15 Toddler-Friendly Rides at Universal Orlando for Little Kids
Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. If you book or buy through them I may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you. Read our full disclosure.
Universal Orlando is home to plenty of toddler-friendly rides, with 15 gentle attractions across its parks that little kids can actually go on. From Yoshi’s Adventure and the Hogwarts Express to the Seuss Landing classics, there is far more for under-fives than most families expect.
Up until about five years ago it seemed like Universal Orlando was only targeting families with older children. However, with the launch of Minion Land, the opening of DreamWorks Land and the new Epic Universe theme park, this resort is now great fun for the whole family.
I took my eldest son on his first trip to Universal Orlando in 2022 when he was just 6 months old, and we’ve been visiting as a family once or twice a year ever since.
I’ve listed each ride below, with its height requirement and a brief description. All the rides on this list have a height requirement of 36″ (92cm) or less, which should cover kids up to around 4 years old.
| Ride | Min height | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Universal Studios Florida | ||
| Hogwarts Express | None | Train ride (needs a 2-park ticket) |
| Kang & Kodos' Twirl 'n' Hurl | None | Gentle Dumbo-style spinner |
| Villain-Con Minion Blast | None | Walk-through then a seated shooting game |
| E.T. Adventure | 34" | Gentle flying dark ride |
| Trolls Trollercoaster | 36" | Small, tame family coaster |
| Universal's Islands of Adventure | ||
| One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish | None | Gentle spinner – you can get splashed |
| Caro-Seuss-el | None | Whimsical Seuss carousel |
| Storm Force Accelatron | None | Teacup spinner (as wild as you spin it) |
| High in the Sky Seuss Trolley | 36" | Slow elevated tour of Seuss Landing |
| Pteranodon Flyers | 36"–56" | Kids-only glider (adults ride only with a child) |
| The Cat in the Hat | 36" | Gentle spinning dark ride |
| Flight of the Hippogriff | 36" | Junior roller coaster |
| Universal Epic Universe | ||
| Constellation Carousel | None | Slow celestial carousel, brand new |
| Fyre Drill | None | Water-cannon boat – you will get soaked |
| Yoshi's Adventure | 34" | Very calm egg-hunt dark ride |
The Universal Orlando Toddler Ride Checklist
Every toddler-friendly ride at Universal Orlando on one printable page, grouped by park — with minimum heights and tick boxes.
Download the checklist →1. One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish
📏 Height Requirement: None
⏰ Average Wait Time: 13 minutes
🎢 Universal Orlando Park: Islands of Adventure
🎟️ Express Pass: Yes
One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish is a fun, family-friendly spinning ride that takes you on a colourful adventure through the world of Dr. Seuss. You’ll board a fish-shaped vehicle that gently spins as it circles the pole.
This is one of the best rides at Universal Orlando for babies and toddlers as it has no height requirement. However, your child must be able to sit up independently.
Each vehicle seats up to two people and has a lap bar for safety. The ride’s movements are mild, making it suitable for younger children. You can even control how high your fish flies by using a handle in front of you.
The squirt posts around the ride spray you in time with the sing-song rhyme, so listen for the cue and lift your fish to dodge. There are no drops and nothing goes dark, which makes it an easy first ride, as long as your toddler doesn't mind a surprise splash.
My son Oliver went on this for the first time when he was 18 months and found it absolutely hilarious, but I think a lot of that was down to my over-excited reaction too.
2. Hogwarts Express
📏 Height Requirement: None
⏰ Average Wait Time: 34 minutes
🎢 Universal Orlando Park: Universal Studios Florida & Islands of Adventure
🎟️ Express Pass: No
The Hogwarts Express is a train ride that connects two Universal Orlando theme parks, Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure. As such, you will need a park-to-park ticket to go on this ride.
Onboard, you'll sit in a themed cabin while a window projection displays familiar Harry Potter characters. This ride is suitable for all ages and has no height requirement.
You can bring wheelchairs and strollers onboard without needing to collapse them. However, you will be asked to remove children from their stroller for the ride (this meant us lifting out our sleeping 6-month-old to go onboard) while wheelchair users can remain and will be directed to an accessible cabin.
Rental strollers and wheelchairs do not cross between the parks. Instead, you'll be asked to leave the stroller or wheelchair at the station and collect a new one on your arrival at the other park.
The story told on each route is different. From King's Cross at Universal Studios to Hogsmeade at Islands of Adventure, it's relatively lighthearted, while the journey going the other way is darker and more suspenseful.
