Attractions with Little Ones Part 1: The Magic Kingdom

One of the most common misconceptions about taking a young child to Walt Disney World is that they will not be able to ride anything or be able to remember certain experiences. While it may be true that most young children won't be able to remember certain experiences, it does not mean they won't be able to enjoy themselves while they are there. For our first series of blog posts we wanted to focus on this subject and look at experiences children and their parents can enjoy together. We will begin in Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom.



Main Street U.S.A.:

First off a great place to begin with a child's experience is Main Street U.S.A. Everything on Main Street can be experienced by children of all ages with the possible exception of Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom. This is because it requires reading. If done as a family it can still be a great experience because of the interactive storytelling.










Tomorrowland:

Great attractions for any age;

• Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin
• Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover (TTA)
• Carousel of Progress

Possible Attractions to Avoid:

• Monster's Inc. Laugh Floor : May not be best for very young children because they may not understand the jokes and it may be difficult for them to sit through.
• Astro Orbiter: This can be scary to someone who is young. This attraction is not good for a child who may have a fear of heights or does not like rides that spin. (Think Dumbo on steroids!)
• Stitches Great Escape: Some children may find this attraction to be scary. This ride can be dark and loud at times.

Attractions with height requirements:

• Space Mountain: Height requirement is 44'': Most children are around this height by the age of six. 
• Stitches Great Escape: Height requirement is 40'': Most children are around this height by the age of four.
• Tomorrowland Speedway: Height requirement is 32" to ride, and 54" to drive alone.  Most children are 34"by two years old and 54" by age eight.

Fantasyland:

Great Attractions for everyone: 

• Dumbo the Flying Elephant
• Enchanted Tales with Belle
• its a small world
• Mickey's PhilarMagic
• Peter Pan's Flight
• Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
• Under the Sea ~ Journey of the Little Mermaid
• Prince Charming Regal Carrousel 

Possible Attractions to Avoid:

• Mad Tea Party: This attraction should be avoided by children who get nauseated easily or do not like quick spinning rides.

Attractions with height requirements:

• Barnstormer Starring Great Goofini: Height requirement is 35''. Most children will be this height by four years old.
• Seven Dwarfs Mine Train (Not yet open, scheduled to open 2014): Height requirement is 40''. Most children will be this height by four years old.

Liberty Square:

Great Attractions for everyone:

• Liberty Belle Riverboat
• The Hall of Presidents

Possible Attractions of Avoid:

• The Haunted Mansion: This attraction could be scary to young children. It is dark and is meant to have a spooky appearance. *The majority of young children do fine on this attraction, as it is not meant to be truly terrifying, but more "silly scary"*

Frontierland:

Great Attractions for Everyone: 

• Country Bear Jamboree: This attraction has been recently shortened from 16 minutes to 12 minutes making it easier for kids to sit through.
• Tom Sawyer Island

Attractions with height requirements:

• Big Thunder Mountain Railroad: Height requirement is 40''.
• Splash Mountain: Height requirement is 40''.

Most children will be this height by the time they are four years old.

Adventureland:

Great Attractions for Everyone:

• Jungle Cruise
• Enchanted Tiki Room
• Magic Carpets of Aladdin

Possible Attractions to Avoid:

• Pirates of the Caribbean: This attraction could possibly scare young children because it is dark and at times loud. There is also a small drop in the beginning of the attraction. *Like the Haunted Mansion, most young children do very well on this attraction*
• Swiss Family Treehouse: This attraction may be a bad idea for children too young to walk. Kids who are able to walk well and walk up and down stairs should be fine.

Parades and Fireworks:

All parades and fireworks are appropriate for all ages. I would recommend that if you are traveling with small children and carrying a lot of items to remember that both the parades and fireworks get very crowded at certain times of the year.

*Note, although we included The Haunted Mansion on Pirates of the Caribbean on the list of possible attractions to avoid, these are classic staples of the park and are almost a rites of passage for some families. Some even select these as first attractions to take their children on!

Next Up: Epcot (EPCOT for the purists)