Disney adult, mom of 6, vlogger for The Lee Crew. Find tips, tricks & inspiration for your Disney vacation no matter the size of your family or age of your kids.
Planning a trip to Disneyland with kids can raise the question: what is the best age for Disneyland? My family of 8 recently traveled to Disneyland with kids ranging from 10 years old to 2 months old. We also had their Aunt and Grandma along for part of the trip.
The short answer? Any age is the best age for Disneyland. All of my kids had an amazing time. They weren’t too limited, nor did anyone get bored.
A big part of determining the best age for Disneyland is actually height. There are plenty of rides without any height limits. You could spend several days at the park and only do “any height” rides and have a great time. However, if you’re hoping to enjoy some of the bigger rides, there are a couple of height milestones to consider.
Kids over the age of 7 will have a great time as they can ride most of the attractions without restrictions. However, children under 7 must ride with an adult or someone over 14. For my family, my oldest two (ages 9 and 10) could ride together while an adult rode with the younger kids (ages 2, 4, and 6).
Children under 7 will also have a magical time. There’s so much to do and see at Disneyland that my younger kids who couldn’t (or did not want to) ride the larger attractions still had plenty to keep them entertained. My 4 and 6-year-olds loved riding with a parent right next to them, and the characters were a big hit with them. Meeting the characters was so magical for the kids, and they were the best age for this in Disneyland.
You might think that 2 is too young for Disneyland. However, there was so much for my 2-year-old. Her sheer joy and excitement over seeing the characters and the rides made it completely worth it. My 2-year-old no longer takes regular naps but could fall asleep in the stroller during the long days in the park. She was able to do many rides as well.
If you have a napping 2 year old, you can always take mid-day breaks for that naptime.
Taking an infant to an amusement park might sound a bit crazy, but if you want to go to Disneyland, don’t let having an infant stop you. There are benches everywhere for nursing, and the park is very stroller-friendly. Plus, rider swap allows everyone to ride easily. Even more, Disney parks have a baby care center where you can find rocking chairs, changing tables, and a quieter space for anything you may need to do with your baby.
If your baby is a little older and doesn’t nap well on the go, it might be better to wait a bit longer (even 6 months) for a better experience. Younger infants are the easiest as they can nap on you or in the stroller. I have personally taken my oldest daughter when she was 4 months old and my youngest daughter when she was 2 months old. Both ages were easy as I could baby-wear them around the parks.
Our most recent trip included my sister-in-law (Auntie H!) and my mother-in-law (Grandma). Both had a great time. There are benches and tables everywhere for resting as needed. There are rides for every type of amusement park goer, from big and thrilling to mild and entertaining. It was also amazing having an extra set of hands, and more bodies to ride with kids. In fact, Disneyland with the extended family is my most favorite way to do the parks.
No matter the ages of your family members, Disneyland is a great place to visit. If you’re deciding between going now or waiting another year, consider the minimum height requirements mentioned above. However, know that the park is so large that there is so much to do. We spent two full days in the park and came nowhere close to riding every ride. I have also traveled with two kids under 2 (ages and ages ago) and those were also the best ages for Disneyland. We had a magical time because we knew the expectations of the park with those ages and how to make the most of our time.
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