At what age was your kid too scared of dark rides?

[Princesca]

I'm struggling with how to phrase this, but we are going to WDW in the spring with three kids, ages 5.5, 4, and 2.5. I know from my experience with my niece, who is now a teenager, that she was pretty fearless up until about 4 or 5, and then started to develop more fears. She balked a little at HM but went on it anyway and didn't seem to mind it once she was on it. I'm not sure what to expect with this age group, and I'm just curious what your experiences were with taking small children on dark rides, in general, but especially HM or PotC.

I guess I'm hoping for replies like 'My 3 year old loved PotC but freaked out at the opening to HM.' or 'My four year old didn't have issues with either'. Just trying to get a feel for people's experience, with the understanding that all kids are different, of course.

Also would love any tips on how to feel kids out about potentially scary rides, or what to do if they get on the ride willingly but freak out somewhere along the ride. I have no intention of coercing anyone to ride anything, of course. I've ridden everything but I don't see it through the eyes of a child, and my kid is the 2.5 year old, so I've never taken him anywhere like this before.

 

[Marthasor]

My DS also began to get scared of dark rides around 3 years old and I'm not just referring to PoC and HM - he was scared of the Winnie the Pooh ride (particularly the heffalumps and woozles). I think I would start with a less-dark indoor ride (maybe iasw?) and work up from there. I didn't take DS onto HM until he was about 8 or 9 knowing he wouldn't fully understand that it was completely fake until then.

 

[Princesca]

My DS also began to get scared of dark rides around 3 years old and I'm not just referring to PoC and HM - he was scared of the Winnie the Pooh ride (particularly the heffalumps and woozles). I think I would start with a less-dark indoor ride (maybe iasw?) and work up from there. I didn't take DS onto HM until he was about 8 or 9 knowing he wouldn't fully understand that it was completely fake until then.

Ooh, that's an interesting idea, like doing the rides in escalating order of what I think might be scarier... I can totally see that about WtP... it's pretty intense and psychedelic and weird in that part.

 

[Gentry2004]

FWIW, neither of my kids were ever scared of any rides. My oldest was a bit apprehensive about Rockin and Everest when she was tall enough but other than that happily rode everything. My youngest was never afraid of anything and in fact when she was 3 Tower of Terror was her absolute favorite ride. She used to cheer up nervous people when we were boarding.

 

[Haley R]

I think showing YouTube ride throughs of the rides can help that way they know what to expect. I can’t help too much because I have a 2.5 year old. He just recently started getting kind of nervous in the dark and around loud sounds. Nothing has really bothered him at wdw but we’ve never tried Haunted Mansion. He’s more nervous around the cast members lol

 

[Notreallyaustralian]

Our two-year-old wanted to go on Imagination. Once he was on and it was too late to get off, he was crying...terrified. And then he didn't want to go on any ride again...OR any building that might have a ride.

I think he was about six when he finally found the courage to go on It's a Small World. I think that might be one of the best rides to start with. I think it would be safe for most kids...unless they have a fear of water or some unusual phobia.

BTW, I think it's really nice that you're concerned about this and that you understand all kids are different.

 

[Notreallyaustralian]

FWIW, neither of my kids were ever scared of any rides. My oldest was a bit apprehensive about Rockin and Everest when she was tall enough but other than that happily rode everything. My youngest was never afraid of anything and in fact when she was 3 Tower of Terror was her absolute favorite ride. She used to cheer up nervous people when we were boarding.

That's so cute (cheering up nervous people)

 

[Notreallyaustralian]

I think showing YouTube ride throughs of the rides can help that way they know what to expect. I can’t help too much because I have a 2.5 year old. He just recently started getting kind of nervous in the dark and around loud sounds. Nothing has really bothered him at wdw but we’ve never tried Haunted Mansion. He’s more nervous around the cast members lol

We would go on AllEars a lot and look at the ride vehicles...it was kind of like exposure therapy? Or some kind of mental preparation.

 

[Haley R]

Our two-year-old wanted to go on Imagination. Once he was on and it was too late to get off, he was crying...terrified. And then he didn't want to go on any ride again...OR any building that might have a ride.

