5 Year Old on ToT?

[mom2grace]

DD will be tall enough, but should we take her on it? She does like roller coasters.....

 

[Baloo]

My DS Erich was 5 when he road it.

If she likes roller coasters she might be okay but there are some dark parts and some ghost.Does stuff like that scare her?

I think maybe you should ride it first and then judge for yourself whether you think it's okay for her.

 

[janette]

Is she scared of the dark? Is she scared in movies? The theme of the ride can be the scary part, not the actual ride part. She can always try it and if she gets scared in the library opt for the chicken exit. I think the most important thing is to be honest that it might be scary, let her decide and don't force it if she opts out.

 

[5kwallace]

My 4 year old DS loved TOT. After we rode it, he wanted to ride again. Not me, lol. Hope you have a great trip.

 

[sambahat]

All children are different, but this is a ride that is meant to scare the daylights out of you. Have you been on TOT? If so, and you know your child can handle it, then go for it. The poster above is correct... be absolutely honest and let your kid decide.

If you've never been on it, then ride it first. If you can't ride it without your child, I'd skip it and save it for another trip.

By the way, TOT is one of my absolutely favorite rides. If you haven't experienced it, you don't know what you're missing!

 

[kirbsam]

as long as she is tall enough she will love it...amazing special effects...i would not hesitate to let her ride it.

 

[WNDMom]

We took our five year old son on this ride in March, and he was absolutely terrified. He could handle every single roller coaster, but the themeing on this ride was too scary for him.

 

[bigmac5]

I would try it first. I didn't like it. I will never do it again. My DS13 won't do it again and he likes roller coasters.

 

[Chip126]

I think maybe you should ride it first and then judge for yourself whether you think it's okay for her.

I agree. I took my son on TOT when he was 5 and he did okay, but cried afterwards. He has been on it since, but it is still not one of his favorite rides. (mine either!)

You know your child best......I would highly recommend that you ride it first and then make your decision.

 

[disneymama73]

DD4 LOVES it, but DD6 HATED it! I thought it would be just the opposite! I don't think you really know until you've tried it at least once.

 

[KYCruiseCrazy]

my DD4 did it last year and loved it. take him only if they like rides and the dark!!!!!

 

[shaylahc]

I think it depends on the kid. My 4 and 6 year olds rode it on our last trip. The 4 year old was terrified but the 6 year old had a blast! She rode it with me TWICE! My 8 year old refused to even contemplate getting on it

 

[Soprano]

A good thread this. My children are 3 & 4 and I am wondering which rides they would like, and ones they may not. This being the main one as said, it is a dark ride and supposed to be scary...

This and Indy in California are my top two rides ever.

 

[JohnnySharp2]

My son is 8 and would think twice about it on TOT - 5 would be too young in my opinion, but guess it depends on your child.

 

[Adrienne]

i was 25 the first time i rode TOT at CA and it scared me witless, but that is because i hate elevators (had nightmares about them since i was small) so if your kids don't like elevators that is another consideration to take into account. The ghost stuff is about on par with HM though.

Adrienne

 

[SWVA BGSU Fan]

I agree with everyone who said it all depends on the child. My DS5 rode Mission Space and Star Tours and loved them, but refuses to go anywhere near Splash Mountain or ToT. When DS9 was 5, he said he wanted to ride ToT, but the preshow in the library freaked him out. If that happens to you, just tell one of the CMs that you've changed your mind, and they will direct you to the exit. My DH and I love ToT, so we've always had to ride it separately and use fast passes or child swap.

 

[oxfordcircus]

She loved Thunder Mtn and Splash Mtn, didn't much like Space Mtn, but tolerated it. She hated TOT. Turns out that I overestimated her sense of irony. She was bothered by the loud noises and scary presentation in the preshow (on the ride but before the drops), then quietly tolerated the drops/ascensions. Then scolded me after the ride was over. But she is very proud for having ridden it. As has been said earlier in the thread, the darkness and scary presentation add an element not present in rollercoasters.

 

[jhorras]

I took my dd6 (who was 5 last year when she rode it) on ToT. She was fine until the ride started. She was really afraid and we are leaving on Nov. 5 (1 more day) and she's already told me she won't ride it this time.

She was actually afraid of the drops and the dark. So, if you've experienced the ride and can describe it and talk about the differant things you think might scare your child, hopefully the two of you can come to a good decision.

I felt badly that my dd was so afraid, it took her a few minutes (10 or so) to calm down afterwards. However, my other dd7 (6 at the time) loved the ride and can't wait to go on it again. Go figure???

The difficult time didn't ruin the whole trip (although I did feel badly for a while) and my dd is prepared for what she can and can't handle this time. I think she'll make good choices for herself as she learned a bit more about her individual tolerance level.

 

[dvcmbr94]

My DS was almost 5 the first time he rode TOT. It was the first time for all of us so we didn't know what to expect. During the ride I felt like a terrible mom for bringing him on. He did ok with it but was real quiet after and said he didn't want to ride again. However, later in the day, he asked to go on when others were going again. He told an older couple behind us in line who were comtemplating how they would like it that he liked it but he had a heart attack his first time! He's 16 now and loves all the thrill rides, even Mission: Space that his fun loving mom just can't enjoy and is giving up on trying to like!

 

[scubamouse]

my DD isn't even 4 yet and is adament about going on TOT. DS5 isn't sure he wants to. we'll take DD on it and hit EMH for it and see what happens. she is a total thrill seeker. we won't for DS if he doesn't want to go.

at home we do things to simulate the feeling. DH does a lift up, drop and catch game w/them and they love it. i do 'trust falls' with them (fall backwards and i catch them). they both adore that scary/safe feeling. you could see how they react to things like that beforehand.