Welcome to the next stop on Magical Blogorail Orange! Today we are discussing rides… from the kids’ perspectives!
“There’s nothing for kids to do in any park except the Magic Kingdom.”
Have you heard that one before? Or maybe you’ve said it? The truth is, all four parks in the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida and both parks in the Disneyland Resort in California are chock full of options for kids of all ages. For the purposes of this post, I’m not even touching things like parades, stage shows, Wilderness Explorers, or interactive adventures like the Sorcerer’s of the Magic Kingdom, Treasures of the Seven Seas, or Agent P’s World Showcase Adventure. Or the Animation Academy, which is my girls’ very favorite thing to do on many a trip. Or the pools. Many of these things are geared directly for little ones, but we’re just talking about rides today.
Of course, the mecca of rides for younger kids on each coast is Fantasyland in the Magic Kingdom and in Disneyland Park. There is a reason that we head to that part of the park first every visit, before the throngs of families fill the pathways and queues… but I thought it would be fun to look at all of the other rides that may be overlooked by families with young kids; there are dozens of rides they may enjoy just as much!
When I was coming up with a list of options to present to my three kids, I came up with more than 30 rides that could legitimately have been their favorites – still outside of Fantasyland. This is a Top 5 list though (and I’m already cheating by giving each kid a top five), so let’s get right to their expert opinions:
Avery, 6.5 years old:
5. Spaceship Earth
“I love that you get to answer questions and funny stuff about the future happens at the end.”
4. Kali River Rapids
“You get SOAKING WET! It’s fun, but that’s my favorite part. It’s like the most wet you get on a ride.”
3. Expedition Everest
“It’s pretty scary, but not too much. I like that it’s super fast.”
2. Soarin’ over California
“It looks 3D and you really feel like you’re flying. It’s just so cool.”
1. Test Track
“I love that it’s so fast! I really like to make my own car, but I usually run out of time.” (#truth)
Elise, 6.5 years old:
5. The Seas with Nemo & Friends
“I don’t know why I love this one so much, it’s just so cute!”
4. Splash Mountain
“I like getting wet, and I like the big hills. I used to be afraid of the pokey stuff at the end, but now I just see
other people that think they are going to get poked.”
3. Spaceship Earth
“I like answering questions at the end and I really like making silly faces for my picture.”
2. Expedition Everest
“I think the broken track is really cool, but you can’t go that way. It’s a really fun roller coaster.”
1. Test Track
“THE BEST RIDE! {Insert pretend faint here}. It’s really fast. It’s my favorite.”
Nolan, not-quite-3 years old, who was much more to the point 😉 :
5. Pirates of the Caribbean
4. Living with the Land (two of my three kids have ADORED this ride at this age, and all three still very much enjoy it :))
3. The Seas with Nemo & Friends
2. Gran Fiesta Tour
1. Walt Disney World (or Disneyland) Railroad
“That’s like I have in my room!”
So there you go, my friends. Next time you find yourself in Fantasyland and the lines are unbearably long or with park hoppers and are curious about a change of scenery, consider branching out. You’ve got at least eleven kid-approved choices to start. 🙂
Thank you for joining Magical Blogorail Orange this month! Your next stop is Sparks of Magic.
Here is the map of our Blogorail should you happen to have to make a stop along the way and want to reboard:
1st Stop – My Dreams of Disney – Sophie’s Favorite Attraction: Splash Mountain!
2nd Stop – Mommy to All Girls – The Kolb Girls Review Disney Attractions
3rd Stop – For the Love of Disney – YOU ARE HERE 🙂
4th Stop – Sparks of Magic – Magic Kids Talk: Favorite Disney Attractions
Final Stop – Dad for Disney – Kid Sized Review: Toy Story Midway Mania
Leave a Reply