Age to ride alone?

[dimndgal1]

This might be a silly question with no clear answer, but I'd love some insight.

We are a group of 6 adults, one child going to WDW this summer. I am having hip surgery and DD will be just shy of 5 and is under height for the BIG thrill rides so I am trying to figure out logistics on how to maximize ride time for the adults but let 'Shorty' have fun too.

My question is if there is a minimum age for kids to ride alone? I'm thinking of the 'open' rides (teacups, Dumbo) where I can watch her but am unable to ride? (I wouldn't put her on Peter Pan and then wait for her to resurface.) It might be moot but I am concerned with rides that have centrifigal force pushing me into a hard plastic side or having DD Bonk into me, so if she could sail solo it would let the other adults ride the big ones and I can watch her live up the DD faves.

We were at Sea world in Oct and she rode the kiddie coaster three times solo while I waited at the exit gate, and she's done midway rides at Boardwalks... but I know Disney might be different.

Please don't think I'm throwing her on SM or BTM... just was thinking Dumbo, teacups, and the like.

 

[lsenquiz]

I am not sure what the actual age is but I know they can not ride Dumbo alone at 5. I had three kids and myself last time we tried to get on Dumbo and they would not even let two of them ride together without an adult. We had to wait for another adult from our party to ride.

The issue is that it would be easy for a little one to get out of the ride during the ride without an adult to supervise.

 

[elphie101]

Attractions CM here

Children are allowed to ride by themselves at age 7 or older. If a child is age 6 or younger, they can ride as long as they are with someone who is at least 14 years old. This is the standard policy across WDW property. If your DD wants to ride anything you chose to sit out on, another adult will have to accompany her.

 

[dimndgal1]

I am not sure what the actual age is but I know they can not ride Dumbo alone at 5. I had three kids and myself last time we tried to get on Dumbo and they would not even let two of them ride together without an adult. We had to wait for another adult from our party to ride.

The issue is that it would be easy for a little one to get out of the ride during the ride without an adult to supervise.

Totally understand and wouldn't question it. DD is a ride pro so she understands the safety bars/sitting... but only do to repeated exposure. I can imagine it's definitely not that way across the board.

Attractions CM here

Children are allowed to ride by themselves at age 7 or older. If a child is age 6 or younger, they can ride as long as they are with someone who is at least 14 years old. This is the standard across WDW property.

Thank you both so much! I figured it would be something around 7 but figured it was worth asking. I'm thinking now we'll just hit some character M&G while everyone else goes to space.

 

[kelmac284]

That makes sense. My girls are 11 and 12 and we just started letting them go on big rides like Indy or Splash by themselves in other words grandma and I waited at the exit or what have you and they have phones in case of problems but when they were younger I don't think I let them ride anything either alone or the two of them any younger than about 8.

 

[hgoff79]

My husband is taking all four of our kids (7,5, 4, and 1) to WDW in April when I'm in Russia for two weeks. Last time I went to Russia and he took the kids alone ODD was 5, and they got a CM from the ride to go on with her. She was able to ride SM, BTMR, ToT, and a couple of other rides that way. The only ride where there was a super rude CM (so says my husband) was Soarin', where she wouldn't even ask someone to ride with DD. So if you call and ask what can be done, they might give you that option.

 

[grandmadebby2]

Last year the 11 year old rode The Goofy Roller Coaster with the 4 year old, but I sat right behind them. First the CM said no but I told him that the lap bar didn't fit right over her if she was riding with me since I am considerably larger and we had already ridin it earlier. He then let them ride together and I rode alone behind them. She was much safer that way, if they wouldn't have done it I wouldn't have ridin it with her again. I was so afraid she was going to get tossed out with me.

 

[elphie101]

My husband is taking all four of our kids (7,5, 4, and 1) to WDW in April when I'm in Russia for two weeks. Last time I went to Russia and he took the kids alone ODD was 5, and they got a CM from the ride to go on with her. She was able to ride SM, BTMR, ToT, and a couple of other rides that way. The only ride where there was a super rude CM (so says my husband) was Soarin', where she wouldn't even ask someone to ride with DD. So if you call and ask what can be done, they might give you that option.

You could certainly ask OP but just be prepared to hear a no - this is not something I know that would be allowed at my location. Just out of curiosity hgoff79 how long ago was this last trip?

 

[hgoff79]

You could certainly ask OP but just be prepared to hear a no - this is not something I know that would be allowed at my location. Just out of curiosity hgoff79 how long ago was this last trip?

The last trip was Nov '09. When he booked the trip for next month, though, he made some phone calls (not to reservations CMs since they're generally clueless), and whomever he talked to said it wouldn't be a problem, so long as they had the staff like last time.

 

[DOOM1001]

I was in an elevator on TOT last Sunday with a kid who was all by himself probably 6-7 years old,definitely no more than 7.He looked like a little adult as he was holding a sweater at his side.

 

[heyitsmejosh]

well lets face it its not like they can check id's or anything

 

[hgoff79]

just double checked with my husband on the procedure last time. He talked to the attraction manager at each attraction, and they were the people who took the kids. They went through the FP line in most cases, except ToT where they went through a CM only entrance in the gift shop. So apparently you just ask for the manager at each attraction if you want to try that route!

 

[elphie101]

just double checked with my husband on the procedure last time. He talked to the attraction manager at each attraction, and they were the people who took the kids. They went through the FP line in most cases, except ToT where they went through a CM only entrance in the gift shop. So apparently you just ask for the manager at each attraction if you want to try that route!

That makes more sense to me; it's certainly not something we'd be able to do without manager approval, and working with the attractions is certainly different than say custodial or merchandise in that we're not really allowed to move from our assigned position (for safety reasons obviously) and certainly not to hop on our ride while we're working. But something like that is completely in a manager's hands, and if they allow it then the best to you!

 

[brenda1966]

I thougth the tea cups had a higher age than 7. I recall a friend who's daughter was not allowed to ride that ride alone even though she was riding Space and BTMRR and others alone for years.

 

[angierae]

Last year the 11 year old rode The Goofy Roller Coaster with the 4 year old, but I sat right behind them. First the CM said no but I told him that the lap bar didn't fit right over her if she was riding with me since I am considerably larger and we had already ridin it earlier. He then let them ride together and I rode alone behind them. She was much safer that way, if they wouldn't have done it I wouldn't have ridin it with her again. I was so afraid she was going to get tossed out with me.

It bears repeating that in shared lap bars, the lap bar coming down on an adults leg and not being flush against a child's leg is not going to make them fly out. If there was any risk of a person "flying out" of a ride they would be in stronger restraints than a lap bar.

 

[dimndgal1]

just double checked with my husband on the procedure last time. He talked to the attraction manager at each attraction, and they were the people who took the kids. They went through the FP line in most cases, except ToT where they went through a CM only entrance in the gift shop. So apparently you just ask for the manager at each attraction if you want to try that route!

I may try it on a ride or two but with us going in summer, I am not going to count on anything... just would be magic if it happened. It's not a huge deal as we have other adults in the group but if I could let the 'big kids' have time to ride the big rides, it would be more productive. Worst comes to worst, I've got some character spots staked out DD and I can wait forwhich might work just as well.

It bears repeating that in shared lap bars, the lap bar coming down on an adults leg and not being flush against a child's leg is not going to make them fly out. If there was any risk of a person "flying out" of a ride they would be in stronger restraints than a lap bar.

True.... but when Tot first opened it had a communal lap bar for the row and I rode with my much more solidly built cousin. I got some MAJOR air time and was relieved to see individual restraints during future incarnations.

 

[CentralFloridian99]

You gotta be 7 years old and 48 inches.