Good rides for almost 3-year-olds

[nana50]

Next week my daughter and I are taking her twin boys a week before they turn 3, (they will still be free). They aren't too brave so no pirates. I'm sure IASMW will be fine, and lots in toon town. anything else you can think of. It will be a quick one day visit.

 

[Cagirl767]

Actually in Toontown, my timid 3 ane 5 yo's won't go on anything in there. Not Roger Rabbit or the coaster.

In Fantasyland, they'll go on Peter Pan, Casey Jr., Storybook boats.
They won't go on Mr. Toad's. Sometimes they'll go on Alice, Pinocchio and Snow White, but I'd avoid Snow White for timid kids.

They'll also go on: Main Street cars, Mark Twain, Monorail, the train, Winnie the Pooh, Jungle Cruise (sit in the back away from the gun shots), Tom Sawyer's Island. My 5 yo will go on Autopia. Sometimes the carousel.

You can view any ride on Youtube.com and see if it's something that may or may not work for you. Just do a search for i.e. Disneyland Snow White ride.

 

[DahliaRW]

If nothing else, I bet going over to Tom Sawyer island to let them play would be fun. And most kids that age like the Tikki room. Most of fantasyland is fine (snow white and Mr. Toad can be scary as the pp said). My kids LOVED Winnie the Pooh as well. Autopia as well.

 

[Nala83]

I agree with PPs. I'd also add the Teacups to the list. The music is catchy, you get to sit in a cup, and you don't need to spin them (unless you want to).

 

[dmked]

My DD loved the Lady Bugs in CA, she didn't think Pirates was scary at all, her fav was IASW but she also loved the Tea Cups. I think most of the kiddie rides over in Fantasyland are pretty low key and good for kids. Oh she loved Dumbo as well, my 4 year old wouldn't even go on Dumbo, she said it was too slow for her

 

[disneyprin91]

There is a great kids area in DCA which is in a Bugs Land. There is a cute Heimlich train ride that goes around in a circle as well as a Francis tea -cup like ride that was previously stated. There are more rides but I don't quite remember them at the moment. Sorry

 

[Prometheus]

Other than the rides that were mentioned, Nemo and Astro Blaster in DL, Monster Inc and Muppet 3D for DCA

 

[nana50]

I love Bug's land, but I'm to cheap to buy a park hopper so it is only DL for them.

 

[SnowWhite09]

If they like the Finding Nemo movie, they will probably like the Nemo ride. I think it is really cute. It usually has a long line though so I would aim to do it early in the morning before the line builds up too much!

In FL, Dumbo, Casey's train, the Storybook Canal boat ride and the carousel would all be good.

There are a few rides in Bug's Land in DCA if you are going there that they would like.

Have a great trip!

 

[Cagirl767]

Since you're just going for a quick one day trip, I'd start out small first like with Storybook boats or IASW or the Main Street cars and see how the boys do. My DD one time when she wasn't even 2 yet, got scared on a ride then refused to go on anything else the rest of the day.

Then maybe I'd head over to Nemo early on since the wait will be much longer the later you go. Nemo does have a loud lightning and thunder part though.

Just sticking with Dumbo, Casey Jr., Storybook and maybe Peter Pan in Fantasyland if the line isn't too long, will take enough time in itself.

Playing in Toontown would be fun for them and then you could see Mickey there if they're not scared of characters and you can get on the train there and go around to over toward Winnie the Pooh.

Those rides alone, should fill your day.

 

[nana50]

Thanks for all your help. They see very few movies and haven't seen Nemo, but they are boys and would probably love Nemo. I'm not sure about Peter Pan as it is in the dark. We will take it one ride at a time.

 

[LavenderPeach]

Did anyone mention jungle cruise yet? DS loves that ride and the line is usually pretty short. LIke others have mentioned, just start slow with outdoor rides (casey jr, DL railroad, dumbo, etc) then try IASW and Pooh which i think are the least scary rides and work your way up to more adventurous rides. DS will tolerate PP but gets scared because it's dark so we don't do that one very often. He hated the roller coaster in toontown. Just see how they do and go from there. Have fun!

