touring plan will go a long way — and now you’ll go in knowing about the park reservation, the death of FastPass, and the Bayou Country rename, so you won’t be the family looking lost in the parking structure. Some people delay their trips until their children are older to justify the cost. Don’t do this. There are ways to save money. Visit before your toddler is a jaded teenager who will not appreciate the characters. Do not let the fact that you have a toddler prevent you from going to Disneyland. You will still have a great time. For the bigger trip, our Disneyland Anaheim tips tie the whole thing together.