Oh, boy, Shannon! How very exciting that you'll be visiting The Happiest Place on Earth soon. You and your little Mouseketeer will have so much fun!
When my kids were 3 years old, their favorite park was
Disneyland Park. From riding the
Main Street Vehicles to seeing Sleeping Beauty's Castle and exploring Fantasyland, there was so much for them to explore. While there are certainly plenty of activities in both parks, if you only have one day, Walt Disney's original park would be my recommendation!
The
Disneyland Resort website has a handy dandy
list of attractions with specific height requirements at both theme parks that you can check out before your visit, and the
Disneyland Mobile App also has an awesome filter feature that allows you to choose rides that are just the right size for your little one!
If you want to use the mobile app to discover the best attractions for your whole family, click on the pin drop icon from the app home screen, which is second from the left on the bottom. The map defaults to show the theme park attractions but you can also view dining, entertainment, and more! If you are looking for attractions for your little one, underneath the main toolbar, you will see a list of filters (like height, age, thrill rides, and more) that you can use to customize the view of the map. Once you select your filter options, the map will show you the rides that meet your interest. Pretty cool, right?
Shannon, I know you asked about attractions but I also want to point out some of my kids' favorites:
Goofy's How-to-Play Yard in Mickey's Toontown and the
Redwood Creek Challenge Trail in Disney California Adventure. Both areas help get the wiggles out and often have some favorite Disney characters roaming around! In Mickey's Toontown you can even visit Mickey's and Minnie's houses!
I hope this information helps you plan a magical visit, Shannon. If you still can't decide which theme park to visit, adding Park Hopper to your ticket would allow you to go between parks and discover all that the resort has to offer. Please let me know if you have any other questions before your visit! I would be happy to help!
See ya real soon,
Melissa