Best strategy with one kids refusing to ride most rides?

isabellea

Combining beach and Disney!
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Jan 22, 2014
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Hello! How does it work if one of our kid doesn't want to ride but everyone else want to (she will be 9 when we visit and will probably be tall enough for most rides)? We will all have the Express Pass and ideally, I wouldn't want to leave her waiting alone.

Thank you for your help!
 
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Universal has a really good ride swap. Everyone goes through the queue together. Then one adult waits with the non-riding kid while the others ride. Then when that ride is done, the adult waiting with the child gets to ride (typically allowing one of the people who rode first to ride again with that person).
 
Universal has a really good ride swap. Everyone goes through the queue together. Then one adult waits with the non-riding kid while the others ride. Then when that ride is done, the adult waiting with the child gets to ride (typically allowing one of the people who rode first to ride again with that person).

No age restriction like WDW and my oldest might be allowed to ride twice without going thru the EP line again? That would be awesome! Thanks!
 
One year when I took my kids on mom and me trips and left the other kids home with dad, I paid the son $5 to do rides as I did not feel easy about leaving him alone
 

No age restriction like WDW and my oldest might be allowed to ride twice without going thru the EP line again? That would be awesome! Thanks!

I say "typically" allowing one of the party to ride again because I don't believe it's part of the "official" policy, but many people say they allow it all the time.

Here is their official page about it.

https://www.universalorlando.com/web/en/us/plan-your-visit/hours-information/childcare-services
  • If your children are too small or unwilling to go on a particular ride that you want to experience, take advantage of our "child swap" program. Each ride and attraction has a family room where one member of your party can wait with the little ones while the rest of your party rides. Once they are finished, switch places so whoever rode can stay with the kids, and the adult(s) who sat out can enjoy the ride.
 
One year when I took my kids on mom and me trips and left the other kids home with dad, I paid the son $5 to do rides as I did not feel easy about leaving him alone

I would have to offer 100$ per ride for her to agree! lol. I don't expect that happening too often since I'm not a huge rollercoaster fan but I really want to try all the Harry Potter rides even if I freak out.
 
I say "typically" allowing one of the party to ride again because I don't believe it's part of the "official" policy, but many people say they allow it all the time.

Here is their official page about it.

https://www.universalorlando.com/web/en/us/plan-your-visit/hours-information/childcare-services
  • If your children are too small or unwilling to go on a particular ride that you want to experience, take advantage of our "child swap" program. Each ride and attraction has a family room where one member of your party can wait with the little ones while the rest of your party rides. Once they are finished, switch places so whoever rode can stay with the kids, and the adult(s) who sat out can enjoy the ride.

I'll keep that in mind and prepare my oldest that it might not happen.
 
Hello! How does it work if one of our kid doesn't want to ride but everyone else want to (she will be 9 when we visit and will probably be tall enough for most rides)? We will all have the Express Pass and ideally, I wouldn't want to leave her waiting alone.

Thank you for your help!

When we went my youngest was 9 and scared to death of roller coasters. She did all the virtual rides, The Mummy, everything that was indoors just fine. She even rode Forbidden Journey just fine because she couldn't see it, didn't know what to expect, just assumed it would be like the other VR rides, and we didn't tell her any different :rolleyes1 She LOVED it! Once she rode it then saw Flight of the Hippogriff, it's small and she's feeling brave at this point, so she rode that. And she LOVED it! I told her that how ALL roller coasters are...none of them last very long, some are a little higher, lower, faster, slower, but pretty much all the same. And that's how we created a monster. She will ride everything and regrets waiting until our last day to start riding roller coasters. Now her only stress is if she'll be able to pick a song fast enough on Rip Ride Rockit. However, if you have to, the Universal Rider Swap is awesome...you'll go through the entire line together before anyone goes to a waiting area, which always looked nice and entertaining for being a waiting area.
 
One year when I took my kids on mom and me trips and left the other kids home with dad, I paid the son $5 to do rides as I did not feel easy about leaving him alone
You got off lightly. On one of our early trips my son announced that he was scared of rollercoasters. In all fairness he had bumped his chin when smaller on Big Thunder in DLP. I resorted to bribery and he negotiated me up from $50 to a pair of red David Beckham football boots, which I think were maybe 3 or more times that. Only one bribe though, not per ride. The ride was Mantis at Seaworld I believe, and I knew that if he could overcome a fear of that, everything else would be easy. He loved the ride and has never shown any fear since. My daughter believes that I was ‘played’. 😂
 
You got off lightly. On one of our early trips my son announced that he was scared of rollercoasters. In all fairness he had bumped his chin when smaller on Big Thunder in DLP. I resorted to bribery and he negotiated me up from $50 to a pair of red David Beckham football boots, which I think were maybe 3 or more times that. Only one bribe though, not per ride. The ride was Mantis at Seaworld I believe, and I knew that if he could overcome a fear of that, everything else would be easy. He loved the ride and has never shown any fear since. My daughter believes that I was ‘played’. 😂
They take a bit of getting used to; we have one in our area, and it's really high....
 
I think my daughter is traumatized from our last trip at WDW. We knew she wasn't a fan of rollercoasters since she's 3 or 4 yo (Goofy's, 7DMT, BTMR and later Space Mountain) but the last time we visited and tried Slinky dog at DHS, she simply told us she would NEVER go back on a rollercoaster. She was done! Being very stubborn, I know I won't be able to convince her for the HP rides and the fact she's not a fan of HP like her sister won't help. That's why I need a strategy so both my husband and I can do all the rides we want even if she refuses. She will be warned that if she doesn't ride, no complaining allowed because she has to wait for us.
 




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