The Best Disney World Rides for 3 Year Olds, According to a Preschooler

As someone who “grew up Disney,” visiting the parks several times throughout my life from toddlerhood to adulthood, I knew it wasn’t a question of if I’d take my kids to Disney World but when. I also knew my 7-year-old son was ready — he’s tall enough to go on most rides and old enough to remember the trip — but what about my 3-year-old daughter?

When it comes to height, she’s on the shorter end for her age at 35 inches. Would she be able to go on any rides? Are there even rides for 3 year olds at Disney World — or enough of them to make it worth our while?

As it turns out, the answer is yes, yes and lots of them. So many in fact, that you’ll have a hard time narrowing down a list of the best Disney World rides for 3 year olds — an incredibly subjective thing of course, as every child is different, but something I attempted to do here based on my daughter’s feedback as well as my own after a recent three-day trip to all four parks.

Best Disney World Rides for 3 Year Olds at a Glance

Since our time was limited, we didn’t have the chance to go on absolutely every ride a 3 year old is able to, but we did pack in a lot thanks to Lightning Lane passes that help you skip to the front of the line. For each park, I ranked the attractions we experienced there from best to worst for a 3 year old, so you can prioritize the must-dos and know which ones to skip if you have a toddler.

Is It Worth Going to Disney World with a 3 Year Old?

Now that I’ve experienced this exact scenario firsthand, I’d argue that 3 isn’t just a good age for Disney World, it’s a great age (and probably the earliest I’d recommend going). They’re still in that precious phase where they’re all about the characters and small enough to wheel around in a stroller yet big enough to understand what’s going on and enjoy rides. If they haven’t already dropped their afternoon nap, they can certainly roll without one, and thanks to the plethora of “All Ages” rides with no height requirements across the Disney parks, there’s plenty for them to do.

Since an average 3 year old’s height falls somewhere between 35 to 40 inches, this is the age when they start growing tall enough to meet height goals for some milestone rides such as The Barnstormer (35 inches), Slinky Dog Dash (38 inches) and Tiana’s Bayou Adventure (40 inches). Experiencing those benchmarks in realtime is special — the anticipation of whether or not they’ll make the cut followed by pure joy and excitement when they do is memorable.

What’s the Best Disney World Park for a 3 Year Old?

It’s undoubtedly the Magic Kingdom, which has the widest array of All Ages rides that 3 year olds will love. We packed in a whopping 11 attractions with our daughter at this park versus an average of 5 at the other parks. It’s also home to Cinderella’s castle, which is a must-see for any princess-obsessed preschooler.

With that said, each park has something uniquely great to offer a 3 year old, so keep reading for a list of the best rides within each of the four parks.

Best Disney Hollywood Studios Rides for 3 Year Olds

Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway

This was my daughter’s very first Disney World ride, which is it’s own special milestone in and of itself, but even if it wasn’t I’m certain she’d still consider it her absolute favorite ride. While it’s a very smooth, easy tour in a train car, it simulates the thrills of a high-adrenaline ride through environmental cues and immersive screens that make you feel like you’re falling down a waterfall when you’re simply sitting still. The A-team cast of characters (Mickey! Minnie! Goofy! Daisy Duck!) is also sure to win over preschoolers, making this one a must-do.

For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration

This seated theater-style performance recaps the original Frozen storyline through movie clips and its greatest musical hits, as sung by a pair of Arendelle villager narrators with special appearances by Anna and Elsa. You definitely need to be a fan of the franchise to fully enjoy this attraction — which my daughter is, as are most preschool girls — but the foam-bubble “snow” that falls during the finale is magical even for those who aren’t.

Alien Swirling Saucers

Located in the beyond adorable Toy Story Land section of the park, this rocket ship ride takes you on a figure-eight course that suddenly whips you around each and every turn. The quick twists punctuating the otherwise smooth rotations had my daughter squealing with laughter (as seen above). Older kids may find this slow-moving ride boring but it’s the perfect tempo for toddlers. Note that this ride has a 32-inch height requirement — one that three year olds should easily pass.

Disney Jr. Play and Dance!

