Toddlers and Disneyland

J.,

My son loved Disneyland for his 2nd birthday...just remember that its more about enjoying the experience and not about getting everything done in the time you're there.

While some of the rides might sound/seem kid friendly they are little more than some kids can handle. For example, Finding Nemo is a little scary for some kids, my Godson hates it because it is dark and the noises are loud. Haunted Mansion is a bit spooky and even my 8 year old niece won't go on it.

My son loved Jungle Cruise, Dumbo, Winnie the Pooh, Storybook Cruise, Toon Town and Casey Jr. What you might want to do is go to the Disney webpage, and create a custom map (they offer the service for free). You can outline what rides, events and restaurants you want to hit. Also, it has the height requirements for the rides. You might also want to consider making reservations for one of the character lunches or dinners, my son loved the Goofey Breakfast!

My son loved certain rides and wouldn't go on others, just be prepared to change it up and have fun no matter what!

Good Luck and enjoy!

I just went and was only able to go on 3 rides. I went during the week when supposedly there are less people, but it was still super crowded. You can take her on any of the rides except the fast ones. We went Small world!! don't forget that one. Plus even though the line seemed long it was only 20 minutes. And we went on the carousel and storybook. I wouldn't waste your time on storybook though... unless she's really in to the disney stories.

Hi J.,

We have a 2 year old son and have annual passes to Disneyland. You'll be going during the height of Spring Break so you can expect to wait in lines for the more popular attractions such as Finding Nemo, Haunted Mansion,& Pirates of the Caribbean. My son likes the Nemo ride, however, there is a part where it's dark and a scary looking fish pops out. I would highly suggest going on that ride as early as possible because the wait time can be pretty long--average wait is about 45 minutes. The Haunted Mansion offers a "Fast Pass" so your wait should be minimal if you utilize that. Keep in mind that sometimes it can be pretty frightening for little ones especially in this room where these pictures on the wall are moving. At the end, there's a skeleton and if there are a lot teens around they tend to scream loudly for fun. Usually this frightens my son more than the ride itself. The Winnie the Pooh ride is a good choice and full of bright colors. Your daughter will probably love It's a Small World and all the rides in Fantasyland. I think the only one that is potentially scary for toddlers may be the Snow White ride. It's pretty dark and has a few scary images with an abrupt ending. Casey Jr's Train and Dumbo are always popular with toddlers.
Keep in mind the rides with height restrictions will clearly have a sign stating the minimum height required to get on and there's usually there's a cast member that will check before you get in line.
There's also a new parade and fireworks show that is fun to watch. The character breakfasts are also big hits for younger kids, although they are a little pricey. I'm sure you and your family will have a great time. Don't forget your camera and HAVE FUN!

C.

The fun place for toddlers is in Calfornia Adventure; in It's a Bug's World. It's kid sized and has a several fun things like a train.

The Spring Break season for schools is in full swing right now. My kids went last weekend and said it was so crowded that Disneyland started advising people how to avoid the crowds and how to exit the park. Be aware that it will be very crowded.

Finally, EVERYTIME they go to the park my 2 1/2 yr old grandson gets sick. And I mean everytime. He now has a fresh cold again. I'd advise taking antibacterial handwashing gel and washing her hands everytime she touches places other kids touch on rides and parts of her stroller like her tray, on and off. You wouldn't want her to get sick just before her pageant!

Have fun!

my little family have year passes to disneyland, and we take out 13 month old all time. all the rides in fantasy land you can pretty much take her on. plus you do have the jungle cruise, haunted mansion, pirates of the carribean, winnie the pooh && the tiki room. but dont forget to visit california adventure. there are a few rides like, the monster inc ride, the toy story ride && a bugs life. hope this helps
&& Have fun :]

It will depend on her height. Go online today and look up what she is able to go on. Print out a map and plan ahead. My biggest piece of advice though is to NOT try to do everything. Just let her have fun, walk around, if you come across something that looks interesting and that she wants/and can ride on then go for it. At this age, just taking in the sights and sounds is often enough. Running around from one ride to another and trying to do too much is not fun, in my opinion. We've taken both kids, several times (my son was as young as 2) couldn't tell you what rides we did but we had a blast. We also like CA Adventure a little better.

M.

Don't forget to check out the tea cups, Dumbo, Alice in Wonderland ... and take advantage of the places in toon town for her to explore - Chip and Dale's tree house! Be sure to take lots of snacks ... my daughter seems to want to eat constantly there, so we take raisins, oranges, goldfish, applesauce, and the like.