Disneyland is the original happiest place on earth. It opened in 1955 thanks to Walt Disney’s incredible imagination and innovation.
Although Disneyland is the happiest place on earth, you do have to be at least a certain height to enjoy all the magic.
Below, I take you through all the rides and their height requirements at Disneyland Park and Disney’s California Adventure Park so you and your family can take advantage of as much magic as possible.
Disneyland Park Beginnings
Opened in July 1955, Disneyland is the only Disney park designed and built to completion under the direct supervision of Walt Disney.
Walt first came up with the idea after visiting a series of amusement parks with his daughters. He dreamt of a theme park where adults and children could have fun together. It was so popular on opening day, with 28,000 attendees, it actually led to negative reviews because the park was so packed.
Walt decided to have a second opening day so invited guests could enjoy the park properly.
The park would go through numerous expansions and renovations over the years to become the park it is today, but many original rides still remain. Because they are not aimed solely at children, some rides may be more focused on older children and adults, which is why some have height requirements.
Disneyland’s Main Street USA Height Requirements
- Disneyland Railroad: No minimum height requirement
- Main Street Vehicles: No minimum height requirement
Adventureland Height Requirements
- Indiana Jones Adventure: 46”/117cm or taller
- Jungle Cruise: No minimum height requirement
- Tarzan’s Treehouse: No minimum height requirement
New Orleans Square Height Requirements
- Haunted Mansion: No minimum height requirement
- Pirates of the Caribbean: No minimum height requirement
Critter Country Height Requirements
- Davy Crockett’s Explorer Canoes: No minimum height requirement
- The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh: No minimum height requirement
- Tiana’s Bayou Adventure: 40”/102cm or taller
Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge Height Requirements
- Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run: 38”/97cm or taller
- Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance: 40”/102cm or taller
Frontierland Height Requirements
- Big Thunder Mountain Railroad: 40”/102cm or taller
- Mark Twain Riverboat: No minimum height requirement
- Pirate’s Lair on Tom Sawyer Island: No minimum height requirement
- Sailing Ship Columbia: No minimum height requirement
Fantasyland Height Requirements
- Alice in Wonderland: No minimum height requirement
- Casey Jr. Circus Train: No minimum height requirement
- Dumbo the Flying Elephant: No minimum height requirement
- “it’s a small world”: No minimum height requirement
- King Arthur Carrousel: No minimum height requirement
- Mad Tea Party: No minimum height requirement
- Matterhorn Bobsleds: 42”/107cm or taller
- Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride: No minimum height requirement
- Peter Pan’s Flight: No minimum height requirement
- Pinocchio’s Daring Journey: No minimum height requirement
- Snow White’s Scary Adventures: No minimum height requirement
- Storybook Land Canal Boats: No minimum height requirement
Mickey’s Toontown Height Requirements
- Chip ‘n Dale Treehouse: No minimum height requirement
- Gadget’s Go Coaster: 35”/89cm or taller
- Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin: No minimum height requirement
Tomorrowland Height Requirements
- Astro Orbitor: No minimum height requirement
- Autopia: 32”/81cm or taller and accompanied by another rider 54”/137cm or taller
- Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters: No minimum height requirement
- Disneyland Monorail: No minimum height requirement
- Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage: No minimum height requirement
- Space Mountain: 40’/102cm or taller
- Star Tours – The Adventure Continues: 40”/102cm or taller
Disney California Adventure Park
In 1995, Disney Park executives discussed the idea of an additional park to expand Disneyland. They came up with the idea of a park dedicated to California, reminiscent of the California of 1955 when Walt opened the first park. Disney California Adventure opened in February of 2001 to expand Disneyland into 2 parks.
Although high attendance was projected, a series of preview openings led to negative reviews, and the attendance projections were never met.
Over the next few years, Disney would incrementally add new rides, shows, and attractions aimed at boosting attendance. After Bob Iger helped Disney acquire Pixar in 2006, they started to plan the addition of Buena Vista Street, Cars Land, and Pixar Pier, helping turn the park into a success.
In 2018, it will become the 12th most visited theme park in the world.
Disney renovated each district of the park, turning it into a romanticized, idealized version of California. The new rides were designed with older kids in mind because most Disneyland Park rides accommodated much smaller children, so there are quite a few more height requirements than in Disneyland Park.
Buena Vista Street Height Requirements
Red Car Trolley: No minimum height requirement
Hollywood Land Height Requirements
- Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT!: 40”/102cm or taller
- Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue!: No minimum height requirement
Grizzly Peak Height Requirements
- Grizzly River Run: 42”/107cm or taller
- Redwood Creek Challenge Trail: No minimum height requirement
- Soarin’ Over California: 40”/102cm or taller
Paradise Gardens Park Height Requirements
- Golden Zephyr: No minimum height requirement
- Goofy’s Sky School: 42”/107cm or taller
- Jumpin’ Jellyfish: 40”/102cm or taller
- The Little Mermaid – Ariel’s Undersea Adventure: No minimum height requirement
- Silly Symphony Swings: 40”/102cm or taller
Pixar Pier Height Requirements
- Games of Pixar Pier: No minimum height requirement
- Incredicoaster: 48”/122cm or taller
- Inside Out Emotional Whirlwind: No minimum height requirement
- Jessie’s Critter Carousel: No minimum height requirement
- Pixar Pal-A-Round (Swinging and Non-Swinging): No minimum height requirement
- Toy Story Midway Mania!: No minimum height requirement
Cars Land Height Requirements
- Luigi’s Rollickin’ Roadsters: 32”/81cm or taller
- Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree: 32”/81cm or taller
- Radiator Springs Racers: 40”/102cm or taller
Avengers Campus Height Requirements
WEB SLINGERS: A Spider-Man Adventure: No minimum height requirement
What Can’t My 5-Year-Old Ride at Disneyland?
