The Complete Disneyland Ride Guide

Everything you need to know about all the Disneyland rides for your vacation.

Disneyland Ride Guide

What Disneyland ride will your kids like? What can you ride as a family? What about rides at Disneyland for teens? What should I skip and more. This is a complete Disneyland ride guide to help you plan the best Disneyland vacation yet. 

Disneyland Rides for Everyone

What can your baby ride? What can little kids ride? What can you go on with everyone in your group? This section is for you! Plus here’s a quick list of height requirements for attractions at Disneyland from my friend Julie at Mom Rewritten. 

 

Dumbo the Flying Elephant

 

While there are plenty of rides and attractions at Disneyland with no height requirement, some attractions can be scary. Be sure to continue reading for full details on each ride before taking little ones on certain attractions.

  • Alice in Wonderland
  • Astro Orbitor
  • Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters
  • Casey Jr. Circus Train
  • Chip ‘n Dale Treehouse
  • Disneyland Monorail
  • Disneyland Railroad
  • Donald’s Boat
  • Dumbo the Flying Elephant
  • Enchanted Tiki Room
  • Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage
  • Haunted Mansion
  • “it’s a small world”
  • Jungle Cruise
  • King Arthur Carrousel
  • Mad Tea Party
  • Main Street Cinema
  • Main Street Vehicles
  • The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
  • Mark Twain River Boat
  • Mickey’s House
  • Minnie’s House
  • Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway
  • Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride
  • Peter Pan’s Flight
  • Pinocchio’s Daring Adventure
  • Pirate’s Lair on Tom Sawyer Island
  • Pirates of the Caribbean
  • Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin
  • Sailing Ship Columbia
  • Sleeping Beauty Castle Walkthrough
  • Snow White’s Enchanted Wish
  • Storybook Land Canal Boats
  • Tarzan’s Treehouse

Want to get a game plan for your Disneyland day? Printable plans are just the ticket. I outline what to ride and when, so your day is as magical as can be. 

 

its a small world disneyland

California Adventure Rides with No Height Requirements

California Adventure is more experience based than rides, there’s so many things to fill your day even with little ones. Don’t forget to add character meet and greets to your itinerary, or print one of ours where it’s already filled in for you. 

 

Animation Academy

 

  • Animation Academy (learn to draw your favorite Disney characters)
  • Sorcerers Workshop
  • Turtle Talk with Crush
  • Disney Junior Dance Party
  • The Bakery Tour (you can smell it already, can’t you?)

 

Pixar Pier view

 

  • Inside Out Emotional Whirlwind
  • Jessie’s Critter Carousel
  • Pixar Pal A-Round (be sure to get a stable gondola)
  • Toy Story Midway Mania (be careful, these cars move swiftly!)
  • Monster’s Inc- Mike and Sulley to the Rescue!
  • Red Car Trolley
  • The Little Mermaid – Ariel’s Undersea Adventure
  • WEB Slingers: A Spider-Man Adventure

Disneyland Rollercoasters for Thrill Seekers

Are you a rollercoaster junky? Do you love the up, down, side to side kinda ride? Then this list is for you. We’ve combined both parks into one list, so screenshot this and be sure to read up on how to ride even more with Disney Genie+. 

 

Incredicoaster

 

  • Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
  • Gadget’s Go Coaster
  • Goofy’s Sky School
  • Grizzly River Run
  • Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT!
  • Space Mountain

 

Grizzly River Run Single Rider

 

  • Incredicoaster
  • Indiana Jones Adventure
  • Matterhorn Bobsleds
  • Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
  • Radiator Springs Racers
  • Rise of the Resistance
  • Splash Mountain
  • Star Tours – The Adventures Continue

Disneyland Rides in Adventureland

Do you need a dose of Adventure? My favorite ride in Adventureland has got to be Indiana Jones, and my dad would agree! This is his top ride resort-wide. Get all the details on the rides and attractions in Adventureland here. 

Indiana Jones Adventure

  • Height Requirements 46 inches or taller, this is one of the last milestones for growing kids in what they can ride at Disneyland park.
  • Seating in a rugged Jeep-like vehicle for up to 12 people, 4 per row with lap seatbelts for each guest.

 

Indiana Jones seats

 

  • Waiting in covered, interactive queue. Even when wait times soar.
  • What we love this thrill ride never gets old! It’s part rollercoaster and all adventure.
  • What we loathe having to use the potty while waiting in line . . . go beforehand!
  • Insider Secrets this is my favorite ride for a single rider line when the stand by line is long.

