Say WHAT? Bring earplugs.

[MrBurns]

It's a sad fact that over the years background music has crept into foreground annoyance. Shopping centers, restaurants, Disneyland, Disney World, Wal-Mart, people's car radios, mufflers, motorcyles, the list is very very long.
The serenity of silence is a distant memory with constant noise everwhere, no peace for a person's mind to relax and think as it is constantly exposed to unwanted stimulation.

The attractions at Disney World and any other theme park are at times excrutiatingly loud, I can't imagine anyone sitting through the Hollywood stunt show without earplugs yet it seemed that my wife and I were the only ones protecting our hearing. We wore them on practically every ride we went on save the Safari ride and a couple of others I can't quite recall.

I wish that disney Parks would tone down the audio levels, that perhaps at Downtown Disney's outdoor speakers the music program was the same throughout instead of every 50 feet having a different selection competing with the in-store and live performer's input.

 

[BridgetBordeaux]

Although he loves the music, DH wears them on RnR at DHS.

 

[jdb in AZ]

Then there's other guests who could benefit from hearing aids but they're so expensive they'd rather go without.

 

[Grammie3]

I am so in favor of the turning down the decibels some. They seem to have increased the volume in the past several years and to be honest young children can be very upset with the extreme loud music. There is alot of sensory overload to be found without the increased volume.

I carry earplugs with me for my grandkids because it bothers them and has even frightened them at times. I don't wear them but, they have.

Grammie3

 

[MrBurns]

...They seem to have increased the volume in the past several years and to be honest young children can be very upset with the extreme loud music...

Right on both counts, saw a few kids crying as the parents tried to cover their ears.

 

[minnie mum]

I guess my DH is lucky: he just turns his hearing aids down
I, on the other hand have very sensitive hearing (DH says he swears I can hear like a bat). I ALWAYS have taken ear plugs with me and use them especially at LMA and Dinosaur and Illuminations. I can certainly see the benefit of using them on smaller children who may be frightened by loud noises.

 

[BridgetBordeaux]

You reminded me...............DH wears the ear plugs on Dinosaur as well!

 

[willowsnn3]

I guess my DH is lucky: he just turns his hearing aids down
I, on the other hand have very sensitive hearing (DH says he swears I can hear like a bat). I ALWAYS have taken ear plugs with me and use them especially at LMA and Dinosaur and Illuminations. I can certainly see the benefit of using them on smaller children who may be frightened by loud noises.

What kind of ear plugs are best for children??? I have noticed my grandson holding his ears sometimes at WDW. We are taking his younger sister in Sept & I know she has sensitive hearing. Was in Epcot the other night walking thru the WS as Illuminations was going on & my dd remarked that she didn't remember it being so loud on previous trips. Did the gospel brunch at House of Blues Sunday & noticed they had what looked like a bubble gum machine that had ear plugs for 50 cents, lol.

 

[seashoreCM]

There is one advantage of loud soundtracks. Cut down on people talking on cell phones during the performance.

 

[Ress76]

I had similar thoughts when we went to Captain EO this past September. The volume was just unbearable.

 

[lmc318]

I'd like to know the best headphones for children as well. I've seen a couple noise reducing headphones for kids but they seem so big and uncomfortable that I'm afraid if I get them, DD3 (when we go) won't wear them.

 

[dizanimator]

I don't have as much trouble with the volume of the rides and most shows as I do with some of the musical group performances. In the past I've been at Off Kilter performances because my dad likes them and felt like my hearing was finally returning to normal not long before the next performance was supposed to start. This year I was on my way to an ADR at Teppan Edo, and heard Off Kilter at a much more reasonable volume when we were in Japan. I figured out that the sound seems to be worse in a cone out from wherever the performance is, and if you're not in that cone, the volume is much better. While you can't see Off Kilter from the carts in Canada, you can hear them at a reasonable volume and be able to tell when they're done playing.
I forget how loud everything seems in WDW, and then say that I'll start listening to park music at a louder volume than I normally would to get used to it before my next trip, but so far I haven't remembered to do that yet.

 

[copper0426]

We usually bring them for my dh to sleep with, he uses the silicone ones. However we didn't bring them on our last trip to the Poly and my entire family could have used them We hardly ever hear families in the next room, but this one family had a child that was so loud early in the morning and then the husband and wife were equally as loud. It was horrible.