Saying hi to Mickey at Disneyland Resort

Disneyland Park. Anaheim, CA. All photography is ours.

Theme Parks with Kids

We love a good theme park, and we’ve never met a roller coaster we didn’t like (although Cedar Point’s Top Thrill Dragster had us second guessing). The LEGOLAND parks are great for families with young kids, while King’s Island and Cedar Point in Ohio are geared more for the thrill-seekers. The Disney parks are always fun no matter the age. Carrie and Carrick have been known to visit even without the kids.

Here’s every park we’ve taken the kids to, from Orlando and Southern California to Cedar Point, Dollywood, and Disneyland Paris. Of course we’ve included our local favorites Silver Dollar City and Frontier City.

Theme park guide · Updated November 2026

Our Orlando pick

Universal

Best water park

Volcano Bay

Coaster capital

Cedar Point

For younger kids

Silver Dollar City

Holiday trips

Knott’s and Universal Hollywood

Florida California Midwest & South Abroad Where to stay Good to know

Orlando and Tampa with kids

Florida

Don’t try to do all of the parks at once. We did exactly that once and broke it up with a few days at the beach to recharge. If your kids love roller coasters, Tampa’s Busch Gardens is worth the drive. We liked it better than the Orlando parks for the coasters and the zoo together.

**Universal Orlando** *Hogwarts Castle lit up at night during the light show*

**Walt Disney World** *From a galaxy far, far away to the castle classics*

Volcano Bay - The best water park we've ever been to — **Volcano Bay** *Bring your swimsuit. It’s the best water park we’ve ever been to*

Zebras grazing on a grassy savanna with a roller coaster and ride tower behind at Busch Gardens Tampa — **Busch Gardens Tampa** *Scream on a coaster, then go say hi to the giraffes*

Universal Orlando tips - Over 50 ways to have more fun — **Universal Orlando tips** *50+ tricks for more rides and less waiting*

Florida with kids - The Keys, the beaches, and three national parks — **Florida with kids** *Flip-flops required. The Keys, beaches, and three national parks*

Southern California with kids

California

Disneyland, Knott’s, and Buena Park are all within twenty minutes of each other in Anaheim. Universal Studios Hollywood is smaller than Orlando and better for it with younger kids, and its Christmas overlay is worth timing a trip around. With good weather year round, the California parks are easier to plan around school breaks and aren’t a sweat-fest in the off season.

Disneyland - Our Anaheim guide and where to stay — **Disneyland** *Mickey’s original home, plus where to crash after the fireworks*

Knott's Merry Farm - Knott's Berry Farm dressed up for the holidays — **Knott’s Merry Farm** *Boysenberry everything, now with twinkle lights*

Universal Studios Hollywood - A Who-ville Christmas — **Universal Studios Hollywood** *Christmas in Who-ville, Grinch included*

LEGOLAND California - Part of a week in San Diego — **LEGOLAND California** *Everything is awesome! Bricks, rides, and a week in San Diego*

Buena Park - Two days around Knott's — **Buena Park** *Two fun-packed days in Knott’s backyard*

Thanksgiving at Disneyland - Why Thanksgiving is a great time to go — **Thanksgiving at Disneyland** *Pass the turkey leg. Why Thanksgiving week is a sneaky-good time to go*

Roller coasters with kids

The Midwest and South

Some of the best coasters in the country are a road trip from Oklahoma. Cedar Point is the roller coaster capital of the world, Kings Island has some of the best coasters anywhere, and Worlds of Fun is a Kansas City favorite. Silver Dollar City is one of the best theme parks around for younger kids, and we’ve been going since Carrick was a kid.

Silver Dollar City - Branson, plus Pirate's Cove mini golf — **Silver Dollar City** *Outlaw Run, then pirate mini golf in Branson*

Dollywood - A full day, then Dolly's Stampede for dinner — **Dollywood** *Coasters all day, then a horse show with dinner at Dolly’s Stampede*

Six Flags Fiesta Texas - A Sunday with surprisingly short waits — **Six Flags Fiesta Texas** *Psst, try a Sunday. The lines were surprisingly short*

Frontier City - Oklahoma City's hometown park — **Frontier City** *Yee-haw! OKC’s hometown park with a cowboy twist*

Theme parks abroad

Disneyland Paris and Harry Potter in London

In May 2025 we took the train from Amsterdam through Belgium and Luxembourg and finished with two days at Disneyland Paris. And if your family loves the Harry Potter lands at Universal, the Warner Bros. Studio Tour outside London is the real thing.

Warner Bros. Studio Tour - Harry Potter sites in London — **Warner Bros. Studio Tour** *Butterbeer, wands, and Harry Potter all over London*

Where to stay

Hotels near the parks

Our guides to the hotels near Orlando’s parks and Disneyland, plus the resort we used as a base for Dollywood.

The best hotels in Orlando - On site at Disney and Universal, and off — **The best hotels in Orlando** *Stay close to the magic, or save a little off site*

Hotels near Disneyland - Walk to the gates or save in Buena Park — **Hotels near Disneyland** *Walk to the gates, or save a few bucks in Buena Park*

Margaritaville Resort Gatlinburg - Our base for Dollywood and the Smokies — **Margaritaville Resort Gatlinburg** *Our home base for Dollywood and the Smokies, flip-flops optional*

Good to know

Questions families ask us about theme parks

For our family, it’s Walt Disney World. It’s great for every age, there are hotels for every budget (including using points), and the theming and cleanliness are always top-tier. Go to Universal first if you have Harry Potter fans or older kids that are up for more thrill rides.

Yes, especially for kids who love roller coasters and have outgrown Disney. Except for a few minor things, we liked it better than Walt Disney World and Universal because of the great coasters combined with a well-kept zoo. Three days in Tampa Bay covers Busch Gardens, the zoo, and Clearwater.

The big coasters need 48 to 54 inches. Under 48 inches, the kids’ areas and the family rides still fill a day, and the beach is right there.

We think so. Knott’s Berry Farm turns into Knott’s Merry Farm from mid-November to the first of the year, and its holiday celebration is second to none. Universal Studios Hollywood’s Who-ville Christmas is worth timing a trip around. Expect bigger crowds on the weeks around the holidays.

We didn’t fly over just for the park. We flew into Amsterdam, took trains through Belgium with a bus day trip to Luxembourg, rode the Eurostar into Paris, and finished with two days at Disneyland. The park has its own train station, so it was a short ride to CDG for the flight home. Expect a smaller park than Florida’s, but with unique rides, and different take on the castle, and snacks with a French twist.

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