Orlando With Kids

Pick Orlando’s attractions by your children’s age, height and interests, not by fame. A five-year-old who wants princesses and gentle rides needs a different trip from a 12-year-old chasing coasters, and a toddler may have a better day at Peppa Pig Theme Park than at a giant resort park. Most families do best with one or two big theme-park days mixed with something slower, shorter or more hands-on.

The best Orlando attractions for families at a glance

Magic Kingdom is the best all-round park for younger children. LEGOLAND Florida suits roughly ages 3 to 12, and Peppa Pig Theme Park is built for preschoolers. Universal gets much better once kids are tall enough for its big rides and into Harry Potter, Nintendo or Jurassic World. SeaWorld mixes animals and rides well, and Kennedy Space Center is the standout day away from the theme parks for school-age kids.

*These ages are practical suggestions, not admission rules; interest, temperament and height matter more. The Peppa Pig listing is thin on reviews so far. Disney and Universal admission are sold direct, so GetYourGuide has no listing for them.

Toddlers and preschoolers

LEGOLAND Florida is the easiest win for this age. The resort says it is designed for kids aged 2 to 12, children under 2 get in free, and SEA LIFE Florida, the aquarium that opened at the resort in June 2025, is included with admission. The newest ride, the indoor Galacticoaster, has a 36-inch minimum, so many preschoolers can ride their first real coaster here. The catch is distance: Winter Haven is about 45 minutes from the Orlando parks, so it is a full day.

Peppa Pig Theme Park sits steps from LEGOLAND’s main entrance and shares its parking, but it needs its own ticket. It is aimed at ages 2 to 5 and has six rides and attractions, which makes it a gentle half-day. Book Peppa Pig Theme Park admission for the morning and you can still be back at the hotel for a nap.

Closer in, SeaWorld has Sesame Street Land, with Elmo’s Choo Choo Train (36 in), Super Grover’s Box Car Derby (38 in) and play areas with no height minimum. Disney is the classic choice, and every Disney theme park has a Baby Care Center for feeding and changing. Our Orlando with toddlers guide covers the full plan.

With babies and toddlers up to about 2, don’t judge a place by its ride count. Judge it by how much the whole family can do together, and by shade, air conditioning, how easy it is with a stroller, nursing and changing rooms, and whether you can leave early without feeling you’ve wasted the ticket. Magic Kingdom’s long list of any-height rides makes it a strong choice; Peppa Pig suits older toddlers, and SeaWorld and short indoor attractions work too.

From 3 to 5, the best bets are Magic Kingdom, Peppa Pig Theme Park, LEGOLAND, SeaWorld and Crayola Experience. Children this age are old enough to follow what they see and still treat meeting a favorite character as a big event. Don’t overschedule: a four-year-old who has been in a park since 8 am won’t care that you planned to stay for the 9 pm fireworks.

Ages 6 to 10

This is the sweet spot: tall enough for most family rides, still thrilled by animals. Gatorland has more than 2,000 alligators across 110 acres, rare white gators, a petting zoo and the Gator Jumparoo show, where alligators jump four feet or more out of the water. The Gatorland skip-the-line ticket is a full-day pass, but 3–4 hours covers the shows and animals.

An airboat ride is the other easy hit. Wild Florida has no age requirement and includes its Alligator Park with every airboat ticket, and our airboat tours comparison lines up the other operators. On a hot or wet afternoon, WonderWorks fills 3–4 hours indoors with more than 100 exhibits. Kennedy Space Center also works at this age: its official itineraries include a one-day plan for families with kids, and the Planet Play area is included with admission.

For the big parks, the strongest picks from about 6 to 9 are Magic Kingdom, LEGOLAND, SeaWorld, Animal Kingdom and Universal Studios Florida. It’s the easiest age for Orlando: kids handle longer days and are tall enough for more rides, but haven’t yet decided that anything for “kids” is embarrassing.

Tweens and teens

Older kids measure Orlando by its coasters, and those live at Universal, Epic Universe and SeaWorld. Universal and Disney admission are both bought direct; our Disney World tickets guide compares the options. Our Universal tickets guide explains the options. SeaWorld’s Mako, which the park calls Orlando’s tallest and fastest coaster, needs 54 inches.

