Favourite rides for toddlers?

[deanimal]

We're planning to squeeze in a day at Disneyland next month before our Disney cruise. It will be our first time, and we'll have a 22 month old and a just turned 3 year old, plus it's supposed to be one of the busiest days of the year! Right now the plan is to get there at opening and try to get as many rides in as possible before the crowds build up, then slow down and relax and enjoy the scenery, entertainment, etc. Since our riding time will be limited, does anyone have opinions on the "don't miss" rides for that age? We're thinking Dumbo, its a small world, the carousel, Winnie the Pooh, maybe Peter Pan. Any thoughts?

 

[Mama Who]

My daughter was 12 months when we went, so there's an age difference here, but...

-she fell asleep on Pirates
-she was confused by the teacups
-she loved, loved, loved the Tiki Room. (she adores all kinds of music)
-she like Small World and the dark rides
-she HATED King Triton's carousel. Hated it. She was NOT down with the up and down thing and we'll wait a while before trying that again.

I was too paranoid to take her on Dumbo. Also, the Muppet 3D show was too loud and scared her. She dug Electronica though.

 

[LisaT91403]

My 3 year old thinks the Casey Jr Circus Train is the best ride in the park. But, he's obsessed with trains...so maybe that's why. Jungle Cruise is a good one for the kids too.

 

[smiles33]

My then 27 month old seemed most excited by the character meet-and-greets, so consider doing some of those!

As for rides, we took her on Tea Cups, carousel, Autotopia, Casey Jr train, Dumbo, Mickey's Fun Wheel (non-swinging), and a bunch of the Bug's Life rides at DCA. I think try some of the open air rides and see how your kids react. My timid 5 year old refused to go on any dark rides so I never tried bringing my 2 year old on them either. Have fun!

 

[MiMi76]

My daughter was 2-1/2 when we went in April. She loved Winnie the Pooh (DLR), Small World, and Heimlich's Chew-Chew Train (DCA) the best. We discovered that she didn't like rides that spin (like Tea cups and even the carousel). The character breakfast at the Plaza Inn was hit. She loved it. She also really enjoyed the Jungle Cruise, Disney Train and the monorail. She was (silently) freaked out by Pirates of the Caribbean and has made us promise that she doesn't have to go on it this time.

Have fun!

 

[deanimal]

Thanks for some good ideas! I hadn't thought about autotopia or the Jungle cruise. Perhaps we could take turns going on the jungle cruise with them while the other adult rides Pirates? I'm pretty sure my kids would find Pirates too scary. They're both pretty intrepid about action rides, they love carousels (and riding real horses too!), but my daughter's really sensitive to dark, scary stuff. Is there anything that looks kid friendly on the outside that's scarier than it looks? (please tell me Winnie is okay, he's my little guy's favourite!)

 

[Cagirl767]

Well, if the dark isn't going to work for you, Mr. Toad's would be out along with Alice, Pinocchio, and Snow White, maybe Nemo due to the thunder but my dd was ok with it when younger. My kids aren't fans of most Fantasyland rides.. Beware of sitting up front on Jungle Cruise, they fire a gunshot. What about Storybook boats, the Main Street cars and It's A Small World (definitely a don't miss) . I think you'll be ok on Winie the Pooh. Even my timid DD is ok with that. She doesn't like the bumpiness of Autopia. You can always go on Youtube to view the rides first.

 

[cinder-ellah]

At 3 yrs old my DGD was scared of Winnie the Pooh, hated the bees buzzing outside. At 3 1/2 it was okay, but then she wore ear/sound protectors and all was well.

She hated Roger Rabbit and I didn't even try Mr Toad with her.

We graduated from outdoor rides (Carousel, Teacups, Storybook Land, Casey Junior) then moved indoors to Small World before even attempting anything else.

And the ear protectors were the best. Its Surprising how loud alot of the indoor rides are.

She wants to try Pirates for the first time, next week when we go. She's now 4. We'll still be taking the ear protectors.

 

[deanimal]

What kind of ear protecters did you use? Where can you get them? It sounds like a great idea!

