Universal Orlando vs. Disney World with a five-year-old
Written October 2026
With time for one, Disney World is our pick for a five-year-old, because most of what a kid that age wants there has no height line. Universal is better for a fan of Harry Potter, the Minions or Super Nintendo World who is at or past 40 inches, since that's where its good rides for small kids start.
At 40 inches a five-year-old can ride Despicable Me Minion Mayhem and Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry, though not yet the 48-inch rides (Forbidden Journey, Hagrid's). At Disney, 40 inches adds Tiana's Bayou Adventure to a park where most rides take any height.
Disney World for most five-year-olds
Magic Kingdom Park
Walt Disney World
Dumbo, Peter Pan's Flight, "it's a small world", the Pooh ride, the Jungle Cruise and the Haunted Mansion all take any height, and Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, at 38 inches, makes a good first real coaster. Then there's the castle, the parade and the fireworks. If you only have one Disney day, we'd spend all of it here.
- Changing table
- Yes
Disney's Hollywood Studios
Walt Disney World
In Toy Story Land, Slinky Dog Dash is 38 inches, and Rise of the Resistance in Galaxy's Edge is 40, so a five-year-old at 40 inches can do both of the big ones. Toy Story Mania and Alien Swirling Saucers take smaller kids, and Rider Switch lets one adult wait with the small kid while the other rides. At five we'd give the park half a day.
- Changing table
- Yes
Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park
Walt Disney World
A shady park for half a day, where Kilimanjaro Safaris rolls past real giraffes and lions. The safari and Pandora's river boat take any height, and Flight of Passage starts at 44 inches.
- Changing table
- Yes
Universal for a Potter, Minions or Nintendo fan
Universal has two parks here, and a third, Epic Universe.
Universal Studios Florida
Universal Orlando
DreamWorks Land is built for five-year-olds, with play structures, a Trolls coaster for small kids and shows. Despicable Me Minion Mayhem is 40 inches (a stationary seat takes kids under that), and E.T. Adventure is 34. A kid who can't ride Gringotts yet still gets the dragon on the roof of Diagon Alley and the wand shop.
- Free entry
- No
Universal's Islands of Adventure
Universal Orlando
Seuss Landing has the Cat in the Hat ride, the carousel and the trolley for kids under six, and Flight of the Hippogriff in Hogsmeade is a 36-inch starter coaster. The big Potter rides are 48 inches and the VelociCoaster 51, while the Hogwarts Express between the parks has no height rule at all.
- Free entry
- No
Under 40 inches at Universal
A kid under 48 inches rides with a supervising companion, and most of Universal's headline rides start at 40 or 48. A five-year-old under 40 inches gets the play areas, the Seuss rides, the Hogwarts Express and the whole look of the place.
Universal is the smaller trip
For a kid who has read or watched Harry Potter, or who lives in Mario Kart, walking into Hogsmeade or the Mushroom Kingdom is a big deal even with a few rides off the table. You can walk between Universal's two parks, its hotels have walking paths to the gates (Universal's Cabana Bay Beach Resort has the family suites), and there's less bus time than at Disney.
Doing both
With five days we'd do both, two at Universal and three at Disney. Our Disney World and Universal Orlando hotel guides cover which rooms sleep a family and how you get to the gates.
More in Orlando
Things to do in Orlando with kids beyond the theme parks
Which Universal Orlando hotel is best for kids
Magic Kingdom vs. Animal Kingdom with toddlers and preschoolersPhoto credits
Magic Kingdom Park: Chad Sparkes from Kissimmee,Florida, United States (CC BY 2.0) · Disney's Hollywood Studios: Jedi94 at English Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park: Jedi94 (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Universal Studios Florida: Gary Todd (Public domain) · Universal's Islands of Adventure: qwesy qwesy (CC BY 3.0)