Best beginning rides for 3 and 5 year olds?

[nikib808]

We'll be headed to the Disney Parks tomorrow! Woo hoo! Any suggestions on which rides to start with - keeping in mind ours kids, 3 and 5, have never been to Disneyland before. We'll be in the parks for 4 full days, so we have some time to take it at their pace.

Thanks!!

 

[kailuagirl]

We started with Dumbo for our DD's first trip when she was 2, she loved it. I'd start nice and easy, if they like trains, ride Casey Jr., if they like boats, maybe the Storybook Canal, or maybe the carousel. Get them nice and comfortable and go from there. Take it easy so they don't get scared. It also helps to show them the rides on Youtube before hand. We did that with DD for the matterhorn and it really helped so she wasn't scared of the big white red eyed monster, as she calls him. Each child is different, our DD isn't scared of anything except Big Thunder (she's 4 now) and really never was. But my niece screamed and I mean screamed the whole entire time on Its a Small World, she was scared to death. I wasn't there but I still hear about it now 14 years later it was so bad. The poor other people on the ride Who would have thought that ride would be scary?

Have fun, take it easy and enjoy every minute!!

Hey, just realized you are from Hawaii, us too!! You are going to love it!!!

 

[starshine514]

Dumbo, Casey Jr Circus Train, Astro Orbitor, or the teacups are good bets. Alice (if they are fans of the movie) or Small World might be good first dark rides, Monsters, Inc or Little Mermaid might be good introductions to dark rides also. Small World is the only dark ride without a scary element, so it is probably your best bet (Mr Toad, Snow White and Pinnochio all have quite a few scary parts). If you start in CA, then anything in Bug's Land is a good first-ride choice. Golden Zephyr or Toy Story would also work.

 

[disneydreamer74]

The first ride we did with DD when she was 2 was the King Triton Carousel. She loved it and it was something familiar from the fair. Dumbo, IASW, and definitely Bugs Land in DCA will work. Nothing remotely scary in that park. Just take it at a slow pace! Oh, my DD5 loved Peter Pan's flight as well and you can lap sit on that ride, which is reassuring to little ones.

 

[bibbidibobbidibecky]

Head straight to Fantasyland then Toontown and have a blast!

We did take my DS3 (at the time) on ToT on our second day...can't say I really recommend that I'm happy to report he isn't scarred from the experience however and as an 8-year-old, loves the ride haha.

 

[coaches24]

We'll be headed to the Disney Parks tomorrow! Woo hoo! Any suggestions on which rides to start with - keeping in mind ours kids, 3 and 5, have never been to Disneyland before. We'll be in the parks for 4 full days, so we have some time to take it at their pace.

Thanks!!

We took DD when she was 2 years and 4 months for her first trip. We actually started on POC and it worked out ok but I think if we did it over we would go to FL with rides like Casey Jr or story book boats. Or go over to Pooh or Small world. DD loved all of those and I think she might have been less apprehensive about rides had we started with those and did POC and other dark rides a little later. DD really didn't give us any problems getting on rides and liked almost all of them that we went on but there were some that she was clinging to DW or myself like Velcro and wasn't letting go until it was over. Then we would say to her that she doesn't have to go on it again and she would say he liked it and wanted to do it again lol. Quite a few rides were like that. She was only scared the first time.

Your 5 year old is likely big enough to go on some faster rides so you may want to start with GAdgets go coaster in toon town and see how they like that and then move on to BTMRR or SM if you feel they would like it. Your 3 yo may not be big enough (mine is 3 1/2 an is just now at 40 in with shoes on but I don't plan on taking her on Space or BTMRR, and we might try splash if she is up to it )

 

[CheshireGato]

The first time I went (I was about 7) I loved PotC and the Jungle Cruise. At those ages I would think just about anything in Fantasy Land would be good. Head to ToonTown for pictures and to play in the different houses. Also, riding the train would be a nice break for them.

My best friends daughter could not get enough of the Teacups when she was 4, and PotC was a huge hit for her also.

 

[Mel522]

My niece was 3 on her first trip. We started in Fantasyland and then into Toontown. Gadget's Go Coaster was by far her favorite ride. It's a small, fairly tame roller coaster with a 35" height requirement. She also went on the Matterhorn, but the abominable snowman scared her.

 

[revwog1974]

It really depends on your kids. When my daughter went for the first time at age three anything dark scared her and after Peter Pan we never got her on another dark ride. But she loved the roller coasters and fast rides. She was tall for her age so she could ride almoet everything. Her last morning she rode Splash Mountain 5 times in a row. So you could think about how your kids will do on the "dark" rides and how they feel about faster rides.

