Planning a trip to Disney World and wondering what there is for your 5 or 6 year old to do? You’re in the right place. In this post, we’ll review the best rides at Disney World for 5 and 6 year olds. We’ll cover height requirements, figuring out what’s too scary, what to do for kids who can’t ride, and more. Read on to start learning what a 5 or 6 year old can ride at Disney World!
Related Posts
We have several posts that approach this issue from different angles. Disney World Height Requirements and Rider Switch is a comprehensive look at the rules about height requirements specifically. Scariest Rides for Small Kids at Disney World is of course about looking beyond just the height requirements.
We’ve also got our Complete Guide to Visiting Disney World with a Toddler and Tips for Visiting Disney World with an Infant or Newborn. Moreover, we have park-specific posts about visiting with small children, and we link to those below.
Finally, this post is part of a series. I assume you wound up here because you have a 5 or 6 year old or will have one when you visit. But we have similar posts for other ages as well:
Best Disney World Rides for 5 and 6 Year Olds (you are here)
Basics
Before we get to the list of rides, I’m going to talk through three points:
Ride Restrictions are By Height, Not Age
Heights Will Be Checked, Checked, and Checked Again
Rider Switch
How To Know if a Ride is Age Appropriate
These points are discussed in all our age-by-age posts, so if you’ve read them and want to jump right to the rides list, click here.
Ride Restrictions are By Height, Not Age
The first thing to know is that rules about who can go on which rides at Disney World are based on height, not age. This means that your child will only be able to go on some rides if they are tall enough, regardless of their age.
In this post we talk about average heights and what rides those heights qualify a child for, but you need to remember that your specific child still needs to be that height. So when this post mentions that most 5 year olds will be able to ride Slinky Dog Dash, you still need to confirm your child is actually tall enough for it (38 inches) even if they’re 5 years old.
We’ll talk more about age-appropriate rides below, too. But the hard rules are related to height, not age (the only exception that springs to mind is that kids must be at least 7 to ride alone).
Heights Will Be Checked, Checked, and Checked Again
If your child is right on the boundary of a height requirement, or even if they aren’t, there’s a good chance their height will be checked multiple times to get on the same ride. It’s very common to have them checked once at the entrance and then again right before the ride.
A few notes about this. First and foremost, don’t be a jerk about this. It’s frustrating do have to do this, but by 5 your kid is hopefully able to just stand at the bar and get it over with. Don’t make it a bigger deal than it needs to be, you’ll just stress out and embarrass your kid.
If you’re concerned about this, practice at home. On a recent trip when we talked to Zoe about standing straight under the bar, they responded with “like at the doctor!” because they’d just gotten their height checked this way at the doctor. Familiarity goes a long way. Here’s a cheap height bar for at home, or you could DIY one.
I’d also add the bars at Disney are (as you’d expect) very accurate. We knew Zoe was just at 36” one trip and, indeed, they needed a perfect straight stance to touch the bar, but a perfect stance got us through quickly every time.
Rider Switch
We have a post that focuses in more detail on height requirements and rider switch particularly. Here I just want to let you know the basics about this option.
Rider switch is available at all rides with height requirements and is an option for families with a rider who doesn’t meet the height requirement (a “non-rider”). The basic outline is this:
The entire group approaches the entrance to the ride with the non-rider
The entire group splits into two smaller groups, A and B
Group A stays with the non-rider; the Cast Member gives Group A “rider switch” passes
Group B waits in line for the ride
Once Group B finishes, they stay with the non-rider
Group A can now use their “rider switch” passes to access the Lightning Lane for the ride
How To Know if a Ride is Age Appropriate
There’s no right answer as to how you can know if your kid is ready for a ride, but I want to give a few pointers. I’ll give my opinion on some specific rides below, but again, these are just my opinions.
First, the youngest kids are really tough to predict. At 2, Zoe would ride Barnstormer but was terrified of the mouse that came out of the teapot in the middle of Mad Tea Party. Haunted Mansion was fine at 6 months then not at 1 year then okay at 18 months then scary again at 2 years. Dark rides are hit and miss without rhyme or reason.
Second, some rides can be seen, in their entirety or near entirety, from outside. This allows you to see what to expect for your kid. Personally, I also like to let Zoe watch a ride from the outside before deciding whether to go on it, but you might feel the opposite (of course, sometimes it’s unavoidable).
Third, related to the above point, Lightning Lanes might be helpful in quickly cutting through any tension. You can hear constant screams from the Tower of Terror queue. I wouldn’t wait an hour in that line with a young kid. Go with the Lightning Lane if possible.
