Magic Kingdom is probably our most favorite park for babies and toddlers.
There’s a ton here that they can do, plus plenty for the adults to enjoy as well.
Here are the best rides for babies and toddlers at Magic Kingdom.
Important note: This post is just one piece of a group of resources geared towards helping families with babies and toddlers traveling to Walt Disney World. Make sure you check out our Complete Guide to traveling to Disney World with Babies and Toddlers for even more information to help you plan your dream vacation.
What makes a ride good for babies and toddlers?
Not every attraction without a height requirement is one you should take your baby or toddler on. Some attractions may look fun, but can actually be a little scary.
Take for example one of our most favorite attractions: The Tomorrowland Transit Authority – PeopleMover.
We love it because it is a peaceful ride above Tomorrowland, but there is a portion of the attraction where you go through near total darkness. That may be okay for some little ones, but may be incredibly scary for others.
And then there are some attractions at Magic Kingdom that are just “okay” and you may have more fun spending your time doing something else.
This first section is the list of attractions we think are definitely worth a try with a toddler.
Down below those, we’ll go through a few additional attractions that you may want to ride – but we encourage you to do so with caution.
Then, we have a batch of other attractions that are good time fillers if you are just needing something to do.
We have posts for that cover the best rides for toddlers at the other 3 parks, so make sure you check those out, too:
- Best rides for babies and toddlers at Epcot
- Best rides for babies and toddlers at Hollywood Studios
- Best rides for babies and toddlers at Animal Kingdom
Want to ride some of the bigger attractions too? Disney has a free service called Rider Swtich that makes it easier for 2 adults to ride the thrill rides without having to wait in a long line twice.
Before we get too far into it, make sure you check out our guide on the Best Rides at Magic Kingdom for information on every attraction and show at Magic Kingdom.
Top 9 Best rides for toddlers at Magic Kingdom
These are all usually hits with babies and toddlers and are ones we recommend to our friends and family with little ones:
- Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin (Tomorrowland)
- Dumbo the Flying Elephant (Fantasyland)
- “it’s a small world” (Fantasyland)
- Jungle Cruise (Adventureland)
- Mad Tea Party (Fantasyland)
- Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (Fantasyland)
- Peter Pan’s Flight (Fantasyland)
- Under the Sea ~ Journey of the Little Mermaid (Fantasyland)
- WDW Railroad (Main Street, U.S.A., Frontierland, Fantasyland)
Adventureland
Adventureland is home to one attraction that will appeal to babies and toddlers. Jungle Cruise is a definite must-do.
Jungle Cruise
Jungle Cruise is a river raft ride where animatronic animals and corny jokes abound.
Every Jungle Cruise Skipper has their own “routine” with jokes so every ride is a little bit different. Little ones who are easily scared should maybe be told ahead of time that the animals are all pretend.
Fantasyland
Most families with babies and toddlers will spend a LOT of time in Fantasyland – and for good reason!
Check out our Fantasyland must-do rides:
Dumbo the Flying Elephant
Board an elephant and soar through the air. There’s also a fun play area to visit while waiting.
“it’s a small world”
A gentle boat ride takes you through scenery that includes animatronic dolls set in different countries. Try not to get the song stuck in your head!
Mad Tea Party
Often called “the tea cups,” this ride is fairly iconic in Disney theme parks. Characters from Alice in Wonderland meet near here throughout the day.
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
Board a Hunny Pot and go on a psychedelic adventure through Hundred Acre Woods. This is a popular ride and one that most little ones will like.
Peter Pan’s Flight
Board ride vehicles that are suspended from the top, and glide over charming scenery in the dark. Although the ride takes place mostly in the dark, it doesn’t typically scare little ones.
Under the Sea – Journey of the Little Mermaid
Climb aboard a clamshell and journey under the sea where you’ll see all your friends from The Little Mermaid.
Tomorrowland
Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
This is a ride and game in one. You board ride vehicles and then aim at the Zs and earn points which appear on the screens in your ride vehicle.
Main Street, U.S.A.
WDW Railroad – Main Street, U.S.A. Station
WDW Railroad – Main Street, U.S.A Station
A steam train that takes guests on a loop around all of Magic Kingdom. There are 3 stops – at the end of Main Street, in Fantasyland (back by Storybook Circus), and in Frontierland between Tiana’s Bayou Adventure and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.