Jungle Cruise

  • Height Requirements any height can ride, including babies and pregnant women.
  • Seating in a boat on benches and cargo boxes, no safety restraints needed.
  • Waiting in a shaded queue. Typical wait time is 10 minutes or less.

 

unnamed-9

 

  • What we love the dry humor of our trusty skipper and tour of exotic locales.
  • What we loathe longer waits during peak season.
  • Insider Secrets choose either side when the line splits, you’re good to go either way.

Get your Disneyland discount tickets from our partner, Get Away Today before heading over to Disneyland Resort.

Plus, enjoy an extra $10 off when booking a hotel stay of two nights or more along with your discount Disneyland tickets! Get my promo code delivered to your inbox now.

Disneyland Rides in Critter Country

This adorable little back of the woods area in Disneyland is home to Winnie the Pooh and friends for meet and greets and hunny sweets! Plus, it’s one access point to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge

 

Cirtter Country

 

The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh

  • Height Requirements any height can ride, including babies and pregnant women.
  • Seating in a giant 6 person beehive.
  • Waiting outdoors in a partially shaded queue for about 5 minutes.
  • What we love the classic dark-ride feel outside of Fantasyland with low wait times.
  • What we loathe this area of the park is busier now that Galaxy’s Edge is open. 
  • Insider Secrets be sure to visit your friends from Hundred Acre Wood after you exit the ride.

 

 

Splash Mountain

  • Height Requirements 40 inches or taller.
  • Seating in a hollow log with room for 6 or 7 people, no seat belts or restraints
  • Waiting both inside and outside, on hot days for 40 minutes or more

 

 

  • What we love taking a massive, water filled plunge down the mountain and seeing our photo at the end
  • What we loathe what’s not to love?
  • Insider Secrets ride first thing in the morning and get the ride almost completely to yourself.

Disneyland Rides in Fantasyland

Fantasyland is the heartbeat of Disneyland to me. It’s full of magic, life and light. This is usually the first place families with little ones come and it’s one of those places you go back to again and again to feel that magic of childhood. 

Alice in Wonderland

  • Height Requirements any height can ride, including babies and pregnant women.
  • Seating in a colorful caterpillar to take you through Wonderland, two rows of seating per caterpillar with pull down bar. Rows can accommodate 2-3 people, smaller children and toddlers enter first.
  • Waiting in a small, semi-shaded queue. Typical wait time is 20 minutes or more.

 

Alice in Wonderland

 

  • What we love whimsical dark ride with the classic tale of Alice in Wonderland, premiered in Disneyland in 1958, three years after the park opened.
  • What we loathe closures due to firework displays. Alice closes before fireworks and until the fire marshall gives the okay to reopen afterwards.
  • Insider Secrets be sure to come here to celebrate your birthday or unbirthday.

Casey Jr. Circus Train

  • Height Requirements any height can ride, including babies and pregnant women.
  • Seating in a circus train or sleigh behind Casey Jr. from a Disney classic, Dumbo .
  • Waiting in crowded sunny queue. Typical wait time is 5-10 minutes.

 

Casey Junior Circus Train

 

  • What we love it’s an excellent alternative to the Storybook Canal Boats, you get a quicker ride through Storybook Land past miniature versions of Disney castles and stories.
  • What we loathe the animal cages. I can’t stand climbing into those!
  • Insider Secrets try to grab a seat in a sleigh instead, much more comfortable.

Dumbo the Flying Elephant

  • Height Requirements any height can ride, including babies and pregnant women.
  • Seating in Dumbo himself with various colors. Soar with Dumbo with 2 or 3 guests depending on size, use one adjustable strap for your party.
  • Waiting in a new shaded queue added in 2018. Typical wait time is 30-40 minutes even if the line looks short because it has hidden switchbacks behind the attraction.

 

unnamed-18

 

  • What we love the unforgettable view of Fantasyland from the skies above.
  • What we loathe long lines most of the day.
  • Insider Secrets try to hit Dumbo early in the morning for shorter wait times.

“it’s a small world”

  • Height Requirements any height can ride, including babies and pregnant women.
  • Seating in a boat to carry about 4 guests per row across the Seven Seaways canal with no safety restraints needed.
  • Waiting in sunny queue. Typical wait time is 5-10 minutes except during “it’s a small world” holiday.

