Toddler’s First Disneyland Trip? Do These 7 Things BEFORE You Go

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Planning a trip to Disneyland with toddlers and aren’t sure where to start? Keep scrolling to check out my toddler-friendly Disneyland tips!

This post about Disneyland with toddlers was written by family travel expert Marcie Cheung and contains affiliate links which means if you purchase something from one of my affiliate links, I may earn a small commission that goes back into maintaining this blog.

TL;DR – The Quick Answer:

Your toddler needs to recognize Disney characters before visiting Disneyland, or you’ll spend half your trip explaining who everyone is. Start prepping 3-4 weeks before your trip: watch movies for specific rides you’ll do (Cars for Cars Land, Mickey shorts for Toontown), play character videos on repeat, buy a few Mickey items early so they’re familiar, and watch YouTube ride videos together. These simple steps turn a confusing experience into pure toddler magic. Trust me, as a family travel expert who’s done this multiple times, the prep work makes or breaks a toddler Disney trip.

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When we first decided to take our 2-year-old son to Disneyland Resort, people told us we were crazy. “Wait until he’s five!” they said. “He won’t even remember it!”

But you know what?

As a family travel blogger and family travel expert who’s taken toddlers to Disney parks multiple times, I’ve learned that some of the best family vacations happen when kids are young enough to believe in the magic without questioning it.

Here’s the thing though. About a month before our trip, I had a mini panic attack.

My son had no idea who Mickey Mouse was. He’d never seen Cars. And I realized if I didn’t do something fast, he was going to walk into the Happiest Place on Earth completely confused.

So I got to work prepping him, and when we finally arrived at what’s now called Pixar Place Hotel, his face lit up when he saw the Goofy statue. Success!

This post was originally written in 2016 and has been completely updated with current 2026 information, including new rides, updated hotel names, and changes to Disneyland policies.

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7 Ways to Prep Your Toddler for Disneyland (That Actually Work)

1. Watch the Right Disney Movies

This sounds obvious, but here’s where parents mess up. They show their kids every Disney movie ever made and the poor toddler is overwhelmed.

Instead, figure out which rides and character dining experiences you’re actually planning to do. Then watch those specific movies.

We knew we were heading to Cars Land in Disney California Adventure, so we watched Cars and Cars 2 on repeat.

This is one of my top tips as a family travel expert – match the movies to your actual itinerary.

When we met Lightning McQueen and Mater at the Cozy Cone Motel, our son absolutely lost it with excitement.

Same thing with Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway in Toontown. We watched Mickey Mouse cartoons so he’d recognize the characters when we rode.

Pro tip: Don’t force it. If your toddler seems scared of a movie, skip that ride. There are plenty of other options.

2. Make Mickey Mouse Clips Your Secret Weapon

Since Mickey and Minnie are EVERYWHERE at Disneyland, your toddler needs to know who they are. Otherwise, you’ll spend half your trip explaining.

I found short Mickey Mouse clips on YouTube and would play them on my phone when my son needed a distraction. Nothing fancy. Just classic Mickey shorts.

We also streamed Mickey and Friends compilations on Netflix. This gave him a quick intro to the whole crew: Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, Goofy, and Pluto.

When we got to Mickey’s Toontown, he recognized everyone and couldn’t wait to explore their houses.

3. Buy Some Disney Gear Early

A few weeks before our trip, I picked up this adorable Mickey Clubhouse t-shirt, a classic Mickey ears hat, and these family matching Mickey pajamas (we still wear them for Disney movie nights).

He wore that Mickey shirt at least three times before we even left for California.

He was thrilled to spot Mickey on his clothes. Then it became a game where he’d point out Mickey on other people’s shirts when we were at the park.

This really helped him get excited about the trip. Plus, he already had park outfits ready to go.

You don’t need to go overboard here. A few items from Target or Amazon work perfectly.

4. Listen to Disney Songs

This one surprised me with how well it worked.

Many toddler-friendly Disneyland rides play songs from their movies. Mad Tea Party plays the tea party song. Peter Pan’s Flight plays “You Can Fly!” And “it’s a small world” has that iconic song you’ll be humming for days.

We played these songs in the car. My son would get excited every time he heard them at the park because they were familiar.

It made the rides feel less overwhelming and more like an extension of something he already knew.

5. Watch YouTube Ride Videos

My toddler accidentally discovered a video of Casey Jr. Circus Train on YouTube one day. He watched it at least 20 times.

So I started pulling up videos of other Disneyland rides to see his reaction. This helped me figure out which ones he’d actually enjoy.

We watched “it’s a small world” videos over and over. When we finally rode it in person, he kept pointing at details he remembered from the videos.

Had we not watched those videos, I don’t think he would have been as engaged. He might have even been a little scared since it’s dark in parts.

Check out ride videos for:

“it’s a small world” Dumbo the Flying Elephant The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree

Planning your trip? Grab my free email course on How to Plan a Trip to Disneyland Like a Pro for insider tips!

6. Hit Up the Dollar Store

Best mom hack ever.

I found soft-cover Disney books at Dollar Tree: Alice in Wonderland, The Jungle Book, Peter Pan, and some Mickey Mouse board books.

These were perfect for bedtime stories and helped my son learn characters’ personalities.

Dollar stores also have Disney coloring books, stickers, and activity books. If you can’t find good ones at Dollar Tree, these Disney sticker books and this Mickey coloring set are my go-to backups for the park bag.

I packed a few in my Disneyland diaper bag to use as distractions in lines.

The absolute MVP purchase? Mickey Mouse glow sticks. I grabbed these light-up Mickey wands before we left (way cheaper than the $25 ones in the park), and they saved us during parade waits.

