I get this question a lot, what are the best family attractions at Magic Kingdom. It is a great question because there are a lot of attractions, and not all of them are family friendly. Don't get me wrong, there are A LOT of great attractions at Magic Kingdom. To be honest, limiting this to just the top 5 family attractions at Magic Kingdom is really hard, but I am going to try and do my best.
So let's get started and talk about the top 5 family attractions at Magic Kingdom!
5. Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin
So let's start in Tomorrowland. I wish there were more in the land that the whole family will enjoy, but it is right now a little lacking in the family attraction area. There is one attraction, though, that I think is great for the whole family; Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin!
This attraction is so much fun! It is an arcade like attraction. You get into these vehicles that you can spin around (which is fun all by itself) and you help Buzz stop Emperor Zurg from taking over the planet. You shoot at targets throughout the ride, and you earn points for every target that you hit. It is a competition that everyone can get in on. And at the end you find out how you rate as a space ranger by how much you scored. And if you are competitive by nature, then you can compete with everyone else in your party to see who gets the highest score.
It is truly a great family attraction at Magic Kingdom, and easily makes it into the top 5. All ages will enjoy this one, and I'm guessing will want to ride it more than once.
4. Peter Pan's Fight
Fantasy land is full of family friendly attractions. everywhere you turn is another one, and sometimes it is hard to know which ones are must do attractions. I don't believe a top 5 list of family attractions at Magic Kingdom would be complete without this attraction. It is a true classic, and is as popular today as the day it opened!
The idea here is that you board a ship, and fly over the story of Peter Pan. Yes, I said you fly over the story. This is a Disney dark ride at its very best. Some would even argue that it may be the best of the traditional dark rides. You start out in Wendy and the boy's nursery and fly out the window. You fly over London and head straight to Neverland.
The forced perspective of flying over London along is worth riding on this attraction. Make sure you look carefully for the traffic in the streets of London. This attraction is also great at making sure you know what you are supposed to be looking at in any moment of the ride. You see mermaid lagoon, the Indians, Captain Hook and Smee, along with Peter Pan and Tinkerbell. It is a fantastic journey. my only complaint is that it is too short! I could spend another 5 minutes on this ride, and enjoy every moment!
I will tell you when you get there you will see that the standby line for this attraction can get long. It is always at least 45 minutes. If Fast Pass is available (or whatever the replacement for Fast Pass is) then I would try to get a Fast Pass for this ride. It is short for a 45 minute wait. I will say, though, that since they have made the queue interactive, the queue is just as fun as the ride. You may even have trouble getting your little ones to leave the queue to get on the ride. It is that good!
So take the second star to the right, and go straight on til morning to get on this ride. It is definitely a must do, top 5 family attraction at Magic Kingdom!
3. The Haunted Mansion
Yes, I believe that The Haunted Mansion is a top 5 family attraction at Magic Kingdom. It is a haunted house, and I realize that might not be for everyone. However it is the most fun you will have in a haunted mansion.
There may be some little ones that are a little scared to get on this ride. You will have to gauge that yourself. You know your kiddos and what they can tolerate. Don't force anyone to ride. It will just make the rest of your day miserable.
That being said, if they can gather the courage to ride, it will be well worth it. This ride is another classic Disney dark ride, and one of the most popular at the park. It is a lot of fun, with ghosts dancing, and partying, along with flying objects, and even a party in a grave yard at the end. It is full of classic Disney effects, and always brings a smile to peoples faces as they leave.
If you are concerned that it might be a little too much for your kiddo, I might suggestion getting on YouTube and watching a ride through video with them, so that they can see what it is about, and then make a decision if they want to ride it or not. Sometimes knowing what is going to happen makes it much easier to get on a "scary" ride. If they do summon the courage, trust me, they will be glad that they did.
2. Pirates Of The Caribbean
Another top 5 family attraction at Magic Kingdom is definitely Pirates Of The Caribbean! I mean, who doesn't love singing pirates and going on an adventure with them!
It is another of Disney's classic dark rides, and in my opinion a must do attraction every time I am at the park. It is that good! You go through an amazing queue with lots of fun details, and end up boarding a boat to travel back in time to catch the adventures of these pirates. They are looting, and getting chased by women, and even singing the song that we all know during this ride. If you look carefully, you will even see Captain Jack Sparrow on this ride.
I should tell you there is a very small hill that you go down in the dark towards the beginning of the ride. It is nothing too intense, but something you might want to warn your children about before you get there. They will be fine, but sometimes a warning is nice.
You will all come out of this attraction wanting to be a pirate, and I'm guessing wanting to ride it again!
1. It's A Small World!
I know what you're thinking. "Really, this is number 1? What about that song, doesn't it stay in your head the rest of the day?" I completely understand your concern, but no trip to Magic Kingdom is complete without at least one trip on this attraction!
This attraction is the true Disney Classic. Everyone knows the song, everyone recognizes the dolls and style, and everyone comes off with a smile! It is such a fun journey through the world with all of the children singing and dancing. The message is so amazing, and still relevant today. It is just joy from the beginning to the end.
Now let's talk about that song. I know that you have heard all the stories about that song staying in a persons head for a long time, and driving them nuts. A few years back, Disney took that into consideration, and toned it down a little bit. Yes, the song is still there, but they turned down the voices enough that it will not drive you crazy. And yes, you may come off of it singing the song (I would be surprised if you didn't). It is definitely worth it though, and the whole family can enjoy this trip around the world. It is the epitome of a family friendly ride. That is why it is first on my list of top 5 family attractions at Magic Kingdom.
Are There Others?
There are definitely other family friendly attractions at Magic Kingdom that I have not included on this list. The park is full of them! Here are some others you should check out:
- Jungle Cruise
- Country Bear Jamboree
- Dumbo
- The Tiki Room
- Mickey's Philharmagic
- Winnie The Pook
- The Tomorrowland Speedway
And if your kids are a little more adventurous (or older) there are some other rides that will be right up their ally. Make sure you find out what everyone's must do is for the park and be sure to hit those attractions, and then build your day from there.
Have you been to Magic Kingdom? What are your favorite family friendly attractions? I would love to hear what your favorites are, and I'm sure others will want to know also.
Or do you disagree with my list. Share those thoughts too (but in a respectful way. This is a family blog.)
If you have any questions, please feel free to ask, and I will answer as many as I can. Or you can email me your questions at jim@thegoofyguy.com, and I will be sure to get back to you.
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