The average height of a 5-year-old is 43 inches, and below are all the rides at Disneyland that have a height requirement of 40 inches or taller.
- Indiana Jones Adventure: 46”/117cm or taller
- Tiana’s Bayou Adventure: 40”/102cm or taller
- Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance: 40”/102cm or taller
- Big Thunder Mountain Railroad: 40”/102cm or taller
- Matterhorn Bobsleds: 42”/107cm or taller
- Autopia: 32”/81cm or taller and accompanied by another rider 54”/137cm or taller
- Space Mountain: 40’/102cm or taller
- Star Tours – The Adventure Continues: 40”/102cm or taller
- Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT!: 40”/102cm or taller
- Grizzly River Run: 42”/107cm or taller
- Soarin’ Over California: 40”/102cm or taller
- Goofy’s Sky School: 42”/107cm or taller
- Jumpin’ Jellyfish: 40”/102cm or taller
- Silly Symphony Swings: 40”/102cm or taller
- Incredicoaster: 48”/122cm or taller
- Radiator Springs Racers: 40”/102cm or taller
What Can’t My 10-Year-Old Ride at Disneyland?
If your kid is the average 10-year-old, most of Disneyland is their oyster as the average height of a 10-year-old is 56 inches, and there aren’t any rides with height requirements over 56 inches. Just in case, below is a list of all rides with a height requirement of 46 inches and over.
- Indiana Jones Adventure: 46”/117cm or taller
- Autopia: 32”/81cm or taller and accompanied by another rider 54”/137cm or taller
- Incredicoaster: 48”/122cm or taller
Rider Switch
Rider Switch is a service offered at Disneyland Resort in California that allows guests with children who do not meet the height requirements for certain rides to take turns riding without having to wait in line twice.
One adult can wait with the child while the other adult rides, and then they can switch without having to go back in line. It’s a great way for families with young children to enjoy all the rides at Disneyland without having to miss out on anything.
Disneyland Rider Switch
- Autopia
- Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
- Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters
- Gadget’s Go Coaster
- Haunted Mansion
- Indiana Jones Adventure
- Matterhorn Bobsleds
- Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
- Peter Pan’s Flight
- Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin
- Space Mountain
- Tiana’s Bayou Adventure
- Star Tours – The Adventures Continue
- Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance
- The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
DCA Rider Switch
- Goofy’s Sky School
- Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: Breakout!
- Incredicoaster
- Jumpin’ Jellyfish
- Luigi’s Rollickin’ Roadsters
- Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree
- Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue!
- Radiator Springs Racers
- Soarin’ Around the World
- Toy Story Midway Mania!
- Web Slingers: A Spider-Man Adventure
How a Child May Feel When They Are Too Short to Ride
It can be tough for a child to be too short to ride a popular attraction at Disneyland.
They may feel left out, disappointed, or even embarrassed when they see other children their age enjoying the ride.
It’s not uncommon for a child to feel like they are missing out on all the fun. They may even feel like they aren’t “big enough” to be there, which can be a blow to their confidence.
For some children, being too short to ride can also be a scary experience. They may feel like they are being left behind or abandoned by their family or group. This can lead to anxiety or even panic, especially if the child is in a crowded or unfamiliar environment.
As a parent or caregiver, it’s important to be aware of how your child may be feeling if they are too short to ride.
You can help them cope by acknowledging their feelings and reassuring them that there are still plenty of other fun things to do at Disneyland.
You can also use the opportunity to teach them about patience and perseverance, and encourage them to work towards reaching the height requirement for their favorite ride in the future.
Preparing Your Child For Height Requirements
If you’re planning a trip to Disneyland with your child, it’s important to prepare them for the ride height requirements. Here are a few tips to help you out:
- Check the height requirements for each ride before you go. You can find this information on the Disneyland website or in the park map.
- Measure your child’s height before you leave home so you know which rides they can go on.
- 3Talk to your child about the height requirements and explain that they may not be able to go on certain rides if they don’t meet the minimum height.
- Prepare your child for the possibility of waiting in line for a ride they may not be able to go on. Let them know that it’s okay and that there are plenty of other fun things to do at Disneyland.
- Finally, make sure to have a backup plan in case your child is unable to go on certain rides. This could be visiting a different attraction or taking a break for a snack or drink.
Disney is constantly expanding, renovating, or innovating for all of its theme parks, which means rides and requirements can change. During your next visit, I highly recommend downloading the Disneyland Mobile App. Not only does it have an interactive map, wait times for each ride, and so much more!
