5-year-old on Space Mountain? Dinosaur? Mission Space?

[TulipMom]

We are 3 weeks away from my kids' first trip to WDW! DS just turned 5 and DD is 3. We've spent a lot of time watching ride videos and DS is convinced that he's up for riding every big ride except for ToT & RnR.

Any thoughts about a 5-year-old riding big rides like Space Mtn, Dinosaur, Mission Space, Expedition Everest? I'm thinking of veto-ing EE for him, even though he thinks he'd like it. We'll be at MK on our first park day and I'm confident that he'll like Splash Mtn and BMTR, so Space Mtn will be our first real "test." I don't want to ruin the rest of the trip for him by doing a ride that's too big for him on the first day. Anyone have experiences with 5-year-olds on the biggest rides?

If it helps to know... my DH and I love any and all kinds of rollercoasters. We've previously been on EE, ToT, RnR, SM, MS, etc. and had tons of fun.

Also, DD (3) will just be 40" and would LOVE the theming on Splash Mtn. Should we give it a try and hope she doesn't mind the big drop? (I do think she'd be bothered by the jerking on BMTR, so we'll probably skip that with her.)

 

[Puffy2]

I wouldn't take mine on Space Mt or Mission Space. I got nausea from Space Mt myself (it is not a smooth ride) and many people report nausea from Mission Space.

 

[msb578]

Last year our then-5 year old went on Space Mt. She didn't like it.

But she also went on Dinosaur at 3 years old (she's always been tall), and she mostly liked it.

I think the intensity of those rides are in different categories.

 

[Babe the Blue Ox]

My fondest Disney memory is chasing my then 3 year old daughter back to the entrance of Space Mtn moments before midnight with her screaming "one more time daddy" all the way.

I think a 5 year old should be fine.

 

[twoolle]

DH will take DS5 on space mtn this year. He was just a bit short for it last year and really bummed. We have fp for EE so hope he likes it. He did Dinosaur lady year and was fine.

 

[Roxytorr]

My 5 year old daughter is excited to go on the roller coasters next month for the first time too. Hope the kiddies enjoy them!

 

[Eccle]

We're here at the moment with a just 4 year old and nearly 7 year old. Both were fine with dinosaur, 6 year old loved BTMR, but found Space Mountain a little scary as he didn't know what was coming. 4 year old didn't like BTMR and I wouldn't take him on again as he was slipping under the bar. Both boys loved Barnstormer and Seven Dwarfs. We haven't done Splash Mountain.

The 6 year old would like to do EE and ToT but we're not sure about them for him.

 

[Marnm02]

My DD could only do the 40 inch rides last year when she was 5. She went on every single thing she was tall enough for. She LOVED TOT and 7DMT, seemed happy with but not extremely excited about BTMRR, Splash, Star Tours. She said she was scared of Dinosaur and did not want to go on it again.

This year she will be tall enough for the 44 inch ones. The only one I'm nervous about is Space Mountain, because I'm used to her sitting with me on rides and being able to hold her and talk to her if she gets a little scared. I also think we will skip Mission Space, as I don't like it much due to the clausterphobia issue, and I think she will feel the same.

I say, let him try everything he wants to try at least once, but trust his judgement if he tells you there's something he wants to skip.

 

[caroline1851]

DD loved BTMRR at age 5. DS hated Dinosaur at age 6.

 

[melifeld]

My DS8 has gone on every ride as soon as he was tall enough. He loves Space Mtn, RnRC, BTM, ToT, etc. and was extremely disappointed when he was too short to go on them when he was younger. But he is a little daredevil and will try anything once, so YMMV.

 

[4EverFigment]

You know your child better than anyone else. There are some theme elements that can be a little daunting on EE, and ToT. The beginning of RnR is LOUD and it goes upside down. BTMRR is a rougher ride, and SM is turn-turn-turn with a few smaller drops. Know the rides and explain to your child a little of the experiences.

My son has been going to WDW since he was a year old; by the time he was 10, he was maxing out RnR during EMH--one time he rode it more than ten times in a row through the single rider line.

I was at WDW with an 8 year old who had been on some pretty big coasters in our home state prior to the Orlando trip, and he hated nearly every one he went on. This was partly due to his father 'forcing' him to go through with it after he'd expressed some doubts. If he'd been just with me, I would have let him choose and I suspect he would have enjoyed the rides more that way.

I was 15 before I could handle SM, and as an adult I've only managed ToT once (never, never again).

