Planning a trip to Disney World and wondering what there is for your 3 year old to do? You’re in the right place. In this post, we’ll review the best rides at Disney World for 3 year olds. We’ll cover height requirements, figuring out what’s too scary, what to do for kids who can’t ride, and more. Read on to start learning what a 3 year old can ride at Disney World!
Related Posts
We have several posts that approach this issue from different angles. Disney World Height Requirements and Rider Switch is a comprehensive look at the rules about height requirements specifically. Scariest Rides for Small Kids at Disney World is of course about looking beyond just the height requirements.
We’ve also got our Complete Guide to Visiting Disney World with a Toddler and Tips for Visiting Disney World with an Infant or Newborn. Moreover, we have park-specific posts about visiting with small children, and we link to those below.
Finally, this post is part of a series. I assume you wound up here because you have a 3 year old or will have one when you visit. But we have similar posts for other ages as well:
Best Disney World Rides for 3 Year Olds (you are here)
Basics
Before we get to the list of rides, I’m going to talk through four points:
Ride Restrictions are By Height, Not Age
Heights Will Be Checked, Checked, and Checked Again
Rider Switch
How To Know if a Ride is Age Appropriate
These points are discussed in all our age-by-age posts, so if you’ve read them and want to jump right to the rides list, click here.
Ride Restrictions are By Height, Not Age
The first thing to know is that rules about who can go on which rides at Disney World are based on height, not age. This means that your child will only be able to go on some rides if they are tall enough, regardless of their age.
In this post we talk about average heights and what rides those heights qualify a child for, but you need to remember that your specific child still needs to be that height. So when this post mentions that most 3 year olds will be able to ride Barnstormer, you still need to confirm your child is actually tall enough for it (35 inches) even if they’re 3 years old.
We’ll talk more about age-appropriate rides below, too. But the hard rules are related to height, not age (the only exception that springs to mind is that kids must be at least 7 to ride alone).
Heights Will Be Checked, Checked, and Checked Again
If your child is right on the boundary of a height requirement, or even if they aren’t, there’s a good chance their height will be checked multiple times to get on the same ride. It’s very common to have them checked once at the entrance and then again right before the ride.
A few notes about this. First and foremost, don’t be a jerk about this. It’s frustrating if your kid doesn’t like having their height checked, but at the end of the day it’s a simple rule: They stand under the bar, and if their head touches it, they’re tall enough, if not, they aren’t. (I’m not going to get into hairstyles, chiefly because I just don’t know anything about how those are handled.)
But telling the Cast Member “oh he doesn’t like this” over and over or “oh she was tall enough yesterday” is not helpful. Getting rude and reminding them the kid was already checked outside the queue as your kid continues to duck under the bar is also not helpful. Don’t make a stressful situation more stressful.
When Zoe was just tall enough for Barnstormer they stood confidently under the bar one day and then kept ducking under it the next. They got to ride one day but not the other. That’s just the way it went.
If you’re concerned about this, practice at home. On a recent trip when we talked to Zoe about standing straight under the bar, they responded with “like at the doctor!” because they’d just gotten their height checked this way at the doctor. Familiarity goes a long way. Here’s a cheap height bar for at home, or you could DIY one.
I’d also add the bars are (as you’d expect) very accurate. We knew Zoe was just at 38” one trip and, indeed, they needed a perfect straight stance to touch the bar, but a perfect stance got us through quickly every time.
Rider Switch
We have a post that focuses in more detail on height requirements and rider switch particularly. Here I just want to let you know the basics about this option.
Rider switch is available at all rides with height requirements and is an option for families with a rider who doesn’t meet the height requirement (a “non-rider”). The basic outline is this:
The entire group approaches the entrance to the ride with the non-rider
The entire group splits into two smaller groups, A and B
Group A stays with the non-rider; the Cast Member gives Group A “rider switch” passes
Group B waits in line for the ride
Once Group B finishes, they stay with the non-rider
Group A can now use their “rider switch” passes to access the Lightning Lane for the ride
How To Know if a Ride is Age Appropriate
There’s no right answer as to how you can know if your kid is ready for a ride, but I want to give a few pointers. I’ll give my opinion on some specific rides below, but again, these are just my opinions.