We rode this train with Oliver at both 6 months and 18 months old without any issues.
However, above the age of two, children could be scared by the Dementor sightings, so it may be worth watching a video online in advance to prepare yourself for comforting them if you think they may be sensitive.
3. Kang & Kodos' Twirl 'n' Hurl
📏 Height Requirement: None
⏰ Average Wait Time: 16 minutes
🎢 Universal Orlando Park: Universal Studios Florida
🎟️ Express Pass: Yes
Kang & Kodos' Twirl 'n' Hurl sees you spin around with the mischievous aliens from The Simpsons. This ride is great for toddlers as it has no height requirement. However, the concept of the ride can be a little sickness-inducing at times.
The ride vehicle is a spaceship with up to four people in each pod. Each spaceship moves at 13mph. However, you can further adjust the height and spinning speed by turning a wheel.
The loud pre-ride audio and alien voice clips make it sound wilder than it is, so don't let the shouting put a toddler off. Once you are moving it stays gentle unless you crank the wheel, so leave the spin alone for the calmest ride.
I took my son on this ride as a young toddler and he really enjoyed it. Throughout the ride he was happy sitting and watching everything go round rather than playing with the wheel.
4. Caro-Seuss-el
📏 Height Requirement: None
⏰ Average Wait Time: 7 minutes
🎢 Universal Orlando Park: Islands of Adventure
🎟️ Express Pass: Yes
The Caro-Seuss-el is a classic carousel ride located in Seuss Landing, featuring favourite characters from Dr. Seuss’s books.
You'll ride colourful, Seuss-inspired creatures instead of traditional horses, secured with a standard lap bar.
This is the most gentle ride at Universal Orlando, so if you have an apprehensive child, this is an ideal ride to start with. The mounts have interactive levers that make eyes blink and heads turn but Oliver took no notice of these and was happy to just watch as he went round and round.
5. Illumination's Villain-Con Minion Blast
📏 Height Requirement: None
⏰ Average Wait Time: 20 minutes
🎢 Universal Orlando Park: Universal Studios Florida
🎟️ Express Pass: Yes
Illumination’s Villain-Con Minion Blast is an interactive shooting game where you try to join the Vicious 6. However, instead of a traditional ride vehicle, you stand on a moving walkway and blast targets.
Armed with an E-Liminator X blaster, you’ll shoot at screens as you glide through villain-themed scenes. Your score is tracked, so there’s plenty of replay value if your family is competitive.
This is great for families because there is no height requirement and no sudden movements. However, we found that even now at 4 years old our eldest son Oliver struggles to control the blaster while holding it and that the battle noise, flashing screens and cartoon villains can be a little overwhelming for him.
6. Storm Force Accelatron
📏 Height Requirement: None
⏰ Average Wait Time: 6 minutes
🎢 Universal Orlando Park: Islands of Adventure
🎟️ Express Pass: Yes
Storm Force Accelatron has no height requirement, so technically it's suitable for young kids. However, I've been on this ride twice, once on my first visit in 2012 before I had children and again in May 2026, just to check whether it was as bad as I remembered. It was.
As such, my children have never been on Storm Force Accelatron and I wouldn't recommend it.
The ride itself sits inside Marvel Super Hero Island, the most dated land at Islands of Adventure, and is essentially an intense teacup ride.
Each vehicle seats up to five people around a central wheel that controls how fast you spin, and the harder you turn it, the faster you go. However, even if you leave the wheel alone, you still spin enough to bring on motion sickness for a lot of people, which is why the wait is often under 10 minutes.
7. E.T. Adventure
📏 Height Requirement: 34" (86 cm)
⏰ Average Wait Time: 23 minutes
🎢 Universal Orlando Park: Universal Studios Florida
🎟️ Express Pass: Yes
E.T. Adventure is a charming, family-friendly ride that takes you on a bike to help E.T. return home. This slow-moving ride features gentle twists and turns as you soar through lush forests and starry skies.
The ride vehicles are designed to look like bicycles, seating up to two people, and have a lap bar for safety. The gentle motion makes this ride a great choice for smaller children and those looking for a calmer experience.
Opened in 1990, E.T. Adventure is Universal Studios Orlando's oldest ride. Although the technology may feel a bit dated, it remains an iconic ride loved by long-time fans.
