Disneyland Rides:
Where the Fun Starts

We've ridden all the Disneyland rides. We bet you will, too!

disneyland park anaheim

Disneyland Park Info

Keep waiting to a minimum and find out how to use the Fast Pass for many popular rides.

Ready to learn about Disneyland rides? True, technically Disneyland isn't in San Diego, but one of the nice things about Southern California is that so many other cool attractions are close by. At just an hour to an hour-and-a-half away, if you're visiting San Diego for a vacation, you can easily make a day of a trip to Disneyland or combine it with a longer stay. And local San Diegans can easily make a trip to Anaheim, which is perfect for a fun family trip when you just need to get out of the county.

Disneyland is recognized as one of the most magical place on Earth (only Walt Disney World exceeds it in number of visitors per year!), but before you go, acquainting yourself with some important info about Disneyland will help make your trip just a little bit easier.

With four kids, we usually tackle the park with a game plan. When you're traveling with teens, tweens and even babies, you must know that not everyone will:

be interested in the same activities
be able to enjoy the same activities

And because the rides that you can go on at Disneyland will vary depending on your age and height, it's best to do a little bit of research can definitely save you and your children some disappointment.

Here's a few tips that have come in handy for our trips to Disneyland:

Measure the height of your smaller kids beforehand; that way, you'll know which rides he or she can ride on and be sure and measure them in the shoes they'll wear to the park. That gives them a little extra height, which can come in handy! Knowing their height beforehand can save a lot of tears at the park if your child already knows she's not tall enough (yet!) to ride a big kid ride like Space Mountain.
Have babies? Bring a book! I often waited in a nice, shady part of the park with a sleeping infant or toddler while my other family members wore themselves silly trying to squeeze in as many rides as possible. Yes, you can find peace and quiet at Disneyland.
Wear bright or unusually colored clothes. Every time my husband wore his lime green polo shirt to Disneyland, I could pick him out of the crowd in a second. Very handy when the park is crowded and you're trying to keep an eye out on busy little people.

Disneyland is organized into several themed areas.

Main Street is your first stop at Disneyland. There are no rides here, but many shops, restaurants, and activities to enjoy. Grab the Disneyland Railroad here for quick trips to other parts of the park.

Tomorrowland features rides and attractions from "the future." Favorite rides here include Star Tours, Space Mountain, and Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters (which is super fun for everyone!)

Frontierland takes you back in time, with its Wild West theme. Big Thunder Mountain is a favorite ride for our family. If you want to kick back a bit and relax, grab the Mark Twain Riverboat as it paddles around the river.

Adventureland is right next door to Frontierland and is our first stop when we visit Disneyland. Growing tall enough to ride the Indiana Jones & The Temple of the Forbidden Eye ride is a rite of passage in our household; thankfully, everyone is FINALLY tall enough to enjoy our family's favorite ride. Other must-sees here are the Jungle Cruise and Tarzan's Treehouse.

New Orleans Square is well-known for the Pirates of the Caribbean ride (consider lunch or dinner at the Blue Bayou restaurant, which overlooks the ride) and the Haunted Mansion.

Critter Country is a little corner of the park where you'll find Splash Mountain and a Winnie-the-Pooh ride. You'll also often see Pooh and Friends here for a meet-and-greet with kids.

Fantasyland is a popular Disneyland spot, especially for parents with littler children. Enjoy Dumbo, Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, Peter Pan and many more classic Disneyland rides here.

Toon Town celebrates the wacky world of Roger Rabbit-themed architecture. This is a great place for kids to run and jump, plus get to meet Mickey and Minnie at their house!

As you can see, there are many Disneyland rides to enjoy at the park. Now that you know exactly how tall your kids are, you need to know about the various height restrictions, as you must be a certain height to go on Disneyland rides like:

Disneyland Ride Height Requirements

32" - Autopia (with companion 54" or taller; must be 54" to ride alone.)
35" - Matterhorn, Gadget's Go Coaster
40" - Big Thunder Mountain, Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, and Star Tours
46" - Indiana Jones Adventure

The rest of the Disneyland rides do not have a minimum height requirement, so steer kids towards those if it's an issue.

Best Rides for Short Lines

If you want to avoid waiting in lines for rides at Disneyland, the Casey Jr. Circus Train, King Arthur Carousel, and Pirates Lair on Tom Sawyer Island have some of the shortest lines. Wait times during lunch and dinner tend to be shorter, too, as many people are eating. Get acquainted with Disney's Fast Pass system and take advantage of this terrific perk!

The 3 Boys in San Diego Family Say Don't Miss:

Take advantage of the Disney Fast Pass, which allows you to make an "appointment" for a ride, without waiting in crazy long lines.
Ask for a Child Switch pass at grown-up rides. One parent (and bigger kids) get to ride while the other parent hangs with the little ones. Then the other parent gets to "jump the line" with one other passenger to enjoy the ride.
Super hot day? Hit up rides like It's a Small World and Pirates of the Caribbean and enjoy the air-conditioned comfort. They're both long, relaxing rides, giving you a change to catch your breath.
Try out Rancho del Zocalo for lunch or dinner. For the price, the portions are large and the food decent, which can't be said for a lot of your other dining options.
Our boys love these Disneyland rides: Space Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain, Indiana Jones, Pinocchio, and Haunted Mansion.

Some children may find certain rides scary, so be aware of that. Our youngest was PETRIFIED on the Matterhorn, thanks to the two Yeti monsters looming over us as the bobsled passes by. He hasn't gone on it since. There are also attractions like the Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Snow White's Scary Adventures that small children might find frightening, so they should be avoided if your child is easily scared. You may want to check out videos of Disneyland rides on YouTube before your visit so your children know what to expect.

Best Rides for Little Kids

Almost of the rides and attractions in Fantasyland are just right for the smaller children in your group. Babies and toddlers will find many things here to keep their interest.

Other good rides for the little ones are:

Winnie the Pooh
Haunted Mansion for babies. They won't know it's spooky. And mom and dad get a moment off their feet in air conditioned comfort.
Jungle Cruise
Buzz Lightyear