anyone take a 4 yr old...

[preshi]

We finally decided on Sept. to take Austin on his first trip... he's able to ride pretty much everything... he's 42 inches tall...I just wonder if some stuff might be too much... Like I'd love to take him on Splash Mountain but I might have a coronary the whole time worrying about him flying out...

Anyone take their little one and do all the bigger stuff? He's not really afraid of much... little daredevil... but I dont want to scar him for life...

Experiences please... I am so exicted I could burst!

 

[Uncle Buck]

The only damage ever done to our daughter (now 5 1/2) was when Minnie snuck up behind her during a character breakfast when she was 1. Character interaction has been tough ever since. Keeps us out of the gawd awful Princess lines though.

Be honest with your son (and yourself) and set reasonable expectations. Let him build up at his own pace. Don't tell him a ride is something it will end up not being. From our experience, our daughter correlated the type of type of ride with the structure...Space Mountain = mountain, Matterhorn=mountain...and so on. Every mountain brings a little trepidation.

There's nothing to worry about when choosing rides. Anyone can safely enjoy any attraction for which they meet the minimum height requirement.

Remember it's his first trip and he'll be on sensory overload.

 

[dsnylndmom]

My son was there for his fourth birthday and then this past April and May. He was 40 inches the first trip and just over 41 by the third trip.

He has ridden~Gadget's Go Coaster, Matterhorn, BTMRR and Soarin' over CA. In April and May the lines for Splash were just ridiculous so we never made it over there. Also, he was just like 1/2 an inch too short for GRR and was sooooooo upset! LOL

He LOVES BTMRR it's one of his faves. He also liked Matterhorn and GoCoaster but was more like eh. Soarin he liked okay.

I know he would LOVE Splash because he LOVES Pirates(his favorite and he will ride it all day if I love him)and he always says he wants "more drops"

If your son has never been on Splash start with Pirates and see how he does on the drop there and then explain Splash's drop is bigger. You could even do GRR between the two!

Coaster wise I'd start with the Go-Coaster if you can get right on, the BTMRR and then Matterhorn, ending with MM at DCA.

Soarin' is a calm ride, if he's a little height scared then make sure to sit on the bottom

HTH
Tina

 

[Elly]

I'm sure your son would do fine on Splash. For the first trip, don't have him sit in the very front (too scary and wet!). Snuggle him up close on the drops and you'll be fine. He won't fly out! My daughter rode it every day of our trip when she was 3 and survived.

 

[ter-moo]

I completely understand your fear! I'm much more fearless WITHOUT my kids on rides! I'm sure he'll be fine on anything that he's tall enough for--that's why they have the height restrictions.

My only advice is DON'T GO ON THE SUNWHEEL FERRIS WHEEL at DCA, unless you go on the fixed car!!!!!! I'll go on anything and that ride scared the @#*! out of me. (Ask my teenage son who had to listen to my piercing shrieking the entire time!) It really feels like your car is falling OFF the ferris wheel. It looks like such a nice calm ride, and the concept is cool, but I'd recommend you skip it.

 

[preshi]

Believe Me... my cousin and I went on that thing and NEVER AGAIN... I have a fear of heights(well really a fear of falling off tall things) and that thing scared the living daylights out of both of us ( 2 24 yr olds!!) NEVER AGAIN!!!

Thanks to everyone for the reassurance... I am so excited.

 

[dsnylndmom]

I will not will not ride the sunwheel! I will not ride it I say! LOL! I absolutely refuse. My poor 8 year old rode it in Nov. and he was in TEARS! Now this is a kid who loves CA. Screamin' but this freaked him out. He did face his fears again in May(skipped it in April) and rode it and was fine but I'll never forget his poor little face streaked with tears as he came off of it the first time.



I still won't ride it!
Tina

 

[robsmom]

We took our 4 yr old in May. He was just over 42 inches and was able to ride almost anything. He particularly loved California adventure. He called mulhalland madness "his roller coaster" and had to ride it over and over again. We also did many trips down Grizzly River Rapids. In Disneyland his favorites were Splash moutain, thunder mountain railroad and Dumbo. I found 4 to be a really nice age because he was still happy to do all the little kid stuff but also big enough for the rest of the park.

The main thing that he didn't like were movies and some of the dark "scary" rides (we skipped snow white, haunted mansion, etc.). He particularly is afraid of 3D movies. (We created this problem with a very unwise decision to take him on the new Sea World 4D haunted lighthouse - scared me too!!). As a result, we had to leave the muppet movie and the animation attaction in tears (his) and he wouldn't even consider going in a bug's life. He did like soaring over california, because we were smart enough not to mention the word movie.

You are going to have a great time.

 

[Llisa]

We just got back from DL yesterday. My normally very brave daughter (aged 5) got very scared during the Honey I Shrunk The Audience (as did my 8 year old son). Neither of the kids wanted to repeat the Haunted Mansion or Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (although I didn't think they were particularly frightened by either one).

They both liked the It's Tough To Be A Bug (a bit scary, but the good kind of scary if you know what I mean). As for rides, Pirates, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and Soarin' Over California were the favourites - Mr. Toad's Wild Ride was also a big hit. Everyone enjoyed Matterhorn and Splash Mountain but not enough to line up for them more than once. Star Tours was fun but a bit of a disappointment - the Wild Arctic ride at Seaworld appears to be the same technology and, quite frankly (sorry all you Disney fans) is better (IMHO anyway!). Winnie the Pooh was, in the words of my son and concurred by the entire family "Totally lame".

My personal favourite was Indiana Jones - minimum height is 48" but you MUST NOT MISS this ride!!!

HTH and enjoy your trip.

 

[Llisa]

Oh, I forgot, the Grizzly River Rapids was great but I got drenched from the waist down on our last ride (I don't mean splashed, I mean absolutely totally dripping wet - it was NOT a good feeling!!). I was very relieved when the rest of the family decided to cut the day short (due to the heat) and I was able to change! The moral of this - wear clothes that dry easily if you're going on this ride and, especially, take dry underwear!!!!!!!!!!!! LOL!!!!

 

[Elly]

We actually bring a change of clothes and stash them in a locker. We get all the GRR riding done during the warm part of the day and then change. Soggy shoes and pants are yucky.

 

[Llisa]

Elly - NOW you tell me - LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!