The Best Magic Kingdom Experiences for Toddlers and Preschoolers

Disney World is the perfect vacation for kids of any age - that includes kids at heart like me. There’s just something, though, about seeing your child experience the magic of Disney as a toddler and preschooler. The wonder, the excitement, the innocent belief in the magic of it all, from the rides, to the characters, to the food, and of course seeing the Castle at the end of Main Street.

Note: There isn’t a firm definition of when exactly a child becomes or stops being a toddler, or a specific age group for “preschoolers” either. For the sake of today’s post, though, we’re going to classify toddlers as kids ages 1-3, and preschoolers as 3-5.

Today we’re here to talk about all of the magical experiences for kids in these age groups at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom.

Characters – Characters can be found throughout the park and which character experiences are right for you little one(s) is up to them. Christian loves to meet Mickey, Minnie, Buzz Lightyear, Donald, Pluto and Goofy! He loves characters that can’t talk, but he refuses to meet the characters that can talk, so for us the Princesses, Tinker Belle and characters like that are out of the question. If you’re little ones love princesses, don’t miss the opportunity to meet two at a time at Princess Fairytale Hall in Fantasyland!

From this point we’re going to cover the experiences by land starting with Main Street U.S.A. and then moving through the park from left to right.

Main Street

Mickey Ears – Everyone loves Mickey ears! They’re kind of a rite of passage, right? Christian got his first set of ears during his first trip at 7 months old and still has them! The Emporium and The Chapeau both have ears for sale and you can have a name embroidered at the Chapeau to make their ears uniquely theirs.

Harmony Barber Shop – If you’re looking for a unique Disney World experience for your little one why not get their first haircut done on Main Street?! Christian has had his hair cut here twice, including his first ever real haircut. The First Haircut Package includes a haircut and a set of Ears. Regular haircuts are available here as well, for kids and grownups. Be sure to book an appointment in advance! You can also stop by for some Pixie Dust.

Ice Cream Parlor – Stop by the old time ice cream shop for a sweet treat with a view of the Castle! All kids, and kids are heart love ice cream, and the Plaza Ice Cream Parlor won’t disappoint. Sweet treats include sundaes, floats, ice cream sandwiches, and ice cream by the scoop.

Main Street Vehicles – Take a ride down Main Street on one of the old time vehicles including a horse-drawn street car, a fire engine, a jitney and an omnibus. This is fun at any age, but kids will love it.

Walt Disney World Railroad – I’m not sure why, but kids love trains. Magic Kingdom offers the chance to experience a train ride through the park with the Walt Disney World Railroad. Board at the Main Street station for a full-circle tour, or you can hop off at one of the other stations throughout the park. The other stations are located in Frontierland and Fantasyland.

Casey’s Corner – Casey’s Corner is a quick service dining location that fits right in with the charm and old time feel of Main Street U.S.A. Hot dogs, fries, and other ballpark snacks can be found here. If your little one is like mine and LOVES hot dogs you might just end up making Casey’s a family trip tradition.

Crystal Palace – The Crystal Palace is a sit-down buffet-style restaurant that offers fantastic views of the Castle as well as delicious food and the chance to meet Disney characters throughout your meal. All character meals are great (or not so great depending on how your child reacts to characters), but his meal is especially fun because it features Winnie the Pooh and friends!

Adventureland

Tiki Statues – The tiki statues near The Jungle Cruise offer a great photo spot, but beware you might get wet! This is why kids love them! After all, what kid doesn’t love splashing?!  

The Magic Carpets of Aladdin – This is a fun ride for kids – they get to move the carpets – but the best part for them just might be the spitting camels.

Jungle Cruise – If your little one like boat rides and animals they’ll like the Jungle Cruise. Older preschoolers might even start to get some of the jokes from this attraction.  Be sure to check out Jingle Cruise during the holidays, too!

Pirates of the Caribbean – This classic will delight your little ones if they’re into pirates. And even if they not huge fans of the actual attraction they’ll love the gift shop.

Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse – I’m not really sure why, but Christian LOVES walking through the Swiss Family Treehouse. He loves going up and down all of the steps and looking at everything. After we get to the end he always asks to do it again!

Dole Whip – This one can easily turn into a tradition, and if you like pineapple you won’t see that as an issue. Kids love ice cream, and Dole Whips are ice cream that actually aren’t bad for you! Even if your little one says they don’t like pineapple, like Christian says he doesn’t, they’ll enjoy a Dole Whip. If you plan on sharing you may be better off getting two – we’ve ended up having ours taken before!

Frontierland

Country Bear Jamboree – If your kids like singing and/or bears they just might like this! Truthfully we’ve never even stepped inside, but we’re hoping to change that during our next trip!

Splash Mountain – This is my favorite attraction, and I’m so excited that Christian is finally tall enough to go on! Kids will love the singing, the hills, and the splash at the end of the BIG drop. The height requirement for this attraction is 40 inches, which means that kids about 3.5 or 4 should be tall enough to ride!

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad – Take a ride on the “wildest ride in the wilderness” with your little ones. This one plays into the love for trains, but also roller coasters. Christian loves roller coasters – when he was tall enough to ride Barnstormer he rode it three times in a row. When he was tall enough for Seven Dwarfs Mine Train on our last trip he was even more excited. Big Thunder Mountain is the next step in the roller coaster progression. Little ones will love the ride, but they’ll also really enjoy all of the interactive pieces within the queue. This one has a height requirement of 40 inches as well.

