Guest Post by Krysti Reif of Orlando Decoded
Living in Orlando has its benefits. Not the least of which is easy access to Walt Disney World and it’s four world-class theme parks. Those of us lucky enough to not only live in proximity but have regular entrance (whether through an annual pass or employee benefits), are in a unique position to trot in for a couple of hours, do a few rides, head home, and return the next day. Having these benefits, we become intimately familiar with the theme parks’ landscape and are, therefore, a useful asset to those planning vacations in this magical city.
While Walt Disney World is a family destination, the Magic Kingdom is arguably the most family-friendly of its parks. Most rides can accommodate all ages (even babies and expectant mothers), and it’s definitely the most character-saturated of the four attractions. But even with all of its child-friendly rides and princess meet and greets, the Magic Kingdom is not entirely suited for all families.
Specifically, Tomorrowland is surprisingly difficult to navigate with small children. While most of the attractions allow small children on board, they include potentially scary or boring elements that just make them easier to skip if you’re visiting the park with preschoolers. I’ve put together this handy guide using my experiences with my four-year-old son and three-year-old daughter.
Monster’s Inc Laugh Floor
What is it? Monster’s Inc Laugh Floor is an interactive comedy show using screens to simulate a live routine from Mike Wazowski and other monsters. Wazowski acts as the host, trying to capture guests’ laughter to power Monstropolis. The attraction takes place in a theater with no movement.
Height Restrictions: None
My daughter LOVES Monster’s Inc. She’s constantly asking to watch the movie, and if she’s not watching the film, she’s singing “If I Didn’t Have You” at the top of her lungs. Of course, when I found a FastPass+ for this attraction, I jumped on it. I was just sure that she’d be over the moon excited to be entertained by her favorite characters.
Unfortunately, reality did not live up to my expectations. She was initially excited to see Mike Wazowski on a big screen. However, since he’s acting as the host, he was actually featured in a very small percentage of the show compared with other monsters. On top of that, the show’s other monsters are not actual characters in the movie, so she had no emotional connection with them. All of that may have been fine if she was entertained by the content. But while the jokes are aimed at children, they were too complex for a three-year-old to understand. (What did Texas say to Mexico? Text me!) By the end of the show, she was quite antsy and bored.
Our recommendation: If your child is under 5, skip it!
Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
What is it? A slow-moving ride through the galaxy! Guests are loaded onto cars via a moving walkway. Each guest has a “blaster” to shoot the Evil Emperor Zurg and his allies to help Buzz save the universe!
Height Restrictions: None
Just as much as my daughter loves Monster’s Inc, my son LOVES Toy Story! While he doesn’t seem to have a favorite character in the movie, he recognizes Buzz Lightyear in theme park advertisements, etc. and is always excited to see him! I really thought he was just going to love this attraction!
Once again, however, my (what I consider to be reasonable) expectations did not reflect reality. While the characters are bright, the actual ride is very dark and loud. Zurg and his buddies are much larger than kids are used to on a TV screen, and he was intimidated by their size and presence. The atmosphere was too much for him, and he told me he was scared on several occasions. I tried to make him more comfortable by showing him the blaster and encouraging him to shoot his enemies, but it didn’t work. He didn’t understand the concept at all, and he spent most of the time cowering in my shirt.
Our recommendation: Carefully consider your child’s sensitivities before deciding to enjoy this attraction!
Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress
What is it? Traverse through the 20th century to celebrate modern innovation and humanity’s continuing progress. In this attraction, guests will sit in a rotating theater that progresses between different animatronic scenes. While the theater does move, it is infrequent and minimally felt.
Height Restrictions: None
Honestly, I completely expected my kids to be bored in this show. I’ve never even tried to take them inside before writing this article. I assumed it wouldn’t hold their attention, and I would be stuck trying to entertain them until we could leave. But in order to make sure I had all the necessary information for this post, I decided to try it.