 

Its a small world exterior

 

  • What we love the air conditioner blasting! Plus it’s a classic, so we love it.
  • What we loathe I know what you’re thinking so I’ll just say it for you, “the song!”
  • Insider Secrets utilize Disney Genie+ if the line is longer than 20 minutes. 

 

 

King Arthur Carrousel

  • Height Requirements any height can ride.
  • Seating on an ornate carrousel horse with a safety belt around you.
  • Waiting in shaded queue for about 5 minutes.

 

King Arthur Carrousel Disneyland

 

  • What we love the detail of every horse and that each one gallops up and down.
  • What we loathe if the wait is over 5 minutes, we skip it since you can find similar merry-go-rounds back home too.
  • Insider Secrets Julie Andrews has her own horse, Jingles, who is the most decorated horse of them all!

Mad Tea Party (aka Teacups)

  • Height Requirements any height can ride.
  • Seating in a whimsical oversized tea cup with no safety restraints required.
  • Waiting in shaded queue for about 5 minutes.

 

Mad Tea Party

 

  • What we love the details of the teacups and lanterns that hang above.
  • What we loathe the head-spinning feeling that’s hard to shake afterward.
  • Insider Secrets while many attractions in Fantasyland close during the fireworks, this one is super fun to ride during the night time display.

 

Michael Jessica

Matterhorn Bobsleds

  • Height Requirements 42 inches tall, be prepared for sharp turns.
  • Seating in a bobsled on either the Tomorrowland or Fantasyland side, extra long legs should stay clear of the middle seat.
  • Waiting outdoors in a no frills queue that wraps around the mountain. Peak days wait is 45 minutes or more, but it’s usually around 20 minutes.

matterhorn seats

 

  • What we love the Fantasyland side for a slightly more wild ride, and riding at night is extra fun!
  • What we loathe the squishy seating and head-jerking movements.
  • Insider Secrets the line tends to move fast, unless the two lines meet on the backside of the mountain, you probably will wait about 20 minutes.

 

Matterhorn Single Rider line

Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride

  • Height Requirements any height can ride, including babies and pregnant women.
  • Seating in a 2 person open air automobile.

 

 

  • Waiting in sun and shade for about 20 minutes or more.
  • What we love quick and zippy dark ride that’s only found at Disneyland Park.
  • What we loathe it can be frightening for children.
  • Insider Secrets ride it early in the morning for lower wait times.

Peter Pan’s Flight

  • Height Requirements any height can ride, including babies and pregnant women.
  • Seating aboard a pirate ship with up to three people and a pull down lap bar.
  • Waiting in sun and shade in the heart of Fantasyland.

 

Peter Pan's Flight

 

  • What we love soaring above London and the view of Neverland. My absolute favorite ride in all of The Disneyland Resort because it’s that nostalgic.
  • What we loathe waiting in the afternoon sun for 40+ minutes.
  • Insider Secrets ride it first thing in the morning and you can reduce your wait time considerably.

Pinocchio’s Daring Journey

  • Height Requirements any height can ride, including babies and pregnant women.
  • Seating in a woodcarver’s cart, seats up to three people per row with two rows; pull down lap bar.
  • Waiting inside for just a few minutes on most days.

 

pinocchio

 

  • What we love the classic story of the puppet turned real boy.
  • What we loathe it’s scary for young children.
  • Insider Secrets don’t wait longer than 10-15 minutes for this ride or you’ll just be disappointed.

Snow White’s Enchanted Wish

  • Height Requirements any height can ride, including babies and pregnant women.
  • Seating in a mine cart, seats up to three people per row with two rows; pull down lap bar.
  • Waiting inside for just a few minutes on most days.

 

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(Christian Thompson/Disneyland Resort)

 

  • What we love newly reimagined for 2021, the scene with the dwarfs in the mine.
  • What we loathe it’s no longer as scary for young children.
  • Insider Secrets look for all new features in 2021 or if you haven’t been on this in a while. 

Storybook Land Canal Boats

  • Height Requirements any height can ride, including babies and pregnant women.
  • Seating in a boat with about 11 or 12 guests.
  • Waiting outside in the sun for 15 minutes or more.

 

Storybook Land Canal Boats

 

  • What we love the scenes of miniature fairytales.
  • What we loathe the long wait in the sun.
  • Insider Secrets as for your little ones to sit at the front of the boat.

Get your Disneyland discount tickets from our partner, Get Away Today before heading over to Disneyland Resort.Discount Tickets

Plus, enjoy an extra $10 off when booking a hotel stay of two nights or more along with your discount Disneyland tickets! Get my promo code delivered to your inbox now.