E.T. is a slow flying dark ride with no drops, but the middle goes properly dark and a few glowing figures, plus the tall Botanicus animatronic in the queue, can make a nervous toddler jump. There are no sudden movements once you are flying, so most little ones settle quickly the moment they spot E.T. in the bike basket. It runs roughly four to five minutes, which is a long stretch in the dark for a timid child. [Add your note: how your two reacted to the dark forest, or whether you ride it first thing.]
Ride it in the first hour after opening, or the last hour before close, when the queue usually drops under 15 minutes. If your baby is too small for the 34-inch minimum, use Child Swap, where the family queues together, non-riders wait in the air-conditioned Family Room, then take their turn without lining up again. Pushchairs are left in the marked bay outside.
8. Trolls Trollercoaster
📏 Height Requirement: 36" (92 cm)
⏰ Average Wait Time: 42 minutes
🎢 Universal Orlando Park: Universal Studios Florida
🎟️ Express Pass: Yes
The Trolls Trollercoaster is ideal for younger children, with gentle twists, turns, and small drops. However, the 36" height requirement means most children will be around 3.5 years old before they're tall enough to ride.
As one of the newest attractions at Universal Studios Florida, it's located within DreamWorks Land. The ride seats two people side by side, secured by a lap bar, making it a perfect introductory rollercoaster for young thrill-seekers.
For lots of toddlers this is their very first coaster. It is genuinely tame, no big drops and nothing dark, just a little speed and bounce set to upbeat Trolls music, so it is a gentle way to see whether your child enjoys the sensation. [Add your note: was this a first coaster for yours?]
Pair it with the toddler play areas next door, like Poppy's Playground, to make a morning of it, and ride early before the land fills up. Child Swap runs here, so a parent with a smaller baby can still take a turn without queuing twice.
9. The High In The Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride!
📏 Height Requirement: 36" (92 cm)
⏰ Average Wait Time: 22 minutes
🎢 Universal Orlando Park: Islands of Adventure
🎟️ Express Pass: Yes
The High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride! is a family-friendly attraction that offers a bird’s-eye view of Seuss Landing. This gentle ride takes you above the colourful world of Dr. Seuss, where you’ll fly through the air in a whimsical trolley car.
Each vehicle seats up to four people, with two rows of two seats each. The ride moves slowly and is mostly smooth, with a few gentle turns and small drops, making it ideal for younger children and families.
At around six minutes this is one of the longer little-kid rides, and it is completely calm, with nothing that spins, drops or goes dark. The only thing to watch is whether your child minds being up high, and there are a few steps to climb to board. [Add your note: did the height bother your little one?]
The queue can crawl because the ride loads slowly, so go first thing or late in the day. Two tracks run, and one passes through the Circus McGurkus cafe building, which is the more fun side to aim for. Child Swap is available if a younger sibling is too small.
10. Pteranodon Flyers
📏 Height Requirement: Minimum 36” (92 cm) Maximum 56” (143 cm)
⏰ Average Wait Time: 32 minutes
🎢 Universal Orlando Park: Islands of Adventure
🎟️ Express Pass: No
Pteranodon Flyers is a gentle flying ride that offers a bird's-eye view of the Jurassic Park area. This family-friendly attraction lets you soar through the air in a glider, simulating the flight of a Pteranodon.
Each Pteranodon seats one child (36″ to 56″) and one accompanying guest. Adults cannot ride unless they are with a child. The ride has a lap bar for safety, and the glider gently sways as it moves along the track.
This is a great ride for kids, but the strict height restrictions mean that adults cannot ride alone. Due to the ride's limited capacity, wait times can be long, even on quiet days.
The stand-out feature for a toddler is the sensation. Your feet dangle freely as you swoop, and the whole thing is over in about 80 seconds. There are no drops, so it is the height and the dangling legs, not speed, that a nervous child will notice. [Add your note: how your little one found the dangling feet.]
Lines are notoriously long for such a short ride and there is no Express Pass, so join right at opening or skip it if the wait climbs above 20 minutes.
11. The Cat In The Hat
📏 Height Requirement: 36" (92 cm)
⏰ Average Wait Time: 9 minutes
🎢 Universal Orlando Park: Islands of Adventure
🎟️ Express Pass: Yes
The Cat in the Hat is a gentle, family-friendly ride that takes you on a whimsical journey through the world of Dr. Seuss.
This ride sees you board a colourful ride vehicle and travel through the chaos caused by the mischievous Cat and his friends, Thing 1 and Thing 2. Each vehicle seats three people per row, with two rows in total.
