Am I in trouble?

[golden1]

I figured my 2 year old ds would love the rides at WDW since he has always been a daredevil and is generally not fearful. However, my MIL tried to take ds on a Carousel the other day and he totally freaked out. He wanted nothing to do with it!

I'm afraid that he will not want to go on any rides when we are at WDW. I have another 6 months before we go so I know things can change but I am really nervous. I know that there is plenty of stuff for him to do besides rides but I'd love for him to experience some rides this time around. Any advice or tips or just general encouragement?

 

[Ellester]

Our oldest daughter's first trip was right after she turned 2. She did great on Small World, Peter Pan, Haunted Mansion, just about everything. The HM and PoC did not scare her in the least. However, she was TERRIFIED of the characters. By her next visit at 2 1/2 she was OK with the characters but a little more leary of the darker rides. My second dd loved it all at 18 months and at 2 1/2. Carosels can be a little scary because they are SO high up compared to their height. I would think he'd have a great time, just skip the carosel as the first ride!

 

[kaysmommie]

I have this problem too and our trip is only 2.5 months away. DS doesn't even like the slide at the park. Everything is scary to him at first from getting his haircut to the little park at Mcdonalds. I don't get it because my DD went to Disney at 2 and she was great! I was thining of taking him to a nearby amusement park to ride a couple rides so Disney will be no big deal to him.

 

[clonetothebone]

From The Unofficial Guide To Walt Disney World 2006 Part 5 WDW with Kids....."And would you be surprised to learn that almost 60% of preschoolers said the thing they liked best about their Disney vacation was the hotel swimming pool?

Our first trip when DD was 3 was not an easy one. DW (against the warning signs) said it would be ok to take DD into ITTBAB. After that she wouldn't go on any rides and just wanted to see the characters and go swimming at the hotel pool. Even getting on The Many Adventures of Winne the Pooh was traumatic.

Don't be disappointed if your kids don't want to do everything. Now that DD is 6 she is very excited to be going back and even wants to go on Space Mtn. If your kids don't want to do much you can still have a good time. There is always something to do at WDW for all ages.

 

[all4fun]

My ds is scared of the carousel off and on as well (sometimes, he does like it). There's been a few times over the last year that we've gotten on and then gotten right off before it started because he decided he didn't want to ride. This was at Disneyland & DCA, as well as Disneyworld trips that we've taken between the time he was 13mos to 35mos old. I don't get it either because he loves all the other rides.

I don't think you made a mistake. You'll probably just have to read the signs your ds is giving you and adjust what you're doing any given day based on how he's doing with certain attractions. For example on one of our first trips we went into one show that had a lot of noise and special effects and ds was really frightened by it, so the rest of the trip, we basically avoided those shows and just found other things he liked to do. Sometimes it's trial and error but if you go expecting that you'll have a much better time.

hth!

 

[juligrl]

We took DD(then 2 almost 3) to WDW in January. She's a riding pro at our local amusement parks, but she was totally picky at Disney. In fact we were standing in line for Pooh and she's asking, no begging to go on the turtles (that we have at local amusement park). What?!

Carousel at Disney is a little different than those around here -- more horses, less space between them, so that may help it be not so scary to him.

DD hated the dark rides until we gave her a little light up Cinderella necklace. Hated Dumbo even though she loves the same ride at our local park. Loved It's a Small world -- steady and no surprises. Loved the teacups and the tomorrowland speedway. Hated PhilharMagic and It's tough to be a bug. Loved Playhouse Disney and the Lion King.

Just be prepared to be flexible. And take cotton balls for his ears as things are about 10x too loud there and can be kind of overwhelming for little kids.

 

[katytrott]

Just be prepared to be flexible. And take cotton balls for his ears as things are about 10x too loud there and can be kind of overwhelming for little kids.

How do you get a 2 year old to allow, let alone keep cotton wool in their ears? My son will be 24months on our trip and I am planning on using this tip as he hates loud noises, but just have no idea how to do it.

I also, am anxious about the trip. I think it is because I love WDW so much, and did as a child, I desperately want my son to have the same emotions. I think I will try easing him in gently to the rides. Can any one suggest any good starter rides? I keep thinking of rides like Pooh but then remember the heffalumps bit, or Imagination ride and then remember the lightning bit. IASW has no scary bits so that would be the best, but can anyone think of any others? Thanks

 

[Stephres]

There are lots of shows and quiet things to do. My kids loved the diner with the singing alien when they were little (for example). Just don't try to do too much and let him set the pace. We always try to visit a playground while we are at the park: it seems to make their stroller-bound legs happy. We also go to the pool every afternoon: if you would ask them it's their favorite part of visiting Disney World!