Beyond the parks, teens get more out of an airboat, the zip line at Gatorland, a day at Discovery Cove with the SeaVenture helmet walk (age 10+) or a launch-season trip to Kennedy. The Orlando with teenagers guide has the full list.

From 10 to 12, look at Universal Studios, Epic Universe, Islands of Adventure, Hollywood Studios, SeaWorld, Kennedy Space Center and Discovery Cove. Themes and thrill levels start to matter more than anything labeled for kids, and a ten-year-old Potter fan may pick Universal over every Disney park. Teenagers who love coasters can find the younger parks dull, but not every teen wants thrills: a Star Wars fan, a marine-life fan or a future engineer may want a very different trip.

One day that works for everyone

Mixed-age families need something nobody sits out. The Polynesian Fire Luau welcomes all ages, runs about two hours in an air-conditioned room, and children 2 and under go free with a paying adult. Discovery Cove suits families with kids aged 6 and up, since that is the minimum age for the dolphin swim and the GetYourGuide listing is not suitable for under-6s. Younger children still get the beaches, the warm lagoons and the aviary; see Discovery Cove with young children. Kennedy Space Center and an airboat ride round out the list: both hold a 7-year-old’s attention and a grandparent’s.

The 12 best Orlando attractions for families

1. Magic Kingdom: best overall with younger children

Allow a full day, or two with young kids. Cinderella Castle, Fantasyland, princesses, Mickey and fireworks: Magic Kingdom is the park most families picture, and it has more rides the whole family can do together than almost anywhere in Orlando. Many have no height minimum, including “it’s a small world”, Jungle Cruise, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Peter Pan’s Flight, Pirates of the Caribbean, Prince Charming Regal Carrousel, Under the Sea – Journey of The Little Mermaid, Mickey’s PhilharMagic and Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin. At thrill-heavy parks, families with a small child spend much of the day split up; here you can stay together.

The step-up rides are The Barnstormer (35 in), Seven Dwarfs Mine Train (38 in), Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (38 in), Tiana’s Bayou Adventure (40 in), Space Mountain (44 in) and TRON Lightcycle / Run (48 in). Older kids who have outgrown the characters and want big coasters will prefer Islands of Adventure, Epic Universe or SeaWorld. With a preschooler or young school-age child and room for one Disney park, choose Magic Kingdom. Our Disney World parks compared guide covers the other three.

2. LEGOLAND Florida: best theme park for about ages 3–12

LEGOLAND is built for children, with adults along for the ride. It’s a full day in Winter Haven, about 45 minutes from the Orlando parks depending on traffic and your hotel. Strong family rides include LEGO NINJAGO The Ride, The Dragon, Safari Trek, LEGO Ferrari Build & Race, Kid Power Towers, Coast Guard Academy, Driving School, The Great LEGO Race, MINILAND USA and Pirate River Quest. NINJAGO has no height minimum and the others start at 30 to 52 inches, so check the park’s height chart before you buy.

A seven-year-old who would rather drive a LEGO car and build things than queue to meet characters may have a better day here than at Disney, and there are fewer extreme rides than at Universal or SeaWorld. It suits ages 5 to 10 best. Book the LEGOLAND Florida + SEA LIFE ticket, and read our LEGOLAND Florida guide for the day plan.

3. Peppa Pig Theme Park: best for toddlers and preschoolers

A toddler doesn’t care about a coaster they can’t ride. Peppa Pig Theme Park, next to LEGOLAND, is sized for ages 2 to 6, with Daddy Pig’s Roller Coaster, Grampy Rabbit’s Dinosaur Adventure, Grandad Dog’s Pirate Boat Ride, Peppa Pig’s Balloon Ride, Peppa’s Pedal Bike Tour, the Muddy Puddles splash pad, Peppa Pig’s Treehouse, Rebecca Rabbit’s Playground, Pirate Island sand play and an indoor cinema. The balloon ride and pirate boat have no minimum height with a companion; Daddy Pig’s Roller Coaster needs 36 inches, and Grampy Rabbit’s Dinosaur Adventure needs 34 inches and age 2.

It needs its own ticket, even though it sits beside LEGOLAND; with an older sibling, you can do both on a combined ticket if the little one has the stamina. For a three- or four-year-old it’s the easiest theme park in the Orlando area to recommend.