Disneyland Rides in Frontierland

It’s the Wild West here in Frontierland. Take a ride on Big Thunder, enjoy some great food and shopping as well!

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad

  • Height Requirements 40 inches and up can ride.
  • Seating in a runaway mine train venturing inside the abandoned Big Thunder Mining Company’s mine from America’s Gold Rush. Each seat holds 2 guests with a pull down lap bar.
  • Waiting in a mostly sunny queue. Typical wait time is 20 minutes or more.
  • What we love wild twists and turns with quick views of Star Wars land and rolling past the miniature mining town of Big Thunder.

 

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad

 

  • What we loathe when kids sit with adults, they often feel insecure with the pull down lap bar because it’s not as close to them and they definitely get tossed around.
  • Insider Secrets night time rides of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad are a must!

Disneyland Rides in Mickey’s Toontown

This colorful, fun and goofy back part of Disneyland is home to Mickey and his friends. Little kids love this area for it’s many play areas and interactive elements. 

 

Welcome to Mickeys Toontown

Chip ‘n’ Dale’s GADGETcoaster

  • Height Requirements 35 inches or taller.
  • Seating in a hollowed out “acorn train” seating 2 guest per car, one adult per car.
  • Waiting outdoors in a slow moving line because of the very low capacity.

 

Gadget's Go Coaster

 

  • What we love taking kids new to rollercoasters on this little thrill ride that lasts about 60 seconds.
  • What we loathe it’s quite a wait for such a short ride.
  • Insider Secrets Toontown usually opens an hour after the rest of the park, get there first and ride the coaster with little wait time.

Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway

  • Height Requirements any height can ride.
  • Seating five or six to a row, one bench, one pull down lap bar.
  • Waiting inside in a detailed, fun-filled queue. In fact, it’s the best queue in the resort IMO.

 

MMRR ride vehicle seating

 

  • What we love the details of the ride and queue, so many photo spots in the queue as well. 
  • What we loathe it’s hard to ride multiple times without getting a headache due to the screen portions of the ride.
  • Insider Secrets here’s how to ride the latest attraction to join Disneyland Park.

Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin

  • Height Requirements any height can ride.
  • Seating in Toontown Cab Co, up to three people per cab with pull down lap bar.
  • Waiting inside in a detailed, crazy, cartoony queue.

 

 

  • What we love the details of the ride and queue based on the film Who Framed Roger Rabbit.
  • What we loathe if the lap bar is in the right spot, your little one might hit it with his mouth during the spins—watch out!
  • Insider Secrets the line twists and turns out of sight and may be longer than it appears, but it’s a welcome break from the heat.

Disneyland Rides in New Orleans Square

I love this area of Disneyland Park, full of mystery and authenticity. You really feel transported in this part of the park, plus it’s home to two classic Disneyland attractions. 

Haunted Mansion

  • Height Requirements any height can ride, including babies and pregnant women.
  • Seating in Doom Buggy with a pull down bar for 2 or 3 guests (and some hitchhiking ghosts).
  • Waiting in mostly shaded graveyard for a few minutes (more during Haunted Mansion Holiday overlay at Halloween Time)

 

The Complete Disneyland Ride Guide, Haunted Mansion.

 

  • What we love pretty much everything about this creepy, eerie place. 
  • What we loathe hmm, I’ll have to think on that one.
  • Insider Secrets kids might be less afraid of the Haunted Mansion Holiday when Jack Skellington takes over from September to January.

Pirates of the Caribbean

  • Height Requirements any height can ride, including babies and pregnant women.
  • Seating in a small barge with room for about 4 guests per row across several rows.
  • Waiting outside and then indoors overlooking pirate treasure.

 

Pirates disneyland

 

  • What we love this Disneyland classic just never gets old!
  • What we loathe when it’s closed!
  • Insider Secrets choose the line on the right when it splits in two for shorter waits.

Disneyland Rides in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge

It truly feels like you’re entering another planet here on Batuu. I’ve covered Star Wars extensively in this section of my website. 

Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run

  • Height Requirements 38 inches or taller, not recommended for pregnant women (see full list of rides here). 
  • Seating in Millennium Falcon cockpit chairs with an expansive seat belt and no arm rests. Each cockpit seats up to 6 guests.
  • Waiting indoors with an entertaining queue. Disney also mentioned snacks and drinks for sale while in line, but the line was never long enough during opening weekend for me to see them implement snack sales. Single Rider, Rider Switch available.

