Attractions best/worst for young kids

[Mmw37]

Our family (myself, DH, DS1 age 4, and DS2 age 9 mo) will be traveling to the World in Jan. My FP window opens tonight! I have a pretty good idea what we want to try for, but I'm looking for advice on things to avoid that might scare the kids.

We last went 2 years ago, and DS1 loved the Barnstormer but wasn't huge on the dark rides (esp Pan). He's done well since on carnival rides and such, but did get pretty scared on a rickety small coaster this past summer - hoping that doesn't turn him off of them for the trip (if I ask him, he says he doesn't like roller coasters anymore). Otherwise though, he's an adventurous and outgoing kid. He's 43" and growing, so he will be able to ride all but a few if he wants to. We'll be back every couple of years, so it's not mandatory that the adults ride everything.

We're planning on skipping EE, SM, RnRC, and ToT for sure. Planning on riding Barnstormer and 7DMT (if I can get FP+). Less sure about BTM, Splash, Dinosaur, and Soarin (it's last day open is our first day, and we were planning on Epcot already). Any thoughts on these? Anything else we should avoid? How much should I worry about the baby? Are the rides without height restrictions generally okay for him to ride? I babywear, so he'll be close to mama the whole time.

Thanks, I'd love to hear your experiences!

 

[kcpinwdw]

I would say no to Dinosaur, and yes to Soarin'. I would see how Barnstormer and 7DMT train goes before making a decision about BTMR and Splash. Get FPs, you can always change them to Small World that day

 

[ckcnj]

We took our five year old son on dinosaur last month (because he loves dinosaurs and loved that movie) and it was too scary for him. He also refused to go on 7DMT

 

[amerikiwiroo]

My DD5 was scared on Barnstormer but loves Splash. Splash was also the first big ride for DS3 and he loved it! Dinosaur is very loud, dark and jerky so based on what you've said, I'd skip that one. Soarin is really gentle and not scary--I'd recommend trying that one.

 

[Mmw37]

That's kind of where my mind was going on the mountains - we have 2 days at MK, So I was planning those FPs for our second day and hoping to get a 7D slot on our first.

I'll skip Dinosaur then, sounds like a good idea.

Thanks! Anything I should avoid with the wee one?

 

[Hezzy04]

I know you didn't ask about this....but Some kids are terrified of the 3D show, It's Tough To be a Bug. My girls didn't like it....they sat on my and my husbands lap, and if they had been in their own seats, I think it would have completely terrified them!

 

[MischaOz]

It's tough to say because it is so dependent on the child's personality... At 2yrs 10mos my daughter loved 7DMT, Splash and BTMR. Haunted Mansion, however, did not go over so well, even though she is obsessed with skeletons and all things Halloween themed...

 

[kayemgi]

Just be prepared for your older son to bail out sometimes. We had friends bring their 5yo, and she mostly did great, but when she got into the ride room for Soarin' she noped right out of there. Sucked for the parents but what are you gonna do, right?

 

[minnie mum]

I agree that you might want to see how it goes with Barnstormer before trying any of the other coasters.

Dinosaur scares the bejeebers out of some adults, and is a bone jolting rough ride. ITTBAB and HM scare a lot of younger kids, so try him out with Peter Pan and WTP and see how that goes.

 

[Mmw37]

Thanks all, I appreciate the suggestions and experiences. Hopefully he doesn't bail after waiting in the queue for something, but if he does, we'll just make adjustments and try to keep it from happening again. We aren't the type to make the kids go from RD to close - last time we toured until about 3 each day, took a nap, and went out to a nice dinner. We'll see what we can see and ride what we can ride, and absolutely need to fit in some quality time with characters too. Those were the most magical moments of our last trip, and we're definitely hoping for more. Thanks!

 

[Mikie]

My little guys were afraid of Haunted mansion and some other dark rides that I never thought would be remotely scary. . .I'm pretty sure 2 out of 3 were afraid of Pooh when they were toddlers! I received good advice to bring glow sticks or other small, dim lightup toys/bracelets to help them feel that their area wasn't so dark and it worked well for us.

In DHS, some parts of Great Movie Ride may be scary for kids (totally depending on the kid), although it is a no-height restriction ride.

 

[Mmw37]

Glow sticks! Great idea, and DS 1 is newly obsessed with them since Halloween

 

[GaryDis]

Our family (myself, DH, DS1 age 4, and DS2 age 9 mo)

Notation tangent alert: You're using DS1 and DS2 to indicate birth order. Usually people use numbers to indicate age, so these would be DS4 and DS1 (or maybe DS-9mo, if you wanted to be that specific).

Not that one approach is right and the other wrong, or that no one else uses birth order for the numbers. This is just to be aware of the difference, to avoid confusion.

 

[Baklava]

Don't count on wearing your baby. The experience from one ride to another- and even one CM to another on the same ride- varies wildly. You may very well be required to unload the baby from the carrier.

 

[Mmw37]

Notation tangent alert: You're using DS1 and DS2 to indicate birth order. Usually people use numbers to indicate age, so these would be DS4 and DS1 (or maybe DS-9mo, if you wanted to be that specific).

Not that one approach is right and the other wrong, or that no one else uses birth order for the numbers. This is just to be aware of the difference, to avoid confusion.

Haha, oh no! That's how we talk about our kids on a parenting forum that I'm on - it's always birth order. I'll try to switch on here, that is confusing.

 

[Mmw37]

Don't count on wearing your baby. The experience from one ride to another- and even one CM to another on the same ride- varies wildly. You may very well be required to unload the baby from the carrier.

Thanks for that as well, it was another question that I had. I saw people wearing on rides on our last trip, but only had DS4 (did it right - although he was DS2 at the time) up for parades and sometimes in line. NBD if I have to take the baby out occasionally, just annoying if he's sleeping. Airlines are that way too, it totally depends on your flight attendant.

 

[Mikie]

I didn't realize that keeping baby in a carrier was sometimes not allowed. I wore my son when he was 4.5 months and definitely never was told to remove him, although maybe I only rode very easy rides (Omani-movers, easy to get in/out). Hope you'r never asked to remove a sleeping child!

 

[Oneanne]

As some have stated, some of it depends on the kid... my thrill seeking nephew didn't like things that jumped out at him but was game for just about everyhting else. And when people ask me "Is there anything you don't like at Disney?" Dinosaur is always my answer.

 

[Baklava]

I didn't realize that keeping baby in a carrier was sometimes not allowed. I wore my son when he was 4.5 months and definitely never was told to remove him, although maybe I only rode very easy rides (Omani-movers, easy to get in/out). Hope you'r never asked to remove a sleeping child!

In DL I rode many rides with no problem at all and then for TSMM the CM made me unload the baby. She'd have been WAY safer strapped in. I spent the entire ride clinging to her as the car spun and not playing at all because it felt so unsafe. Other mothers have had the same experience with babies facing both in and out. Still others have been allowed to leave the baby loaded in both positions. It's a little frustrating not to know what to expect.

 

[Dis703]

Ironically, the only ride my kids have been scared on so far was Peter Pan. And that was only one child. He freaked out (on his second trip at age 3, when he saw the crocodile). It really depends on the kid, but I also spend time telling them what to expect so they won't get freaked out by anything. In the HM I laugh about the ghosts and compare it to the ghosts at Hogwarts. In the great Movie ride I act like the alien is silly. We even watch youtube videos of the rides before our trip. It seems to always work for them.