Greetings, Carolyn, and welcome to planDisney! You've got a friend in me to help with this question – I'm a mom of two kids, now ages 4 and 7, and have taken them to the Disneyland Resort many times over the years. I've got some recommendations that can help you plan out your day!
Even the
youngest of Guests can enjoy many of the attractions, shows, and other activities throughout the park. I like using the
Disneyland mobile app – it has a handy filtering tool that lets you view attractions based on height requirement, age, thrill factors, and more. In the app, tap the checkpoint icon to open the map and then select the filters near the top of the screen that apply to you. The "Show List" button lets you easily browse through all the results.
There are quite a few attractions that don't have a height requirement, including classics like Pirates of the Caribbean, Jungle Cruise, Haunted Mansion, "it's a small world," and others. Filtering attractions in the app by age (any age, preschooler, or kid) is especially helpful because it also accounts for thrill factors, like drops or scary themes.
Generally speaking,
Fantasyland is a great place to find attractions that little ones will enjoy. My kids love Mad Tea Party, Dumbo, Peter Pan's Flight, the carousel, Storybook Land Canal Boats, and others in the area. As they've gotten older, they've tried (and loved) more thrilling attractions like Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. However, they don't quite feel ready to fly through the galaxy on Space Mountain or take a plunge on Tiana's Bayou Adventure, despite being tall enough – we’ll work up to those attractions in time!
Here are a few more tips I thought to share from my experience navigating the parks with young kids:
- A stroller is a great idea. You can bring your own (as long as it meets the guidelines) or rent one on-site.
- There's a Baby Care Center at the end of Main Street, U.S.A. with toddler-sized toilets, changing tables, and a vending machine stocked with essentials for purchase, such as sunscreen and over-the-counter medications.
- We love ordering food on the Disneyland mobile app. That way, we can plan ahead and skip lines at mealtimes. As far as snacks go, Dole Whip and Mickey Mouse Pretzels are favorites in our family.
- My kids absolutely love Mickey's Toontown and Tom Sawyer Island. If your kids have a case of the wiggles, take them to either of these places to explore!
- Leave time to meet some of the Characters throughout the park. Say "hi" to Mickey and his pals at Town Square and step into the Royal Hall to greet Disney Princesses.
Carolyn, I hope you and your family have a wonderful time visiting the Happiest Place on Earth! If you think of any other questions, please reach out – we're always happy to help here at planDisney!
Your pal,
Kriss