The ride moves slowly with gentle turns, spins, and drops, making it suitable for all ages. Meanwhile, the colourful scenes, animatronics, and music create a fun and immersive experience.
The main thing for toddlers is that it stays dark for the whole ride, and the couch spins through a short tunnel effect partway round. That effect was toned down years ago so it is much milder now, and with no drops most little ones come off giggling rather than upset. [Add your note: did the spinning tunnel bother yours?]
Ride early or late to keep the wait short. If your toddler is wary of the dark, sit them on the inside of the couch and talk them through the story. Child Swap is available for a smaller sibling who cannot ride.
12. Flight of the Hippogriff
📏 Height Requirement: 36" (92 cm)
⏰ Average Wait Time: 30 minutes
🎢 Universal Orlando Park: Islands of Adventure
🎟️ Express Pass: Yes
Flight of the Hippogriff is a fantastic introductory rollercoaster for young kids.
This rollercoaster offers a gentle ride through the grounds of Hogwarts. After soaring past Hagrid’s hut, you will fly around the Hippogriff’s paddock before swooping down for a thrilling, yet mild, drop.
Each ride vehicle seats two people in a row, secured with a lap bar for safety. While this rollercoaster is not intense, the small drop and speed excite kids and those looking for a light thrill.
Universal's newest park, Epic Universe, opened in 2025 and quietly became a great option for the youngest children. Three of its rides are gentle enough for toddlers who meet the height rule (or have none at all).
This makes a brilliant first proper coaster. A modest lift hill leads into gentle dips and curves with no large drops, and there is a friendly Buckbeak animatronic to bow to on the way round. Only that very first dip tends to surprise a cautious toddler. [Add your note: was this your child's first proper coaster?]
It sits right by Hagrid's coaster in Hogsmeade, so ride it first thing before that queue spills over. Child Swap runs here, so a parent holding a smaller baby can still take a turn without lining up twice.
13. Constellation Carousel
📏 Height Requirement: None
⏰ Average Wait Time: Varies
🎢 Universal Orlando Park: Epic Universe (Celestial Park)
🎟️ Express Pass: Yes
Constellation Carousel is the gentlest ride at Epic Universe and a lovely first ride for a toddler. Instead of horses, you climb aboard star-themed creatures like lions, dragons and peacocks that spin slowly on their own axis while the whole carousel turns beneath a starry, rotating ceiling. There is no height requirement, so even the smallest children can ride, though children under 48" need a supervising companion aged 14 or older, and hand-held infants are not permitted.
The one thing worth knowing is that it has a bit more motion than a classic merry-go-round, so a motion-sensitive toddler may feel it, even though it stays smooth and slow. [Add your note: your first impression, if you've ridden it.]
It rarely has a long wait, so use it as a calm reset between the busier parts of the day.
14. Fyre Drill
📏 Height Requirement: None
⏰ Average Wait Time: Varies
🎢 Universal Orlando Park: Epic Universe (Isle of Berk)
💦 Good to know: You will get wet
🎟️ Express Pass: Yes
Fyre Drill is an interactive water-battle boat ride themed to the Vikings of Berk. Your crew pumps hand-operated water cannons to soak targets, and rival boats return the favour, as you float around a training course. The motion is gentle with no drops, so it suits toddlers well, but be warned that you will get soaked, so pack a change of clothes. There is no height requirement, though under-48" riders need a supervising companion and hand-held infants are not allowed.
The gentle motion suits toddlers, but be in no doubt you will get wet. Other riders can aim their cannons at your boat, and you can be sprayed in the queue too, so this is a full soaking rather than a light splash, over about seven minutes. [Add your note: how wet you actually got.]
There are paid people-dryers nearby at around $7 (£5) if you need to warm up afterwards, and it is best saved for the warmest part of the day.
15. Yoshi's Adventure
📏 Height Requirement: 34" (87 cm)
⏰ Average Wait Time: Varies
🎢 Universal Orlando Park: Epic Universe (Super Nintendo World)
🎟️ Express Pass: Yes
Yoshi's Adventure is a slow, sweet ride where you sit on the back of a Yoshi and weave gently through the Mushroom Kingdom hunting for hidden coloured eggs. It is one of the calmest rides in the whole resort and perfect for the youngest children who are tall enough. The 34" minimum means most children will be around 3 before they can ride, the same threshold as E.T. Adventure.