First, the youngest kids are really tough to predict. At 2, Zoe would ride Barnstormer but was terrified of the mouse that came out of the teapot in the middle of Mad Tea Party. Haunted Mansion was fine at 6 months then not at 1 year then okay at 18 months then scary again at 2 years. Dark rides are hit and miss without rhyme or reason.
Second, some rides can be seen, in their entirety or near entirety, from outside. This allows you to see what to expect for your kid. Personally, I also like to let Zoe watch a ride from the outside before deciding whether to go on it, but you might feel the opposite (of course, sometimes it’s unavoidable).
Third, related to the above point, Lightning Lanes might be helpful in quickly cutting through any tension. You can hear constant screams from the Tower of Terror queue. I wouldn’t wait an hour in that line with a young kid. Go with the Lightning Lane if possible.
Fourth, you can find videos of most Disney World rides on Youtube. Maybe you want to avoid spoilers, but trust me when I tell you someone in your party needs to see what rides like Mission: SPACE or DINOSAUR are like before you put a small child on them.
Fifth, you can also find ways to get on rides before (and without) your child. Using single rider at Test Track, Expedition Everest, Smugglers Run, and Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster is a good way to get in a test ride to decide whether it’s good for your child.
One parent might also separate from the group at rope drop, or use a Lightning Lane, to test out a ride. These options have the obvious disadvantage of splitting up the group. Personally, I’d just watch some online video rather than either of these options. The only exception to this would be Mission: SPACE. For a kid under 12 (a more or less random age I picked), I’d say a parent should experience Mission: SPACE before subjecting a kid to it (I admit that’s easy for me to say given how many opportunities I’ve had to ride it).
Best Disney World Rides for 3 Year Olds
3 year olds typically range from 34 inches to 40 inches. This means at Disney World they will be typically allowed to ride:
30 rides without height requirements
2 rides with a 32-inch height requirement
1 ride with a 35-inch height requirement, once tall enough
4 rides with a 38-inch height requirement, once tall enough
8 rides with a 40-inch height requirement, once tall enough
We’re not going to list all the rides without height requirements (you can find them listed, including a park-by-park breakdown, here), instead we’ll talk through a few that are “must do” rides along with a few that you might be cautious about with a 3 year old. Then we’ll talk about all the relevant rides with height requirements and how to know whether they’re appropriate for your child.
I’ll give my opinions on what’s appropriate for what age, but keep in mind these are just my highly subjective opinions. More than anything, my goal is to help you know where to focus your prep. If you have a 3-year old who just hit 38 inches, you probably need to spend more time researching Smugglers Run than Dumbo the Flying Elephant.
Must-Do Rides Without Height Requirements
(Note: This section is the same as for 2-year olds. We changed some recommendations around in the next post, for 4-year olds, if you’d like to compare that list.)
Magic Kingdom has 17 rides without height requirements and one could easily call them all must-do with a 3 year old simply because you shouldn’t have much trouble fitting them all into a single day. But, to set some limits, we’d say the five must-do rides without height requirements for a 3 year old at Magic Kingdom are:
Jungle Cruise
Peter Pan’s Flight
Dumbo the Flying Elephant
Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover
Walt Disney World Railroad
At Epcot, there are seven rides without height requirements, and we’d call three of them must-do:
Frozen Ever After
Gran Fiesta Tour
The Seas with Nemo & Friends
At Hollywood Studios, there are two rides without height requirements. We’ll call Toy Story Mania a “must do” and we’ll discuss Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway in the next section. Read more about visiting Hollywood Studios with a toddler.
At Animal Kingdom, there are four rides without height requirements. Here are all four, but we’d call the first two “must-do”:
Kilimanjaro Safaris
Na’vi River Journey
TriceraTop Spin
Wildlife Express Train
Rides Without Height Requirements to Think Twice About
I want to emphasize right off the bat: I’m not tell you to avoid any of these rides. We have taken Zoe on every ride without a height requirement and think that all are worth a try. That said, some require a little bit of context before we tell you to jump right in.
At Magic Kingdom, I want to mention that Pirates of the Caribbean can be spooky and has a small drop. Haunted Mansion is obviously also a bit spooky.
