Best Toddler Rides at Disneyland Paris for Under 5’s
In this post we’ve created a list of what we consider to be the best toddler rides at Disneyland Paris based on years of visiting with our young children. We’ve included some standard family rides and some that are a little faster or spookier but that our children have loved at age 2, 3 and 4.
Best Toddler Rides at Disneyland Paris
If you’ve been to one of the theme parks in the UK then you’ve probably spent time going on the same three rides that are under the height limit for most toddlers.
You won’t struggle with this at Disneyland Paris as there are a huge range of rides for the entire family to enjoy, in fact there are easily enough rides to keep kids aged under 4 busy for a few days.
With all of the rides, shows, parades, shops, interactive walkthroughs and playgrounds to experience at Disneyland Paris it can be hard to choose which ones to focus on so that you get the most out of your visit, especially if you only have one day in the parks.
This is where we can help! We’ve been to Disneyland Paris many times with children ranging from 1 – 8 years old. It’s this first hand experience that we’ve used to build our list of the best toddler rides at Disneyland Paris and our follow on post of the best rides for kids at Disneyland Paris.
Contents
If there’s a ride that you want to jump to in the list below you can click on the name of the ride to be taken straight there, or keep scrolling to find out more about all of the best Disneyland Paris rides for toddlers in our list.
- Pirates of the Caribbean
- Casey Jr. – le Petit Train du Cirque
- Autopia
- Cars ROAD TRIP
- It’s a Small World
- Stitch Live
- Thunder Mesa Riverboat Landing
- La Tanière du Dragon
- Slinky Dog Zigzag Spin
- Ratatouille: The Adventure
- Other Toddler Rides at Disneyland Paris
- Summary: Best Toddler Rides at Disneyland Paris
Are you planning a trip to Disneyland Paris?
Planning a trip to Disneyland Paris can be overwhelming, especially for a first timer. If you’re at the start of your planning and soaking in as much Disney knowledge as possible you may be asking yourself “is Disneyland Paris worth it?”.
That’s why we’ve pulled together some of our most popular Disneyland Paris posts to help you plan your Disney trip. Whether you’re trying to visit two parks in one day or planning a longer stay at an onsite Disney hotel we can help you.
If you’re travelling with kids for the first time you’ll want to soak up all of the Disneyland Paris hints, tips and tricks. With all of the souvenirs, food and toys to buy it can be an expensive trip so you’ll find an entire post dedicated to visiting Disneyland Paris on a budget.
What are the best toddler rides at Disneyland Paris?
Pirates of the Caribbean
What’s the ride about: the Pirates of Caribbean ride is a boat ride that takes you through a lagoon filled with pirates, explosive battles, treasure and a singing Jack Sparrow.
Where is it: you can find the ride in Adventureland
Who can ride: there is no height limit – anyone can ride.
Why it’s a top ride at Disneyland Paris: the Pirates of Caribbean ride is a family favourite for us and we rode it several times. The queue was never more than 15/20 minutes as the boats are quite large and constantly move. The themeing inside is amazing and kept both my six year old and two year old entertained. There are a couple of small drops which add to the fun as the ride is quite dark. The best part about this ride is that it takes so long to get round so you really get a lot of ride for your queuing time.
Cars ROAD TRIP
What’s the ride about: the Cars ROAD TRIP ride is a fun tour through the world of Lightning (Flash) McQueen, Luigi, Guido, and Mater. I won’t completely spoil the surprise but expect fire, explosions and you might get a little wet!
Where is it: you can find the ride in the Worlds of Pixar section of Walt Disney Studios Park
Who can ride: there is no height limit – anyone can ride.
Why it’s a top ride at Disneyland Paris: the Cars ride gives a different pace which is nice when you’ve got so many other rides that are fast with long queues. It’s quite a long ride with some excitement along the way.
Casey Jr. – le Petit Train du Cirque
What’s the ride about: the Casey Jr. – le Petit Train du Cirque ride is a small train that circles and loops through some of the most famous fairytale homes and villages while flying above the Le Pays des Contes de Fées boat ride.
Where is it: you can find the ride in Fantasyland
Who can ride: there is no height limit for this ride
Why it’s a top ride at Disneyland Paris: Casey Jr is a great first roller coaster for toddlers. It’s fast enough to be a little bit thrilling but is still suitable for all ages.
It’s a Small World
What’s the ride about: set sail on your journey around the world on the It’s a Small World ride. You pass through beautifully decorated scenery from cities all over the globe while the famous music plays in the background.
Where is it: you can find the ride in Fantasyland
Who can ride: there is no height limit for this ride
Why it’s a top ride at Disneyland Paris: the It’s a Small World ride is a Disneyland classic – from the song that you’ll never be able to remove from your brain to the bright colours and the fun scenes throughout the ride.
