Car-type ride for 3.5 DS?

[Sydnerella]

Hi,

My 3-1/2 yr old son is OBSESSED with the Test Track video on the WDW Site.. He thinks he can ride it, but he's 39inches and cannot. Not to mention I have heard the waits can be over 2hours?!?!?!

To take a meltdown down a few notches to mere disappointment is there a more age appropriate ride with cars that he can "drive" in one or more of the parks?

Thanks!

 

[all4fun]

MK has the Tomorrowland Speedway (click here) where parent and child can ride in a car and the parent can allow the child to "drive"it (you can let the child sit behind the wheel but still be in control of the car, which is on a sort of track and the vehicles do not move all that fast).

Not exactly what you're looking for but right before you get to Test Track they have a cooling station with a test track vehicle that is covered with "icicles" and there are misters all around - you may be able to distract your 3yr old playing in the water there, while others ride the ride. There is also a small concession stand right there where you can buy a treat or soft drink. Test Track has both Fast Pass and a single rider line, which I recommend using whichever method works best for you. Before our now 4yr old could ride, we usually did the single rider line if the Fast Pass was sold out or not at a time we wanted to do (it can "sell out" very early in the day so if you can get them early in the day, that is the best thing to do). Remember with FP that if you get one at 10am and it's already saying "return at 4pm" (for example) that you won't have to wait until 4pm to get a different FP but you WILL have to wait 2hrs to get an FP for another attraction in the park. just fyi. When that happens to us now, we usually just opt to come back at a different time and hope that the line isn't too long. Or we'll save it for another day, since we never go for less than a week and we will visit all the parks usually more than once per visit.

hth!

 

[3mickeymom]

This was my son's favorite ride. He was a little afraid of thrill rides so it was perfect for him. He took his driving so seriously, he wouldn't even wave to me, . He needed to keep his eyes on the road. he took it very seriously.

 

[bzzymom]

How much time before your trip. Definately take tennis shoes for him to wear and measure him there. I am not one to try to make my child taller for a ride by padding shoes or anything like that, but his normal athletic type shoe would be fine. Kids do grow pretty fast. DD just turned 4 and she grew 2 inches from what she was at age 3.

DS rode test track for the first time when he was 3.5. He was right at the line with his tennis shoes on. It was his favorite ride for a couple years. His number 2 ride was buzz lightyear spin at MK. He is 10 and still is really into it, trying to get more points than DH and I.

 

[_queenie_]

The speedway at MK as always been a favorite of my DS17's since he was a little guy.

By the way, a few weeks ago (3/2/07 to be exact) the wait for both Misson: Space and Test Track was only 10 minutes!

 

[Sydnerella]

Thanks everyone - we thought about seeing if he could get into TT but he was 39inches two weeks ago when he was sick (albeit barefoot) but he is also only 32lbs which is like the 7th percentile for his age, so my feeling is he's too small even if he's tall enough. And it might scare him like crazy - but who knows maybe he would LOVE it... I think we will find out next time though... I know the TL Speedway will be a good compromise - THANKS for the tips on that one. I missed it in my research!

 

[KibbyCat]

The Test Track ride is not scary at all...very mild (and somewhat boring for adults, who think it looks like a real test track from the commercials).

 

[angeleigh]

Hi,

My 3-1/2 yr old son is OBSESSED with the Test Track video on the WDW Site.. He thinks he can ride it, but he's 39inches and cannot. Not to mention I have heard the waits can be over 2hours?!?!?!

To take a meltdown down a few notches to mere disappointment is there a more age appropriate ride with cars that he can "drive" in one or more of the parks?

Thanks!

We had the same problem with our 3 yo ds last year. While the rest of us were riding my dh took him to get his drivers license and to sit in all of the cars. He really enjoyed that. We also took him to TomorrowLand Speed way to use his new drivers license.

 

[SmallWorld71]

FWIW - Just wanted to add that at the exit of Test Track there are a lot of really cool cars that the kids can sit in and pretend to drive. Definitely do the Speedway, but if you are at Epcot, these are a fun little diversion as well as a nice place to wait if others in your party want to ride.

 

[JacobsMommy11002]

I have to add that the tomorrow land speedway is the worlds slowest loading ride(not really, but it feels that way!) We usually make that our very first stop of the day and ride 3-4 times with no wait.

 

[chessie2008]

Also take into account that the 2nd half of the wait for the Speedway is in the sun. Very Hot!

 

[Fellowship9798]

My son at 33 months was tall enough to ride and he loved it. It was his favorite ride in all of WDW and 4 months later he still talks about it as something he wants to go back and take his other friends to see.

He was about 39.5" in bare feet, but with shoes he easily made all the 40" height requirements. He's very skinny, but he was desperate to "ride a roller coaster and scream AAAHHHH!" so we figured if he was tall enough and really wanted to try we would take it one step at a time. Started with the Barnstormer kiddie coaster (no problem), then Test Track (loved it), then Kali River Rapids (crazy giggling), then Big Thunder (fun), then Splash Mountain (rode it three times in a row). After everyone he left asking for more. I guess we're lucky.

Anyway, you know your child best, but if they're tall enough with shoes and desperate to go on it, don't rule it out. Test Track is pretty harmless, just somewhat bumpy and with a burst of speed at the end. I'm far more cautious about taking him on the Haunted Mansion, Tower of Terror, or other more atmospheric things that could lead to worries of monsters in the closet, ghosts in the house, etc..

 

[Sydnerella]

Thanks, that's all SO helpful - since we have 10days, we can play it by "ear"

I LOVE the driver's License and so with my son!!! Great Info everyone

does anyone else love this banana as much as I do - he's so funny! LOL

 

[justhat]

Thanks everyone - we thought about seeing if he could get into TT but he was 39inches two weeks ago when he was sick (albeit barefoot) but he is also only 32lbs which is like the 7th percentile for his age, so my feeling is he's too small even if he's tall enough. And it might scare him like crazy - but who knows maybe he would LOVE it... I think we will find out next time though... I know the TL Speedway will be a good compromise - THANKS for the tips on that one. I missed it in my research!

My daughter was almost 3.5yo on our last trip, and 40 inches and 33 lbs. She rode Test Track 2 or 3 times and liked it. She was mildly afraid of that dark part where the truck looks like it will crash into you, but other than that she was fine. Maybe he'll grow a smidgen and be tall enough to ride for the trip.