Hey Emily,
Welcome to planDisney! Thanks for stopping by with your question about your upcoming Walt Disney World visit. Now, I have to admit that I am usually not a huge fan of attractions that ride in a circle. Now that I have “big kids” we tend to love more complex experiences. Some of our faves in Magic Kingdom are
TRON Lightcycle / Run and
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train! However, there is something about
Dumbo the Flying Elephant that has captured our hearts, too. My family loves this ride, and my 7 year old fell in love with the play area all over again during our most recent visit. It’s a great air conditioned place to hang out while you wait to ride the attraction. If your wait time is long, you may receive a pager to enter the play area. This pager will let you know when it’s your turn to ride Dumbo if it’s necessary on the day of your visit. If it’s not necessary and you enter the play area voluntarily, when you’re done playing you’ll rejoin the queue in the same spot where you left it - some folks may have passed you during your playtime, but who cares when you’re having fun?!
Emily, the play area inside the Dumbo attraction typically opens later in the morning when there’s more of a wait to ride the attraction. It likely will not be available as soon as the attraction opens so I’d say give it an hour or so before you head over there to be sure. It’s meant to be a place to have fun while you wait to ride the attraction, but if it’s early and there’s no wait it may not be open.
I know that you wanted to head into the play area before it got too crowded, but did you know that there is a special area inside the playground for your littlest elephants? The center play area is perfect for little elephants aged 1-3, so be sure to hang out there. Even when there are lots of bigger kids running around, that area serves as a safe space for littles to explore.
I also want to be sure to mention the
Baby Care Centers that you’ll find in all the parks. These air conditioned centers are dedicated spaces for parents of littles and littles alike. You’ll find changing tables, rocking chairs, nursing rooms, play areas and all kinds of baby essentials for purchase when you visit.
Emily, I hope this information is helpful. Thanks for stopping by, and be sure to visit us here at planDisney again. We’ll see ya real soon!
Sakinah