 

Falcon seats

 

  • What we love riding with a rowdy group of friends. It’s fun to cheer each other on and yell out commands to each other on your flight. 
  • What we loathe pilots are the best position by far, back engineer seats are hard and not comfortable. More details below on assigned roles and my opinion on the ride. 
  • Insider Secrets gunners can select manual option so they can push one button and instead pay attention to the screen, not buttons on the side. More details on that in the rider position section. 

Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance

 

Stormtroppers Happiest Blog Rise

 

Disneyland Rides in Tomorrowland

Tomorrowland is going through lots of changes since many Star Wars things have left, but some still remain. Here’s a breakdown of the rides here. 

Astro Orbitor

  • Height Requirements any height can ride, including babies and pregnant women.
  • Seating in a rocket ship which can accommodate 3 people.
  • Waiting in a small, outdoor queue. Typical wait time is 10 minutes or more.

 

Disneyland Astro Orbitor

 

  • What we love steering through outer space when the sun sets at Disneyland.
  • What we loathe nothing!
  • Insider Secrets every space ship is marked with a different astrological sign, representing the astrological calendar.

Autopia

  • Height Requirements 54 inches can drive their own, 32 inches can drive when accompanied by someone 54 inches or over.
  • Seating in a real-working gas powered vehicle with 2 adults or 3 children in one seat belt strap.
  • Waiting in mostly sun.

 

The Complete Disneyland Ride Guide. Autopia, © The Happiest Blog on Earth.

 

  • What we love driving through Tomorrowland in the only attraction in this land that was here on opening day in 1955.
  • What we loathe it’s seriously hard to drive these things and kids can’t barely reach the gas pedal which is why it’s made our what not to ride list.
  • Insider Secrets let your kid take the steering wheel while you press the gas pedal to ease frustration and collisions!

Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters

  • Height Requirements any height can ride, including babies and pregnant women.
  • Seating in an XP-40 space cruiser which seats 2 to 3 guests (2 with onboard laser cannons) and a pull down lap bar.
  • Waiting partially outdoors but mostly inside a slightly interactive queue.

 

 

  • What we love scoring more points than our friends and emailing the pictures home to prove it!
  • What we loathe if you’re a parent with 2 littles, you may get stuck steering instead of aiming.
  • Insider Secrets triangle and diamond targets are worth the most points!

 

Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage

  • Height Requirements any height can ride, including babies and pregnant women, but be careful going down those steps!
  • Seating in a real life submarine with narrow passages and small fold-down chairs in front of your personal porthole.
  • Waiting in sun and shade in a boring queue for 20 minutes or more.

 

Finding Nemo Submarine

 

  • What we love when it’s over. This one is not my favorite, but it is long and relaxing.
  • What we loathe the waits for this ride are long and boring. Even a short line could have you waiting for 20+ minutes. I *once* saw Nemo as a walk-right-up and board ride. I was shocked!
  • Insider Secrets ride it first thing in the morning if your kids simply can’t resist.

Space Mountain

  • Height Requirements 40 inches or taller.
  • Seating two by two in a traditional roller coaster car with pull down lap bars and little legroom.
  • Waiting in sun when lines are long, but mostly indoors for 45 minutes or more on regular days.

 

Space Mountain seats

 

  • What we love feeling like you’re truly speeding through outer space.
  • What we loathe Ghost Galaxy overlay during Halloween Time, feels like an afterthought of ghosts and zombies on the ride.
  • Insider Secrets ask to sit in the front row, it’s absolutely amazing!

Star Tours – The Adventure Continues

  • Height Requirements 40 inches or taller
  • Seating in a Starspeeder 1000, a cosmic transportation vehicle.
  • Waiting mostly indoors with lots of Star Wars entertainment to keep you occupied.

 

 

  • What we love it’s a different adventure every time.
  • What we loath the 3-D effects can really make some people feel nauseated.
  • Insider Secrets ride it in the morning and again later with Disney Genie+.

Wow! That was exhausting but I did it again over at California Adventure too!  I hope this Disneyland ride guide helps you determine what rides are best for your group, along with a few tips along the way. If you need more help planning your vacation, check out our VIP Custom Park Plans and ready-to-go itineraries before your trip.

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By Jessica Sanders

Recognized authority on all things Disneyland Resort. Offering dynamic planning strategies and the latest theme park information since 2013. Jessica's insights have been featured on Yahoo! News, InStyle, The Washington Post, and many others.

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