Best Rides for Toddlers at Universal Orlando

Universal Orlando is best known as a thrill seekers paradise. Between the Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure theme parks, the complex boasts mind-bending coasters like Velocicoaster, Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure, and The Incredible Hulk as well as wild technological marvels like The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man, Transformers, and headline Harry Potter attractions: Forbidden Journey and Escape from Gringotts.

However, even with those thrills taking the headlines, Universal Orlando does have some rides that are perfect for entertaining the toddlers in your party.

Universal Studios Florida

E.T. Adventure

There’s no better place to start than the only opening day attraction left at Universal’s debut Florida park. This iconic dark ride takes guests on a faux-bicycle ride vehicle on a journey with the titular E.T. from the climax of Steven Spielberg’s film to his homeward, the Green Planet. While E.T. does have a height requirement (34 in.) limiting to it to those on the older side of the toddler spectrum, it’s a perfect introductory attraction for said older toddlers, offering up a fun, light, and cheery adventure in-line with the iconic character.

Kang and Kodos Twirl and Hurl

A Simpson-ized version of an aerial carousel spinner ride (think Dumbo, Magic Carpets of Aladdin, or Astro Orbiter) with no height requirement, this attraction puts riders young and old into spaceships that circle a giant version of the titular alien. The ride adds an interactive element, allowing guests to “zap” others as they fly by.

Islands of Adventure

Moving over to the Islands of Adventure theme park, it shouldn’t come as a shock that the majority of the park’s toddler-friendly attractions are located in Seuss Landing, the island themed to the works of Doctor Seuss. These include:

Caro-Seuss-el

This carousel is filled with whimsical animals themed to various Seuss stories, providing a fun colorful ride to little ones. There is no height requirement for the attraction, though there is a requirement that any guests under 48 inches require supervision.

One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish

Another spinning ride similar to Kang and Kodos next door, this one has an additional feature — it will blast jets of water at guests if they don’t listen to the right direction to move their vehicle. So, word to the wise, perhaps have a change of clothes for your toddler if they’re not the best listener. Like the Caro-Seuss-el, this ride has no height requirement, but does require supervision for riders under 48 in.

The Cat in the Hat

The headline attraction of Seuss Landing, this wild dark ride takes guests through a faithful realization of Doctor Seuss’s most iconic story, which will be instantly recognizable to many toddlers familiar with the story. Of note, this attraction does have a 36 in. requirement.

The High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride

While this attraction – an elevated twin monorail that circles Seuss Landing and references multiple Seuss books — has one of the highest height requirements on our list at 40 inches, it’s also arguably the most thrilling. Definitely worth it for older toddlers, as long as they’re not afraid of heights.

Storm Force Acceleration

While Marvel Super Hero Island is dominated by thrill machines like The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man, Doctor Doom’s Fear Fall, and The Incredible Hulk, the land does feature one toddler-friendly ride: Storm Force Acceleration. The attraction is essentially a spinner ride similar to Disney’s iconic Tea Party attractions, but themed to the titular X-Men member Storm. Like two of the aforementioned Seuss rides, the ride doesn’t have a height requirement, but does require supervision for those under 48 in.

Hogwarts Express

The final toddler-friendly attraction on our list comes with two major caveats: The first is that the attraction does not “belong” to either Universal Studios Florida or Islands of Adventure. Rather, it travels between the two parks, and requires a two-park ticket to experience. The second, and arguably more important for our purposes is that while the attraction has no height requirement and no thrills to be had, its encounter with a Dementor might be somewhat frightening for even an older toddler.

Has our breakdown of the toddler-friendly attractions at Universal Orlando changed your perspective on the resort’s theme parks? Let us know in the comments below.

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