Top 10 Rides for Babies at Walt Disney World

Today, I want to share the best rides for babies at Walt Disney World.

Many people have reservations when it comes to bringing their babies to Disney. “He won’t even remember it.” “Is there anything for him to do?” “Is it worth it?” Let me tell you – yes, it absolutely it!

Even though your little one won’t remember the vacation, it will be amazing to see them experience the magic of Disney through their eyes. And what parent doesn’t want to capture the joy on their kiddo’s face when they first meet Mickey or see the castle?! Babies may not remember the trip, but you will have photos and memories that will last a lifetime. Not to mention, children under the age of three are free! If it is within your means to do so – book that trip!

There are tons of things for babies to enjoy while in the parks. Character dining, shows, and attractions all have something to offer infant park goers. But to kick things off, here are my Top 10 Rides for Babies at Walt Disney World.

* These attractions have no height requirement, meaning they are all safe for baby!

10. Kilimanjaro Safaris

Park: Animal Kingdom – Africa
Duration: 18 min
Ride Type: Wildlife Safari

This safari ride at Animal Kingdom takes you through 110 acres of plains, forests, and rocky wetlands to view 34 different species of animals residing in the park. This is a fantastic attraction because it is different every time you ride – you never know what animals you will encounter next! Hippos, lions, zebras, and rhinos are all species you may see on your tour. Babies can sit on an adult’s lap and enjoy the ever-changing scenery. It can be a bumpy ride at times, which can sometimes be a blessing when needing to soothe tired little ones!

Animals are more active in the early morning and in the evening, so keep this in mind when deciding when to ride!

9. “it’s a small world”

Park: Magic Kingdom – Fantasyland
Duration: 10 min
Ride Type: Boat Cruise

This classic Disney attraction is perfect for the smallest of vacationers. Guests can enjoy a relaxing boat ride through colorful scenes adorned with dolls representing cultures from around the world. The sights and sounds will be captivating to young children.

And while some guests may cringe at having to hear “it’s a small world” on repeat, the message of acceptance and empathy is absolutely beautiful. Richard Sherman (one of the composers of the song) described it as “a simple child’s prayer to respect each other and to love each other.” Doesn’t that just hit you in the feels?!

Honorable Mentions: Living with the Land (EPCOT), Gran Fiesta Tour: Starring the Three Caballeros (EPCOT), and Na’vi River Journey (Animal Kingdom) are other relaxing boat rides that babies and toddlers can safely enjoy.

8. Jungle Cruise

Park: Magic Kingdom
Duration: 8 min
Ride Type: Riverboat Tour

This Adventureland attraction is one of my favorites! Guests encounter lively animatronics, silly situations, and plenty of punny jokes on this river cruise. Babies will enjoy watching playful elephants spray water and mischievous gorillas trashing a skipper camp. However, there is a segment of the cruise that takes riders through a dark temple, which may be unnerving for younger cruisers.

7. Prince Charming’s Regal Carousel

Park: Magic Kingdom – Fantasyland
Duration: 2 min
Ride Type: Carousel

This beautiful, wood-carved, carousel is one of the best rides for babies in Walt Disney World. It features colorful hand-painted scenes from Cinderella and organ-based renditions of popular Disney songs. Besides the lively music and scenery, riders can enjoy beautiful views of Cinderella Castle. Babies can ride on their own horse with an adult’s support standing off to the side, or sitting with an adult on a bench.

6. Under the Sea – Journey of the Little Mermaid

Journey of the Little Mermaid - Kiss the Girl

Park: Magic Kingdom – Fantasyland
Duration: 6 min
Ride Type: Dark Ride Omnimover

In this dark ride attraction, guests board a clamshell car and travel through various scenes depicting the story of how Ariel met her Prince and lived happily ever after. Infant riders enjoy classic songs from The Little Mermaid, beautiful fluorescent animatronics, special effects, and a happy ending featuring our favorite characters from the film. This is another relaxing ride babies will enjoy due to the stunning visuals and fun musical score.

5. Dumbo the Flying Elephant

Park: Magic Kingdom – Fantasyland
Duration: 1.5 min
Ride Type: Aerial Carousel

Dumbo the Flying Elephant is one of the best rides for babies in Walt Disney World. Little ones can sit on an adult’s lap aboard the high-flying circus elephant and enjoy great views of Fantasyland. Riders adjust their own altitude during the ride, so you can choose to fly high or low and enjoy gentle dips as you adjust the height.

While the attraction is outdoors, guests enjoy an indoor air-conditioned queue containing a circus themed playground while they wait! No need to stand in line; cast members distribute buzzers to guests to let them know when it is their turn to ride.

Honorable Mentions: Triceratops Spin (Animal Kingdom) and Magic Carpets of Aladdin (Magic Kingdom – Adventureland) also feature the same style of outdoor aerial carousel as Dumbo the Elephant. If your little one enjoys flying high, be sure to check these attractions out too! But BEWARE: there is a chance you may get wet on the Magic Carpets from spitting camels!

Dumbo the Flying Elephant Rides for Babies at Walt Disney World

4. Peter Pan’s Flight

Park: Magic Kingdom – Fantasyland
Duration: 2 min
Ride Type: Flying Dark Ride

Another classic Walt Disney World ride for babies is Peter Pan’s Flight. Flying pirate ships guide guests through beautifully colored and lighted scenes featuring sweet music from the film. Enjoy a bird’s eye view of the glittering city of London, descend over mermaid lagoon, and watch Peter Pan face off against Captain Hook!

The lines typically get long for this ride, but luckily there is an interactive queue to keep kids busy.