 

[cheshiregirl]

Just throwing this out there:

My DS turned 3 back in September. He has logged close to 100 days in Disney parks from the time that he was 7 weeks old to as recently as the week before Christmas. He is an adrenaline junkie and loves the fast rides like the Matterhorn and Gadget's Go Coaster. He also grooves on all the dark rides including Snow White (which kinda scares) me. He has no fear of the Fun Wheel (stationary cars are the only ones he has been on), POTC, etc. He has been on every ride that he meets the height requirement for, and is dying to ride BTMRR, ToT, and Space but is still an inch too short.

However, he is terrified of the Enchanted Tiki Room (one of my sentimental faves) and abhors all of the 3-D movies. When we took my sister to the parks two weeks ago he flat out refused to step foot in the Tiki Room and he tried to run back out of the MuppetVision theatre both during the pre-show and again when we entered the theatre.

I realize that the OP is not going to DCA on this trip, but others should know that the 3-D movies can be very scary for little ones who do not understand that it's not real. And although the Tiki Room starts cute and fun with all the singing birds and flowers, it quickly devolves into war drumming and chanting and loud cracks of thunder.

 

[camouseketeer]

This is based on my timid kids when they were around 3. (Of course everyone's kids are different, but my kids sound similar to the OP's.)

Yes:
Peter Pan (it's in the dark, but it's so enchanting and the theming is not scary)
Dumbo
Carrousel
Tea Cups
Casey Jr.
Storybook Canal
Winnie the Pooh
Jungle Cruise (although that one was iffy the first time we went on it)
Tarzan's Tree house
Buzz Astro Blasters (unless sounds and lights are intimidating)
Astro Orbitor
Autopia
IASW
Toon Town houses
Gadget Go coaster
Main Street cars and carriages
Tom Sawyer's Island (but keep an eye on them - you can lose kids easily there!)
Petting zoo in Frontierland
Mark Twain Riverboat
BTMMRR (if they are tall enough - my kids loved this even when they were scared of other dark rides!

No:
Pirates
Haunted Mansion
Snow White (very dark and scary)
Pinocchio (dark and scary)
Mr. Toad (dark and scary)
Matterhorn (the snow monsters scared them)
Nemo Submarine (it gets scary when you start to sink)
Any 3-D movie


Get to Fantasyland as soon as the park opens and don't go on a MM day, or the lines for the FL rides will already be long.

Enjoy your day!

 

[pinktink83]

When my daughter was 3, she was scared of a lot more than I thought she would be. Of course, I remembered the rides from a teenager's point-of view! She was bawling in Mr. Toad's Wild Ride (scary part goes through hell with fire and devils), Snow White (the witch in the dark forest with lightning), and so we skipped Pinocchio (the whale is pretty intense). She wouldn't go on any coasters (she wasn't tall enough for most of them anyway). I almost convinced her to go on Matterhorn, glad I didn't! Its much faster, darker, scarier (the monster!) than I had remembered! We avoided Haunted Mansion and Splash Mountain altogether.

She got scared in the Honey I Shrunk the Audience 3-D movie (snakes and something else lunges out at you, air shoots up at your feet to feel like mice and bugs crawling on you).

There's really not any rides in ToonTown for little ones (crazy, I know), in fact, the only reason we ever go there is to see Mickey and Minnie. Other than that, there are 4 playhouses you can walk through, one coaster, and the RR ride (the line is never worth it). Its a nice place for a breather, but I wouldn't walk all the way back there if you don't have the time for it.

She loved Peter Pan (ya its dark, but you sit right next to mom and you fly!!), LOVED Dumbo, Its a Small World, Casey Jr Train, Storybook Canals, Carousel, Pirates (some parts were a lil scary, but overall she liked it and rode it more than once! It helps that it goes pretty slow and she can cuddle up right next to mom) Buzz Lightyear was super fun. Jungle Cruise, and Tarzan Treehouse was a HUGE hit, she played on there for hours. Very good spot to chill for a bit. The Shootin' Exposition is fun. Autopia, Teacups, and Winnie the Pooh (may not be worth the walk back there if they aren't particularly enamored with Pooh though)! Mark Twain Riverboat is fun, but the Sailing Ship Columbia is even better! You can go down into the boat and its all set up like a real ship, with pirate stuff. And they sail around Tom Sawyers Island and you can see lots of cool stuff hidden back there. Very fun!! Also, ride the train if you can...there are some very neat things hidden behind the scenes (dinosaurs!), and its great to relax and avoid the long lines in the afternoon.

At DCA, A Bugs Land is PERFECT for that age. Lots of little rides, lines not usually too bad. Also, King Tritons Carousel...she rode it 3 times in a row. Other than that, not too much to do in DCA for the little ones. (oh, toy story of course, they didn't have that when we went!)

And then the Star Wars Jedi Knight Training is cool!

 

[bluegrizzlies1]

ours loved pirates it was her favorite @ 3

 

[camouseketeer]

My issue with Pirates is its length. If you get in and your child doesn't like it, you're stuck for almost 10 minutes.

Knowing thatPriates was shorter at WDW than at DLR, I took a chance and had the kids ride it for the first time at WDW when they were 4 and 5. (We've been going to DLR since they were 1 and 2.)

My girls liked it, sort of, but they were glad when they were done and haven't wanted to do it since (they are now 8 and 9). I couldn't imagine going on the DLR ride that is several minutes longer.

 

[mydisneyobsession]

This is based on my timid kids when they were around 3. (Of course everyone's kids are different, but my kids sound similar to the OP's.)

Yes:
Peter Pan (it's in the dark, but it's so enchanting and the theming is not scary)
Dumbo
Carrousel
Tea Cups
Casey Jr.
Storybook Canal
Winnie the Pooh
Jungle Cruise (although that one was iffy the first time we went on it)
Tarzan's Tree house
Buzz Astro Blasters (unless sounds and lights are intimidating)
Astro Orbitor
Autopia
IASW
Toon Town houses
Gadget Go coaster
Main Street cars and carriages
Tom Sawyer's Island (but keep an eye on them - you can lose kids easily there!)
Petting zoo in Frontierland
Mark Twain Riverboat
BTMMRR (if they are tall enough - my kids loved this even when they were scared of other dark rides!

No:
Pirates
Haunted Mansion
Snow White (very dark and scary)
Pinocchio (dark and scary)
Mr. Toad (dark and scary)
Matterhorn (the snow monsters scared them)
Nemo Submarine (it gets scary when you start to sink)
Any 3-D movie


Get to Fantasyland as soon as the park opens and don't go on a MM day, or the lines for the FL rides will already be long.

Enjoy your day!

Thanks so much for this list! I've been worried about my timid 5 year old... She HATES Pirates and Haunted Mansion at WDW, and I was worried about stumbling into something scary at DL!

 

[kailuagirl]

My 3 year old likes everything, never scared, her fav's are Haunted and Matterhorn. Before we leave I show her some of the rides on youtube so she is familiar with them and it seems to help or at least gets her more excited for them. so my advice is to start out very slow, on the very easy, non scarey, non fast rides at all, and then see what happens, they eventually might figure out they love rides and want to ride everything. Maybe start with the carousel, or like other's have said the main street vehicles/horse, Casey Jr. or Storybook, really easy low key things then slowly go from there. My niece when she was about 3 was terrified to the max of IASW, from what I hear she screamed bloody murder the whole entire ride. Oh I feel sorry for the people that were on her boat, they couldn't get her calmed down for nothing. So every kid is different, you don't know what they'll like and what they won't like so that's why I say take it slow and see where you can go from there.

Oh they are going to LOVE IT!!!! We got back a couple weeks ago and my DD3 still keeps asking everyday to go back. I keep telling her we have to save our money, and the other day she pulled out her piggy bank and said mommy I have enough money for both of us, let's go to Disneyland!!! so cute!!