I think he was about six when he finally found the courage to go on It's a Small World. I think that might be one of the best rides to start with. I think it would be safe for most kids...unless they have a fear of water or some unusual phobia.

BTW, I think it's really nice that you're concerned about this and that you understand all kids are different.

My 2 year old’s favorite ride is Figment so that shows how every kid is different lol. He’s absolutely obsessed with Figment and watches it on YouTube all the time

I always try to make things funny and make him laugh if I feel like he might be scared and usually it works but not always. I noticed on Barnstormer he wasn’t sure how to feel but I started laughing and shouting “wooo” so he did too lol

 

[sponica]

I think showing YouTube ride throughs of the rides can help that way they know what to expect. I can’t help too much because I have a 2.5 year old. He just recently started getting kind of nervous in the dark and around loud sounds. Nothing has really bothered him at wdw but we’ve never tried Haunted Mansion. He’s more nervous around the cast members lol

Sadly this doesn't always work. My now 6 year old LOVES watching MMRR videos, cried the whole way through the ride at 5.5. Both of my kids were terrified of that ride. You would have thought I brought them on the mummy ride at universal or something, the way they screamed in terror.

OP your mileage may vary. Kids are weird. We didn't make it on to haunted mansion this trip, some day I'll go on a trip without my kids and do the rides I want. They were 20 months and 5.5 on our most recent trip. Pirates was not a hit. Winnie the Pooh and Peter Pan went over well. Jungle Cruise was ok until we went into the dark part under the temple.

My older one went on space mountain, she loved it until she didn't. I was able to get her on 7DMT, which terrified her. At that point I realized e-tickets were not going to happen with her.

I think IASW was down so we didn't do that one...

 

[abbiesmomma]

My mom made me ride "Snow White's Scary Adventure" during my first visit to the Magic Kingdom in 1971... I was 3 years old and did not want to ride it. Let's just say it remains a nightmare memory to this day -- and I never allowed my girls (or myself!!) ride even the updated, less scary version!!! (In mom's defense, she had no idea the evil Queen would pop out at you repeatedly-- she apparently missed the word 'scary' in the name and focused simply on "Snow White" ).

My point is mostly that since you've already ridden all the rides, you know potential concerns so you can address them... but also have the flexibility to let their concerns/fears opt them out. I think I'd start with the likely less scary rides that are in the "dark" first such as Buzz, Ariel, Pooh, People Mover, Peter Pan and Small World and gauge their responses to some of those before attempting Pirates or HM (honestly HM still scares 'me' a little bit!!)

 

[KPeterso]

My nephew at just shy of 3 was very excited to try Pirates. This was at Disneyland. The line was fine, boarding was fine...The first hill was not. The second hill was worse and by the time we got to room with the ships he was trying to climb off. He was beyond terrified and mad at his parents and me for taking him on it. We finally figured it out ---- he was thinking like Jake and the Neverland Pirates. They let their Disneyland passes go when he was about 6 and he still wanted no part of Pirates because of the trauma 3 years before. We did go one last time before their passes expired and he was sort of ok, but still told us he hated it. The younger one was also pretty meh about it.

Another big oops on our part when he hit 40 inches. We took him on Big Thunder thinking he would like it (he loved the Gadget Go Coaster and Radiator Springs Racers). But we took him on at night. It was not ok at all! He was not so bothered by the speed, but by the dark. He was crying by the second hill and I had him with me, so I had my arms wrapped all the way around him. We never did get him to try again during the day. So when we tried Space Mountain (I had my reservations about taking him on it), I made him sit with his mom so she could hold onto him if he got scared. Weirdly, he liked both Space Mountain and Star Tours from the first rides.

We never tried Haunted Mansion as she did not want to deal with the kids freaking out. You just never know with kids what they will like or not.

 

[GoingSince1990]

The funniest for me was when our daughter was just tall enough to ride Rock and Roller Coaster, and loved it, but then flatly refused to see "Voyage of the Little Mermaid" because she was afraid of Ursula!

