What is the best age for Disneyland? We get asked this questions a lot as people who have traveled there with a baby, a toddler, kids and even as a couple. While I don’t personally think there is a bad age to go to Disneyland I do think that there are certainly ages that will appreciate and enjoy things more than others. In this article we will examine the pros and cons of each different age range to decide what is the best age to go to Disneyland.
Disneyland with a Baby – is this the best age for Disneyland
Stroller Parking at Disneyland and California Adventure
You might think that visiting a theme park with a baby is a bad idea. And admittedly many theme parks aren’t designed with babies in mind. However Disneyland is not any theme park. So is Disneyland with a baby a good idea.
Now while there are limited rides you can go on with a baby there are definitely some rides that they can be taken on. The one requirement is that they are able to support their own neck and they can sit up on their own.
Some of the best rides to go on with a baby include:
- It’s a Small World – we love this for babies given the combination of things to look at for little ones along with catchy music. Also large parts of this queue is indoors so the air conditioning can be welcoming for a little one.
- Story Book Canals – a lovely gentle ride
- King Arthur Carousel
- Dumbo’s Flying Elephants
- Mark Twain Riverboat
- Pirates of the Caribbean – if you don’t think your little one would find it frightening
However you obviously you won’t be able to ride the scarier rides with a baby at Disneyland. However you can still utilise rider swap for riding with older children or for parents.
And as any Disneyland fan will tell you there is SO much more to Disneyland than just the rides. We personally love the parades, the shows and of course the character meet and greets and character dining. All of these can be done very easily with a baby at Disneyland.
Also it is worth noting that Disneyland has many facilities for babies. There are great baby care centers throughout the parks and rider switch at many attractions help parents traveling with young kids enjoy some of the more thrill rides.
So while I think it is possible and really enjoyable to do Disneyland with a baby would I say a baby is the best age to go to Disneyland?
I would have to say no. If this is a long in a lifetime trip or you want to get everything done, then visiting Disneyland with a baby may not be right for you. Because although doing the parks with a baby is doable, there will be lots of rides you miss out on and having to schedule your day around naps and thinking about Disney stroller hacks can be an extra layer of stress for some.
However if this won’t be your only trip and it is nearby you may want to and you will enjoy visiting with a baby. One of my favorite things about visiting with a baby is that you can travel in off peak times when the kids are still in school and you can start making some amazing Disney memories.
For those that do decide to go to Disneyland with a baby check out this dedicated post.
Disneyland with a toddler – is this the best age to go to Disneyland
Disneyland with toddlers
Visiting Disneyland with a toddler is actually one of my favourite times to go to the parks. At this age, everything about the parks is magical especially the meet and greets though.
My little girl adored meeting the princesses in the parks while my son love going to California Adventure as a toddler as he got to see and meet Lightening McQueen and Cruz Ramirez his favorites.
If you want some ideas for better Disney character interactions check out our post on questions to ask Disney Princesses or questions to ask Disney characters.
There are also a lot of rides that you can go on with a toddler as opposed to going with a baby. On top of the rides that I listed above that babies can go on at Disney, toddlers can also go the below (this is a limited list be sure to check out our definitive guides on Disneyland with a toddler and California Adventure with a toddler for complete guides).
- Snow WHite’s Enchanted Wish
- Peter Pan’s Flight
- Pinochio’s DAring Journey
- Buzz Lightyear’s Astroblast
- Astro Orbitor
to name but a few. For a full Disneyland itinerary for toddlers be sure to check out this dedicated post.
The only downside to visiting Disneyland with a toddler however is that you may still have to work around nap times and still have to think about the best stroller for Disneyland and what are the best snacks to take to Disneyland.
And it is very likely you will need to purchase Genie Plus in order to ensure you get on all the rides you want to go on while making sure you toddler doesn’t lose their cool in long queues as they really don’t have the tolerance for queues at this age.
It is also worth noting that we have never managed to stay to see the evening fireworks with our toddler but it never detracted from our experience at the parks and I would recommend Disneyland with a toddler as one of the best times to go as it is so magical for them and for you as parents and guardians.
If you only have one day and don’t want to do a park hopper then be sure to check out our guide to Disneyland vs California Adventure for toddlers to decide what park is best for you.
If you are thinking about visiting other California theme parks with toddlers be sure to check out the below posts:
- Seaworld San Diego with toddlers
- Legoland with toddlers
Disneyland with kids (4-10)
Although I absolutely loved visiting Disneyland when our little ones were toddlers perhaps the best age to go to Disneyland with kids is between the ages of 4-10.
The reason for this is because children at this age they
- haven’t lost the magic that the park inspires,
- they have stamina for long days in the park without naps or strollers
- they can watch all of the shows and parades and
- there will be very few rides that they can not go on due to height restrictions.
In my opinion visiting Disneyland with kids between the ages of 4 – 10 may be the best age to go to Disneyland.
For our full guide on Disneyland with kids check out this post.
Disneyland with teenagers
Disneyland with teenagers is certainly possible and still enjoyable to do. However having said this in my humble opinion, the Disneyland peak age has passed by as the magic of the park will be gone. Also they won’t be as interested in doing meet and greets as younger children generally but not exclusively speaking.
However on the plus side, they will be able to literally ride on everything as there shouldn’t be any worries about height restrictions at Disneyland with teenagers.
However having said that if your teenagers have been to other theme parks around the world they may be disappointed by the lack of thrill rides so in some ways this might be one of the worst ages to go to the park.
For our full guide on Disneyland with teenagers check out this post.
Disneyland as an adult
Disneyland as Adults
Can you visiting Disneyland without kids? Can you go to Disneyland as an adult?
As Disney fans and people who have done this we get asked this a lot. And my answer is ABSOLUTELY you can.
One of the great things about visiting as an adult is you can go on any ride, can wait in long queues and don’t necessarily have to buy Genie Plus unless you want to. Can indulge in all the food and enjoy some of the Disneyland alcoholic beverages.
We always have great fun in Disneyland as adults and we are sure you will too.
Overall What is the Best Age to Go to Disneyland
What is the Best Age For Disneyland
So what is the best age to go to Disneyland? Overall I think there is no bad age to go to Disneyland as it has something on offer for everyone.
However out of all the ages my choice for what is the best age to go to Disneyland has to be with kids between 4-10 and toddlers as these really are the best age to experience the magic of Disney, do character meet and greets while still being able to go on most of the rides.
What do you think the best age to go to Disneyland is?