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

I think they would like:
The Main Street Horse Carriage (or riding in any of those cars
Train around Disneyland
Tiki Room
Jungle Cruise (though my nephews at that age were concerned the animals might bite
Tarzan's Treehouse
Winnie the Pooh (not as one of the first rides, though)
Tom Sawyer's Island (not Injun Joe's Cave - might be too dark for little ones)
Mark Twain boat
Columbia boat
Petting zoo
Casey Jr (for sure)
Storyland Canal boats
Carrousel
(stay away from Mr Toads, Snow White, Pinocchio)
Maybe Peter Pan (not as one of the first rides)
It's a Small World
Goofy's Bounce House, Mickey & Minnie's houses
Submarine
Autopia

Muppet Movie
Aladdin Show
Monsters Inc (not as one of the first shows)
Turtle Talk with Crush
Heimlich's chew chew train
other three rides in Bugs Land
River Creek Challenge Trail
(Not It's a Bugs Life show - too scary for little ones)

 

[NiceOneSimba]

We went in October. My almost-3-year old loved all the outdoor rides that she was tall enough to ride. (Dumbo, Teacups, Casey Jr., Storybook Land Canal Boats, the carousels, the Bugs land rides in DCA.) She was a little freaked by Alice in Wonderland the first time, but then asked to go on it again and again. Small World was great, and Winnie the Pooh was great, too. She tolerated Peter Pan, but still talks about how scary "Pokio" is, so avoid Pinnochio (and honestly, the other dark rides) if your kiddos don't tolerate Peter Pan well.

She was super spooked by Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters, which seems kid friendly, but is dark and kind of noisy inside. I was surprised by how much she hated it. She will still say "Toy Story too scary for me," so she was pretty freaked out.

Two cautions: My daughter LOVED the Tiki room until the Tiki Gods started banging the drums and the "rainstorm" started. She practically jumped into my lap at that point. So, be prepared that you might need to make a hasty exit, or at least provide some cuddles. Also, she is a HUGE Muppets fan, but found parts of the movie to be a little intense, and was pretty scared of Sweetums. (We were in the front row, though, and he was RIGHT THERE, so it might have been better further back in the theater.)

There was very little that she was super freaked out by, and as a whole, she just LOVED the whole experience. I think you'll have a great time!

 

[LisaT91403]

I really think you need to know your own child in order to decide what would be best. My son has VERY sensitive ears. He wears earplugs for swimming, when we went to the circus, etc. He covers his ears when kids sing at school, and when a toilet flushes. He has serious issues! However, he didn't have an issue with sound on ANY of the rides at DLR.

I also think it's a good idea to watch some of the rides on YouTube before going. You can watch alone to see if something is appropriate, and/or watch with your child and ask if they want to go on that ride or not. DS wouldn't go on Storybook Land on our first visit because he didn't want to go through the whale. After watching it on the computer, he was happy to go on the boats the next time we visited.

Have fun!

 

[cinder-ellah]

We use the Peltor Kid's Earmuff. They come in Pink or Blue and we put a Disney sticker on each for fun.

We had lots of parents ask where we bought them as they wanted to purchase them also while at the park since their kids were having problems. If there is a sporting goods store at the Mall nearby they might carry them.

I'd rather have them and not need them most of the time, than wish we did.
They're also great in the bathrooms for the noisey flushing situations.

 

[bumbershoot]

Biggest thing is to keep the kids outdoors until they are used to the rides.

Starting with Peter Pan, as you're "supposed to do" because of line length, can backfire, because for some reason that line feels dark and spooky to a kid. If the kid isn't used to rides yet, that line can hurt the rest of the day.

So stay outdoors.

If you'll have a hopper, I HIGHLY recommend bug's land, because all the *rides* (not "it's tough to be a bug"!) are outside with outdoor, fun, lines. It's a great start to a day, with all those happy rides.

 

[Judy from Boise]

If only doing one park I would consider DCA. The entire bugs land, Redwood creek area, Little mermaid ride, animation lobby, Disney Junior show etc are all fab for that age group. The adults ca sneak away and ride TT, Screaming, Soaring etc. Plus DCA handles crowds much better.

