From dreadfully long lines to spinning that’ll make any adult feel ill, if you’re a toddler parent, I suggest skipping these Disney World rides.
Not every Disney World ride is magical when you’re traveling with a toddler. These attractions may be fan favorites, but for exhausted parents, they can quickly become the most stressful part of the day.
If you’ve ever tried to survive a 60-minute queue with an overtired two-year-old, you already know the truth: the “best” Disney rides aren’t always the best rides for toddler parents. While Walt Disney World is packed with toddler-friendly attractions, there are a few rides that can leave moms and dads counting down the minutes until nap time.
As a Disney World regular and toddler parent, I’ve learned there are some attractions that simply aren’t worth the chaos, long waits, or motion sickness. Here are the Disney World rides I’d skip every single time when visiting with little ones.
Swiss Family Treehouse Is Basically a Toddler Stairmaster
Photo by Laurie Sapp
You’re sure to get your 10,000 steps in when you’re visiting Disney World – and then some – so why torture yourself by adding even more steps, plus some stairs, into the mix? When you’re spending an entire day hauling your toddler from ride to ride, carrying them, and trying to entertain them, the last thing you want to do is more physical activity.
And that’s why the Swiss Family Treehouse is one of the worst rides in all of Disney World for toddler parents.
This walkable attraction in Magic Kingdom Park’s Adventureland is toddler-friendly and offers some cool sights, from its wooden water wheel to its ingenious moving contraptions. And when you get to the top, the 6-story-tall summit does offer some great views of Magic Kingdom.
But in order to get yourself and your toddler to the top, you’ll need to climb 116 stairs.
116 stairs doesn’t sound like a lot, but if you’ve ever tried to climb even a small flight of stairs with a wobbly toddler who insists on doing it themselves, you’d probably rather do anything else. It’s not only exhausting, but if your toddler is anything like mine, you’ll likely spend hours trying to help them go up, then down, then back up (and then back down) the same single set of stairs for an eternity.
Save yourself the headache and your body the pain, and find an attraction that’ll allow you to sit down instead.
Peter Pan’s Flight Has One of the Worst Waits in Disney World
At first glance, Peter Pan’s Flight seems like the perfect ride for any toddler. It’s not just a classic Disney dark ride; it’s perhaps the best of the bunch. And I personally loved this ride as a kid myself, dragging my parents on it every chance I had.
But as a parent myself, I’ve learned that Peter Pan’s Flight is actually awful. While it might hold a lot of nostalgia for us Millennial parents, the ride simply isn’t great for the under-three age group. My son isn’t exactly entranced by Peter Pan or his story, and he finds it boring.
Worst of all, though, this Magic Kingdom staple never fails to have an insanely long wait time. And that’s what makes it so awful for parents. You and your toddler will have to wait at least 30 minutes to ride Peter Pan’s Flight (and that’s on a good day). Often, the queue can take 45 minutes or an hour – and trust me, this isn’t one worth using a Lightning Lane for.
In my opinion, the long wait simply isn’t worth the end result for this attraction. If your toddler is a big Peter Pan fan, it might be worthwhile. But I think the ride is too boring and far too short to make its always-long wait time pay off sufficiently. Instead, I suggest trying Under the Sea – Journey of the Little Mermaid or “it’s a small world”, both of which have catchy tunes, typically manageable wait times, and more excitement for little ones.
Mad Tea Party Is a Nightmare Once You Become a Parent
Photo by Ernie Carr
Your little one may absolutely adore the Mad Tea Party, and I’ll admit that it’s a ride I used to love before becoming a parent. After all, what toddler doesn’t want to be in charge, choosing their teacup’s color and determining just how fast – and in what direction – their teacup spins?
However, since becoming a mom, I’ve found the Mad Tea Party is one of Disney World’s worst rides for parents. Maybe my equilibrium is out of whack; maybe I’m just getting old. But the sheer thought of sitting in a spinning teacup makes me want to lay down. I can barely handle my toddler raising and lowering our elephant on Dumbo, and I’m pretty sure a fast-spinning teacup will be the end of me.
If your ability to handle anything that spins has faded since becoming a parent, then you’ll likely do anything to avoid this ride (I recommend convincing your other half to take a spin with your little one instead!).
Frozen Ever After Isn’t (Always) Worth the Meltdown
This is a controversial one, since EPCOT’s Frozen Ever After is popular with not only princess-loving toddlers, but also plenty of adult Frozen fans. In fact, odds are your toddler likely begs you to go on this ride if they’ve already been on it.
But in my opinion, Frozen Ever After is one of the worst Disney World rides for toddler parents. It’s not the ride itself that’s the problem – it’s the persistently long wait time and the very short attraction length.
Because Frozen is so popular, Frozen Ever After consistently draws a crowd and sees an hour-plus wait time. After waiting an hour or longer, you’ll then enjoy a ride that’s just five minutes long. To me, that payoff simply isn’t worth it (especially if you’re wrangling your toddler the entire time, trying to convince them to not only practice patience but also stop climbing, crying, or touching everything in sight).
The wait can be particularly painful as a parent of a kid under three years old. So, I’d suggest saving Frozen Ever After for a day you’re doing Early Entry or Extended Evening Hours, when the wait time is far, far less than an hour.