It runs a gentle five to seven minutes, and because much of the track is uncovered it can pause in heavy rain. Nothing spins, drops or goes dark, so it stays purely scenic from start to finish. [Add your note: did your little one enjoy egg-spotting?]
Ride it earlier in the day before Super Nintendo World gets busy. Child Swap is available if a younger sibling is too small.
Toddler play areas and splash zones
Some of the best toddler time at Universal is not spent on rides at all. These play areas have no height requirements, so everyone can join in, and they are perfect for burning off energy between rides.
DreamWorks Land (Universal Studios Florida)
Opened in 2024 where the old KidZone used to be, DreamWorks Land is now the best toddler hub at Universal. Poppy's Playground is a covered soft-play zone built specifically for the littlest ones, with small swings and bouncy elements. Shrek's Swamp for Little Ogres is a playground with suspension bridges, an outhouse slide and gentle water spouts. Po's Kung Fu Training Camp is a wet-and-dry play area with water cannons and a large tipping bucket that soaks anyone standing underneath, so bring swim nappies and a change of clothes.
Indoors, Mama Luna Feline Fiesta is a walk-in interactive space where kids activate hundreds of animated cats using bells, buttons and levers, and King Harold's Swamp Symphony lets them stomp on lily pads to make frogs sing. There are also regular shows and character meets, so check the Universal app on the day for times.
Epic Universe
Over at Epic Universe, Astronomica in Celestial Park is a musical splash pad that is ideal for a hot afternoon (another change-of-clothes moment), and the Viking Training Camp on the Isle of Berk is a themed playground with climbing and play structures for little ones who need to run around.
Rides to approach with caution
Not every ride marketed to families suits a toddler. A few are worth saving until your child is a little older.
Skull Island: Reign of Kong at Islands of Adventure has a 36" minimum, but the real issue is intensity. The dark, chant-filled queue, 3D screens, lurching expedition truck and close encounters with giant creatures and Kong himself add up to a genuine fright for young children. I would save this one for older, braver kids.
At Epic Universe, several rides look family-friendly but are true coasters or thrill rides with taller minimums, including Mine-Cart Madness and Hiccup's Wing Gliders (both 40"), Mario Kart: Bowser's Challenge (40") and Stardust Racers (48"). Worth knowing before you promise a toddler a go.
Frequently Asked Questions
These are the questions parents ask me most often when picking rides at Universal Orlando for toddlers and young children.
What rides can a 2 year old go on at Universal Orlando?
A 2 year old can ride more than a dozen attractions with no height minimum, including Cat in the Hat, Caro-Seuss-el, One Fish Two Fish, Storm Force Accelatron, Kang and Kodos Twirl 'n' Hurl, Villain-Con Minion Blast, Constellation Carousel at Epic Universe, and Fyre Drill on the Isle of Berk. All require a supervising companion aged 14 or older. Some, like Fyre Drill and One Fish Two Fish, will get a toddler soaked.
How tall does a child need to be to ride at Universal Orlando?
Many family rides start at no minimum height, but most rides for slightly older children begin at 34 to 40 inches. E.T. Adventure is 34 inches, Yoshi's Adventure at Epic Universe is also 34 inches, and Trolls Trollercoaster, Flight of the Hippogriff, and Cat in the Hat all sit at 36 inches. The official Universal height chart is the cleanest reference for planning.
Are there toddler rides at Epic Universe?
Yes, Epic Universe has three toddler-eligible rides. Constellation Carousel in Celestial Park has no height requirement, Yoshi's Adventure in Super Nintendo World starts at 34 inches, and Fyre Drill on the Isle of Berk is a water boat ride with no height minimum. Hand-held infants are not allowed on Constellation Carousel or Fyre Drill.
Are there toddler play areas at Universal Orlando?
Yes, DreamWorks Land at Universal Studios Florida has Poppy's Playground and Shrek's Swamp for Little Ogres, both opened in June 2024. These are interactive play zones rather than rides, with slides, climbing structures, and wet play elements. Camp Jurassic and the Curious George Goes to Town area also have climb-and-splash spaces for slightly older kids.
What is the youngest age for Universal Studios rides?
Universal does not set a minimum age, only height rules, so newborns can technically enter the parks free. In practice we wait until our kids can sit up unassisted and follow simple instructions before riding anything with motion. Hand-held infants are barred from many newer rides, including Constellation Carousel and Fyre Drill at Epic Universe.
