Planning your first Walt Disney World vacation with a baby or toddler comes with a question we hear all the time:
Which Disney World park is actually best for little kids?
Walt Disney World has four theme parks—Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Disney’s Animal Kingdom—and they are VERY different from one another.
The good news? There are things babies and toddlers can experience at every Disney World park.
Many attractions throughout Walt Disney World have no minimum height requirement, which means even the littlest members of your family can ride alongside you. Add character experiences, live entertainment, playground-style areas and plenty of opportunities to explore, and you may be surprised by just how much there is to do with a child under 2.
But if you’re planning a shorter vacation and can’t visit all four parks, some are definitely easier to prioritize with babies and toddlers than others.
Here’s how we would rank the best Walt Disney World parks for families with babies and toddlers.
#1 Magic Kingdom
🏆 BEST OVERALL FOR BABIES & TODDLERS
If you’re taking a baby or toddler to Walt Disney World for the first time, Magic Kingdom is our number one park recommendation.
It’s the park most people picture when they think of a classic Disney World vacation. Cinderella Castle, Dumbo, “it’s a small world,” Peter Pan, Winnie the Pooh and so many other quintessential Disney experiences are all here.
More importantly for parents of little ones, Magic Kingdom has the most attractions with no minimum height requirement.
That means there is a LOT your entire family can experience together.
Some of the attractions babies and toddlers can enjoy include:
- Dumbo the Flying Elephant
- “it’s a small world”
- Peter Pan’s Flight
- Under the Sea
- The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
- Prince Charming’s Regal Carrousel
- Mickey’s PhilharMagic
- Haunted Mansion
- Jungle Cruise
- The Magic Carpets of Aladdin
- Pirates of the Caribbean
- Country Bear Jamboree
- Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
- Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover
- Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress
- Walt Disney World Railroad
And that’s only part of what families can experience.
Magic Kingdom also offers plenty of Disney atmosphere, entertainment and opportunities to see favorite characters.
Why We Love Magic Kingdom With Little Ones
You can easily fill an entire day without needing your child to meet a single ride height requirement.
There are also plenty of slower-moving attractions that can give parents and babies a break from walking around the park.
If you’re planning your child’s first-ever Disney World vacation, this is the park we would prioritize above everything else.
There’s just something special about that first picture in front of Cinderella Castle. 🏰
Our recommendation: If you only have ONE Disney park day with a baby or toddler, make it Magic Kingdom.
#2 EPCOT
🌐 BEST FOR A MORE RELAXED FAMILY DAY
Our second choice might surprise some first-time visitors.
We’re putting EPCOT at #2.
EPCOT sometimes gets labeled as a park that’s better for adults, especially because of its festivals, dining and World Showcase.
But there is actually quite a bit for babies and toddlers to experience.
Attractions without a minimum height requirement include:
- Spaceship Earth
- Moana: Journey of Water
- Living with the Land
- The Seas with Nemo & Friends
- Journey Into Imagination with Figment
- Disney and Pixar Short Film Festival
- Gran Fiesta Tour Starring the Three Caballeros
- Frozen Ever After
- Reflections of China
- The American Adventure
- Beauty and the Beast Sing-Along
- Canada Far and Wide in Circle-Vision 360
For little Frozen fans, Frozen Ever After alone can be a huge hit.
The Seas with Nemo & Friends is another great option because after riding the attraction, families can spend time exploring the aquarium.
And Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana gives little ones another opportunity to explore instead of spending the entire day moving from one ride queue to another.
Why We Love EPCOT With Little Ones
EPCOT can be a great park when you want to slow down.
Instead of feeling like you need to race between attractions all day, you can ride a few things, explore World Showcase, stop for food and take your time.
That can work surprisingly well when you’re navigating stroller naps, bottles, meals and diaper changes.
Parents can enjoy EPCOT, too—which is another reason we rank it so highly.