This attraction — a 10-minute DJ-led dance party with Disney characters, including Doc McStuffins and Vampirina — is made especially for preschoolers who want nothing more than to meet (and boogie with!) their idols. On surface value, this is an easy one to write off but I promise you it’s worth a pitstop if you have a 3 year old. Watching my daughter pirouette with Pluto and play freeze dance with Mickey was the stuff of core family memories and an unexpected highlight of our trip.

Muppet Vision 3D

This ’90s classic is one of my personal favorites so I was psyched to have my kids experience good old-fashioned Muppet mayhem. Seeing my daughter reach out in front of her to try to touch the 3D movie elements was heartwarming and she got a kick out of the live puppets in the theater balconies. The only reason this attraction loses points for preschoolers has to do with physical limitations: my daughter had to sit on my husband’s lap in order to see the screen, and he had to hold the adult-size 3D glasses on her face the whole time to keep them in place. Muppet Vision 3D is sadly closing on June 7, 2025 in order to make way for new Monsters Inc. attractions so if you go before then, definitely make this one a priority as it’s your last chance!

Toy Story Mania!

As the only other all-ages ride in Toy Story Land, we made sure to hit this tram tour through Andy’s room where your goal is to shoot various moving targets with a laser gun. In theory, this sounds like a fun thing to do with a three year old, but in practice it’s more of a chore. I spent the entire time holding my daughter’s 3D glasses on her face while simultaneously helping her aim and shoot her gun — an unwieldy contraption for her developing fine-motor skills — as well as mine. She had a great time, I did not. I’d personally skip this one.

Best Magic Kingdom Rides for 3 Year Olds

The Barnstormer

This mild family-friendly rollercoaster was my daughter’s height-goal milestone ride: you need to be 35 inches or taller and, as you can see in the picture above, she just made the cut. The fast-moving, Goofy-themed stunt airplane takes you on a twisting course with some small drops that my thrill-seeker-in-training loved. The second it came to a stop, she exclaimed: “I want to do that again!”

Mad Tea Party

My future adrenaline-junkie loved this classic spinning teacup ride inspired by the party scene in Alice in Wonderland. Although her little hands likely didn’t contribute much turning to the center wheel, she liked feeling in control as she swayed and giggled wildly at each dizzying turn. Having the whole family working and being silly together also made this a memorable highlight.

Tomorrowland Speedway

Being at the helm of a car’s steering wheel is the stuff of toddlers’ dreams, and that becomes a reality on this nostalgic racetrack ride. While kids need to be 32 inches to go on with an adult, that doesn’t stop them from driving — and really, that’s the only acceptable way to do this. The entire point is to let kids live out their driving fantasies in a gas-powered hotrod! My daughter’s little legs were too short to reach the pedal so she steered while I hit the gas and succumbed to the swerving (thankfully, a guard rail beneath each car keeps you safely in your lane). The car only reaches a top speed of 7.5 MPH so the thrills come from the reckless driving, which was an endless source of laughter for my daughter.

Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover

Our family had the privilege of riding Space Mountain on its 50th anniversary — well, everyone except my daughter, who has a couple years before she reaches the 44-inch height requirement. While she still reminds us of that time she got left behind with some very nice cast members who “gave me a hug and took me to the gift shop,” this slow-moving elevated tram ride around Tomorrowland was the secret hack that got her on Space Mountain as a toddler. The tour goes through other attractions such as the iconic rollercoaster and Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin for a cool behind-the-scenes peek that the whole family enjoyed.

Dumbo the Flying Elephant

Most everyone is familiar with this iconic ride that takes you around in a Dumbo elephant that you can make “fly” as you pull on a lever to go up or down. But what you may not realize is that there’s a circus-themed indoor playground along the queue that makes this a two-for-one attraction. My daughter loved soaring high in the sky but I had just as hard a time pulling her off the climbing structures and the musical staircase leading up to it that played notes with every step.

Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin

Similar to Epcot’s Toy Story Mania, the goal of this slow-moving ride is to use a laser gun to shoot as many targets throughout in order to rack up points. This version is far better suited for toddlers thanks to the more maneuverable fixed cannon featuring an easy-to-push button. It also ditches the 3D glasses for a fun glow-in-the-dark experience. You can also go for a 360-degree spin at the touch of a joystick, which orients your car towards a whole new set of targets.

