Attn: Disney Dads - Test Track

[MikeD]

I have a 5 year old son who just loves Test Track. He's at that age when he wants to "drive" my car up the driveway to park it (sits on my lap with hands on wheel - you know what I mean Dads out there). Anyway - I've promised him I'll videotape Test Track this year on our annual December trip. My kids love to watch our video's of the rides, parades, etc. I'm just curious if any Dads out there are experiencing this with their little guys. I know when I was a kid I got a thrill "driving" my dad's old Pontiac in the driveway.

 

[Spartan]

My son will be 4 later this summer, and he's more into trains at this point (seeing Thomas the Tank Engine live and riding on him when he was here in Detroit at Greenfield Village may have actually been a bigger thrill for him than seeing any of the Disney characters), but he's also getting into anything that "drives". He asked about Test Track when he saw it on the DVD, and I was thinking the height req't was more than 40", so I changed the subject, but if that's all it is - then he'd certainly love to ride it. He also wants to "help" me drive the vehicles into the garage when I have them out, and recently asked me if I'd buy a monster truck. Although it would be easier getting through traffic on my way to work, the milaege would kill me!

 

[Simba's Girl]

Quoting directly from the DIS TT info

Children under the age of 7 cannot ride Test Track without being accompanied by an adult and a height restriction of 40" is in effect but parents may wish to use the "switch off" option.

Your 5 year old should be fine...I expect my petite 4.5 year old to be able to ride it in December when she's 5...she has only a half inch to go.

 

[Gluman11]

Oh yes, my little guy (20 months)..........I let him sit on my lap once while I moved the Explorer 15 feet up the driveway.........now everyday, he wants to be in the "car de car" (don't ask me, I don't know how he got 'car de car' out of 'car')
either by himself to push the buttons or on my lap to 'drive' the car......................

I remember my dad used to let me shift the manual transmission from the front passenger seat and that was pretty cool, but I was 9 or 10 years old by then................

CAR DE CAR ?????????????

 

[Horizons16]

I remember going to florida and driving the rental... sitting on my fathers lap and he would work the pedals... good times...

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

My daughter at this point itching to ride "adult rides" like mommy and daddy. She is tired of just doing the fantasyland bit. So we have marked on her growth chart where she needs to be--and we measure her as much as she wants. I guess when she reaches the magic number--we will be obligated to take her back to WDW. She is almost 4--but is 50% for height--making her short!

Not to be the bubble busting mom...

It is not safe to let your children "pretend" to drive while the car is in motion, no matter how much your child enjoys it.

In our local paper today--don't recall if it was a local story, but it was in the state of Florida...a parent did just as you described--had a child on the lap of a front seating adult. It was passenger side. They bumped into a curb and the airbag deployed. The child died of head injuries. Perhaps it was safer to cave to the kids longing to drive when you were kids--but safety mechanisms in cars today can make these practices you have described possibly lethal to your child. Example--if you misjudged and hit the garage door or a wall.

Of course--I have all you guys beat...I have a step dad who foolishly permitted me to drive at a young age. Incredible feeling to do such a thing--but stupid of course. I will not be repeating the same mistakes. (and we no longer have that step-dad )

 

[MikeD]

Well there goes my male bonding post. Any car that has a air bag deploy because it hits a curb should be driven right to the junk yard. I've never heard of such a thing - but I don't doubt the validity of your story.

 

[my3princes]

I'm a mom, but my ds18mths loves to drive anything. He sits on my lap and drives the car(with help of course) around our lawn. He loves to ride on the tractor and he likes to drive my older sons 4 wheeler. He often tries to remove my hands from the handle bars so he can do it himself (he can't push the throttle yet so he needs help). We purchased one of the little tikes battery operated 4 wheelers for him and he rides it all the time, but he prefers anything noisy. We also ride snowmobiles in the winter (he was 12 mths old this winter when we started) he loved to go with us. We kept our rides to under 40 miles in length and keep a slow pace. I'm sure if he could ride test track he would love it. My older boys, 6 and 8 list Test Track as one of their top 3 rides in all of WDW. They don't really care too much about driving the car yet (I think it has something to do with our pediatrician telling them that they don't need anymore shots until they are old enough to drive. hee hee hee) They do enjoy driving their 4 wheeler and snowmobiles though.

 

[buzz5985]

Another mom here. LOL My DS also loved driving everything. He has one of the battery operated Monster Truck he races around in. But was petrified on Test Track. I mean petrified. Shaking scared, silent screaming. Aged 5. But Mom was in an accident, about 2 weeks before the trip, some guy came out of a side street and smashed into the passenger side front wheel well. So when Test Track tests the brakes - that is when he freaked. Just a heads up. I was a little surprised on how low his tolerance was for a lot of rides. Body Wars - Star Wars, Splash Mountain. Now he is 7 and likes them, but even Dinosaur this past year scared the heck out of him. And this kid is a daredevil on the playground.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

MikeD

After I posted--I realized the same thing--air bag shouldn't deploy at a low speed just b/c you hit a curb.

In any case--play safely!!!!

 

[EmmasGrammy]

Gluman11,

Perhaps your son is somehow related to Herve Valechez, Tattoo from the Fantasy Island T.V. show. Remember "Look boss, de plane de plane". "car de car" Get It? Okay maybe not!!

Okay, perhaps I am dating myself. Ask your grandparents. They explain who Tattoo was. Ha Ha.

You made me smile today!! Thank you!!