Toddlers riding the bigger rides at Disney

[Kristian]

Sorry for all the questions, but I really like getting advise from all you Disney experts and another question popped into my head.


My DD will be 2 months shy of 4 when we are at Disney in September. She's a little over 42 inches tall right now with tennis shoes on so she'll meet the height requirements for most of the rides. We've been to quite a few theme parks and she's ridden a lot of rides and she doesn't scare easily, but i'm still wondering whether or not to do BTM and SM when we go. What about TOT? I really want to do them lol and i'm fairly certian that she'll be ok, but still, i'm going back and forth with it. What do you suggest?

I thought maybe i'd try her on each of them and see how she does.

 

[kwitcherkicken99]

Sorry for all the questions, but I really like getting advise from all you Disney experts and another question popped into my head.


My DD will be 2 months shy of 4 when we are at Disney in September. She's a little over 42 inches tall right now with tennis shoes on so she'll meet the height requirements for most of the rides. We've been to quite a few theme parks and she's ridden a lot of rides and she doesn't scare easily, but i'm still wondering whether or not to do BTM and SM when we go. What about TOT? I really want to do them lol and i'm fairly certian that she'll be ok, but still, i'm going back and forth with it. What do you suggest?

I thought maybe i'd try her on each of them and see how she does.

Big Thunder and Splash, go for it. Space and ToT, meh... I wouldn't with my kids at 4.

ToT is pretty scary for kids, especially at 4. Space is just too rough.

 

[chartle]

Sorry for all the questions, but I really like getting advise from all you Disney experts and another question popped into my head.


My DD will be 2 months shy of 4 when we are at Disney in September. She's a little over 42 inches tall right now with tennis shoes on so she'll meet the height requirements for most of the rides. We've been to quite a few theme parks and she's ridden a lot of rides and she doesn't scare easily, but i'm still wondering whether or not to do BTM and SM when we go. What about TOT? I really want to do them lol and i'm fairly certian that she'll be ok, but still, i'm going back and forth with it. What do you suggest?

I thought maybe i'd try her on each of them and see how she does.

BTMR really isn't scary.

I'm assuming that by SM you mean Splash Mountain. Which does have a bigger drop.

As for ToT my DN 3.5 loved it and rode it multiple times. Its a little scarier but only because of the pre show.

 

[chartle]

Big Thunder and Splash, go for it. Space and ToT, meh... I wouldn't with my kids at 4.

ToT is pretty scary for kids, especially at 4. Space is just too rough.

I don't think 42 gets you on Space. I think its 46 maybe 44.

 

[kwitcherkicken99]

Space is 44.

They're not going until September and that's plenty of time to grow.

My DS has grown almost 3.5 inches this year. The bulk of that was last summer. He was just under 44" in May. Now he's pushing 48" (no shoes).

And he's 5.

 

[DLB]

My son rode TOT when he was 4 and loved it! He wanted to keep going on. Even the cast members were shocked at how much he loved it. It was his choice to try it and we were a little hesitant. He is quite the dare devil though.

 

[Hannathy]

When you said toddler I was picturing a 2 year old, you have a pre-schooler.
At 4 I would let my child ride any ride they were tall enough for and wanted to. I don't pre-judge rides for kids. I tell them what kind of ride it is and they decide. If they don't like it or are scared then they don't have to go on it again, but I think all kids should go on stuff once and decide for them selves.

Space is a very tame coaster and it isn't as rough for younger people cause they sit further down in the car and their bodies are a lot more flexible than us "old" people.

 

[mjohnson96]

Every kid is different so it depends on how you think they will handle it. I would start with BTMR and see then go on to Splash and then TOT.

I just read so many stories on here about kids that have gone on these rides young and refuse to go on them every again, even when they are older. I made the mistake of taking my nephew on Jaws several years ago before really getting an understanding of what he can handle, after that he would not go on anything. Even last hear at WDW he would not ride a thing because he did not know if something was going to jump out at him. Whoops

 

[Kristian]

By SM I mean: Splash Mountian lol...sorry for the mix up. Not that I wouldn't consider Space Mountian, its just that I totally forgot about it. I figure we'll def. do BTM and Splash Mountain. I think i'll let her decide on TOT after I explain what it does. I guess we'll find out and see.

 

[FireRN]

My son was 4 on our last trip and did every ride but RnR and Primeval Whirl. He loved every minute of it and his 2 favorite were EE and Splash Mountain. He rode ToT 2 or 3 times though and enjoyed himself.