 

[freckles and boo]

You might try to buy a cheap picture album at the dollar store and fill it with pics of the rides, the hotel, the castle, an airplane, etc. (You can print those from any number of websites.) It will help to prepare him without overwhelming his senses. Call it (your name here's) Vacation Book. Once he is familiar with it possible get the Disney marketing DVD and add the noise factor in. Good luck.

 

[sara74]

DD, now 4, HATED the carousel at 2 years old. Would not sit on a horse, maybe on the sleigh thingy on the one at the Mall, but there was no way I was paying $1.50 for her to ride on the sleigh thingy. So we skipped it. Fast forward 2 years and our WDW trip...she rode Splash 5 times, BTMR 4 times, ToT (yes, ToT!!)

So, OP there is hope for you!!!!! Maybe start with IASW? It's so harmless compared to other rides, even Peter Pan or Pooh....

 

[juligrl]

How do you get a 2 year old to allow, let alone keep cotton wool in their ears? My son will be 24months on our trip and I am planning on using this tip as he hates loud noises, but just have no idea how to do it.

If not cotton balls, some have suggested earmuffs. For my daughter I think it had a lot more to do with being a control issue -- she wanted to feel like she had some kind of power over what was happening around her. We were just lucky she accepted the cottonballs as that was all I had with me. She also was okay with just covering her own ears in a jam but liked to have her hands free so that didn't always work.

Her favorites: MK: It's a Small World (Mommy's nightmare), Teacups, the carousel, Speedway, Tom Sawyer Island (a first for DH and I), Swiss Family Treehouse, the people mover ride (after we gave her a light necklace), Winnie the Pooh (also after the necklace) and the Jungle Cruise.
AK: The Boneyard, Lion King (scared at first, but then she held her ears and realized it was her favorite characters so she stopped holding her ears and loved it), Kilimanjaro Safaris.
MGM: Playhouse Disney (danced, sang and didn't want to leave), Great Movie Ride, Millionaire (loved pushing the buttons).
Epcot: American Adventure (my mom has the Voices of Liberty CD so she already knew the music from that), the Land, Imagination.

Your son could totally surprise you and be completely fearless if he's seeing the characters he loves on the rides (think Buzz Lightyear). It's completely predictable that two year olds will be completely unpredictable.

That's why they're free!

 

[lauritagoddess]

I would say you never know how they're going to react. Last year I took my DS just before he turned 3 to Hershey Park and he went on alot of rides and had the best time. A month and a half later we went to Sesame Place and he freaked out and hardly wanted to go on anything. When we went to WDW in March I tried to go slowly with him. He was afraid of a lot of rides and I was a little annoyed at first and then just tried to remember it was about having a good time and if he was going to be scared on a ride, it wouldn't be a good time for either of us. And he absolutely freaked about goingg on the carousel, lol. I'm hoping when we go back in December when he'll be 4.5 that he'll be a little more adventurous. On the upside, he loved, loved all the characters and had the best time meeting them. It was the high point of the parks for him.

 

[Katieplus4]

We have been 4 times with our kids and each time it's different.
Now they are 8,7,6 and 4 but they seemed to have loved it each time. Including the 4 year old who last time rode everything from Space Mountain to Dumbo. Try to do a little prep work. Buy a Disney Park themed movie-we used to have one. Or order the promo video from Disney. That really helped when they were little. They got more familiar with the rides,the park and it helped to see the characters. I would also recommend not starting at a high ride park. Try AK, lots to see, but not to much to freak you out. Do not however see the Bug's Life show! My kids loved it, but there are always kids freaking out.

If you live close to a Disney Store try hanging out there too.

One year my daughter (at 3) hated all the characters, but by day 3 started hugging at loving them all. Just remember not to push.

hope it works

 

[katytrott]

Your son could totally surprise you and be completely fearless if he's seeing the characters he loves on the rides (think Buzz Lightyear). It's completely predictable that two year olds will be completely unpredictable.

That's why they're free!

How true. That tickled me, thanks for the advice

 

[va32h]

We went to So. California a couple of weeks ago - first we went to Legoland, which my 2.5 year old loved. Rode every ride she was tall enough for.

Two days later we're in Disneyland, and she freaks out at every single ride we try to put her on! Part of the problem was that she wanted to sit with her big sister (age 10) but the CMs would not allow that (and I didn't blame them; if my toddler tried to get out of the ride, my 10 year old wouldn't be able to stop her).

She did enjoy the Monsters Inc ride at California Adventure because that is her very favorite movie, and before she could rev up for a tantrum I got her interested in looking for Boo and Sully.

So the only advice I can give you is to try and engage your son in the ride, but be prepared to endure the longest 2 minutes of your life if he doesn't go for it!

However, my daughter adored the characters, and ran up to every one of them eagerly. So we did spend a large portion of the trip hanging out in Toontown while my older kids rode the rides with their aunt. We have lots of great photos, though!