4. Disney’s Animal Kingdom: best Disney park for animal lovers

Allow a full day. Younger kids get animals, characters and striking scenery; older ones get some of Disney World’s best rides, including Pandora – The World of Avatar and Expedition Everest. Families often spend much of the day not riding anything at all: walking the wildlife trails, watching shows and exploring. Pick it over a second Magic Kingdom day if your kids love animals and nature films, need breaks from rides, want Disney without princesses, or have mixed thrill tolerances. If you want to ride as much as possible, Magic Kingdom or Hollywood Studios gives you more.

5. Universal Studios Florida: best Universal park for younger families

Universal isn’t only for teenagers. DreamWorks Land added Trolls Trollercoaster, Po’s Kung Fu Training Camp, Poppy’s Playground, King Harold’s Swamp Symphony, Po Live!, Shrek’s Swamp Meet and DreamWorks character meets, with splash areas and play zones. The park also has the Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Diagon Alley for older kids. There are fewer rides that babies and small preschoolers can simply ride along on than at Magic Kingdom, so height and interests matter more. For many families with younger kids, it’s a better Universal choice than Islands of Adventure. See Universal Orlando’s parks explained.

6. Universal Islands of Adventure: best for adventurous school-age kids

Islands of Adventure gets much better once kids are tall and brave enough for faster rides, but Seuss Landing is good for little ones: The Cat in the Hat, The High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride, Caro-Seuss-el, One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish and the If I Ran the Zoo play area. Beyond it you get Harry Potter, Jurassic World and the big thrill rides. It’s right for children who ask “what’s the biggest ride I can go on?” more than “where can I meet Mickey?”, usually from about age 8. Our Harry Potter at Universal guide splits the two Potter lands.

7. Universal Epic Universe: best for Nintendo fans

Epic Universe gives a Universal trip a third park alongside the two older ones. For families the big draw is SUPER NINTENDO WORLD, especially for kids who already know Mario, Luigi and Donkey Kong, and the park adds a newer Wizarding World and other heavily themed lands. Put it first if Mario matters more to your kids than Marvel, it’s your first Universal visit, or you only have one Universal day. A land that looks irresistible doesn’t mean every ride suits a preschooler, so check the heights in the table below.

8. SeaWorld Orlando: best mix of animals and rides

One child can spend the morning with dolphins and penguins while an older sibling chases coasters all afternoon. Sesame Street Land is the area for young kids, with Abby’s Flower Tower, Sunny Day Carousel, Slimey’s Slider and character meets; some rides let shorter children ride with a supervising companion, though several don’t allow lap infants. The big coasters go up to a 54-inch minimum. Grandparents, non-riders and small children all get a proper day, which makes it one of Orlando’s best parks for three generations. Book SeaWorld Orlando park admission and see our SeaWorld rides and shows guide.

9. Discovery Cove: best splurge day

Discovery Cove feels more like a tropical resort day than a theme park, and it suits ages 6 and up best. Families snorkel the Grand Reef, float the Wind-Away River, relax at Serenity Bay and on the beaches and walk through Explorer’s Aviary, all open to every age. The dolphin swim needs children to be at least 6 and 42 inches tall, and kids aged 6 to 12 swim with a paying adult. Food, drinks and gear are included once you’re inside. There’s no list of rides to get through, which can feel like a relief midway through a busy trip. It’s expensive, so it works best when your children can snorkel confidently. Read is Discovery Cove worth it.

10. Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex: best educational day trip

On the Space Coast, a full day out. You see real spacecraft and the hardware that put people into space, and few day trips from Orlando can match it for a child who loves rockets. Planet Play, an indoor play area for ages 2 to 12, has a wormhole to climb through and planet-themed structures while adults watch from the lounge next door. A seven-year-old rocket fan may remember it longer than another Disney day; a three-year-old with no interest in space probably won’t. Book the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex ticket, or see Kennedy Space Center from Orlando for transport options.

11. Crayola Experience: best rainy-day stop for younger kids

At the Florida Mall, Crayola Experience has more than 20 hands-on attractions mixing art, technology and color, and it suggests 3 to 4 hours. It’s indoors, needs less planning than a park day, and kids make things instead of queuing. It suits an artistic six-year-old far better than a thrill-seeking 13-year-old. Keep it for a stormy afternoon or a low-energy day.

