A question

[Alexandra]

I was just wondering if anyone could give me some info. here's the deal. We did our Disney vacation tis year with our 9 1/2 year old son and had a great time. We did manage to get him on Space Mountain and he loved it! We will be going again probably when he is 13, by then I am hoping he won't be afraid to do Tower of terror or AeroSmiths Rockin Roller coaster. I guess what I'm asking is has anyone waited this long between trips and did your child become less scared or did they still not want to do the thrill rides? Thanks
Alexandra

 

[swilphil]

I haven't had this experience as my kids are much younger and my 4 year old just tried Tower of Terror and wants to do Rockn Rollercoaster. I would say that any 13 year old boy would love doing thrill rides. If anything, the rides won't be exciting enough!

 

[mollyo-nh]

My DD was 11 1/2 on the last trip and would do none of the mountains - we leave in 6 days (yea!! ) for our next trip. She is now 14 and has announced she wants to try Thunder Mountain and Space Mountain this trip.

She still won't even think about ToT or RnR - but we are getting closer....

So, yes, I think time can make a difference in the "courage" level of a child.

 

[Missy1961]

Here's an interesting twist: my niece, at age 4, rode Splash Mountain and willing seemed to like it. This year, at 5, rode it, but has since announced "I don't want to ride it anymore!". Maybe she just wants attention, I don't know!

My nephews wouldn't ride anything at 2 1/2, but loved almost everything at 4, and at age 8 rode everything except TOT (but that may be because mom and aunt didn't want to!)

 

[Cinderella822]

My DD was 9 on our last trip and would not do TOT or RNR. This time, she's almost 13 and can't wait to do them. I don't know if she'll like them, but she wants to try. The only ride she said she will not do is Mission Space, but I'm with her on that one!

 

[DisneyPete]

My son was 7 when we went last year and his favorite ride was Mission Space. But he was afraid to ride Space Mountain or even the Barnstormer so go figure.

I think it doesn't matter when you go, it all depends on how they feel when you get there.

 

[cnids00]

Last year my DD, then 8 years old LOVED RNR!! Also in saying that she's kind of a scary cat lol but she went on ToT also BUT only once. She's like me, we don't like "falling" I went on it once too...Going back this year, we're all 3 of us going on ToT..whoah!

DH loves ToT and on EE at MGM last year he went 5 times in a row.

I love RnR too!!! It rocks!!!

 

[Tigger&Belle]

My middle son was almost 8yo the last time he was at WDW 3 years ago. He refused to do RnR, and did ToT once (he'd also done that when he was younger--once.) He would do all the mountains, since they don't go upside down and there are no real steep drops.

His younger brother is 4yo and does anything that he is tall enough for. If he is apprehensive before going on a ride he is usually loving it when he is done and almost always wants to reride. he rode on ToT 5 times when I brought him (and only him) last February. Of course he is too small for RnR.

Last week we went to Hershey Park and they have a looping roller coaster that we could all go on. My 4yo was so excited to ride it, but my 10yo was almost in tears. We were all going, though, and he didn't want to sit out while we all rode, so he bit the bullet and went. Of course he loved it, rode it lots more times, and is now begging me to bring him back to WDW so he can ride ToT. Little does he know that if all goes well I am planning on bringing only him in January.

Maybe you can find some less intense rides at local amusement parks that can ease your son into the WDW rides. Before going to Hershey Park I really didn't think that my son would ever go on RnR, but now I really think that he will try it. And he'll have to go back on ToT since I'm obsessed with that ride!

T&B

 

[Disney Spaz]

This will sound horrible but in 1997 I took my two DS's then 7 & 6. My 6 year old refused to ride ToT but did stand in line with us then left through the chicken exit with his then pregnant aunt. After the ride I offered my 6 year old $5 bucks to try it once. I know I am a bad mother for bribing my child but it worked. I told him up until they strapped us in he could changes his mind but in the end he wanted the money. When we were on the ride I talked to him and told him everything right before it happened and used my it's going to be all right mommy voice. Half way through the ride he shushed me and by the time we got of he had forgotten about the $5 and wanted to ride it again. Now I will say my kids are usually the daredevil type so this may not work for your child. There is hope for when they are older because I have a step son who is 14 now and he use to be fearful of all those rides when he was 10 and younger but now you can't kep him off of them. I think if you just calmly talk about what will happen on the ride and make it no big deal that might help.

 

[Alexandra]

I thought this was funny, I actually tried money bribes too but they didn't work, it's just that I know that like most have said, once you get them to try it they love it, it's just getting them on. We got him on space mountain and he totally loved it and he rode thunder mountain too so that was pretty good just hoping to add on to those by our next trip.
Alexandra