Haunted Mansion

You might think a haunted mansion is too scary for a 3 year old, and depending on your toddler’s personality you could be right. But this is Disney World, which aims for all-ages family fun, so I’d categorize this as more creepy than the stuff of actual nightmares. My daughter was intrigued by all the ghosts milling about (“He has no head!” she declared, pointing to the beheaded knight in the graveyard) and claims she danced with them in the ballroom — frightened she was not.

Peter Pan’s Flight

Located directly across from It’s a Small World (which we skipped at my husband’s insistence for being “too repetitive and boring”), this ride aboard a pirate ship takes you through the story of Peter Pan and simulates flight through clever staging of various sets beneath the boat. My daughter was wide-eyed as we sailed through the Darlings’ bedroom window and hovered above a miniature twinkling London at night.

Under the Sea – Journey of the Little Mermaid

Another tale retold in ride form, this gentle undersea journey in a clamshell glides you through the story of The Little Mermaid without the risk of getting wet (there’s no actual water). My daughter got a kick out of the animatronic fish dancing as well as the fairytale ending (“She’s getting married!,” she observed) but was genuinely terrified of the larger-than-life Ursula who loomed 7.5 feet tall. She actually cowered in her presence after having not flinched once in the Haunted Mansion.

Pirates of the Caribbean

Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate’s life for me — but maybe less so my 3-year-old. Don’t get me wrong, she didn’t not like this slow-moving boat cruise through various pirate vignettes. She just didn’t really seem to understand what was going on (“Who is that? Why are they chasing her?” she implored.) She definitely got a kick out of the faux cannonball explosions in the water and the dog withholding the jail keys at the end, but she’d otherwise consider this ride forgettable.

Country Bear Musical Jamboree

I personally have a soft spot for this musical act performed by animatronic bears in a theater setting (perhaps because it reminds me of a childhood spent at Chuck E. Cheese?) and was slightly disappointed it didn’t delight my daughter in the same way. While she did get a kick out of Teddi Barra descending from the ceiling, I otherwise had to redirect her attention towards the wall or stage hosting the singing animal at that given moment and field constant questions of “Is it done yet?” Compared to all of the other action-packed attractions she experienced in the Magic Kingdom, I guess you can’t blame her for not loving this one.

Best Epcot Rides for 3 Year Olds

Frozen Ever After

Located in the Norway Pavilion of the World Showcase, this log flume used to be the Viking-themed Maelstrom ride but was refurbished as a Frozen-themed attraction in 2016. It follows the same path as the original, reversing backwards midway through and taking a mildly dramatic drop that splashes riders towards the end. My daughter enjoyed both of those thrills, which were taken up several notches by the sheer fact they happened against the backdrop of Arendelle with cameos from Elsa, Anna, Olaf and even the trolls from Kristof’s family. She talked about this one for weeks afterwards.

Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure

This 4D trackless ride (located in the France Pavilion, mais oui) takes you on a journey through Gusteau’s Paris restaurant from the perspective of Remy, making everything feel larger than life. Reminiscent of Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway, the immersive motion graphics and quick movements simulate a roller coaster-like experience within a smooth gliding mouse-shaped car. While this ride does involve 3D glasses, they were somehow smaller and managed to stay on my daughter’s face without adult assistance. Score!

Journey Into Imagination with Figment

My daughter and I went on this slow-paced vehicle ride on a whim to kill some time while her dad and brother did Mission: SPACE, and I’m so glad we did. It takes you on a tour of a science lab where you learn about the five senses in an interactive way — my daughter laughed when we were sprayed by a stinky skunk odor to illustrate smell — and deposits you into ImageWorks: The What-If Labs, an interactive exhibit at the ride’s exit. As you can see in the photo above, my daughter had a blast running all over the Stepping Tones that make sounds when walked on. I personally loved feeling like we maximized our downtime by getting two attractions in one.

Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana

We visited Disney World during an unseasonable cold snap in January and debated even doing this walkthrough water attraction in the 40-degree weather. Thankfully we did, making sure to carefully avoid getting wet, and still managed to have a lot of fun playing with water from a distance. My daughter was amazed at being able to walk through a curtain of water that stops when it senses movement and making fountains jump with just a wave of her hand. The exhibit aims to teach about water cycles and conservation, which was lost on my 3 year old, but the lush re-creation of the goddess Te Fiti (pictured above) certainly was not.

The Seas with Nemo & Friends

This gentle ride in a clamshell retells the story of Nemo through a mix of on-screen looping videos and three-dimensional set props. The ride itself is honestly unremarkable (and kind of boring?), but its saving grace is the actual aquarium with real fish that gets integrated at the end. You can also explore the live sea life — including sharks, jellyfish and clown fish — in tanks outside the ride’s exit. There’s even a reef-themed play area where kids can stick their heads inside a shark’s mouth for a fun photo opp, making this a more holistic experience.

Best Animal Kingdom Rides for 3 Year Olds

Wildlife Express Train

If you ask my daughter what her favorite thing about Animal Kingdom was, she’ll undoubtedly tell you it was meeting Rafiki and Timon. The only way to get to them in Rafiki’s Planet Watch is to take this 7-minute-long train ride, which meanders past veterinary buildings (though you’ll be hard-pressed to see any animals along the way). The actual train ride isn’t much to write home about, but what it gets you access to absolutely is. In addition to Lion King character meet-and-greets, you can view all sorts of reptiles, amphibians and even a live veterinary procedure — we saw a sedated Cheetah get a wellness visit — at the Conservation Station. There’s also a small petting zoo called the Affection Section where you can touch and even brush docile goats before taking the train back to the main park.

Kilimanjaro Safaris

While not quite as intimate or authentic as a real safari, this 20-minute guided tour on an open-air vehicle through the Harambe Wildlife Reserve will nevertheless enthrall any 3 year old. More than 34 different species of African wildlife call the reserve home and you’re guaranteed to see a good number of them — on our trip, we spotted several giraffes running around as well as a flock of flamingos, an elephant, swimming hippos, rhinos and a pride of lions my daughter swears were Simba and Nala “sleeping on Pride Rock.”

Festival of the Lion King

Since my daughter is a huge fan of The Lion King (no seriously, she’s watched both the original and live action version dozens of times), this live theatrical performance was a must-do on our list. When I saw that people were performing in the style of the Broadway show, I got a little nervous that she’d get bored — but then giant parade-style floats featuring Timon and Simba entered the stage and I knew we’d be all right. The show beautifully blends artistry, beloved characters and circus-level theatrics (the monkey acrobats and flame thrower dazzled both my 3- and 7-year-old) that will entertain all ages, but most importantly satisfy preschoolers.

The Boneyard

One of the greatest pieces of advice given to me prior to our trip was “let the kids lead the way.” Yes, there’s tons to do in a limited amount of time, but there’s no sense dragging them away from something that captivates their attention because then everyone is left stressed and cranky. For us, this dinosaur dig–themed playground was precisely that. One does not travel all the way to Disney World just to climb a fossilized dinosaur and go down some slides. And yet! Both of my kids simply did not want to leave this place. Even my 3-year-old wanted to scale the rope bridges “one more time” and honestly, who am I to argue?

It’s Tough to Be a Bug!

By this point, you know how I feel about 3 year olds and 3D glasses: they do not mix nor make for an enjoyable ride experience (for the parent, at least). Ironically, that wasn’t the issue with this theater-style show that mixes 3D movie effects with animatronic bugs delivering a musical stage performance. The bug-eye glasses not only fit but were actually adorable! No, the reason this attraction finds itself at the bottom is that it scared the pants off my daughter — more than Ursula and the Haunted Mansion combined. Between the loud buzzing, the moving seats beneath us and the too-realistic 3D effects that had her yelping “they’re grabbing my eyes!,” this one might be a bit much for toddlers. It closes for good on March 17, 2025, so if you decide to squeeze it in before then, you’ve been warned.