3. The Seas with Nemo and Friends

Park: EPCOT – Future World
Duration: 5 min
Ride Type: Dark Ride Omnimover

This attraction is similar to Journey of the Little Mermaid in that it is a dark ride omnimover system featuring stunning fluorescent displays of our favorite fish friends. Guests are transported through each scene in a clamshell car as they help characters from the film track down a missing Nemo through colorful coral reefs and anemones.

The ride also features aquariums with real species of fish swimming along with Nemo and friends. It’s a wonderful touch to give this attraction a real-world element. After disembarking the ride, guests can tour these aquariums throughout the pavilion. Babies will enjoy watching clownfish, dolphins, sharks, and manatees swimming alongside them, plus it’s a great place to take a rest or run wild!

2. The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh

Park: Magic Kingdom – Fantasyland
Duration: 3 min
Ride Type: Dark Ride

This attraction is comprised of scenes featuring Pooh Bear and his friends in 100 Acre Wood. Guests will be blown away by a great gust of wind, bounce around with Tigger, and be transported into Pooh’s dreams of Heffalumps and Woozles. The beautiful fluorescent colors of each scene and animatronic will hold your little one’s attention on this ride.

Lines for this attraction can get long, but guests can enjoy another interactive queue here to help pass the time.

1. Journey into Imagination with Figment

Park: EPCOT – Future World
Duration: 6 min
Ride Type: Dark Ride

Babies will love Figment, the mischievous yet adorable purple dragon who leads guests on a journey to explore the five senses. Guests travel on a tram vehicle through the “labs of the Imagination Institute” intended to test the senses in fun ways. The rooms are full of vibrant colors and the catchy Sherman Brothers song, “One Little Spark” plays throughout. Babies will love this ride because there are tons of things to see, hear…and even smell!

Honorable Mentions

These rides have no height requirement, meaning that the tiniest of parkgoers can enjoy them! However, there may be some elements that little ones may find scary such as periods of darkness, loud noises, and slight drops. I brought my toddler on these attractions prepared to deal with any potential meltdowns as they came, and fortunately we had zero issues. Use your best judgement to decide if these will be right for your kiddo!

Mickey and Minnie Runaway Railway

This is the first Disney World attraction to feature Mickey and Minnie themselves, in a cheerful landscape of bright colors and fun music. My toddler loved this ride, but it can get a little wild at times. While the ride experience is pretty smooth overall, there are a few moments with some jerky turns and spinning motions. No height requirement means this attraction is suitable for kiddos of any age, but I would reserve this one for kiddos who will enjoy the exciting movements.

Pirates of the Caribbean

Does it get any more classic-Disney than Pirates of the Caribbean? This gentle boat ride contains plenty of fun scenes for baby to look at while enjoying the catchy song, “Yo, Ho! A Pirate’s Life for Me!” However, it can be pretty dark inside the ride and the pirates can seem scary to some little ones. There is also a slight drop that may be scary to very young riders. Or, really exciting!

Haunted Mansion

Haunted Mansion is without a doubt my favorite attraction at Walt Disney World. This tour through a spooky mansion is filled with delightful surprises, amazing animatronics and special effects, and the wonderful anthem, “Grim Grinning Ghosts.” This ride is an omnimover system, much like The Seas with Nemo and Friends and Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid. Because of the smooth ride, it is perfectly safe to bring your baby on this attraction.

But, the ride has plenty of creepy moments and periods of darkness. The intro alone has guests crammed in a room in utter darkness with a body hanging above their heads. YIKES!!! But despite the creepiness, the ghosts inhabiting the mansion have lovable qualities of curiosity and friendliness. Very young babies probably won’t pick up on these creepy references, but toddler aged children (as wise as they are!) will realize something sinister is happening here, and it might not be okay! Use your best judgement on this attraction.

Frozen: Ever After

Little ones seem to love Frozen! And there is plenty to love about this attraction. Guests travel through beautiful scenes of Arendelle and its surroundings on a relaxing boat ride set to the music from the film. The high-tech animatronics of Elsa, Anna, and Olaf make you feel like you are a part of the Frozen films. The ride is enchanting for babies and fans of all ages.

But be prepared for a couple surprises on this attraction if you have little ones in tow. There are a couple forward and backward plunges that can catch guests off guard. There is also a chance you will get wet! But also be ready to potentially catch a hilarious ride photo of your little one’s surprised face. We certainly did!

Spaceship Earth

This Disney World ride is great for babies because it is slow moving and relaxing. It is housed in EPCOT’S iconic geosphere and takes guests through a tour of human innovation starting with the dawn of humanity up to present day technological advances.

This attraction isn’t as visually stunning or musically captivating as some of the other rides mentioned on this list – it is meant to be educational after all! But it affords 16 minutes of relaxation in air conditioning which can be a lifesaver when travelling with little ones. The last time we rode Spaceship Earth, both of my kids (3 and 11) fell fast asleep. And that was ok! Use these 16 minutes to discover, cool off, nurse, or even nap!

I hope you have enjoyed this list of my Top 10 Rides for Babies at Walt Disney World. Are there any other rides your baby enjoys at Walt Disney World that I missed? Let me know in the comments!

Looking for other Walt Disney World planning articles? Check out my Walt Disney World Packing Guide HERE! Looking to save some money on your next trip to Walt Disney World? Check out my favorite way to save HERE!

Like what you see? Be sure to sign up for our newsletter to receive our printable Walt Disney World packing list. We’ll also keep you up to date on new posts from Inspiring Magical Memories!