Tom Sawyer Island – Take the raft over to Tom Sawyer Island to let your little ones run around and burn off some of that Dole Whip energy! If they’re like Christian they’ll love the Fort most of all!

Fronteirland Shootin’ Arcade – Have your little one take their best shot at this old west shootin’ arcade.

Liberty Square

The Haunted Mansion – The Haunted Mansion, especially the interactive portions of the queue, has lot to offer, even for little ones!

Ice Cream Sandwich – This is my personal favorite part of Liberty Square! Enormous chocolate chip cookie ice cream sandwiches are available at Sleepy Hollow, a quick service location that’s easy to miss if you’re not looking for it. Don’t miss it, though. You won’t regret ordering this ice cream sandwich that’s easily shareable. Every time we order it we take a picture of it next to Christian for size comparison! This started when he was a baby and his head and the sandwich were about the same size.

Fantasyland

It’s Small World – This classic attraction can be hit or miss with little ones (and teenagers). Some kids love all of the dolls and the song and some don’t. It’s such a part of Disney, though, that you should do it at least once per trip.

Peter Pan – This is another one that can be hit or miss. Little ones will love the interactive queue, and if they like Captain Hook and Peter Pan they’ll love the ride. On the past two or three trips Christian hasn’t wanted to go on, but he has told me that he wants to ride it next time.

Mickey’s PhilharMagic – This 3D movie attraction is one that will keep kids engaged thanks to the funny antics of Donald Duck!

Carousel – Who doesn’t like the carousel? This one is pretty self-explanatory.

Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique – Starting at age three boys and girls can experience magical makeovers at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique location inside Cinderella Castle. Girls can be transformed into princesses and boys can become knights! Advance reservations are highly recommended.

Seven Dwarfs Mine Train – This ride is a combination of roller coaster and dark ride and is a step up on the roller coaster ladder from the Barnstormer. It’s a lot of fun, and so are all of the fun things to play with in the standby line.

The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh – Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, a ride that bounces, and a fun interactive queue – what else could you or your toddler/preschooler ask for?!

Mad Tea Party – As long as your little one doesn’t have a problem with spinning this attraction is A LOT of fun. On our last trip Christian really wanted to ride the tea cups and he wanted to make it spin.

Dumbo – Have you ever seen an elephant fly? You will when you ride Dumbo! The ride itself is a lot of fun, and so is the playground waiting area inside the big top.

Casey Jr. Splash ‘N’ Soak Station – Take a break from the rush to get from one attraction to another and cool off. Kids love splashing, and this circus themed splash area is the perfect place for little ones to cool off and mom and dad to rest their feet for a few minutes – or get in on the fun and cool off, too.

The Barnstormer – This is the first step on the Disney World roller coaster ladder. With a height requirement of 35 inches little ones ages two and up should be able to ride! Take to the skies with Goofy on this fun coaster.

Under the Sea – Journey of the Little Mermaid – Go under the sea with Ariel on this fun attraction where the ride vehicle is a clam shell! If your little one likes The Little Mermaid this attraction is perfect for them.

Cinnamon Roll – Giant cinnamon rolls with lots of gooey sweet icing. Does this sound like something your child would be interested in? What kind of question is that, right? Kids love icing. Stop by Gaston’s Tavern for a giant delicious treat that will satisfy any sweet tooth.

Enchanted Tales with Belle – This attraction gives your little ones the chance to be part of the show about how Belle and the Beast met and fell in love.

Tomorrowland

The Tomorrowland Speedway – Kids love the idea of driving, so let your little one kids behind the wheel at the Tomorrowland Speedway! This one has a height requirement of 32 inches, so depending on how tall your little one is they may be able to ride before they’re two.

Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin – Toy Story has HUGE when I was a kid, and it still is now, too. Disney World’s Hollywood Studios even has a Toy Story Land opening this summer! So if your little space rangers love Toy Story as much as Christian does they’ll LOVE this attraction. Board a space cruise to help defeat the Evil Emperor Zurg. After the ride be sure to get their photo with Zurg behind bars. Christian wouldn’t let us leave the gift shop any of the four time we rode this ride last time without taking a photo with Zurg. Also throughout the day Buzz Lightyear himself is available to meet just outside the ride!

Tomorrowland Transit Authority Peoplemover – This attraction is great because it hardly ever has a long wait – the line and the ride are always moving. It is also great because it takes you through Tomorrowland and provides amazing views! It also take you through Space Mountain, which is pretty cool, and you also get to see into part of the Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin attraction. If that’s not enough for your little ones then they’ll love the moving ramp that takes you up to and down from the ride as well as the moving ride platform.

Ice cream – Again, kids love ice cream! And the floats and ice cream cones, which are HUGE, at Auntie Gravity’s Galactic Goodies will satisfy any kid or kid at heart.

Monster’s Inc. Laugh Floor – The Monsters on Monstropolis are totally lovable and so is the attraction focused on them collecting laughs to power their city. Your kids will love it, and so will you!

That’s everything for Magic Kingdom! No two kids are alike, so not everyone will like the same things, and there may be other attractions or locations that aren’t on our list that your kids love, too. If we missed something important let us know in the comments!

Next week we’ll be covering a Disney Cruise Line topic, but the week after that we’ll be back with more for toddlers and preschoolers at Disney World!

Are you ready to experience Disney World or anywhere else in the world? I can help! Contact me at miriyawhitaker@worldofmagictravel.com for your FREE quote and to start planning! For more Disney and travel information feel free to follow me on Facebook.