When visiting Disney World with children, it’s important to be aware of Disney Magic Kingdom ride height requirements. These restrictions ensure the safety of all guests and can affect how you plan your day at the park. Mapping out Magic Kingdom rides by height helps you to know which attractions your child can and can’t ride and allows you to set expectations early to avoid disappointment. Read our tips for managing height requirements at Magic Kingdom.
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Complete List of Magic Kingdom Rides by Height
Here is a breakdown of all rides at Magic Kingdom Park and associated ride heights.
32 inches or taller:
- The Barnstormer
- Tomorrowland Speedway (also requires at least 54″ to drive solo)
35 inches or taller:
- The Barnstormer
38 inches or taller:
- Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
40 inches or taller:
- Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
- Tiana’s Bayou Adventure
44 inches or taller:
- Space Mountain
48 inches or taller
- Tron Lightcycle Run
Rides Suitable for All Heights at Magic Kingdom
The great news for families with small children is that Magic Kingdom has more rides without height restrictions than any other park at Walt Disney World. Attractions like “It’s a Small World,” “Peter Pan’s Flight,” and “Pirates of the Caribbean” offer experiences that families can enjoy together.
Here is a list of attractions with no Disney Magic Kingdom ride heights:
No Height Requirement:
- Dumbo the Flying Elephant
- It’s a Small World
- Jungle Cruise
- Liberty Square Riverboat
- Mad Tea Party
- The Magic Carpets of Aladdin
- The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
- Peter Pan’s Flight
- Pirates of the Caribbean
- Prince Charming Regal Carrousel
- Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover
- Under the Sea – Journey of the Little Mermaid
- Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress
In addition to rides, shows, character greetings and parades also provide entertainment that doesn’t involve height requirements.
Attractions with Height Restrictions: What You Need to Know
Height restrictions are in place for guest safety, particularly on rides that involve high speeds, sudden drops, or sharp turns. These attractions come with physical demands that not all children can handle safely.
It’s a cast member’s job to help ensure the safety of all guests, so be prepared to be stopped at ride entrances if your child is close to the height requirement. It takes only a few seconds for cast members to measure your child to ensure they meet the requirement, but doing so is an important safety step for all guests.
Parents should be honest and upfront about a child’s height. While shoes with heels or adding wedges into a child’s footwear may help them meet height requirements, cheating Disney Magic Kingdom ride heights isn’t advisable.
Established Magic Kingdom ride heights are created with multiple factors in mind, such as the typical build of a child of a certain height and whether ride restraints have been designed for smaller body types. Trying to work around established ride heights could put your child in danger.
Planning Your Visit: Tips for Managing Disney Magic Kingdom Ride Heights
Missing out on attractions with height requirements can be frustrating for younger children. Families may also find it difficult to navigate ride height requirements when traveling with children of varying ages. Here are some tips to help you make the most of your trip, even when children are too short to ride some attractions.
Set Expectations for Younger Children up Front and Plan for Alternative Experiences
By utilizing the My Disney Experience app, you can easily locate rides with height requirements and discuss them with your child before you leave for your trip. Understanding which attractions they won’t be able to enjoy and why, will help your child avoid some of the disappointment they may feel when arriving at the parks and seeing the ride for the first time.
If your child has their heart set on riding a certain ride but is too short to do so, try substituting a different, but similar feeling attraction. For instance, when my daughter was too young to ride Space Mountain, we would hop on Astro Orbiter, but first we’d create a story around the experience. We’d explain how we would enter a very special turbo lift that would take us way above the park to a special space station. From there, we’d blast off on a rocket adventure and look down on the entire park.
Remember, since your child hasn’t actually experienced the particular ride with height requirements, a little imagination can go a long way to overcome disappointment.
For other rides, we’d plan a special shopping experience. Talk with your child ahead of time about a special souvenir they may want. For my youngest daughter, it was usually a Minnie Mouse or Pluto stuffed toy. We’d take some time while older children rode rides with height requirement to begin our search for the perfect take-home plush.
You can also talk positively about growing taller and “earning” their way to bigger rides on a future visit. Bringing a small reward or distraction (like a snack or sticker) can also help ease the sting of being left out.
Alternative Attractions for Children Not Meeting Height Requirements
If one child is too short for a ride, Magic Kingdom has plenty of nearby attractions and activities to fill the time.
Here are some great alternatives to some popular rides with height restrictions:
- While older siblings ride Space Mountain: Visit the nearby Astro Orbiter or Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin.
- While others take on Big Thunder Mountain: Younger children can have a swashbuckling good time on Pirates of the Caribbean or enjoy a special meet and greet with Captain Jack Sparrow
- During Seven Dwarfs Mine Train: Enjoy a character meet-and-greet or enjoy an Enchanted Tale with Belle in Maurice’s cottage workshop.
Shows, character experiences, play areas, and special snack breaks can all serve as great alternatives for children who are too short to ride certain attractions and keep the day magical for everyone. Keep in mind also that there will be some attractions that might not appeal to older children as much as those of a younger age. Visiting these with younger children while older siblings enjoy rides with height requirements is a great way to make good use of your time.
The trick is to key in on experiences that will be special for each child and seize the moment.
Tips for Dealing with Ride Height Requirements When Traveling with Children of Varying Ages
As a mom of 4 children, I know what it’s like for a child to sit out while older siblings enjoy popular attractions. To offset the sting, we would take advantage of rider switch and add a bit of a twist.
If you aren’t familiar with rider switch or rider swap, it’s a program that allows parents to ride at multiple times, without the second parent having to wait in line. We would use this to our advantage when more than one child was tall enough to ride certain attractions but others were note.
To utilize rider switch, simply speak to the cast member at the ride entrance. They’ll scan the MagicBands or park tickets of all members of our party who plan to ride, but be prepared for this twist. Let the cast member know, that one child will wait behind to ride with parent number 2.
Once the formalities are seen to, one parent can get in line with the first child(ren) who is tall enough to ride, while the second parent and one additional child stays behind.
Parent two can then take the waiting child who is tall enough to ride, along with the children who are not, on other rides or for another special experience. This way, the child bound by Disney ride height restrictions doesn’t feel as left out, since an older sibling is with them.
When parent one and children are done with the attraction, parent 2 and the waiting child can then ride. But here’s the best part. They can do so without waiting in the standby queue. Simply head to the spot designated by the cast member when you were scanned for rider swap. You’ll be admitted to the ride with little to no wait. It’s a special bonus for the child who waits behind as well, since they won’t have to wait in line to ride.
As an alternative, all children who are tall enough to ride may experience the attraction with parent one. When it’s Parent Two’s turn to ride, they may select one child to accompany them, but this isn’t always the best approach when trying to appease a child who is too short to ride.
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Magic Kingdom Attractions Offering Rider Switch
Multiple attractions throughout Magic Kingdom offer Rider Switch to parents of younger children. These include:
Magic Kingdom Park
- The Barnstormer
- Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
- Space Mountain
- Tiana’s Bayou Adventure
- Tomorrowland Speedway
- TRON Lightcycle / Run
Final Thoughts
Understanding the height requirements for Magic Kingdom rides is key to a smooth and enjoyable visit. By planning ahead, using Disney tools like the My Disney Experience app and Rider Switch, and preparing your kids emotionally, you can navigate the parks with ease.
The key is to talk to your child in advance about the things they are looking forward to at Disney World. Then plan additional experiences to help meet those expectations and bring added enjoyment to their visit.