Ride with caution
There are a few attractions at Magic Kingdom with either no height requirement or a very low height requirement (under 40″) that may be a bit too much for your baby or toddler. Before you ride them, make sure you understand what you are getting into:
- Astro Orbiter
- The Barnstormer
- Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room
- Haunted Mansion
- Tomorrowland Transit Authority – PeopleMover
Astro Orbiter
Although this ride looks similar to Dumbo, it’s much higher and faster.
Barnstormer
A 1 1/2 minute (seriously) roller coaster for kids featuring Goofy. Although this is a coaster designed for kids, some little ones will still find it to be too intense.
Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room
A show featuring over 300 animatronic birds, flowers, and other things that perform various songs, including some Disney tunes.
Haunted Mansion
A tour of various ghost-filled rooms of a mansion. On your way to board your ride vehicle, you’ll first go through an octagon-shaped room that appears to stretch.
Pirates of the Caribbean
An 8 1/2 minute gentle boat ride through a Caribbean city of pirates. This attraction has over 125 animatronics, including 3 Jack Sparrows so be on the lookout for those.
Tomorrowland Transit Authority Peoplemover
A 10 minute long laid-back tour of Tomorrowland.
VIDEO: 6 Attractions at Magic Kingdom that Could Scare Little Kids
Other attractions at Magic Kingdom without Height Requirements
These attractions are all good for time fillers. The ones that are indoors are also a good option if you are looking for a place to cool off or to get out of the rain:
- Liberty Square Riverboat
- Country Bear Jamboree
- Prince Charming Regal Carrousel
- Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor
- The Magic Carpets of Aladdin
Liberty Square Riverboat
This 17-minute cruise on a steam-powered boat takes you on a 1/2 mile tour around Tom Sawyer Island.
Country Bear Jamboree
Like outdated animatronics that sing corny music? This is a fantastic show for you. OK, it’s an easy attraction to get into and many little kids will probably have fun with it but it’s definitely outdated and not a high priority.
Prince Charming Regal Carrousel
Fairly standard carousel but with Disney music and 90 pretty horses.
Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor
A comedy show using interactive animation where characters from Monsters, Inc. tell jokes and interact with the audience.
Magic Carpets of Aladdin
This is essentially Dumbo but with carpets. If you need to pare down your list of rides to fit them all in, this is definitely one that could be taken off. If you happen to have little ones who like the Dumbo-like rides, this will be fun for them.
Places to let your toddler run around
Little ones that have been sitting in a stroller all day often need a place to stretch their legs and run around for a bit.
In Magic Kingdom, there are a couple of spots where that is easier than others:
Casey Jr. Splash ‘N’ Soak Station
A water play area designed to look like the train from Dumbo. Even if the water isn’t on, this is still a nice, open area to let kids run around in.
Tom Sawyer Island
A giant island that is basically a playground to explore. You board a raft near Big Thunder Mountain which takes you over to where you can venture around the island. FYI: there used to be hidden paintbrushes placed here and people who found them could redeem them for FastPasses. That is no longer the case.
In addition to the areas above, you can also find a nice (indoor) play area at Dumbo (although this spot can get kind of crowded) plus there is a small play area under the train tracks near Splash Mountain.
Characters
Some toddlers will really love the characters, while others would prefer to stay far, far away.
If you aren’t sure which one your kiddo will be, we suggest starting small with either a character meal or waving to the characters from a distance.
Using Genie+ at Magic Kingdom with toddlers
If you are only going to purchase Genie+ for 1 park, we think it should be Magic Kingdom, and here’s why:
We miss the free FastPass+ system, but one thing we do like about the new Genie+ system is how easy it is to “stack” your attraction return times back-to-back for later in the day OR to “churn” rides one after the other.
These approaches to using Genie+ are especially useful when traveling with babies and toddlers because it allows you to ride a bunch of things without a lot of waiting. And since Magic Kingdom has the most attractions for babies and toddlers, that makes it a lot easier to get your money’s worth.
The downside to this method, however, is that Genie+ isn’t free, so you’ll have to pay for it. And, it also will require you to be on your phone. A lot. Which isn’t exactly the ideal situation when you are trying to make memories with your little one at Walt Disney World.
The entire Genie+ system can be confusing, but we’ve put together some guides that should help.
If you’re considering purchasing Genie+, make sure you check them out. The one linked directly below this is a good one to start with: