Magic Kingdom for Toddlers

In many ways, the Magic Kingdom is the ideal park for toddlers. Of all the theme parks at Disney World, this one has the most rides either geared explicitly for small children or aimed at the whole family, including youngsters who can’t handle too much thrill. Plan to spend at least one full day here, and in fact, two days would not be unusual, if you’re catering primarily to toddlers.

Rides They’ll Love

An unnumbered list of “don’t miss” attractions might seem to make the most sense since people differ so radically from each other that my experiences may not match your particular child’s preferences. But that would also neuter the utility of any list at all. Thus, here is my (admittedly highly subjective) list of rides for toddlers at the Magic Kingdom, presented in order of importance.

It’s a Small World – a ride full of dolls of children, geared for children. The song will get stuck in your head.
Pirates of the Caribbean – a favorite for many, but does include a slight drop in the dark. The catchy song here will make everyone hum for hours.
Haunted Mansion – immersive and memorable, but maybe too intense for some toddlers.
Fantasyland Railroad – everyone loves a real train, operating under steam power. May be used to transit from one side of the park to the other.
Peter Pan’s Flight – a dark ride where the vehicles dangle from the ceiling. Always has a long line.
PeopleMover – an open-air ride through Tomorrowland’s second floor. Never a wait.
Mickey’s Philharmagic – an enthralling 3-D animated film recapping great moments and songs in Disney movies.
Buzz Lightyear – a dark ride merged with a shooting gallery.
Tomorrowland Speedway – all kids want the chance to drive their own cars.
Winnie the Pooh – a successful and cute dark ride with special car motion
Country Bear Jamboree – a musical show with robotic performers.
The Barnstormer – a kid-sized roller coaster; height requirement of 35 inches.
Dumbo – this spinner is a favorite, but always has long lines
Aladdin’s Flying Carpets – another spinner, but with much shorter lines than Dumbo.
Jungle Cruise – the tongue-in-cheek jokes on this boat ride may cause a giggle, but the robotic animals and colorful settings will please toddlers.
Liberty Square Riverboat – a big sternwheel riverboat, with little action but great scenery and atmosphere.
Swiss Family Treehouse – a walkthrough of an oversized treehouse, based on the Swiss Family Robinson. Tons of stairs, but good for kids with boundless energy.
Mad Tea Party – spinning teacups, at your own pace.
Prince Charming’s Golden Carousel – a standard carousel.
Enchanted Tiki Room – robotic bird performers sing in this indoor attraction.

Older preschoolers may desire to take on the thrill rides: Space Mountain (riders must be 44 inches tall), Splash Mountain (40 inches), and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (40 inches). If so, move these rides to the top of the list.

Rides Not As Desirable For Toddlers

At the other end of the spectrum are the rides you shouldn’t bother with. This list is also subjective, and refers to attractions that specifically toddlers may want to skip:

Astro-Orbiter – another spinner ride, and this one placed intriguingly high in the Tomorrowland sky. Can be a bit high for some children.
Hall of Presidents – stage show of robotic versions of the U.S. presidents. Most toddlers will find it a snooze.
Carousel of Progress – a musical show with robotic performers, it’s historically significant and a show Walt Disney himself supervised, but the slow pace may cause children to nap, which might be a good thing if you need a break
The Mountains – Splash, Space, and Thunder may all be too intense for your little one if they are tall enough.

It comes as no surprise that the rides to get busy the fastest in the morning are the roller coasters. Visit those either first or last or use Genie+. The Fantasyland dark rides get surprisingly busy even by mid-morning, especially Peter Pan’s Flight and Dumbo.

The rides that may have minimal wait times include PeopleMover, Mickey’s Philharmagic, and Country Bear Jamboree. Slightly longer waits are typical at It’s a Small World and Jungle Cruise.

Be sure that you prioritize your choices. Many families ride only 10-12 attractions per day, so plan to spend a second day or knowingly skip many.

Entertainment

There is one entertainment experience toddlers will not want to miss at the Magic Kingdom. Unfortunately, it takes place after dark, meaning either cranky children who stayed up past their bedtime, or miss a central part of the day so as to take naps and return for the nighttime offerings. The latter is the better choice. The Enchantment fireworks show is impressively set to music and is a real joy to behold. Views are best from Main Street or the lands surrounding the castle but don’t be behind the castle. One caution: the fireworks are loud and may scare children unused to high-decibel sounds.

There are other entertainment options, most visibly a daytime parade and a show at the forecourt of Cinderella Castle. If your toddlers really love Disney characters, they may well enjoy these musical romps, however, there is fire and small pyrotechnics. Shows also have a way of breaking up the day, so that the day doesn’t resemble a death march from one ride to the next, hour after long hour. But do not expect much from these offerings, and do not use a lot of valuable time waiting for a good seat (unless that is, you’re looking for a way to take a break and stop walking for a while!)

Dining

If you’re looking for fast food (hot dogs, burgers, pizza), there are several choices with many service counters: Casey’s Corner on Main Street, Pinocchio’s Village Haus in Fantasyland, and Cosmic Ray’s in Tomorrowland. If your party wants to dine at a table-service location such as Tony’s or the Plaza Restaurant, there are child menus available, with four or five meals to choose from.

Many visitors seek to combine dining with meeting characters and take adorable vacation photographs. Particularly renowned among the Character Dining is Cinderella’s Royal Table, a restaurant deep inside Cinderella Castle. Reservations are a must, and won’t be available unless you make them on the very day they open up, on a rolling 180-day schedule (simply call 407-WDW-DINE). The other Character Dining location is called the Crystal Palace, and while it also takes reservations, those don’t sell out quite so quickly.

Characters

In addition to the Character Dining mentioned above, you can find costumed characters that simply walk around (check with a Cast Member to locate the schedule for any particular character). Additionally, there are some structured character meeting areas:

Meet Mickey – meet him in the front of the park in the Town Square Theatre.
Donal and Friend – meet Donald and daisy and assorted other in the Storybook Circus
Princesses– Princess Tiana and friends can be found in Fairytale Hall.

PhotoPass

At all the character interactions, as well as key photogenic locations, you may run across park workers offering to take your picture and “put it on a card.” This is a free service and ideal for vacationers. On your first such encounter, you’ll get a card. On all future encounters, hand over the card and they’ll swipe it, making sure that whatever photos are taken get added to your account. When you return home after your vacation, you can view the pictures online, and order prints of any that you desire, with no pressure whatsoever.

Shopping

Toddlers are naturally agape at the candy store on Main Street, and they have an entire section of the massive Emporium dedicated just to them, especially princess costumes. Additional princess-type garments may be found at a shop near the castle, and boys will relish the chance to explore the massive outdoor pirate shop at the exit to Pirates of the Caribbean.