Rides for toddlers & preschoolers

[mom_2_boys]

I have tried to search for this topic with no luck so I decided to try and start a thread. We (DH, DS4, DS2, Mom and Sis) are headed to the World in three weeks. (YYYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) Adults have all been there several times before, first trip for the kiddies. Any suggetions on which rides work best or don't work at all for kids this age? Any suggestions for special things for boys? (Although I must admit that my DS4 is in LOVE with Cinderella - LOL!!!) Looking for advice from some Disney veteran parents!

 

[wrldpossibility]

Well, I'm not an expert, since we're planning our first trip to WDW, but I have gone to Disneyland/DCA with my sons when they were 2 and 4, so I thought I could help a little.

At those ages, my boys loved Fantasyland, Toontown, and Tom Sawyer's Island the most. We split up a few times, because DS4 was tall enough for Star Tours and BTMR, as well as Matterhorn (not at WDW, though). DS2 was young enough to not really mind being too short for these. You could do the baby swap, too. We just found it easier to split up. Oh, they also loved autotopia and the space ships (astro orbiter). Basically, they had a great time and there were only a handful of things they didn't like/couldn't ride. DS2 wasn't so sure about Pirates, and we didn't attempt HM (I have scaredy cats).

Your sons will have a wonderful time! My boys were strangely uninterested in characters at that age, but now, at 5 and 7, can't wait to get autographs. Who knows, but it saved us time!

 

[PrincessV]

You just made my day.... my DS4 LOVES Cinderella too!
OK, I've been taking him since he was 6 months old, so I'll try to list the best and worst from his perspective.
Magic Kingdom
Favorites: WDW Railroad, Peter Pan, Small World, Cinderella's Carousel, Winnie the Pooh, Dumbo (forget it - there's no getting past this one with a toddler, get on it first thing when the park opens!), Buzz Lightyear, Tomorrowland Transit Authority
Enjoyed but wasn't thrilled: Jungle Cruise, Pirates of the Caribbean, Tom Sawyer Island, Riverboat, Haunted Mansion, Toontown

Epcot
Favorites: Living Seas, Living with the Land, El Rio del Tiempo (MX ride), toy shop in Germany, gardens and koi pond in Japan, Canada pavilian, huge shop in China
Enjoyed but wasn't thrilled: Spaceship Earth, Journey into Imagination, Universe of Energy, Maelstrom, movie in France

MGM
Favorites:Playhouse Disney, Muppet Vision 3D, Streets of America

Animal Kingdom
Favorites: Kilimanjaro Safari, Pangani Exploration Trail, Rafiki's Plant Watch (petting the goats was a major highlight!), Maharaja Jungle Trek
Enjoyed but wasn't thrilled: It's Tough to be a Bug, Flights of Wonder, Dinoland (didn't ride anything)

Any attractions I didn't list he hasn't tried yet, either because I know it's too much for him or he doesn't meet the height requirements. Hope this helps!

 

[PrincessV]

My boys were strangely uninterested in characters at that age, but now, at 5 and 7, can't wait to get autographs. Who knows, but it saved us time!

Good point - my DS was completely freaked out by characters at age 2 but wanted to hug them all at 3.5.

 

[mrstbalt]

We went last fall with our DD 4 and DD 5. At the MK they loved Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin,Dumbo,Winnie the Pooh,Fantasy Playland area,Small World,Tommorowland Transit Authority,Jungle Cruise,Mickey's Philharmagic and Mickey's Toontown Fair. Epcot was ok, they liked Figment,Spaceship Earth,Living with the Land...that was about it! Not much in my opinion for toddlers at Epcot. Living Seas was closed when we went.
At Animal Kingdom they really liked the Dino Land USA, the Dinosaur ride is kind of scary...my girls still liked it though! It's Tough To Be A Bug was fun but may be intense for little ones,Kali Rapid River Ride,Safari ride was a little rough but interesting. MGM was just ok for us...Playhouse Disney,Little Mermaid,Muppets 3D, Star Tours and Toy Story Pizza Planet.
If you go to Disney Worlds web site they have suggestions for little ones. My girls were tall enough to go on Splash Mountain and Big Thunder Mnt and had a blast on them. The day parades are cute...Spectromagic parade at MK in the evening was awesome. I loved the look on the girls faces when they saw the first float come around the corner..it was magical! The Unofficial Guide to Disney World was helpful also. Have fun!

 

[Ariel8676]

The rides that are listed are great..just wanted to add a bit more.

Just watch if you plan to do Its tough to be a bug..although i think its cute and funny, my dd's get a bit frightened. Its very dark 3D and when Hopper comes out its very loud and my girls get scared.
The beauty and the beast stage show is great in MGM, one of our favorites..my girls love it. Great movie ride is another one they like.
They also love Mickey's Philharmagic, its so funny to watch them reach for things that aren't there..lol
My dd4 loves Star tours, Pirates of the Carribean(she can't wait to see Capt.Jack) They both love Playhouse Disney..lol i know im all over the place here, but im just typing whatever comes to mind.
They have always LOVED the characters (but we have been taking them since they were 2 months old) We get them their own autograph book and fat pens and let them get all the autographs they want, they love it.
They also like Epcot..LOL i know strange right..Don't miss Turtle talk with Crush, Spaceship earth, Journey to imagination, The boat ride in Norway (i can't believe i cannot remember the name..drawing a blank here.. so sorry)Also grab a Rice cream while in Norway..lol. Soarin is another favorite with my girls.

 

[mom_2_boys]

Thanks for all of the advice! I am putting all of your suggestions on my list. Is there anything that I should definitely avoid? I have heard very bad things about Snow White's ride. I can't even remember if I even rode that when I was there before.

Can someone tell me if they have met Buzz and Woody anywhere?

 

[Ariel8676]

I added more to my post above LOL,,,,My girls get scared in the middle of Snow White, but ask to go on it all the time..lol
Buzz and Woody can be found near Al's toy barn in MGM.

 

[QueenGoblin]

As far as things to avoid, DD (2.5 at the time) was not a fan of It's Tough to be a Bug and she got a bit nervous during the scene with Ursula in the Little Mermaid show.

She dragged us onto Snow White and didn't seem to be bothered by it at all (though she didn't beg for repeats the way she did with Buzz, the Merry Go Round, Pooh, and Dumbo). She loved the Lion King show at AK and Playhouse Disney at MGM. She spent a very long time admiring the fish and drawing pictures of them at the Living Seas. She also really liked the parades. We are taking her back in the fall when she will be almost 4 and we are looking forward to trying a couple of things we skipped last time, like HM and POTC. She loves halloween and spooky themed things and she is always wearing a pirate hat and admires Captain Jack Sparrow (She's got taste!)
Have fun with your little ones. DD still talks about our last trip, so never let someone tell you a 2 yo is too young to "get anything out of" a Disney trip.

 

[tadamom]

All of the above are great suggestions. We took our son right before he turned 3 and he loved Philharmagic!! We saw it a lot!! Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin was a huge hit! In Animal Kingdom he looooovvvveeeeddd Kali River Rapids!! He was just tall enought and we rode it like 3 times in a row. We got drenched all 3 times but he didn't care - he wanted more!!! He was never scared on Snow White - he loves villans!

Good luck w/your trip and let us know what they liked.