The kids can experience Disney attractions while Mom and Dad enjoy the food, festivals and atmosphere throughout the park.
Our recommendation: EPCOT is a great second park for families who want a combination of kid-friendly attractions and experiences the adults will enjoy, too.
#3 Disney’s Animal Kingdom
🦒 BEST FOR ANIMAL-LOVING LITTLE ONES
If your baby or toddler LOVES animals, you could easily move Animal Kingdom higher on your family’s personal ranking.
Animal Kingdom doesn’t have the sheer number of baby-friendly rides you’ll find at Magic Kingdom, but what it does have is something completely different from the other parks:
Animals!
Some experiences without a height requirement include:
- Kilimanjaro Safaris
- Na’vi River Journey
- Zootopia: Better Zoogether!
- Festival of the Lion King
- Finding Nemo: The Big Blue… and Beyond!
- Feathered Friends in Flight!
- Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail
- Maharajah Jungle Trek
- Bluey’s Wild World
Kilimanjaro Safaris Is a Must With Little Ones
One of our favorite Animal Kingdom experiences for families is Kilimanjaro Safaris.
Your entire family can head out onto the savanna together and see animals such as giraffes, elephants and more.
And because the animals are real, every safari can feel a little different.
For a baby or toddler fascinated by animals, it can be one of the most exciting experiences of the entire vacation.
Don’t Overlook the Shows
Animal Kingdom also has some incredible live entertainment.
Festival of the Lion King and Finding Nemo: The Big Blue… and Beyond! give families an opportunity to sit down and enjoy a show together—which can also provide a much-needed break from walking around the park.
Why We Love Animal Kingdom With Little Ones
Animal Kingdom isn’t necessarily about checking off as many rides as possible.
It’s a park where you can slow down, look at animals, walk the trails and enjoy the environment.
That makes it a surprisingly good fit for families traveling at toddler speed.
Our recommendation: If your little one is obsessed with animals, Animal Kingdom could easily become one of their favorite parks.
#4 Disney’s Hollywood Studios
🎬 BEST FOR SHOWS & CERTAIN CHARACTER FANS
Putting Hollywood Studios fourth doesn’t mean you should skip it!
We simply think there are fewer attractions babies and toddlers can experience compared with Magic Kingdom.
Hollywood Studios is home to several of Disney World’s bigger attractions that have minimum height requirements, which can make it slightly more challenging when everyone in your family wants to ride together.
However, there are still some great options for little ones.
Experiences without a minimum height requirement include:
- Beauty and the Beast – Live on Stage
- Mickey Mouse Clubhouse LIVE
- For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration
- Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular
- Disney Villains: Unfairly Ever After
- Star Wars Launch Bay
- Vacation Fun
- The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure
- Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway
- Toy Story Mania!
Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway Is a Big Plus
One of the biggest reasons we’d still consider Hollywood Studios with a toddler is Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway.
It’s an actual family ride without a minimum height requirement featuring Mickey and friends, which makes it an exciting option for younger children.
Toy Story Mania! is another attraction the family can experience together.
And if your child loves Disney Junior, Frozen or The Little Mermaid, the park’s entertainment can make Hollywood Studios much more appealing.
Why Hollywood Studios Ranks Fourth
There is absolutely enough here to enjoy with a baby or toddler.
However, if you’re visiting Disney World for the first time and only have two or three park days, we’d personally prioritize the other parks first unless Hollywood Studios has characters or experiences your child particularly loves.
Our recommendation: Add Hollywood Studios if you have enough time to visit all four parks or if there are specific shows, characters or attractions your family really wants to experience.
So, How Would We Rank the Disney Parks for Babies and Toddlers?
For the average family visiting Walt Disney World with a child under 2, our ranking would be:
1. Magic Kingdom – Best overall and the most attractions without height requirements
2. EPCOT – Great combination of family attractions and a slower-paced day
3. Animal Kingdom – Fantastic for animal-loving babies and toddlers
4. Hollywood Studios – Fewer rides for very young children, but still plenty of shows and family experiences
But there’s an important catch:
The best park for YOUR toddler is the park that has what they love.