 

[danceintherain]

Thunder Mountain was my favorite ride at that age!
I don't think Splash Mountain was quite open yet, but I doubt I would have ridden it after seeing the drop. The Tower of Terror likely would have had the same reaction.
My younger brother on the other hand loved riding stuff like that.

Be honest with her about the rides and let her make her own decision.

 

[Kristian]

I'm just going to be honest about the big rides and let her make her own mind up about them like many of you have suggested. She's done some bigger rides at other parks and she's loved every minute of them, so she doesn't scare easily. My dh is the one in the family that is more hesitant about rides. DD and I would probably get on anything once just to try it..guess i'm teaching her well

 

[Selket]

I remember my younger one doing BTMRR when he was around 3.5 years old and he loved it - and Splash. Not Space Mountain though. He was terrified of dark rides and preferred BTMRR over rides like Peter Pan! ToT was too much as well - cause it is dark so we didn't even try. He did Everest whenever he was tall enough.

Back then Goofy's Barnstormer was working and that is a great first roller coaster - we did that first and he was definitely ready for BTMRR. My older one was more cautious with the big rides and was around 7 before he would do BTMRR!

You know if they watch it and then you say "let's go ride it!" and they scream "NOOOOOOO!" at you - then it is too early - LOL!

 

[saraheliz]

My suggestion would just be to start small and work your way up. You never know- I have a very shy, timid almost 5 year old and she's a total thrill ride junkie. Start with the Great Goofini, if she's down with that move up to SM and BTMRR. Have fun!!

 

[delmar411]

It is different for each child. My kids are thrill junkies and have been riding everything since they were tall enough (ages 2-3). ToT I held off until they were 3 but they love that ride a lot. They like the 'bouncing' (the drops).

I didn't go into details of any ride and just let them experience it. Seems to work best with my kids. I know other kids want all the details before they are willing to ride.

 

[Monkeyfeet]

When you said toddler I was picturing a 2 year old, you have a pre-schooler.
At 4 I would let my child ride any ride they were tall enough for and wanted to. I don't pre-judge rides for kids. I tell them what kind of ride it is and they decide. If they don't like it or are scared then they don't have to go on it again, but I think all kids should go on stuff once and decide for them selves.

Space is a very tame coaster and it isn't as rough for younger people cause they sit further down in the car and their bodies are a lot more flexible than us "old" people.

Yes, me too. I was thinking 18mths-2 year old, so my answer changes. I would definitely run each ride by her and have her decide. You may even want to have her watch a youtube video of the rides.

My dd at that age loved all of those rides, even ToT. My son would not like ToT but would love all of the others. I will prob never do Splash and ToT because of the drops...everyone is different

 

[ZehnJahren]

BTMRR and Splash, definitely!

Space, I'd hold off on - it's so rough.

ToT? When I was in line in January, there was a girl in the line behind me who appeared to be VERY young, being held by her father. Dad and mom were talking to her constantly about how this was all just a "joke" to try and scare her but "it's not scary, is it?" She didn't have a fully developed vocabulary, so she could have been the age of your child.

I saw lots of young looking kids riding ToT. I think that one will be at your discretion - but I'd hold off on it until some other "big rides" have been tried on your trip.

 

[LORI522]

My son was the exact same age the last time we went to WDW. He loved BTMRR and Splash (and Test Track and Soarin'). But he was scared of the ghosts on ToT. The ride itself was okay, but he was so freaked out by the ghosts that he couldn't enjoy himself. This was totally my fault, I was so worried that the drops would scare him that I forgot to warn him about spooky theme of the ride.

 

[chartle]

My son was the exact same age the last time we went to WDW. He loved BTMRR and Splash (and Test Track and Soarin'). But he was scared of the ghosts on ToT. The ride itself was okay, but he was so freaked out by the ghosts that he couldn't enjoy himself. This was totally my fault, I was so worried that the drops would scare him that I forgot to warn him about spooky theme of the ride.

When my Sister and niece found out they were going on a spur of the moment trip (other DN was a CM and leaving WDW and had some left over passes) I looked up the ride heights and we were both a little worried about ToT and it was for the same reason, not the ride itself but the pre show.

She rode it 3 times in row though.

 

[RyMacJ]

This all makes me feel better about my kids. They will be 5 and just shy of 4 when we go next year. The older one is very timid. I love the suggestions on here to let them look at them and then decide if they want to ride.