Disney World Vacation: Ride Recommendations (for a 2.5 and 4.5 year old)

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If you are looking to visit Disney World with little kids in tow but aren’t sure what rides would be fun and entertaining for them, look no further than today’s post! We recently visited Disney World with Hailey (age 2.5) and Brielle (age 4.5) and our nieces and I kept a list of Disney World Ride Recommendations we enjoyed and which I’d pass on based on their reactions.

A few notes before you read the list of our Ride Recommendations:

• Get the Disney World Experience app that lists information like wait times for rides as waiting for kids can be hard!
• Take advantage of fast passes – Get them for at least one character meet up, but especially those where you can meet more than one character at a time! Ariel, for example, is in a Grotto all her own so you’ll wait on a line to meet just her. But Tiana/Rapunzel and Cinderella/Elena is one line to meet more than one princess. I’d recommend fast passes for the latter.
• Brielle, my 4.5 year old DOES like roller coasters, so I have a few ride recommendations for these types of rides. I’m surprised at her bravery and the rides she likes but I know that’s not for all kids. I gave a few notes below so you can determine if your child might like a particular ride based on the experience they may have.

Magic Kingdom

• Dumbo The Flying Elephant (Ride) – Both girls rode this several times as the line moves pretty fast and the ride itself is fun even for littles. Inside the tent, while waiting on line, they have this unique queuing experience where you get a buzzer and the kids can spend about 10 miles climbing around in this indoor playroom. Outside you can take the above photo on a staged version of the ride.
• The Magic Carpets of Aladdin (Ride) – If your kid likes Dumbo, they should like this too as they are the same type of ride! You can control how high your magic carpet flies for anyone who doesn’t like to go too high.
• Walt Disney World Railroad (Ride) – A steam engine train that rides through the park? Count us in! In case you were wondering, you can ride with your stroller but you’ll need to fold it up!
• Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin (Ride) – This is a ride and game in one! You each have a gun attached to the ride that you shoot a laser at targets as you ride. Both the girls liked it as there was an objective as you rode and I guarantee the dads will love it even more!
• Under the Sea – Journey of the Little Mermaid (Ride) – It follows the story line of the Little Mermaid while you sit in a shell.  Like the movie, the Ursula scene could be a little scary but it goes by quickly so it should be ok.
• Mad Tea Party (Ride) – You can spin as little or as much as you want so go for a ride with any aged kid!

• It’s a small world (Ride) – A huge boat which floats through different scenes with the never ending “it’s a small world” song playing. Plenty to see and nothing should be scary to little kids as this is a gentle ride.
• Swiss Family Treehouse (Activity) – You climb all the way up then climb all the way down. Not much to see or do but the kids liked this quick moving hike. As long as your kid is ok with doing stairs, they’ll probably like this. It’s high up but there’s so many leaves in the trees they don’t even realize they’re so high.
• Jungle Cruise (Ride) – A boat ride (where you don’t get wet) that’s FULL of one liners and bad dad jokes to laugh at. Gentle ride that even little ones shouldn’t find scary.
• Peter Pan’s Flight (Ride) – You soar above the different scenes following the tale of Peter Pan. It’s a pretty smooth ride and little ones might only fear the alligator in the scene but otherwise give it a ride!
• Tomorrowland Speedway (Ride) – 32 in height requirement so Hailey just made it on. Kids have to ride with an adult but can move the steering wheel slightly as it’s still on a track. Get a fast pass for this as the line was only short the day we came in early for extra magic hours.
• Meet Cinderella, Elena, Tiana and Rapunzel at Princess Fairytale Hall (Ride) – No fast passes were needed here as there was a short wait. Both of whom my daughters didn’t know them so they were a bit nervous to meet these princess. It did help get them acquainted with the concept of meeting princesses as right after they met Tiana and Rapunzel! Rapunzel is my girls favorite and by then they got more comfortable with the meetup concept. These meetsup are great as they only let your immediate group in with plenty of picture options on your own camera or by their staff and you can talk to the princesses, get photos and have them sign your autograph books!

• Carousel (Ride) – Short wait as lots fit on! Everyone should go! And multiple times! (we did!)
• The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (Ride) – You’d think the topic of this ride is friendly but young ones but I wouldn’t recommend it! This is a pretty jerky ride with lots of twists and turns, some dark scenes including one with booming thunder, and some black light action. Brielle was fine with it at 4.5 but Hailey wasn’t a fan. Skip it for the younger age kid.
• Pirates of the Caribbean (Ride) – Skip it! While we did go on this all four of our girls cried at some point on it. It’s dark, the pirates aren’t exactly happy and there was one quick downfall in the dark into water that made them all upset.
• Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover (Ride) – Ok they list is as an any height ride and it seems pretty naïve, but I would not recommend for little ones. Yes, it is just a flat, smooth ride that goes through the Tomorrowland Park but parts of it go inside some of the rides, including the PITCH BLACK Space Mountain ride and it made all four of our girls cry! Skip this seemingly innocent ride!
• Splash Mountain (Ride) – My brave 4.5 year old loved it and JUST barely fit the height requirement for this one and fortunately did not get wet.
• The Barnstormer (Ride) – My oldest rode this mini roller coaster a few times and liked it but it’s not for little ones as you need to be 35 inches.
• Seven Dwarfs Mine Train (Ride) – This was always one of the biggest lines we saw all day long so make sure you book it as a fast past. Brielle was just barely big enough to ride and she says she loved it.

Epcot

• Character Spot – Our girls met Mickey, Minnie, and Goofy at this one on one character spot. Again, this meetup was worth it as you get your own time to see the characters, get autographs and photos. We had fast passes here!
• Finding Nemo (Ride) – Our girls personally love Finding Dory but find Finding Nemo a bit scary. The ride follows the story of the first movie and can be a little scary for little ones. It’s slow moving but most of the scenes are kinda in the dark and a few, including shark scenes, made my 2.5 year old a bit nervous.
• Turtle Talk (show) – Immediately after Finding Nemo you can enter the Turtle Talk show which is hosted by an interactive animation of Crush the Turtle from the series. The kids can sit in front and he’ll talk to them and tell them turtle facts. All our girls liked this and I’d recommend to those with little ones.

Find more posts about our Disney trip below!