 

[canadian_ehngel]

When we went 2 years ago, our first ride was the carousel in Fantasyland. My kids were 18 months and 4 at the time and absolutely LOVED it. Their other favourites were It's a Small World and the Teacups (my 18 month old didn't get to try it). My oldest's favourite ride of all time though is Splash Mountain.

 

[milan15]

Heavily depends on your kids, that can't be said enough.

My little one (3 year old girl) absolutely loved rides like Buzz Lightyear, all of the princess stuff, Dumbo, Winnie the Pooh, etc.

She hated Pirates, matterhorn (which I was shocked she could ride), etc.

Just talk with your kids. BE POSITIVE about EVERYTHING (don't say "oh that might be too scary") and just let them explore.

 

[Pesky]

Ditto re Fantasyland. Just watch out as there are some rides there that freak small kids out like Snow White. Peter Pan is a decent test for a "dark" ride. ITASW is a bit better for a dark ride as it is benign and happy. I'd probably watch some of them on youtube with your kids now, the ones you aren't sure whether or not they would like. That's been a great indication as DD is game for about anything besides ToT and Space Mountaina while DS, who is usually fearless, was a bit afraid of HM. I'd also measure you kids now and figure out what they can and can't ride height wise so you can avoid meltdowns at the line discovering it a bit too late. Have fun!

 

[Twinkle Lights]

So happy for your kids, getting to experience Disney for the first time!!! There's nothing like that first time...sigh!

Fantasyland rides are perfect to start with, and if your children have any ideas about Disneyland at all, probably imagine those rides, as they are the most classic and famous. But there are other good rides throughout the park too. My 2 year old loves all these.

Friendliest rides:
Dumbo
Carousel
Storybook Canal Boats
Its a Small World
Casey Jr. Circus Train
Peter Pan
Alice in Wonderland
Train
Winnie the Pooh
Buzz Lightyear
Astro Orbitor
Nemo Submarines
Autopia
Tiki Room
Jungle Cruise
Tea cups if they aren't prone to motion sickness!

I think Haunted Mansion, Snow White, Pinocchio, Mr. Toads Wild Ride and Pirates of the Carribean all have scary elements that might freak out your 3 year old. You might warn them ahead of time. Your 5 year old is probably going to be more daring and adventuresome, as well as taller so they might like Star Tours, and all 4 of the mountain rides (Splash, Space, Big Thunder and Matterhorn). My son did at that age, except Splash because he didn't like getting his clothes wet.

Have fun!!

 

[bumbershoot]

I am different from everyone else. If I were taking a young child to DLR for the first time, the FIRST rides would be in DCA. I would take him/her to bug's land (NOT "it's tough to be a bug!") and spent a few hours riding the Chew Chew Train, Flik's Flyers, etc. Just playing around in there, in the nice, outdoors, happy, cheerful, not scary, area.

Then once they are used to rides, I'd go to Fantasyland.

You see, the problems with Fantasyland is that so many rides are indoors. Or take you through the mouth of a scary whale. Or you just can't see all of the ride. The kids don't know what they are getting into. My son, who had been on Peter Pan many times before, had a freakout in the line for PP one morning; once you're under the roof, it gets dark in there, and he just didn't like it. He KNEW what the ride was like, but it took serious convincing to keep him in the dark line to get the payoff.

And I know there are other kids with those problems as well, I would say it's actually normal for that age range. They just don't have the experience (or they don't fully *remember* previous experiences if they've been there before) to know that it will all be worth it in the end.

And then of course if you aren't careful, you'll go on Snow White and Pinocchio, and those are (sorry, it's my opinion) just AWFUL rides. Storylines make no sense and skip HUGE sections of the story, they are dark dark dark (in story and lighting), etc etc. Get on one of those rides before the kids are ready, and you might not get them on another ride the rest of the trip.


So I say, start with bug's land!

 

[S. S. Columbia]

... Storybook Canal Boats ...

The Storybookland Canal Boats are perfectly fine...

as long as the little tykes don't mind being eaten by a whale.

Photo credit: http://disneyshawn.blogspot.com/2010/12/storybook-classic.html

 

[scoker]

I agree with the pp that the Fliks Fair in DCA might be a good spot to get the kids in the ride mood. There are a few kiddie type rides in a relatively small area and none are intense. It might be a good spot to gauge what they are ready for.

When I took my DD for her 4th birthday she was scared of all the dark rides including Winnie the Pooh, which I think is the tamest of all of that type of ride. On our most recent trip at 5 1/2 she really liked some of the dark rides like the little mermaid, winnie the pooh, and Buzz Lightyears astro blasters. She was less enthused with Alice in Wonderland, Snow White ect. but she survived. She loved the big roller coasters with the exception of space mountain.

Hope you have a great trip.