Masks, social distancing, and ticket reservations may make your next visit to the Disneyland Resort a bit different than years past, but what will never change is the magic. Most of us never outgrow the joy of the “Happiest Place on Earth” but seeing it through your child’s eyes for the first time is an experience that can’t be replicated. Here are 15+ fun attractions for toddlers at the Disneyland Resort:
Disneyland Park:
Dumbo the Flying Elephant
It’s no wonder every parent has a “first visit to Disney” photo on this iconic ride. The lovable elephant brings out the kid in all of us. The wind-in-your-hair flying-through-the-air is enough of a gentle thrill and surefire memory-maker for little ones.
Casey Jr. Circus Train
A whimsical, gentle ride with lots of landmarks to see from other classic stories such as the cottage from SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARVES, straw, stick, and brick houses from the THREE LITTLE PIGS short film and the ice palace from FROZEN.
Storybook Land Canal Boats
Offers similar views as Casey Jr. Circus Train but from a closer vantage point. A gentle boat ride with lots of interesting things for little eyes to behold. This is another one of our favorite attractions for toddlers at the Disneyland Resort!
Disneyland Railroad
With four stops around Disneyland Park, it can save you some steps and is a convenient way to see all of the park. Trains arrive every 5-to-10 minutes and you’re treated to grand views through each themed land.
it’s a small world
You may need to ride this more than once. There is so much fun to take in and your little ones will delight in seeing representations from all over the world. Classic, iconic, and right up there with Dumbo the Flying Elephant as a must-do. (And the song is catchy…or an ear-worm…?)
King Arthur Carrousel
It’s considered an homage to a ride that inspired Walt Disney to create Disneyland Park. After watching his daughters ride the merry-go-round at Los Angeles’ Griffith Park, this carrousel was one of the original attractions. Several dozen hand-painted horses and a chariot gently “trot” to the music of a fairground organ.
Jungle Cruise
A river voyage with a comedy show thrown-in by some very entertaining tour guides, this Disneyland park original takes guests through locations like Cambodia and Africa where gorillas, elephants, and hippos “roam.” Editor’s Note: a (pretend) gun is fired during the ride and could startle younger guests.
Astro Orbitor
Just like on Dumbo the Flying Elephant, you can soar through the air, but this time on a rocket. This is another one of the great Disneyland Park attractions for toddlers, plus it has a fantastic view of Tomorrowland and Sleeping Beauty Castle!
Tarzan’s Treehouse™
When your kids see the disneydendron semperflorens grandis (“large ever-blooming Disney tree”) they’ll run to explore. Climb the tree to a rope bridge and check out some drawings from Jane along the way.
Main Street Vehicles
People sometimes overlook this attraction in their rush to get to the top of Main Street, U.S.A. and over to the themed lands, but these vehicles are worth the effort to ride with toddlers. The pace is slow, the people watching is excellent, and they will get a kick out of seeing the horses pull the old-fashioned trolley or riding the old timey replica of an original fire truck.
Disney California Adventure Park:
The cute “a bug’s land” area is now Avengers Campus, the home of superheroes from the Marvel Universe. Before our son could even walk, he loved visiting this toddler-friendly land, meeting Flik, soaring in a food container, and riding in a ladybug. But there are still some attractions your little ones can enjoy at Disney California Adventure Park before they become an Avenger.
Turtle Talk with Crush
This animated interactive show is totally cool, dude. His friends from FINDING NEMO stop by to say hello, and Crush’s little one also makes an appearance. Kids will love talking to Crush. They can ask him anything they’d like!
Redwood Creek Challenge Trail
Climb, swing, and play in the great outdoors along this trail. There’s a rockslide, a rope course, and tire swing too. Some parts do have a height requirement, but this is a nice spot for the kids to safely run around and burn off some energy.
Jessie’s Critter Carousel
If your toddler loves carousels, you’ll have to ride this one! This is one of the newer Disney California Adventure Park attractions for toddlers, and a must-do for fans of the TOY STORY films.
Inside Out Emotional Whirlwind
If you ever visited a bug’s land, you may recognize the design of this ride! It’s got the same squarish bucket seats and gentle tilting motion as the old Flik’s Flyers ride, but with an updated theming from the INSIDE OUT movie.
Golden Zephyr
This retro rocket ride is a breezy slow spin in the Paradise Gardens Park section by the water. Seat your child on the interior side of the row and hold on to your hats and glasses as you fly through the air. Bonus: this ride has a large seating capacity so it rarely has long waits to get on. Perfect for toddlers with short attention spans.
Honorable Mentions
We didn’t forget about rides like The Little Mermaid – Ariel’s Undersea Adventure, Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue!, Peter Pan’s Flight, Alice in Wonderland, Snow White’s Enchanted Wish, Mad Tea Party, and more. But they can be darker, louder, faster, and can spin or move a little more abruptly than the mild attractions listed above. Also, the Red Car Trolley at Disney California Adventure Park is currently unavailable, but when it’s open is a good attraction for toddlers!
We know every Disney kid will have their own first-time favorites. Share with us which ones made your list of top attractions for toddlers at the Disneyland Resort!