At Epcot, Journey Into Imagination With Figment has a few “jumpy” moments but is otherwise fine for 3 year olds. Living with the Land and Spaceship Earth are fine for 3 year olds, but might be a bit long and they probably won’t be blown away by them. Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure is a little intense and an unprepared 3 year old could be shook. I’d recommend emphasizing familiarity with the movie and making sure you’re ready to hold on tight if need be.
At Hollywood Studios, Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway should probably be considered a must-do, but I just want to say it is a pretty intense ride. Having the “sensational six” characters on the ride helps a lot, but you should be prepared for your little one to need a bit of help on this one.
32 Inch and 35 Inch Height Requirements
Your 3 year old is probably at least 32 inches, tall enough for Alien Swirling Saucers at Hollywood Studios and Tomorrowland Speedway (with supervision) at Magic Kingdom. We don’t consider either of these must-dos or notable in any way.
Barnstormer is the first Disney World roller coaster your child will be able to ride, with a 35-inch height requirement that will usually be reached while your child is 2. It’s a short ride, so if things don’t go well your little one shouldn’t be stressed for too long. If your 3-year old is tall enough for some of the other coasters, Barnstormer can be a good way to see if they’re ready for the longer, more intense rides.
The Four 38 Inch Height Requirement Rides
A 3-year old will typically hit their first major Disney World milestone—38 inches. This height unlocks four rides: Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run (Hollywood Studios), Kali River Rapids (Animal Kingdom), Seven Dwarfs Mine Train (Magic Kingdom), and Slinky Dog Dash (Hollywood Studios). Let’s go through these…
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train & Slinky Dog Dash. If your kid has been on Barnstormer without melting down, they can probably try Mine Train and Slinky Dog Dash next. If possible, I’d recommend riding Seven Dwarfs Mine Train before Slinky Dog Dash. They’re about the same intensity, but Mine Train has a small break in the middle for a dark ride component that can be calming for a little one.
Kali River Rapids. This is probably fine for an older or prepared 3 year old, but I’d be cautious with a younger one. The ride isn’t the most intense water ride, but it has its moments, including drops where the boat might spin along the way. Riders have their own seats around the boat so hand-holding / comforting is really difficult.
Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run. This is another one I’d advise a lot of caution on, even with a 3 year old. The ride is intense for a child, and it’s also in a dark, enclosed cabin with separated seats (i.e. hand-holding will be difficult, cuddling impossible). If you haven’t had a chance to experience it yourself yet, a good option is to use the single rider line. It’s usually quite short. Then if you feel like it would be good for the whole family, you could all wait in line or use a Lightning Lane.
The Eight 40-Inch Height Requirement Rides
40 inches is indisputably the most significant of the Disney World height milestones, as it unlocks eight rides. These are going to be a real mixed bag for a 3 year old through.
For starters, I’d say that DINOSAUR (Animal Kingdom), Mission: SPACE (Epcot), and Tower of Terror (Hollywood Studios) are too intense for most 3 year olds. These are rides that are too intense for many adults.
I think it’s necessary for a parent to at least watch a video of these rides if not to experience them on their own before deciding whether the ride is right for your kid. (There’s no judgment here—I fully intend on encouraging Zoe to try these rides right at 40 inches, but no one could say my opinion on these rides is uninformed.)
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (Magic Kingdom) is a natural next roller coaster once your kid has conquered Slinky Dog Dash and Seven Dwarfs Mine Train.
The remaining four—Soarin’ (Epcot), Test Track (Epcot), Star Tours (Hollywood Studios), and Rise of the Resistance (Hollywood Studios) are probably going to be fine for an older 3 year old, but you might be cautious at a younger age. Star Tours is the only one of these that’s continuously intense, but the others have elements of intensity.
Conclusions
3 and 4 are tricky ages at Disney World because Disney is giving you a lot to think about with the 38” and 40” height requirements. Some of these rides are too intense for a lot of adults, which is going to leave you scratching your head about strapping your toddler into them. More than any of timeframe, this is when you’re going to need to do your preparation and not just rely on Disney’s height requirements to make the decisions for you.
All Your Other Disney World Planning Questions Answered
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Know what to ride with our guides to: Magic Kingdom rides, Hollywood Studios rides, Epcot rides, and Animal Kingdom rides! Plus learn about the water parks with our guide to Blizzard Beach and our guide to Typhoon Lagoon! And for some some fun prep, check out our Ranking of Every Ride at Walt Disney World.
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