Best Disneyland rides for 3 and 5 year olds

[labguides]

We will have just one day at Disneyland. What are the best rides for a 3 year old and a 5 year old?

Cost of renting a stroller for a 7 month old?

 

[LucyKate]

In DL My 5YO loved:
- Everything in Fantasyland
- The Gadget Coaster
- Small World
- Haunted Mansion (whcih is actually not scary)
- Pirates
- Pooh
- Autopia (her favourite. She was too young to reach the pedal, so I let her hold the wheel and slid my foot across to the pedal).

She did not like
- Matterhorn bobsleds
- Splash Mountain (though she almost did it again, and I think realised later it was not as scary as she thought).

In DCA she loved:
- GRR (not as scary as Splash but just as much fun)
- Soarin

She found all the Flick funfair little kids rides very boring.

She did all the 3D rides, but found Bug's life and Honey frightening (but bearable).

 

[munchkinsmom]

We will have just one day at Disneyland. What are the best rides for a 3 year old and a 5 year old?

Cost of renting a stroller for a 7 month old?

Unfortunately, I don't know how much it costs to rent a stroller at DLR, since we usually bring our own. I heard that it was around $7-10/day, but I'm not sure.

My two little ones are the same age as yours. Here's what they like to ride together when we go to Disneyland:

Fantasyland:
Dumbo
Teacups
Storybook Land
Alice in Wonderland
Casey Choo Choo Train
Peter Pan
King Arthur's Carousel
It's a Small World

Main Street:
Disneyland Railroad
Street cars and trolleys

Adventureland/New Orleans Square/Critter Country:
Jungle Cruise
Winnie the Pooh

Frontierland:
Mark Twain or Columbia
Tom Sawyer Island (a nice place to run around in)

Tomorrowland:
Monorail

ToonTown:
Visiting Mickey and Minnie's house
Chip and Dale's Treehouse

Have a great time!

 

[denyd]

Strollers are $7 per day and you can use your receipt to get one free when you change parks (they're not supposed to leave the park though this might have changed recently). If you have a Disney Visa Card, you get 2 stroller rentals free per day.

My 4yo DS's favorites:

DL:
Small World
Autopia
Story Book Boats
Casey Jr
The Carousel
Teacups
Juncle Cruise
Tiki Birds (and of course the Dole Whip)
Tarzan's Tree House
Columbia (he calls it the Pirate Ship)
Goofy's Bounce House (May it Rest in Peace)
DL Railroad, but not past the scary Dinosaurs

DCA:
Fliks Flyer
Bumper Cars
Redwood Trail
Playhouse Disney
Muppets 3D
Monsters, Inc.

He also enjoys both parades and can't wait for the Electrical Parade to return. The only time he was able to stay awake late enough for the fireworks he really enjoyed them.

 

[stampinshauna]

We went with my 2-1/2 year old neice and 5 year old nephew last fall.

They both loved:
Gadgets Go-Coaster (did this about 6 times in a row as the line was short)
The Teacups (definately a favorite)
The Carosels
Turtle Talk with Crush (California Adventure)
Winnie the Pooh
Small World
Casey Jr
Disneyland Railroad
The Monorail
Everything at the Bugs Land in California Adventure
The Parade
The Fireworks

Most of the Fantasyland dark rides, Pirates, Roger Rabbit, etc. scared my neice. My nephew loved just about everything he was tall enough for, especially Thunder Mountain Railroad and Star Tours. He even went on Space Mountain and said he liked it (but he was scared). I think it depends on the kids as to what scares them and what doesn't.

At the end of the first day, I asked them what they liked best and they said "DISNEYLAND" (I was hoping they would tell me a specific ride). Have a great day at Disneyland!

 

[CindyH]

DL Railroad, but not past the scary Dinosaurs

When we went last year, my younger son was just barely 4 years, and he loved the DL Railroad UNTIL we went past the dinosaur scene (which I didn't know was there). My advice (and what we'll do in March) is get on at Main Street, then get off at Tomorrowland. The dinosaur scene is (obviously) between Tomorrowland and Main Street station.

You didn't ask about restaurants, but I also suggest to be careful of the Blue Bayou (if it's open) and the Rainforest Cafe. The darkness of the BB made my 4 year old nervous (although his older brother of 6 loved it) and the animal noises and lightning/thunder of the RFC frankly just scared him.