12. Orlando Science Center: best hands-on learning day

Not every day needs a character or a coaster. Orlando Science Center works for kids who like experiments, building, dinosaurs, nature, space and hands-on exhibits, and it’s a good fallback in heat or rain. On a trip of seven to ten days, a science-center day breaks up the parks for less than another park ticket.

Best Orlando theme park for families: comparison

These star ratings are our planning judgment, not official classifications.

Height requirements for the headline rides

Promising a child a ride they turn out to be too short for can ruin a morning. Measure your kids without shoes before the trip, write the height down in inches and centimeters, then check the official ride lists before you choose parks: a few inches change everything. At Magic Kingdom, many rides have no minimum, then Tomorrowland Speedway needs 32 in, The Barnstormer 35, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train 38, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure 40, Space Mountain 44 and TRON 48. LEGOLAND runs from no minimum up to 52 inches. These are the official minimums for the rides families ask about most.

Rider switch and child swap

If one child is too small for a ride and another is desperate to go on it, you don’t have to skip it. Both big resorts let parents take turns without queuing twice. At Walt Disney World, Rider Switch is available at most attractions: the whole group tells a Cast Member at the entrance, one adult rides while the other waits with the child, and then up to two people from the waiting group ride through the Rider Switch entrance. Universal calls it Child Swap. Close to boarding, one adult waits with the child in a Child Swap area while the rest of the group rides, then the adults swap without lining up again. VelociCoaster offers it on request.

Heat, naps and strollers

Summer is the hard part. Orlando’s average highs sit around 90–92°F from June to September, and more than 90% of the area’s lightning falls between May and October, from noon to midnight. Water rides and outdoor rides pause when lightning is close. The fix is the same for every age: do the outdoor day in the morning, go back to the hotel for a nap or a pool break after lunch, and return for the evening.

On a very hot day, be at the gate for opening, do the outdoor rides first, move to indoor attractions around midday and take a long lunch. Use the splash areas, then head back to the hotel for the hottest part of the afternoon and return for the evening. A cloudy morning doesn’t protect you from UV, so bring water, hats and sunscreen.

Rent or bring a stroller for preschoolers, even if they’ve given one up at home. A park day means miles of walking in the heat, and a five-year-old who walks happily around your neighborhood may refuse by 4 pm. The stroller also works as a rest spot and somewhere to keep water and spare clothes.

Disney bans strollers wider than 31 inches or longer than 52 inches, and stroller wagons are not allowed, so check your double before you pack it. Gatorland rents strollers on site. At Disney and Universal, children under 3 get in free and child prices cover ages 3 to 9.

How many theme-park days should a family plan?

More isn’t better. For a seven-day trip:

• First trip with kids aged 4 to 8: two Disney days, one Universal or SeaWorld day, one LEGOLAND and Peppa Pig day, one Discovery Cove, water park or pool day, one Kennedy Space Center or indoor day, and one free day.
• Kids aged 9 to 14: two Universal days, one Epic Universe day, one Disney day, one SeaWorld or Discovery Cove day, one Kennedy Space Center day and one pool or shopping day.
• Preschoolers: go slower. Three or four big park days in a week is plenty. A toddler doesn’t know what the trip cost; they only know they’re tired.

For a first trip, 7 to 10 days lets you see several big parks without making every day a marathon; four or five days work if you choose carefully. Plan a rest, pool or lighter day after every two or three park days.

A 5-day family plan

• Day 1, Magic Kingdom: start with the classic, but don’t stay to exhaustion after a long journey.
• Day 2, pool morning and a lighter afternoon: Crayola Experience, shopping, mini golf or the resort pool.
• Day 3, LEGOLAND for kids under about 9, Universal for older ones.
• Day 4, Kennedy Space Center: a complete change from the parks.
• Day 5, SeaWorld for variety and coasters, or Discovery Cove for a relaxed finish.

A 7-day family plan

Magic Kingdom, then Animal Kingdom, then a rest, pool or indoor day, then Universal Studios Florida, then LEGOLAND or Epic Universe depending on age, then Kennedy Space Center, and Discovery Cove or SeaWorld to finish. Day 3 is the important one; don’t swap it for another attraction you spotted online.