Remember that you can back out at any time before the ride starts moving. Every ride has an exit, and a way to child-swap so everyone can ride who wants to.

 

[ColoradoDis]

My girls have been riding everything since they were tall enough-the coasters remain their favorites-now in their 20s!

 

[Sphinx610]

If he wants to try it even after watching the ride videos, & he's tall enough, I'd let him. Space Mtn is such a cool ride! Like riding through the stars! You can tell him to pretend he is Miles From Tomorrowland lol

Now Dinosaur idk... My son at 8 refused after the ride video. Lol so I've never been. It seems a bit scary for 5yo but you know him best.

Good for him for trying new things! I wish my son was so adventurous! Ha!

 

[lilbuddy88]

My girls have been riding everything since they were tall enough-the coasters remain their favorites-now in their 20s!

I have to agree for my children they cry every time they're not tall enough to ride something. they loves them. My daughter, 5 at time wanted to try EE in March and I was a little nervous about that but it became null in void because it was broken all day. I would start with space. I would sit behind the child and I put a hand on their shoulder to reinforce that I'm right there. Now my kids don't like to admit when they didn't like something so afterwards I say do you want to go again. If I get a no then I know they really didn't like it. Then you can adjust whether you will let them experience the other attractions.

 

[NicholeB630]

My daughter at 4 rode space mountain in Disneyland and hate it. Then at Disney world this past Dec she rode Mission Space and didn't like and she didn't like dinosaur either. But she loved all the roller coasters especially expedition everest.

 

[jaws19798]

We went when our son was 5, we did not attempt Space Mountain, but he loved Dinosaur and we did the non spinning side of Mission to Space and he loved that too. Getting to push the buttons and blast off into space was a big hit.

 

[acrozier22]

My 5 year old son LOVES Space Mountain. He would ride it over and over and over again. He loves most of the coasters in WDW. He didn't like EE but I think the Yeti freaked him out a bit and the jack wagon teenagers behind us acting like idiots the whole ride. He also didn't like Dinosaur cause of the T-Rex at the end.

All kids are different which is evident by this discussion. If your kids like scary dinosaurs, they will love the dinosaur ride. If they don't mind dark rides, they will like Mission Space and Space Mountain.

 

[Lynzer4]

I leave in 12 days with my nephew. He can't wait to ride what he missed. The first time I took him he was 4 ( almost 5). He rode everything he could (not rnr). We worried about space but he keep saying I want to ride the BIG roller coast so we decided to try. We figured if he hated it he wouldnt want to ride it again... He loved it. For EE he could see it and we asked and he was like YUP lets ride.

You know your kid. If he wants to ride I would let him. Start with smaller rides like Big Thunder and Splash then try bigger Space, EE et .... If you don't let him try it he and you won't know what he likes.

 

[Aurora0427]

We are 3 weeks away from my kids' first trip to WDW! DS just turned 5 and DD is 3. We've spent a lot of time watching ride videos and DS is convinced that he's up for riding every big ride except for ToT & RnR.

Any thoughts about a 5-year-old riding big rides like Space Mtn, Dinosaur, Mission Space, Expedition Everest? I'm thinking of veto-ing EE for him, even though he thinks he'd like it. We'll be at MK on our first park day and I'm confident that he'll like Splash Mtn and BMTR, so Space Mtn will be our first real "test." I don't want to ruin the rest of the trip for him by doing a ride that's too big for him on the first day. Anyone have experiences with 5-year-olds on the biggest rides?

If it helps to know... my DH and I love any and all kinds of rollercoasters. We've previously been on EE, ToT, RnR, SM, MS, etc. and had tons of fun.

Also, DD (3) will just be 40" and would LOVE the theming on Splash Mtn. Should we give it a try and hope she doesn't mind the big drop? (I do think she'd be bothered by the jerking on BMTR, so we'll probably skip that with her.)

I actually think EE is less "scary" because it's lit and you can sit next to your child. I think the most intimidating thing about Space for some children is that it's in the dark and you sit by yourself.

Show him you tube videos and I agree with PP- if he wants to ride, let him.

Oh, and I hated dinosaur at age 30! Scared me to death!!!!

 

[djp0630]

My 4 year old twins were scared on Dinosaur. And they both loved BtMRR and Splash mountain. And one even loved ToT. (The other didn't ride). They were not tall enough for Mission space or Space mountain. My older daughter wouldn't ride Mission Space again and she rides everything. It's a different thrill ride. My older kids love Space mountain so I would try that but just warn them about the dark.