Advice about ride appropriateness for 3 year olds

[disney-super-mom]

I know that there are some rides which a three year old maybe tall enough to ride, but the ride may not be appriopriate for a three year old given his/her young age and maturity.

We have a tall three year old little boy (40 inches), and by October when we're visiting DL/DCA, he'll be even taller (maybe 42 inches). He's also been to DL/DCA many times in the past, but he's only riden rides that have a 35 inch height requirement and the rides with no height requirement. He loved all of those rides (expect Haunted Mansion, which he'll ride, but we can tell that he doesn't like it very much). Also, he has no problem with dark rides, so that is not an issue. He's already been on every dark ride at DL, except Space Mountain. His favorite ride at DL is Buzz Lightyear - he'd ride it all day if we let him!

We already have concluded that Space Mountain (too fast) and the Hollywood Tower of Terror (scary theming and unexpected drops) will be way too scary for him. The Matterhorn is out of the equation since it'll be closed while we're there. However, we know he'll love Star Tours! It'll be his first time to ride Star Tours when we go in October.

We're undecided about a few rides for him. What are your opinions for a three year old on the following rides (in other words, would they be too scary for him or any other typical three year old?):

Splash Mountain
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
Grizzly River Run

Thanks everyone

 

[CindyH]

What are your opinions for a three year old on the following rides (in other words, would they be too scary for him or any other typical three year old?):

Splash Mountain
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
Grizzly River Run

Thanks everyone

That's just Timmy - his older brother Mikey is much more adventurous. BTW, Timmy also didn't like POTC or HM.

I suggest you start on the easy rides first (IASW, BLAB) then work your way up to the others. You should have a really good sense of his "fear factor".

Have fun!

 

[SamIAm21]

My daughter, who is a smaller-ish 5 year old, loved all three of the rides you mentioned. She adored them. One you didn't mention, but shouldn't hesitate about is Roger Rabbit's Car-Toon Spin. She thought that was hysterically fun!

 

[TheZue]

Wow you don't hear about many three year olds at that height Ours was 42 inches about a month ago and people always kinda jaw drop when they hear he's three lol.

I think you really have to know your kid though. We found out when we took him at age 2.5 that he was scared of the dark. A good way to test that is try out a really mild dark ride like pooh; and you'll know fairly quickly. We found out on Buzz; mistakingly thought it was the space aliens...went to pirates where all hell broke loose Luckily the teens on our boat were really understanding. This time we don't have to worry about it though, now he LOVES locking himself in rooms with no lights or windows ahaha. For us the list of rides we probably aren't taking him on is: Space Mountain, Tower of Terror, and Big Thunder (that's more of a maybe depending on how he does on other rides). Our list of maybe rides is: Pirates, Haunted Mansion, The ferris wheel in DCA, Star Tours.

I think it also depends how far into three he is, a young three and miles apart from an older three...but again this comes down to you knowing your child.

 

[BlueBayou]

I am pretty sure my DD3 would love BTMRR, Splash and GRR if she were tall enough. My almost 6-year-old won't ride POTC, Buzz, Roger Rabbit's Car-Toon Spin or HM. Yet she will do Splash, Tower of Terror and BTMRR just fine.

NOTE: Your son may not be tall enough for GRR. That is one ride my almost 6-year-old wants to ride but is not quite tall enough. I think she will make the 42 inch cut off next visit.

 

[agoofylover]

What a great question!! My youngest son just turned 3 and he is also 40 inches. People are always expecting a lot more from him. I was questioning the same thing....although we've never been to DL with him or DS5. Just an idea...if you go to the disneyland website and go to the attractions menu, you can pull up video of certain rides. My boys enjoy looking at them. DS3 screams with delight(his hands up in the air like he's riding)BTMRR!! He's a dare devil. DS5 says that BTMRR is too fast! Maybe try showing your son online to get a feel for the ride or wait and show him upclose at the park. But, my guess is that he will be fine if he likes all the rides you mentioned.

 

[amw]

We're undecided about a few rides for him. What are your opinions for a three year old on the following rides (in other words, would they be too scary for him or any other typical three year old?):

Splash Mountain
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
Grizzly River Run

Thanks everyone

My youngest DD was 3 and 40 inches the last time we went to WDW. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad was her favourite ride (as well as Test Track!) and she rode it a dozen times in a row. She also liked Kali Rivers (WDW's equivalent to Grizzly River Run). Soarin' was another 40-incher that she really enjoyed. We didn't do Splash Mountain... my eldest wasn't ready for it!

