Recommendations by age
Recommendations for the under-3 group: Magic Kingdom, - Jungle Cruise, Riverboat, Country Bear Jamboree, Flying Dumbo, Winnie the Pooh, Lion King show, Cinderella's carousel, It's a Small World, Peter Pan, Enchanted Tiki Room, Mad Hatter's Tea Cups (if spinning is OK), Race Cars (with an adult or older child), Astro Orbiter, tram, Mickey's Toontown, any character show or parade, Disney Railroad. Animal Kingdom - everything except the Dinosaur ride. "It's a Tough Life" is a 3-D show that is fun but might be scary for this age group. MGM - Fantasmic, Pocohontas, Beauty and the Beast and Little Mermaid shows. Epcot - each country pavilion in the World Showcase has an area to make a simple craft and have it stamped and signed - look for "Kidcot" tables. Living Seas has views of underwater life. El Rio del Tiempo in Mexico is a mild ride with cheerful animated characters, similar to "It's a Small World". Many of the country pavilions have artisans to watch. France has a "living statue" that is entertaining to view as you pass by. Norway has a viking ship replica that doubles as a playground.
Recommendations for the 3-7 group: everything listed for under-3, plus: Magic Kingdom - Pirates of the Caribbean, Diamond Horseshoe Saloon, Splash Mountain. MGM - Muppet Adventure, Great Movie Ride
"Maybe" for ages 7-9, with adult or older child: Magic Kingdom - Haunted Mansion, Alien Encounter, Time Machine, Carousel of Progress. Animal Kingdom - Dinosaur. MGM - Indiana Jones stunt show, Backlot Tour, Tower of Terror, Star Tours, Rockin Roller Coaster.
Recommendations for ages 9 and up: Everything! It now depends on whether you're a roller-coaster fan, have the stomach for scary adventures, can stand the G-force of spiraling through darkness or if you just want to toddle along and take it easy.
Magic Kingdom: Older kids and adults will have some appreciation for the Hall of Presidents. For me, Haunted Mansion is not to be missed. Both are found in Liberty Square. Thunder Mountain Railroad in Adventureland and Space Mountain in Tomorrowland are for roller-coaster fans. Alien Encounter, also in Tomorrowland, is scary, just by the use of darkness and the power of suggestion.
Animal Kingdom: Dinosaur is a wild ride for anyone that can handle darkness and loud dinosaur shrieks! Yeeee-haw!
Epcot: older children, teens and adults will enjoy Earth Sphere, Innoventions, "Honey, I Shrunk the Audience". Test Track is a new thrill ride that is very popular. Plan to arrive at Test Track early and/or get a FastPass. In the World Showcase, be sure to enjoy the "El Rio del Tiempo" in Mexico and the "Maelstrom" in Norway. "American Experience" is not to be missed. Don't overlook the Millennium Village in the corner by Canada, especially if you have any kids with you.
Epcot can be best appreciated by older children, teens and adults. Kids may not know how much they will enjoy it. "Let's skip Epcot - it's boring", said my near-teen before our visit. But she ended up thoroughly enjoying Epcot. She was trying to decide what type of souvenirs she would buy there. I remembered reading on the Disneyworld website that Passports could be purchased at Epcot for stamps and autographs. We found a Passport package in Norway's gift shop, but they are probably available throughout Epcot. The package contains a passport book and stickers from all of the countries that are represented. At each country's pavilion, she got a unique stamp in her passport, plus a written message in their native language. This proved to be so much fun and so special that she was on a mission to get each country in her passport signed.
Here's a little secret that can be easily overlooked about the World Showcase: in the corner by Canada, there is a Millennium Showcase. Inside is a large, air-conditioned exhibit hall filled with many countries of the world that do not have their own pavilion at Epcot. Kids will enjoy Millennium Village because there are many interactive, fun activities such as golf in Scotland and soccer in Brazil. Here you will also find a good spot for an inexpensive bite. In the back left corner of the exhibit hall, there is an area that features food from various areas of the world, many for about $4.00. There is an adjacent seating area, so you can stay in the air-conditioned comfort while you dine. Adults may want to rest here while older kids tour the exhibit hall on their own. Don't forget to get autographs in passport books from everyone there!
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