How does he do in the dark?
Peter Pan and Alice are not particularly scary, but they are dark rides. Snow White, Toad, and Pinochio are a bit frightening at moments (especially Snow White). Fantasyland has about as many outdoor rides as indoor rides. The Casey Junior train is enjoyable. My DD (1.5) loves the Tea Cups. I think this may not have been the best week to go if you want to avoid long lines. Unfortunately the kiddie rides do not have FP. Small World is a deffinate must.
Toon Town is a fun place for kids to play. There are only two rides. The coaster someone mentioned, and Rog Rabit. RR isn't really scary, but it spins and is a bit jerky. We did take our DD on it this last trip. Your 2 year old may be tall enough for the coaster, but you said your 6 year old wasn't keen on coasters. Even if they are not interested in the rides, the area is great for kids to run around and explore though. Especially since you said your kids were a bit squirrely. They can visit the houses of Disney characters. Mickey, of course, is in his house. Minnie is usually outside of hers. We saw Santa Goofy near his house this last trip.
As far as the rest of the park goes, there are rides scattered throughout. In Fantasyland you have Nemo and Astro Blasters. There's also the rocket ride that is similar to Dumbo, but a lot less comfortable to sit in. Nemo gets long lines early. The ride is not scary and moves gently through the water. There is a semi dark moment though. Astro Blasters, again is in the dark, but it is a video game with Buzz Lightyear. If your 6 y/o is into video games, Toy Story, etc., he should love it. The Winnie the Pooh ride is hiding back near Splash Mountain. Your 6 y/o would probably be afraid of Splash, but you could let him watch the big splash down. You could suggest that maybe next visit, when he's older, he would like to go on it. Pirates is not scary. Really it's not. It is a bit dark, but the scenes are lit well. Too bad he isn't into haunted houses. The Haunted Mansion is not really scary, it's cute. We love the holiday version.
At the other park there is the already mentioned Bugs Land. The rides there are gentle and none are dark or scary (except the movie as mentioned above). There is also Ariel. It's a good ride. There is a carousel and of course Toy Story mania. Another fun video game ride with Toy Story characters. This ride has long lines all the time. As you walk around the Boardwalk there are several gentle rides, including this Jelly Fish one. I'm not sure if your 2 y/o is tall enough for that ride or not. The swings are fun, if your son isn't afraid of heights. There is also a great play area in CA, the Wilderness Area. I think active kids could play there for hours. Don't forget about Monsters Inc. It's kind of hidden away in a corner.
Hope you guys have fun. Good luck with the lines. I know a lot of people say that Disneyland is family time, but I would suggest bringing things to keep their attention, even a DS if you have one.
Originally Posted by SFMama
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