Rainy days

Florida rain rarely ruins a trip if you have a plan B. Crayola Experience is indoors and best for younger kids. Orlando Science Center is easier than a park with outdoor rides closed. Kennedy Space Center isn’t all indoors, but many of the big exhibits are under cover. Disney and Universal still work, though lightning can close outdoor rides for a while. Even Peppa Pig Theme Park has an indoor cinema. Our indoor things to do in Orlando guide has more.

What to pack for a park day

Refillable water bottles, sunscreen, hats, light rain ponchos, a phone charger, spare socks, a change of clothes for young kids, snacks where allowed, medication, a stroller rain cover, a waterproof bag for phones and a thin layer for cold air conditioning. Pack swimwear or dry clothes if a splash area is in the plan, such as Peppa Pig’s Muddy Puddles.

Should you buy tickets in advance?

For the big parks, yes, especially when prices vary by date, a park needs a dated reservation, you want a multi-day bundle, capacity is limited or you’re traveling in school holidays. Buy the expensive, high-priority days first: Disney, Universal, Discovery Cove and usually Kennedy Space Center. Keep cheaper or weather-dependent plans, like Crayola Experience on a wet afternoon, flexible.

Siblings with a big age gap

• A 3-year-old and a 10-year-old: Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, SeaWorld or LEGOLAND. Peppa Pig delights the younger one and bores the older.
• A 5-year-old and a 13-year-old: SeaWorld, Universal Studios Florida, Animal Kingdom or Hollywood Studios, where the teen gets real thrills and the little one still has plenty.
• A 7-year-old and a 16-year-old: Universal Studios, Epic Universe, Islands of Adventure, SeaWorld or Hollywood Studios. LEGOLAND will feel young to the teen unless they’re a serious LEGO fan.

Grandparents and kids together

Plan around mobility and interests. Magic Kingdom has plenty to do without thrill rides. At SeaWorld, the shows and animals let grandparents join in without coasters. Discovery Cove is a deliberately slow day. Kennedy Space Center works across generations, especially when grandparents remember Apollo. At EPCOT, adults enjoy the food, gardens and World Showcase while kids still get rides. In the evening, a dinner show suits all three generations.

If your child doesn’t like roller coasters

You don’t need to be a thrill-ride family. Put Magic Kingdom, Discovery Cove, Kennedy Space Center, Crayola Experience, Orlando Science Center, SeaWorld’s animal areas, Peppa Pig and LEGOLAND’s build-and-play areas first. Even at Universal, DreamWorks Land and Seuss Landing have plenty beyond the big coasters.

Children with sensory sensitivities

Before you pick parks, think about loud music, sudden darkness, crowded queues and exits, flashing lights, character meets, water effects, how the ride restraints feel, and fireworks. SeaWorld publishes sensory ratings for its attractions using an IBCCES scale for touch, sound, smell and sight, and each resort has accessibility guides; check the current ones before you travel. A child who hates loud rides may still love aquariums, animal encounters, LEGO building areas, the Kennedy Space Center exhibits, quiet character meets and outdoor play.

Free or low-key days between parks

Not every day needs another $100-plus ticket. Try the resort pool, Disney Springs, mini golf, a playground, shopping, an early dinner and a quiet evening, or your hotel’s activities. With small children, an afternoon at the pool can make a better memory than one more attraction squeezed in.

Which one should you choose?

• Toddlers and preschoolers: LEGOLAND with SEA LIFE for a full day, Peppa Pig for a short one, Sesame Street Land if you already have SeaWorld tickets.
• Ages 6–10: Gatorland, a daytime airboat ride, WonderWorks for a rainy afternoon.
• Tweens and teens: Universal and Epic Universe (bought direct), SeaWorld’s coasters, an airboat or zip line.
• The whole family: Discovery Cove if everyone is 6 or older, Kennedy Space Center, the luau.

For a first trip with children under 10, we’d build the week around Magic Kingdom, then LEGOLAND or Universal by age, Animal Kingdom or SeaWorld for animals and rides, Kennedy Space Center for something different, and Discovery Cove or a real rest day. Start from what your children will enjoy at their age, height and energy level, and the rest of the plan gets much easier.

More family ideas

Need a break from the parks? See things to do in Orlando besides Disney, the indoor options for rainy days and what to do at night. Our day trips from Orlando include beaches and manatee swims for older kids.