But I agree that you need to know your kids. It was my eldest DD (at the time 5) first time on those rides even though she was 3 on a previous trip. She enjoyed them but not as thoroughly as the younger one - she's my thrill-seeker

By the way, she wasn't as big a fan of the "dark" rides so don't use that as a judge to these other "fast track" rides. Of the three rides, I think Big Thunder Railroad would be the least frightening JMO

 

[eargal]

My son is very tall also (turned 5 two weeks ago and is 50 inches). We took him to WDW at 3. His favorite ride was BTMR....he exhausted us running back to get in line over and over. He also loved Splash. He is a very timid kid and will not ride the Haunted Mansion (I took him once and he hated it ). I think that BTMR being outside really helps. His little sister is 2.5 and 41 inches. We're taking them to Disneyland in Nov (she'll have just turned 3) and I know she will do EVERY ride she is tall enough for other than Tower of Terror, which I won't allow.

Also, at 3 my son LOVED Kali river rapids (WDW's tamer version of Grizely River Run) and he liked GRR even more this last May. I saw lots of young kids on GRR smiling and laughing. The idea of mom getting wet takes all the fear away

 

[acpalmer]

You just honestly never know and I really wouldn't count anything out. My three year old was just a fraction of an inch below the 40" mark when we went, so he didn't do any of those, but we would have let him try all of them if he had been tall enough. His favorite ride is Haunted Mansion and loved Matterhorn, so I think he would have loved the other coasters as well. However, he HATED Roger Rabbit--refused to even talk about going back on it.

My five year old was frightened of all the dark rides in Fantasyland--scared him to death. And after the first time, refused to go back on Haunted Mansion. He loved BTMRR and Star Tours and Space Mountain was his absolute favorite. He did not like Splash Mountain (the "dark" parts scared him) and after seeing the outside of Tower of Terror decided not to try it. No problem by us, he went with Grandma to Monster's Inc. while DH and I did it, LOL. He did love, however, Buzz Lightyear (we must have done that a dozen times) and Monster's Inc. So there was no pattern we could discern--he loved Space, but hated Matterhorn, and loved Mullholland Madness (42" requirement, pretty "jerky" movement in my opinion). Like Big Thunder Mountain and didn't like Splash.

The little one loved everything except Roger Rabbit (that he could go on). Why didn't he like it? No idea, he liked the other dark rides and loved the teacups.

So the moral of my VERY long story, LOL, is that you really never know and it doesn't hurt to try everything once (if he's willing)--I wouldn't count out anything until you give him the option--he may love Space, you never know. We happily let our kids opt out of anything, but they were pretty willing to try most everything one time (except TOT, but I don't blame him, the outside would look scary to a little guy!).

 

[stampinshauna]

I think it really depends on the child. My 3 year old neice hated the fantasyland dark rides. My 4 year old nephew loved everything he could go on, including Space Mountain. So I think the previous poster has a good point, let them try it once and then they can decide what they like.

 

[imjen]

I agree with the advice that's been given to start with easier rides and then work your way up to the faster/scarier ones. And it's really hard to gage what he will and won't like. The last time we went my middle dd was a couple months shy of 4 yrs. and she got scared on BTMRR and Splash. She also did not like Roger Rabbit's cartoon spin. It's very loud and I think she had sensory overload. I didn't really care for it either. But she loved Soarin', Buzz, Pirates, etc. I don't regret trying the ones she ended up not liking, because there was really no way to tell beforehand...she chose to go on them and thought she would like them. There were a couple that we knew she wouldn't like that we avoided like HM and a couple of the FL dark rides.

 

[dletz]

At 3 my daugther rode all rides with a 40 inch height limit. She didn't really like tower or terror (though she insisted on riding it) but she didn't freak out. She hasn't been on it since. She has ridden all other rides though more than once. My daughter at 7 has been on everything at DL/DCA except maliboomer.

 

[disney-super-mom]

Yes, you're all right about the fact that we really won't know what he'll like unless he tries it (if he wants to try it).

Personally, I hate riding Splash Mountain and I usually don't ride it when at DL (actually I like everything about the ride except that last drop, which I HATE! I like some drops, but that one is just TOO BIG for me). On the other hand I love all the other rides at DL, and my favorite is Indiana Jones!

Now I'm nervous because if our 3 year old wants to ride Splash, then I'll have to ride it for sure too. Our whole family would be in one log (me, DH, DS(7) and DS(3)), and I can guarantee that my DH will not let me chicken out of it.

 

[Rapunsel]

My DS 4 loves big thunder...
Went on TOT but won't do it again..

His favorite is Soarin..

I want to try him on Star tours, but not sure just yet..

He wants to do the GGRR, but not quite tall enough. Same with Mulholland Maddness..