Disney's Animal Kingdom - Top 10 at age 3 and under

The Animal Kingdom is my favorite of the Disney Parks. There are a lot of neat details everywhere and it just feels really authentic. Here are some of the things we like to do there when we visit with our 3 year old son:

1. Camp Minnie-Mickey - A great place to meet the characters. There's usually no lines, or they're short. For extra smiles get a soft serve ice cream on the way out.

2. Kilimanjaro Safaris - The best – in my opinion. You get to ride through the African savanna in a "Bumpy Jeep." All the animals are real, so the experience is never the same. We've gotten some really good views of the giraffes, elephants, and the other animals before.

3. Africa - We like to hang out in this area and look for the local street performances. There's also a set of drums for the kids to play, and a cart that sells refreshing fruit.

4. Pangani Forest Exploration Trail - A nice walk. Again, always different, but we've caught the gorillas doing some pretty fun stuff before.

5. Tricera Top Spin - Like Dumbo at the Magic Kingdom, but with shorter lines. 

6. The Boneyard - Really fun playground that even has a fossil excavation site.

7. Rafiki's Planet Watch - Ride aboard the Wildlife Express Train to get to the petting zoo. More fun things and characters inside too.

8. Finding Nemo – The Musical - A really great 30 minute show.

9. The Tree of Life - For a nice and quite time explore the trails around the tree and find all the animals carved into it.

10. Yak & Yeti Restaurant - Ok, this is just food, but it's good (and pricey too) If the weather is nice ask to sit in the balcony upstairs.

I also wanted to mention the baby nursery. Every Disney Park has one. They are nice, and have changing tables, an area to feed the baby, and even supplies you might need. If you're visiting with a baby these are worth checking out. The one at the Animal Kingdom is located on the left, before the gate where you enter Africa.

Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween

So we went to Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween party the other night and got tons of candy. However, I'd say the highlights for our three year old were the parade and the dance parties. He loved dancing with Woody and Jessie in Frontierland. And loved pointing at all the characters and their costumes in the parade. 

I couldn't believe he kept every piece of his costume on throughout the night. He really wanted to be a pirate this year and was so proud of his costume, especially the beard. My camera card messed up as soon as we got to the park so I'll have to post pictures of him post Halloween.

On the negative side the Boo To You song has been stuck in my head for days.... to you - and you - and you - Happy Halloween!

Magic Kingdom Top 10 at age 3 (and under)

We took our son to the Magic Kingdom for the first time before he was even 3 months old. The first ride he got on was Small World, which 'till this day he loves. He's 3 years old now and he loves going to the parks. And, even though he doesn't meet the height requirements for all of the rides, I can assure you there's plenty for a toddler to do at the Magic Kingdom. I actually had a hard time narrowing it down to 10. 

1. It's a Small World
2. Peter Pan's Flight
3. Mickey's PhilharMagic
4. Dumbo and Carrousel
5. The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
6. Tomorrowland® Speedway - The height requirement is 32" He can't see where he's going but still always asks to drive. (See the video my husband took last weekend below)
7. Tomorrowland® Transit Authority PeopleMover
8. Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin
9. Tom Sawyer Island - This is a great place to run around and explore. They have a playground too, but the best part is the very unstable bumpy bridge.
10. The Parade - what kid doesn't like to see all their favorite characters?

There are still other rides he can get on and enjoy, like the Jungle Cruise, and Pirates of the Caribbean. And also plenty of other places to explore.

And I can't close without mentioning the Walt Disney World Railroad. Riding aboard a real choo choo train with a steam powered engine is always cool.