Stitch Live
What’s the ride about: Stitch Live is technically a show and I’m not going to say much more about it other than it’s a live action show – let’s just say there is a reason you’re not allowed to take pictures or videos. There are different showings for English and French so make sure you go to the right one.
Where is it: you can find the ride in the Production Courtyard section of Walt Disney Studios Park
Who can ride: there is no height limit – anyone can ride.
Why it’s a top ride at Disneyland Paris: stitch live is technically a show, not a ride but I had to include it because it was so much fun and had everyone in stitches (excuse the pun!).
Autopia
What’s the ride about: the Autopia ride gives kids the opportunity to drive around a winding track in a car with a working accelerator pedal and steering wheel. Don’t worry though, you can’t go too far off track as there is a guide rail under the car.
Where is it: you can find the ride in Discoveryland
Who can ride: there is no height limit – anyone can ride.
Why it’s a top ride at Disneyland Paris: the Autopia ride allows kids to get to be more involved in the ride without the worry of crashing into any of the walls or ending up in the wrong direction.
Thunder Mesa Riverboat Landing
What’s the ride about: the Thunder Mesa Riverboat Landing ride is a traditional old paddle steamer that takes you through the old west and around the lake next to the Big Thunder Mountain ride
Where is it: you can find the ride in Frontierland
Who can ride: there is no height limit for this ride
Why it’s a top ride at Disneyland Paris: this ride gives a great view of all sides of the Big Thunder Mountain ride and all of Frontier Land, as well as some hidden gems along the way.
La Tanière du Dragon
What’s the ride about: the animatronic dragon in La Tanière du Dragon sits in a dark lair under the castle chained to some jagged rocks. The dragon can be seen sleeping before suddenly awakening and roaring to life.
Where is it: you can find this in Fantasyland
Who can ride: there is no height limit for this ride
Why it’s a top ride at Disneyland Paris: similar to Stitch Live, this isn’t technically a ride – more of an attraction but I had to include it as my toddler loved it so much. I’m pretty sure it could have kept him encaptured for hours if we hadn’t dragged him away.
Slinky Dog Zigzag Spin
What’s the ride about: in the Slinky Dog Zigzag Spin ride you’ll climb onto the back of Slinky Dog and spin around as he runs laps trying to chase his tail.
Where is it: you can find the ride in the Worlds of Pixar section of Walt Disney Studios Park
Who can ride: there is no height limit – anyone can ride.
Why it’s a top ride at Disneyland Paris: the Slinky Dog ride isn’t a long ride but it’s quite often a walk on which means you can go around several times.
Ratatouille: The Adventure
What’s the ride about: the Ratatouille ride takes you on a journey underneath the floorboards of Auguste Gusteau’s (Garrett) restaurant. Jump in one of the mouse cars and enjoy the ride as you whizz through different scenes from the Ratatouille movie, complete with giant food and 3d movie clips.
Where is it: you can find the ride in Walt Disney Studios Park
Who can ride: there is no height limit – anyone can ride.
Why it’s a top ride at Disneyland Paris: it’s a really cool ride with mouse cars that move independently. The only thing to consider with a toddler is that it requires them to wear 3d glasses which some young kids could struggle with.
Other Toddler Rides at Disneyland Paris
The best thing about Disneyland Paris is that there are tons of rides for younger kids. I’ve included a list below of all of the other rides that kids aged 2-4 can go on at Disneyland Paris. I didn’t include them in my top 8 for one of two reasons – either the queue was always over 40 mins – not fun with a toddler. Or they’re a bit basic in that the type of ride you’ll normally find at any theme park (carousel, tea cups etc).
- Mickey’s PhilharMagic
- Adventure Isle
- Alice’s Curious Labyrinth
- Animation Academy
- Blanche-Neige et les Sept Nains
- Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast
- Disneyland Railroad
- Dumbo the Flying Elephant
- Le Carrousel de Lancelot
- Le Passage Enchanté d’Aladdin
- Le Pays des Contes de Fées
- Les Mystères du Nautilus
- Les Tapis Volants – Flying Carpets Over Agrabah
- Les Voyages de Pinocchio
- Peter Pan’s Flight
- Phanton Manor. Warning – this is a ride that our toddler loves but it is a spooky ride. Use judgement as to how sensitive your child is before taking them on this one.
- Spiderman W.E.B
Summary: Best Toddler Rides at Disneyland Paris
In conclusion, Disneyland Paris offers a wide range of thrilling and enchanting rides that are sure to delight visitors of all ages.
Our absolute favourite family friendly rides in the parks are Pirates of the Caribbean, Casey Jr. – le Petit Train du Cirque, and Cars ROAD TRIP. I’d recommend focusing on these rides first if you only have one day at Disneyland Paris.
Whether you’re seeking thrills, fantasy or family-friendly fun, these rides at Disneyland Paris are sure to create lasting memories for visitors of all ages.
