7 Rides for Toddlers at Universal Studios Hollywood, Ranked (2026)

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Silly Swirly is the best ride for toddlers at Universal Studios Hollywood, because it is the only real ride with no height requirement.

I took my son on this ride on his first visit to Universal Studios Hollywood at just 14 months. Since then he’s been to the park several times, so here are the seven rides a toddler can actually do, with the height limit and my fear factor for each.

1. Silly Swirly Fun Ride

📏 Minimum height: None, but children must sit up on their own
😬 Fear factor: 1/5
🧍 Single rider: No

Silly Swirly is the only real ride at Universal Studios Hollywood with no height requirement, as long as your toddler can sit up on their own. I took my son on it at 14 months and he loved it. Each bug rises and circles Super Silly Fun Land, and a handle in the car sets how high you go.

At 14 months he could not reach the handle, so I kept us low, which is the answer if your toddler dislikes heights. The splash pad and the dry playground are next to it, and the splash pad soaks children within minutes, so pack a change of clothes.

2. DreamWorks Theatre Featuring Kung Fu Panda

📏 Minimum height: None
😬 Fear factor: 1/5
🧍 Single rider: No

DreamWorks Theatre Featuring Kung Fu Panda is a seated show on a 180-degree screen with wind, water and smell effects, and there is no height requirement, so it is the easiest sit-down in the park with a toddler. The story stands alone, so they do not need to know the films.

The effects can startle a very small child, which is why it scores one rather than zero. The Studio Directory board lists it at 15 minutes.

3. The World Famous Studio Tour

📏 Minimum height: None
😬 Fear factor: 3/5
🧍 Single rider: No

The Studio Tour has no height requirement and the whole family rides the tram together for about an hour. The three is for the Bates Motel, the flash flood, Jaws and the King Kong 360 3-D segment, which is loud and dark.

You do not get off the tram and there are no toilet stops, which matters with a newly potty-trained toddler, so go before you board. Seat them on the front left of the tram and they see less of the Bates Motel and Jaws.

4. The Secret Life of Pets: Off the Leash

📏 Minimum height: 34″ (86cm)
😬 Fear factor: 0/5
🧍 Single rider: Yes

The Secret Life of Pets is a slow dark ride through the streets of New York in a pet carrier, at about five miles an hour, and it is the only ride in the park I give a fear factor of zero. Each carrier seats four in two rows with a lap bar, so you sit beside your toddler.

Unfortunately, the 34 inch height limit is tall for what it is and rules out most two-year-olds. It runs a Virtual Line through the app, but on 1 September 2026 the standby queue was open too and posted 15 minutes.

5. Flight of the Hippogriff

📏 Minimum height: 39″ (99cm)
😬 Fear factor: 2/5
🧍 Single rider: Yes

Flight of the Hippogriff is the first real roller coaster a toddler can ride, from 39 inches. The queue winds past Hagrid’s hut and the pumpkin patch, and the ride is over in under a minute with one gentle hill and no loops.

Seats are two abreast in open carriages, so your toddler sits next to you. They do not need to know Harry Potter to enjoy it.

6. Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge

📏 Minimum height: 40″ (102cm), 40 to 48″ with a companion
😬 Fear factor: 1/5
🧍 Single rider: Yes

Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge is the best ride for kids in the park, but the 40 inch minimum rules out most toddlers, and children between 40 and 48 inches must ride with a companion. It never leaves the ground and there are no drops, so a tall three-year-old copes fine.

The visor takes a couple of goes to get the hang of, so do not expect a score on the first ride. The lap bar has to close around the waist, and there is a test seat at the entrance on the right before the stairs.

7. Despicable Me Minion Mayhem

📏 Minimum height: 40″ (102cm)
😬 Fear factor: 1/5
🧍 Single rider: No

Despicable Me Minion Mayhem is a motion simulator inside Gru’s house, and the motion is mild. There are stationary seats at the front for a toddler who might feel sick, so ask for them when you board.

It drew the longest posted wait in the park on 1 September 2026, 55 minutes at 4:45pm, so ride it first thing. Minion characters are often outside the entrance, and the Super Silly Fun Land playground is next door for when the queue is too long.

Rides to Skip With a Toddler

Two more rides let a 40 inch child on, and I would leave both until they are older:

• The Simpsons Ride, 40 inches. Nothing about it is frightening, but the constant motion in front of the domed screen is the worst in the park for anyone prone to sickness, and a toddler cannot tell you it is coming. It is the ride I rate lowest at Universal Studios Hollywood
• Transformers: The Ride 3-D, 40 inches. The explosions, the volume and the spinning vehicle make it a known sickness trigger, and I skip it myself

Everything else in the park starts at 42 inches or more, so it is out of reach until they are older. The full list of what opens up at each height is in my ranking of the best rides for kids at Universal Studios Hollywood.

Frequently Asked Questions

The questions I get asked most about taking a toddler to Universal Studios Hollywood.