Top Tips for Visiting Disneyland Resort with Young Children

planDisney panelists share their best strategies for families with toddlers and young children visiting Disneyland Resort, covering dedicated play areas, character meeting options, and age-appropriate attractions across both parks. Key recommendations include Mickey's Toontown and Pirate's Lair on Tom Sawyer Island at Disneyland Park, Redwood Creek Challenge Trail at Disney California Adventure, and character dining at Plaza Inn and Storytellers Cafe. The guide is part of the ongoing Ask planDisney video series presented by State Farm.

planDisney panelists share their most practical tips for families visiting Disneyland Resort with young children, from dedicated play areas and character dining to age-appropriate attraction picks across Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park. The guidance comes from the Ask planDisney video series presented by State Farm, featuring panelists Tara, Kriss, David, and others with direct experience navigating the parks with toddlers and young kids.

Play Areas Built for Little Ones

Disneyland Resort includes multiple dedicated play spaces where young children can burn off energy between attractions — a useful tool for managing the pace of a long park day. Panelists Tara and Kriss highlight the key spots across both parks.

Inside Disneyland Park, Mickey's Toontown is the central destination for young families, home to Goofy's How-To-Play Yard and CenTOONial Park — open, interactive spaces designed at child scale. Nearby, Pirate's Lair on Tom Sawyer Island provides a more adventurous play environment with caves, bridges, and trails that invite exploration and physical activity. Over at Disney California Adventure Park, Redwood Creek Challenge Trail is an outdoor playground stocked with slides, swings, and climbing nets — ideal for a midday energy release while parents check wait times and mobile order snacks through the Disneyland app.

Meeting Disney Characters: Where to Find Them

Character greetings are among the most memorable moments for young park visitors, and panelists David and Kriss walk through the best options across the resort. Scheduled character meets run throughout both parks: Disney Princesses can be found at Royal Hall in Disneyland Park, while Pixar characters appear at Pixar Pier in Disney California Adventure Park. Character appearances in the parks can be confirmed via the Disneyland app, which also surfaces surprise encounters for guests keeping an eye on real-time schedules.

Character dining provides a structured way for young children to interact with multiple characters during a single meal sitting. The panelists especially recommend two options: Minnie & Friends – Breakfast in the Park at Plaza Inn in Disneyland Park delivers a character breakfast with multiple meet-and-greet moments, while Storytellers Cafe at Disney's Grand Californian Hotel & Spa offers seasonal character dining with rotating themes and costumes throughout the year. Both require advance reservations, bookable up to 60 days prior via Disneyland.com or the Disneyland app.

Age-Appropriate Attractions and Shows

Both parks offer a strong lineup of no-height-restriction attractions well suited to young children. At Disneyland Park, "it's a small world" and Dumbo the Flying Elephant are classic first-ride options that consistently delight younger guests. At Disney California Adventure Park, The Little Mermaid ~ Ariel's Undersea Adventure and Inside Out Emotional Whirlwind are family-friendly ride picks that hold up well for the youngest visitors.

Beyond rides, Disney Jr. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Live! at Disney California Adventure Park is a dedicated show for young children that incorporates dancing and interactive elements — during Halloween Time, it runs as Mickey's Trick and Treat. Fantasmic! at Disneyland Park is a fitting closing show for the entire family, blending water effects, projected animation, and live performers in a nighttime spectacular that works across all ages.

Pro Tips from the planDisney Panel

• Build dedicated playtime into the day's itinerary between attractions — it helps toddlers manage the pace and gives parents a window to check wait times and mobile order snacks.
• Use the Disneyland app to filter attractions by "Any Height" to quickly identify rides the whole family can enjoy together, and cross-reference with nearby show schedules.
• Check the app for live character appearance times and locations — surprise encounters happen throughout both parks throughout the day.
• Advance dining reservations for character dining experiences are highly recommended and should be booked as close to the 60-day window as possible.

What This Means for Families

Young families at Disneyland Resort have more structured support than at almost any other theme park destination — from dedicated toddler play areas that pace the day to character dining that guarantees face time with beloved characters over a meal. The combination of Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park provides enough variety to build multi-day itineraries without repetition. For personalized advice based on specific ages, group sizes, and visit dates, submit questions at plandisney.disney.go.com or follow @planDisneypanel on Instagram. Panelists are compensated for their participation on planDisney.