Have a toddler who is completely obsessed with animals? Animal Kingdom might beat EPCOT.
Have a Frozen fan? EPCOT and Hollywood Studios immediately become more important.
Want the most traditional first Disney experience possible? Magic Kingdom is hard to beat.
Use this ranking as a starting point rather than a rule.
How Many Disney Park Days Do You Need With a Baby?
If your schedule and budget allow it, we’d recommend visiting all four Walt Disney World theme parks so your family can experience what makes each one different.
But if you’re planning a shorter vacation, here’s how we’d prioritize.
If You Have 1 Park Day
Choose Magic Kingdom.
You’ll have the greatest number of attractions your entire family can experience together and get that quintessential first Disney World experience.
If You Have 2 Park Days
We’d choose:
Magic Kingdom + EPCOT
This gives you one classic Disney day followed by a more relaxed park with plenty for both little ones and adults.
If You Have 3 Park Days
Consider:
Magic Kingdom + EPCOT + Animal Kingdom
You’ll get classic Disney attractions, EPCOT experiences and an entire day centered around animals and entertainment.
If You Have 4 Park Days
Do all four!
Spending one day in each park gives you the chance to experience the variety Walt Disney World has to offer without having to choose which park to leave out.
Should You Park Hop With a Baby?
You certainly CAN, but that doesn’t mean you need to.
For first-time families with babies or toddlers, spending one park per day can often be much easier.
Getting a stroller packed up, moving between parks and settling everyone into a new location takes time.
If your family is comfortable navigating Disney transportation and you want more flexibility, Park Hopper admission can be great.
But don’t feel like you’re missing out if you decide to keep things simple.
Sometimes one park, a midday break and an early bedtime make for a much happier Disney family than trying to squeeze two parks into one day.
Remember: Your Disney Days Will Look Different With a Baby
If you’ve visited Walt Disney World before having children, this trip probably won’t look like your previous vacations.
And that’s okay.
Maybe you used to race from attraction to attraction from park opening until closing.
With a baby, your day might include a stroller nap, an hour inside the Baby Care Center, a long lunch and an unexpected 20 minutes watching ducks near Cinderella Castle.
That’s part of traveling with little ones.
Don’t judge the success of your vacation by the number of attractions you completed.
Some of your favorite memories may end up being the moments you never planned.
Don’t Wait Just Because They Won’t Remember It
One of the most common reasons families give for postponing a Walt Disney World vacation is:
“We’ll wait until they’re old enough to remember it.”
But Disney with a baby isn’t necessarily about what they’ll remember.
It’s about what you’ll remember.
Their first Mickey hug.
Their face during “it’s a small world.”
Watching them point at a giraffe on Kilimanjaro Safaris.
Their first picture in front of Cinderella Castle.
And because Walt Disney World offers so many attractions without minimum height requirements, you don’t have to spend the entire vacation sitting on the sidelines just because you have a baby.
You get to experience so much of the magic together.
Let Academy Travel Help Plan Your Disney World Vacation With Little Ones
Planning Walt Disney World can already feel overwhelming when you’ve never been before.
Add a baby or toddler into the equation and suddenly you’re thinking about resorts, transportation, strollers, naps, Rider Switch, attraction height requirements, dining and about a hundred other little details.
You don’t have to figure it all out yourself.
An Academy Travel agent can help you plan your Walt Disney World vacation at no additional cost, including helping you choose the right resort, tickets and park itinerary for your family.
Whether your little one is 6 months old, 18 months old or already running toward every Disney character they see, there is plenty of magic waiting for them at Walt Disney World.
And if we had to choose where to experience that magic first?
We’ll see you at Magic Kingdom!