I pulled these out while we waited for parades and they kept both boys entertained for ages.

7. Get Disney Plushies Early

As a family travel expert, I’ve learned that character dining can be hit or miss with toddlers. Some kids love it. Others are terrified of life-size characters.

I bought plushies of the main characters we’d meet at character meals: Mickey, Goofy, and Minnie.

We gave them to my son a week before the trip. By the time we got to character dining, he wasn’t scared. He actually used his plushies to “talk” to the characters.

By the end of our trip, he was comfortable enough to high-five Goofy without his plush and even got a kiss on the cheek from Minnie Mouse. He still talks about it.

You can find affordable Disney plushies on Amazon or at Target. We bought this Mickey plush, this Minnie doll, and this Goofy stuffed animal for about $15 each (the same ones are $35+ in the park).

Prepped Toddler vs. Unprepared Toddler: The Reality

I’ve seen both scenarios play out (once with my nephew who had zero prep), and here’s what actually happens:

Without Disney Prep	With Disney Prep
“Who’s that?” every 30 seconds	“MICKEY!” from across the park
Scared of life-size characters	Runs to hug Goofy
Confused on dark rides	Points out characters from videos
Crying at loud noises	Prepared from YouTube ride videos
No idea what to be excited about	Pulls you toward Cars Land
Wasted time explaining everything	More time actually enjoying rides
Meltdowns from overstimulation	Comfortable with the chaos

As a family travel blogger who’s watched dozens of families navigate Disneyland with toddlers, I can promise you: the 3-4 weeks of prep makes a massive difference. Your trip goes from damage control to actual fun.

What’s Changed at Disneyland Since 2016

Because I care about giving you accurate information, here’s what’s different:

Hotels: Paradise Pier Hotel is now Pixar Place Hotel. It got a complete Pixar makeover in 2024 and looks amazing.

Early Entry: As of early 2026, Disneyland hotel guests now receive one Lightning Lane Multi Pass entry instead of early park entry.

New Rides: Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway opened in Toontown in 2023. It’s perfect for toddlers and has no height requirement.

Toontown Renovation: Mickey’s Toontown was completely reimagined with new play spaces, including CenTOONial Park. It’s way better than it was when we first visited.

Character Dining: There are now more options, including Donald’s Tales of Adventure dinner at Storytellers Cafe.

Your Disneyland Toddler Questions, Answered

What’s the best age for a toddler’s first Disneyland trip?

Honestly? Age 2.5 to 4 is the sweet spot. They’re old enough to walk through the parks (mostly), young enough to believe in the magic without question, and they still get in free under age 3.

My son was 2 years old on his first visit, and while we didn’t do everything, seeing his face light up when he met Mickey made every exhausting moment worth it.

As a family travel expert, I’d say if your toddler can handle basic instructions and has some stamina, go for it.

Do I need to show my toddler every Disney movie before we go?

Absolutely not. That’s way too overwhelming. Pick 4-5 movies max based on which rides and lands you’ll actually visit.

For example: if you’re hitting Cars Land (and you should), watch Cars and Cars 2.

Planning to do Fantasyland? Show them Peter Pan and Alice in Wonderland.

Going to Mickey’s Toontown? Just play Mickey Mouse Clubhouse shorts on repeat. Quality over quantity here.

How far in advance should I start prepping my toddler?

Start 3-4 weeks before your trip. That’s enough time for movies and characters to become familiar without your toddler losing interest. We started a month out, and by the time we arrived, my son recognized all the main characters.

Wait too long and they’ll get bored with the prep. Start too early and they’ll forget everything by the time you actually go.

What if my toddler is still scared of the characters even after prep?

Start with the smaller, less intense characters. Chip and Dale are way less overwhelming than a 6-foot-tall Goofy. Let your toddler watch other kids interact with characters first.

And honestly? Don’t force it. We skipped character dining on our first day because my son needed time to adjust. By day two, he was fine.

Having those plushies from home helped too – he could show Mickey his “little Mickey” and that broke the ice.

Should I use a stroller for my toddler at Disneyland even if they can walk?

Yes. 100% yes. Even the most energetic toddler will crash after a few hours. We brought our everyday stroller (not one of those massive travel systems), and it saved us.

Your toddler will walk for the fun stuff and nap in the stroller between lands. Plus, you can store your park bag underneath. Don’t be the parent carrying a 30-pound sleeping toddler through Tomorrowland at 8 PM. Get the stroller.

What rides should I absolutely do with a toddler?

Must-dos for toddlers: “it’s a small world” (no height requirement, super engaging), Dumbo the Flying Elephant (classic, no scary parts), Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway (new, fun, not scary), Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree in Cars Land (if they watched Cars), and the carousel in Fantasyland.

Skip anything dark or loud until you know your toddler’s comfort level. We learned this the hard way with Pinocchio’s Daring Journey – way scarier than expected.

More Disneyland Tips

Disneyland with toddlers is totally doable. Actually, it’s incredible.

Yes, your toddler might not remember every detail. But they’ll remember the feeling. And you’ll remember their face when they met Mickey for the first time.

Take lots of photos. Consider booking a Flytographer session to capture those magical moments (save $20 with my link!).

Book your hotels and tickets through Get Away Today for the best deals. Seriously, they always have offers you can’t find anywhere else.

And if you’re still on the fence about taking a toddler, check out my full Disneyland Toddler Itinerary and Tips.

The prep work makes all the difference. Your toddler will walk into Disneyland ready to experience the magic, not wondering who that giant mouse is.

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