Fourth, you can find videos of most Disney World rides on Youtube. Maybe you want to avoid spoilers, but trust me when I tell you someone in your party needs to see what rides like Smugglers Run or Mission: SPACE are like before you put a small child on them.
Fifth, you can also find ways to get on rides before (and without) your child. Using single rider at Test Track, Expedition Everest, Smugglers Run, and Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster is a good way to get in a test ride to decide whether it’s good for your child.
One parent might also separate from the group at rope drop, or use a Lightning Lane, to test out a ride. These options have the obvious disadvantage of splitting up the group. Personally, I’d just watch some online video rather than either of these options.
The only exception to this would be Mission: SPACE. For a kid under 12 (a more or less random age I picked), I’d say a parent should experience Mission: SPACE before subjecting a kid to it (I admit that’s easy for me to say given how many opportunities I’ve had to ride it).
Best Disney World Rides for 5 and 6 Year Olds
5 year olds typically range from 40 inches to 46 inches. 6 year olds typically range from 42 inches to 49 inches. This means at Disney World they will be typically allowed to ride:
30 rides without height requirements
2 rides with a 32-inch height requirement
1 ride with a 35-inch height requirement
4 rides with a 38-inch height requirement
9 rides with a 40-inch height requirement, once tall enough
1 ride with a 42-inch height requirement, once tall enough
3 rides with a 44-inch height requirement, once tall enough
2 rides with a 48-inch height requirement, once tall enough
We’re not going to list all the rides without height requirements (you can find them listed, including a park-by-park breakdown, here), instead we’ll mention a few that are “must do” rides. I don’t think you need to be particularly cautious about any of the rides with height requirements with a 5 or 6 year old.
After these, we’ll talk about all the relevant rides with height requirements and how to know whether they’re appropriate for your child.
I’ll give my opinions on what’s appropriate for what age, but keep in mind these are just my highly subjective opinions. More than anything, my goal is to help you know where to focus your prep. If you have a 5-year old who just hit 40 inches, you probably need to spend more time researching Mission: SPACE than Dumbo the Flying Elephant.
Must-Do Rides Without Height Requirements
Magic Kingdom has 17 rides without height requirements and one could easily call them all must-do with a 5 or 6 year old simply because you shouldn’t have much trouble fitting them all into a single day. But, to set some limits, we’d say the five must-do rides without height requirements at Magic Kingdom are:
Jungle Cruise
Haunted Mansion
Pirates of the Caribbean
Peter Pan’s Flight
Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
At Epcot, there are seven rides without height requirements, and we’d call two of them must-do at this age:
Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure
Frozen Ever After
To be fair, the rest of the rides are probably worth doing if you have the time, but they don’t ride to the “must do” level for kids of this age, in our opinion. Read more about visiting Epcot with young kids.
At Hollywood Studios, there are two rides without height requirements—Toy Story Mania and Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railways. I’d call both “must do” rides for kids of all ages. Read more about visiting Hollywood Studios with young kids.
At Animal Kingdom, there are four rides without height requirements. Here are all four, but we’d call the first two “must-do”:
Kilimanjaro Safaris
Na’vi River Journey
TriceraTop Spin
Wildlife Express Train
32 Inch, 35 Inch, and 38 Inch Height Requirements
The first height requirement at Disney World is 32 inches for Alien Swirling Saucers at Hollywood Studios and Tomorrowland Speedway (with supervision) at Magic Kingdom. We don’t consider either of these must-dos or notable in any way.
Barnstormer is the first Disney World roller coaster your child will be able to ride, with a 35-inch height requirement that will usually be reached while your child is 2. It’s a short straightforward coaster and a great way to introduce a kid to coasters if they’ve never been on one, though I’d also be comfortable starting a 5 or 6 year old on Slinky Dog Dash, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, or Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.
Most 5-year olds have passed 38 inches, which might make you eager to jump onto Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run (Hollywood Studios), Kali River Rapids (Animal Kingdom), Seven Dwarfs Mine Train (Magic Kingdom), and Slinky Dog Dash (Hollywood Studios).
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and Slinky Dog Dash. A 5- or 6-year old with no coaster experience is probably fine starting with either of these, but if you’re in Magic Kingdom you might try and get on Barnstormer first.
Kali River Rapids. This is probably fine for a 5- or 6-year old who doesn’t mind a bit of unpredictable motion and drops. More importantly, they need to not mind that they might get soaked.
Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run. Since the single rider line on this one is usually short, I’d still recommend a parent try this out before taking a 5- or 6-year old on it. But if you don’t have the time, just know that it’s about 3-minutes of intense space chase in a cramped cockpit. Try not to let your kid stress about whatever “role” they’re given.