 

[Notreallyaustralian]

My 2 year old’s favorite ride is Figment so that shows how every kid is different lol. He’s absolutely obsessed with Figment and watches it on YouTube all the time

I always try to make things funny and make him laugh if I feel like he might be scared and usually it works but not always. I noticed on Barnstormer he wasn’t sure how to feel but I started laughing and shouting “wooo” so he did too lol

This is what I did when I first took my son on It's a Small World. I worked really hard to make things funny...try to relax him!

 

[Notreallyaustralian]

The funniest for me was when our daughter was just tall enough to ride Rock and Roller Coaster, and loved it, but then flatly refused to see "Voyage of the Little Mermaid" because she was afraid of Ursula!

That's so cute! And funny!

 

[Haley R]

This is what I did when I first took my son on It's a Small World. I worked really hard to make things funny...try to relax him!

I do it on figment too when they blow air at you. It always makes ds jump but we laugh it off

 

[Notreallyaustralian]

So when we tried Space Mountain (I had my reservations about taking him on it), I made him sit with his mom so she could hold onto him if he got scared. Weirdly, he liked both Space Mountain and Star Tours from the first ridSo when we tried Space Mountain (I had my reservations about taking him on it), I made him sit with his mom so she could hold onto him if he got scared. Weirdly, he liked both Space Mountain and Star Tours from the first rides.

Here I was thinking WHY did you take him on Space Mountain after all that? It's so funny that he ended up liking it!! Now I'm thinking back to the amount of anxiety I would have when we tried a new ride. Will he hate it? Will he be terrified? Will he love it?

 

[Notreallyaustralian]

Sadly this doesn't always work. My now 6 year old LOVES watching MMRR videos, cried the whole way through the ride at 5.5. Both of my kids were terrified of that ride. You would have thought I brought them on the mummy ride at universal or something, the way they screamed in terror.

Sadly this doesn't always work. My now 6 year old LOVES watching MMRR videos, cried the whole way through the ride at 5.5. Both of my kids were terrified of that ride. You would have thought I brought them on the mummy ride at universal or something, the way they screamed in terror.

OP your mileage may vary. Kids are weird. We didn't make it on to haunted mansion this trip, some day I'll go on a trip without my kids and do the rides I want. They were 20 months and 5.5 on our most recent trip. Pirates was not a hit. Winnie the Pooh and Peter Pan went over well. Jungle Cruise was ok until we went into the dark part under the temple.

My older one went on space mountain, she loved it until she didn't. I was able to get her on 7DMT, which terrified her. At that point I realized e-tickets were not going to happen with her.

I think IASW was down so we didn't do that one...

OP your mileage may vary. Kids are weird. We didn't make it on to haunted mansion this trip, some day I'll go on a trip without my kids and do the rides I want. They were 20 months and 5.5 on our most recent trip. Pirates was not a hit. Winnie the Pooh and Peter Pan went over well. Jungle Cruise was ok until we went into the dark part under the temple.

My older one went on space mountain, she loved it until she didn't. I was able to get her on 7DMT, which terrified her. At that point I realized e-tickets were not going to happen with her.

I think IASW was down so we didn't do that one...

 

[KPeterso]

Here I was thinking WHY did you take him on Space Mountain after all that? It's so funny that he ended up liking it!! Now I'm thinking back to the amount of anxiety I would have when we tried a new ride. Will he hate it? Will he be terrified? Will he love it?

Yeah, it was probably a good 6 months later that we took him on Space. It was just him, his mom (my bff), my mom, and I. So, we made it a "big boy" day since we did not have little brother (he was naughty and punished at home with his dad). I would say he loved it but liked it. They went a few weeks later just their family and went on and was less sure (but were in the front this time so maybe that was it).

We always tried to let him "lead" us onto the ride through the line. For example, the first time we took him on Star Tours, he was not sure, but we got him in the line. Pointed things out to him, but put him as the front of our party and let him lead us. He loved that one from his first ride!

 

[Anna131517]

The only dark ride they’ve been afraid of is HM, starting at age 3. Even my 9 yr old was still afraid our last trip, but he was fine with Space Mountain. I think HM is scary because of the ghosts, not because of the dark.