 

[LisaT91403]

If only doing one park I would consider DCA. The entire bugs land, Redwood creek area, Little mermaid ride, animation lobby, Disney Junior show etc are all fab for that age group. The adults ca sneak away and ride TT, Screaming, Soaring etc. Plus DCA handles crowds much better.

I am going to respectfully disagree with the suggestion of DCA if only going to one park. It is true that the lines are shorter. And there's a reason for that -- DCA just does not have the same magic as DLR (again, this is all in my opinion). We took DS to DLR when he was just shy of 3 years old, and spent 2 days in the parks. DLR was 100 times better than DCA for us. The rides are such amazing experiences, whereas at DCA, they are just rides. You also have all of the characters at DLR. DS could have been on a MasterCard commercial when riding IASW for the first time...watching his eyes light up and hearing him sing through the whole ride -- that was priceless. For us, no priceless moments at DCA.

For us, DLR is the destination, with tons to do with a 2-3 year old. DCA is someplace we visit for an hour or two if we are staying at the parks for a couple of days.

 

[deanimal]

Wow, all this info is so helpful! I have to agree that DCA is not really on my radar for this trip. We're actually planning to get to Disneyland for a longer visit within the next year or so, so this one day is sort of a "sampler". And we're spending enough to "not see everything" in one park, I don't think we'll add the park hoppers so we can "not see everything" in two! But its good to know that DCA is worthwhile with kids that age so we can plan for our next trip.
I appreciate the advice on waiting to ride Peter Pan, too. Yes, all the books say you're "supposed" to get there first thing and its not scary, but it probably is a better idea to stick with the outdoor rides to start with. The Casey train wasn't really on my radar, but it sounds like that would be a good choice for toddlers.
Is the Disneyland Railroad at all scary? It looks like it could be a good option to get from its a small world to New Orleans square in the middle of the day.

 

[LisaT91403]

Wow, all this info is so helpful! I have to agree that DCA is not really on my radar for this trip. We're actually planning to get to Disneyland for a longer visit within the next year or so, so this one day is sort of a "sampler". And we're spending enough to "not see everything" in one park, I don't think we'll add the park hoppers so we can "not see everything" in two! But its good to know that DCA is worthwhile with kids that age so we can plan for our next trip.
I appreciate the advice on waiting to ride Peter Pan, too. Yes, all the books say you're "supposed" to get there first thing and its not scary, but it probably is a better idea to stick with the outdoor rides to start with. The Casey train wasn't really on my radar, but it sounds like that would be a good choice for toddlers.
Is the Disneyland Railroad at all scary? It looks like it could be a good option to get from its a small world to New Orleans square in the middle of the day.

The only part of the Disneyland Railroad that could be scary is the trip through the Grand Canyon (which is between Tomorrowland and Main Street stations). There are dinosaurs in the tunnel, and my DS thought they were a little scary the first time he saw them. If you are going from IASW to New Orleans Square, you would be passing through the tunnel...so that's a consideration.

 

[Judy from Boise]

I am going to respectfully disagree with the suggestion of DCA if only going to one park. It is true that the lines are shorter. And there's a reason for that -- DCA just does not have the same magic as DLR (again, this is all in my opinion). We took DS to DLR when he was just shy of 3 years old, and spent 2 days in the parks. DLR was 100 times better than DCA for us. The rides are such amazing experiences, whereas at DCA, they are just rides. You also have all of the characters at DLR. DS could have been on a MasterCard commercial when riding IASW for the first time...watching his eyes light up and hearing him sing through the whole ride -- that was priceless. For us, no priceless moments at DCA.

For us, DLR is the destination, with tons to do with a 2-3 year old. DCA is someplace we visit for an hour or two if we are staying at the parks for a couple of days.

no problem......I just don't "get it" I can spend a "hour or two" just doing the animation building !
Let alone for many (not the toddler age group) DCA has 4 "E" ticket rides in TT,MM.CS.SoC........you can't fit in that in your time frame?

plus on a busy day those wide walkways are blissfull.