The Nine 40 Inch Height Requirement Rides
40 inches is indisputably the most significant of the Disney World height milestones, as it unlocks nine rides. These are going to be a real mixed bag for 5- and 6-year olds though.
For starters, I’d say that DINOSAUR (Animal Kingdom), Mission: SPACE (Epcot), and Tower of Terror (Hollywood Studios) are too intense for many 5- and 6-year olds. These are rides that are too intense for many adults.
I think it’s advisable for a parent to at least watch a video of these rides if not to experience them on their own before deciding whether the ride is right for your kid. (There’s no judgment here—I fully intend on encouraging Zoe to try these rides right at 40 inches, but no one could say my opinion on these rides is uninformed.)
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (Magic Kingdom) is a natural next roller coaster once your kid has conquered Slinky Dog Dash and Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. Since it’s outdoors and doesn’t have any notably intense moments, it’s also probably a fine first coaster for kids this age.
The remaining five—Soarin’ (Epcot), Tiana’s Bayou Adventure (Magic Kingdom), Test Track (Epcot), Star Tours (Hollywood Studios), and Rise of the Resistance (Hollywood Studios) are probably going to be fine for 5- and 6-year olds.
42 Inches - Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind
As a starting point, I’d make sure your kid is comfortably on Slinky Dog Dash, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad before diving into Cosmic Rewind. But it also has to be said that Cosmic Rewind is very different from those outdoor coasters.
Cosmic Rewind is indoors, mostly in the dark, on rotating vehicles. It’s an intense, oft-nauseating experience. It’s also tons of fun. I wouldn’t hesitate putting a 5- or 6-year old on it, but at this age you might already know whether they’re a “coaster person” or not. Someone who isn’t a “coaster person” is less likely to enjoy Cosmic Rewind.
Three Great Rides at 44 Inches
Sometime around 5 or 6, you’re likely to hit 44 inches and unlock three great rides: Space Mountain (Magic Kingdom), Expedition Everest (Animal Kingdom), and Flight of Passage (Animal Kingdom).
I’ve got absolutely no qualms about Flight of Passage. The biggest thing is the unfamiliar ride vehicle and setting could cause some unease. But the actual ride experience is fun and breathtaking.
My advice on Space Mountain is similar to that of Cosmic Rewind. You want to take a kid who is comfortable on coasters and have them understand that Space Mountain is just another coaster, but in the dark. If they aren’t comfortable with coasters, adding the darkness element will probably make things worse.
Expedition Everest is a little trickier. On its face, its just another outdoor coaster. But in reality, it’s got some intense, surprising moments. I’d file this one under “good for a coaster person.” If your kid doesn’t get excited about coasters, then Everest probably isn’t for them. It also has a single rider line in case one parent wants to test it out to see if it’s a fit for the whole family.
Two More Coasters at 48 Inches
By the end of age 6, your child might hit 48 inches. 48 inches is the last height requirement at Disney World (the minor exception being that you have to be 54 inches to drive Tomorrowland Speedway alone). It comes with two coasters: Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster and TRON Lightcycle Run.
I think this is actually pretty clearcut. Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster is intense, in the dark, and goes upside down. It’s not for kids who are hesitant about coasters. TRON Lightcycle Run is not particularly intense, and it isn’t very long. If my toddler were tall enough for it, I’d let them on it.
Conclusions
5 and 6 can be tough years when it comes to figuring out exactly which rides to go on. It won’t always be easy for your kid to understand why you’ll let them go on TRON (48 inch requirement) but you keep saying no to Mission: SPACE (40 inches). Kids of this age are also going to be fighting for more and more independence, only adding to the challenge.
That said, there’s really no rides at Disney World I’d absolutely keep Zoe off once they hit 5 years old. For me this age mostly comes down to preparing them for new experiences. Barnstormer might give your kid a good idea of “coaster”, but nothing will give the same preparation for Mission: SPACE or Tower of Terror. You just need to talk them through what to expect. Above all, don’t let these decisions become a source of stress for them.
All Your Other Disney World Planning Questions Answered
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Don't forget to master your Disney World Lightning Lane Guide and Strategy a few months in advance. We'll keep you out of long lines so you can maximize the magical time in the parks! We've got park-specific guides as well: Magic Kingdom Lightning Lane Strategy, Epcot Lightning Lane Strategy, Animal Kingdom Lightning Lane Strategy, and Hollywood Studios Lightning Lane Strategy.
Know what to ride with our guides to: Magic Kingdom rides, Hollywood Studios rides, Epcot rides, and Animal Kingdom rides! Plus learn about the water parks with our guide to Blizzard Beach and our guide to Typhoon Lagoon! And for some some fun prep, check out our Ranking of Every Ride at Walt Disney World.
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