4 yr old on Tower of Terror?

[JennCa]

My 4 year old and loved it! That said the preshow was creepy. The recommendation of youtube is great.

Jenn

 

[bumbershoot]

The next day, he told me that he had terrible nightmares about the pre-show part. He said that he loved the ride and the drops, but NEVER wants to go on that ride EVER again because of the horrible nightmares. He doesn't even like me to mention the name of the ride anymore.

Yep.

He replied "I was screaming in my brain--how could you?!". ....I found out later that during the pre-ride show when you wave "goodbye" to yourself he really thought that was the end. I still have not lived it down as the worst Mom moment ever...

Oh your poor munchkin, I just wanna squeeze him tight. Poor guy.

You're not a bad mom. Some kids, as evidenced in this very thread, are FINE with it. I truly do not think there is any way to predict how any given child will react. We can be lucky with our guesses, but we can't know with certainty. Kids surprise us.

On her birthday trip in January, we asked if she wanted to ride it. Her response was an emphatic "No."

Nothing to do with the ride motion AT ALL. She loved the drops. But the pre-show and first part of the ride before the up-and-down just freaked her out.

Yep.


To the above, give it time. Like I said, all of a sudden now my son wants to ride it. Rode twice in a row, actually! Last year he was emphatic about it. No no no. And now, yes!

Next up: Haunted Mansion without the overlay! Hoping!

With ghost galaxy I explained the music and how it would reach for you but not touch you and it was all pretend and actually very funny.

I did that.

The three of us went on it. DH and DS sat together. I sat behind. It was getting creepy and I went to put my hand on his shoulder to comfort him. Did it just as the ghost puts his hand out.

Whoops. Now THAT was a bad parent moment....

(or a really great, ha ha ha, big sister moment. Alas, I'm not his sister.)

 

[elamarca]

I took my son when he just turned 6 and he liked it. He was a little scared of the pre-show as well, but loved the drops. I consider him a roller-coaster daredevil too, but the dark/ghosts creep him out a bit. I think it's almost worse for kids that are a little bit older and understand the whole ghost story, vs. little ones that don't really get it. My advice would be to check out a POV clip on youtube of TOT with your child.

 

[DizMe]

I have 3 younger girls who all started going to DLR at age 4. First daughter was a daredevil and she loved it. I was the one who wouldn't go on it! By the time she was 5, I worked up the nerve and it has been one of my favorites since.

The year her twin sisters turned 4, we all went to DLR. Older DD was 7 by then. One twin, another daredevil, couldn't wait to go on ToT. Other twin did not want to go on, and surprisingly, big sis was no longer as much of a daredevil then. I think there is a time when the concept of mortality kicks in, LOL. Anyway, she still went on as did little sister, but other little sis chose to sit that one out.

We had no issues with the preshow part. Every kid is different and if they are adamant that they want to go on it, I'd let them! Same in reverse. If there is serious hesitation, then I'd save it for another visit.

My oldest child (a boy, who is now grown up) wouldn't go on ANY scary ride until he was in his late teens. I was afraid he'd never forgive me for talking him into riding Space with me when he was 12. I really did think he'd like it, LOL