Two Days at Disneyland with Kids Under 5

Heights, Tickets, and Passes

• 35 inches: Chip 'n' Dale's GADGETcoaster
• 38 inches: Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
• 40 inches: Star Tours, Big Thunder Mountain, Space Mountain, Tiana's Bayou Adventure, and Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance

A baby can ride attractions with no height requirement, on a lap or in a seat at the Cast Member's discretion.

Everyone 3 and up needs a ticket and a park reservation. Children under 3 need neither. Using Lightning Lane in both parks on the same day requires a Park Hopper ticket.

Hotel early entry ended in January 2026. Disney hotel guests now get one entry to one eligible Multi Pass attraction per stay, so save it for a ride that's hard to book. Rise of the Resistance and Radiator Springs Racers aren't covered. Buy Multi Pass in the app for the rest.

7:00 AM: Arrive one hour early

Get to the resort, clear bag check, scan in, and head up Main Street to the Fantasyland rope. Have the stroller ready, the app open, everyone's tickets and park reservations linked in one account, and Multi Pass bought in advance.

Place your lunch mobile order early in the morning and select your preferred arrival window.

8:00 AM: Rope drop and your first booking

The moment you scan in, book Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway. Check the app's next eligible booking time and set a reminder. If your return is later, stack Roger Rabbit alongside it while you ride in Fantasyland.

Start with Peter Pan's Flight only if it's a top priority. It has no Lightning Lane, and later waits are often 45 to 60 minutes or more. Otherwise, start with the other Fantasyland dark rides.

The Fantasyland dark rides are standby-only, have no height minimum, and build lines fast.

10:00 to 11:30 AM: Toontown

• Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway: any height, the whole family rides.
• Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin: any height (see the Rider Switch note above).
• Chip 'n' Dale's GADGETcoaster: 35 inches, standby only (not on Multi Pass). Use Rider Switch so your preschooler rides if tall enough while one adult stays with the baby. It's short and zippy.
• Mickey's House and Meet Mickey: walk through, then meet Mickey for a photo and autograph. Lines build mid-morning.
• Minnie's House: a self-guided walk-through with gags in every room. Disney doesn't list a Minnie meet officially, so check the app for character times.
• Play areas: CenTOONial Park (water tables and climbable tree roots), Donald's Duck Pond, and Goofy's How-To-Play Yard.
• Café Daisy for a snack and a bottle.

When the app shows you're eligible again, book Buzz Lightyear, or Star Tours if your child is 40 inches or taller.

Evening: Fireworks

Holiday fireworks end January 6. "Remember… Dreams Come True" returns in February 2027 on select evenings. Disney hasn't posted a regular nighttime show schedule for the weeks in between, so check the app for your date before you plan the evening.

• The plaza in front of "it's a small world" is stroller-friendly, with projections on the facade and more room.
• Town Square, near the train station, is stroller-friendly with an easy exit.
• The Main Street curb near the hub has the best view, but it's packed and hard with a stroller.

Bring ear protection for the baby. We'd choose fireworks over Fantasmic with kids this young; add Fantasmic only if the schedules allow.

After the show, wait 15 minutes, then roll out.

What we'd skip on Day 1

• Peter Pan after 9 AM. If you skip it at rope drop, let it go.
• Rise of the Resistance Single Pass, unless your child is 40 inches or taller. With Rider Switch, the adults still wait a long time.
• Main Street right after the fireworks.
• The Matterhorn (42 inches), unless the adults really want it. The right side is better, but it's rough, and Rider Switch takes time.
• Mr. Toad, Snow White, and Pinocchio if your child scares easily. Skip those and keep Alice and Peter Pan.

How to stack Lightning Lanes

Stacking means holding more than one future Lightning Lane reservation. Match return windows for nearby rides so you visit that area once.

Your next booking unlocks after you redeem your current selection or 2 hours after booking it, whichever comes first. The app shows when you're eligible. If those 2 hours pass before your ride window, keep that reservation and add another. Ride standby attractions, eat, or take your hotel break while you wait.

For example, if these windows are available:

The app offers the next available window. Modify an existing selection if another available time fits better, and leave room for Lightning Lane queues and Rider Switch.

1. Bring the whole family to the ride entrance and ask the Cast Member for Rider Switch.
2. The first adult waits in the regular line (standby or Lightning Lane) and rides.
3. The second adult waits with the kids nearby. Take a snack break, or do something close by, like the Pixar short film at the Tomorrowland Theater.
4. When the first adult is done, the second adult returns through the Lightning Lane entrance with the Rider Switch access and rides without the full wait. Cast Members usually let up to 2 people from the waiting group ride on the switch, so the second adult can bring your preschooler along on rides they're tall enough for. That gives them a free second ride.

Rider Switch is free. Ask the Cast Member how long your return is valid and whether it works with your Lightning Lane.

At Disneyland, the Baby Care Center is at the end of Main Street, next to First Aid. At California Adventure, it's in San Fransokyo Square, next to Ghirardelli.