WOW! They LOVED it! They were completely engaged throughout the entire show, and they didn’t even complain when the lights went out for a few moments. As an added bonus, this was a very nice, air-conditioned break for me. I got to relax and recharge while my kids were entertained!
Our recommendation: Visit this attraction when you need a “quiet” moment!
Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover
What is it? A 10-minute tour of Tomorrowland’s attractions. This ride puts families into slow-ish moving vehicles. Know in advance that if you’re traveling with more than two people, someone will probably need to ride backward.
Height Restrictions: None
This ride is just fun. You get to zip through Tomorrowland, visiting different sites and seeing your favorite rides from different angles. There are indoor and outdoor aspects to the ride, so some of the parts do get very dark (for example you’ll visit Space Mountain and view the coaster from inside the attraction’s building). My son had a hard time with the dark parts of this ride, but they are pretty short. As soon as we were out of the building, he was enjoying the sights and loving every minute!
Our recommendation: Unless a few moments of darkness will ruin the experience, this ride is worth a visit!
Tomorrowland Speedway
What is it? Kids and adults can drive their own race car around this miniature track (Yes, you are actually driving this car)! Please note that, due to so many engines in the same area, this ride is super loud. While there is a thin “track” keeping your car in its lane, there’s nothing to prevent the driver behind you from bumping into the back of your vehicle — and they probably will…repeatedly.
Height Restrictions: 32” to ride or drive (accompanied by an adult); 54” to drive on your own
Of course, my kids loved this ride. They were driving in a car on a race track! They were completely entertained, and I didn’t mind checking out the scenery.
You should know that these cars are actually built for two. However, because I was riding with two very small children, they let us pile into one car. To avoid fights, I drove even though both of my kids are technically tall enough to do so. However, even if I had let one of them drive I’m not sure it would have gone very well. The cars are old and difficult to steer. It took a fair bit of muscle power to work the steering wheel and gas pedal at the same time.
Our recommendation: Definitely visit this attraction with your preschooler!
Astro Orbiter
What is it? It’s basically Dumbo with rocket ships. Kids and their parents board a space capsule and soar around the solar system! This ride is very high and contains a spinning motion.
Height Restriction: None
Besides Space Mountain (which my children are too short to ride), this is the only Tomorrowland attraction we have not yet experienced. Why is that? Oh, I’m so glad you asked.
This ride is very popular. Lots of people want to experience “flying” over Tomorrowland in their own rocket ship, so there’s always a very long line. My kids are not strangers to queue lines. As both of their parents are theme park nerds, they’ve experienced a great deal of them. But this line is very slow-moving. You wait downstairs in an outdoor clustered queue until your group can board an elevator to the top. The elevator process means that there is more standing and less walking in this queue than a normal wait at Walt Disney World. My kids do well in lines as long as they can continue moving every few minutes. Simply standing for long periods of time would drive them (and me) absolutely crazy!
Additionally, there’s no FastPass+ for this attraction. Without that option, it’s just not worth it. Especially when the exact same ride system is available elsewhere in the park (Dumbo) with both FastPass+ and an interactive queue.
Our recommendation: Ride Dumbo instead. It will save both your time and your sanity!
Final Thoughts:
Because I have regular access to the park, it’s not a huge deal if I make a mistake and book a FastPass+ for a less-than-loved attraction. I can just learn and try something else the next time. I recognize, though, that for a vacationer to Walt Disney World, a misstep like this is much more costly. You lose time on a ride that neither you or your child enjoyed, and, if you booked a FastPass+, there’s the opportunity cost of a different attraction your family could have experienced at a reduced wait. Factor in the actual money spent on a day ticket and this is a pricey mistake. While all kids are different (and what worked for my kids may not work for yours), we hope that our experiences will help you plan the best day for your family!
Krysti Reif has lived in Orlando for over ten years. She loves theme parks, roller coasters, theater shows, and RunDisney races! You can find more of her writing at http://orlandodecoded.com.