Children on TOT

[BeaniesMom]

We are planning for and Oct trip... at that time my dd will be 4 years and 8 months... so closet to 5. She is tall, 45in and has expressed interest in TOT before. She has not been on it and I really dont think she "gets" what happens on the ride, but if she wants to go, should I take her... or would this really be a bad idea?

 

[pumpkin5156]

When my sis and I were on TOT last week, we were waiting to board the elevator w/ a family with a 5 yo girl. She was just asking questions about what happens on the ride and the mom was just reassuring her the whole time. They sat in front of us and the little girl didn't make a peep the whole ride! She was fine! Our picture shows her just kind of staring blankly ahead while the mom clung to her.

 

[bumbershoot]

DS, who turns 4 in late May during our next family Disney trip, was talking about TOT the other day. He described it as the ride "where you scream". He hasn't been on it, but has been outside of it! If he wants to go on this trip, I'll take him. But I'll also leave the line with him, if the room with the TV freaks him out. Or maybe I'll let DH leave with him this time (I got to take the exit from Haunted Mansion Holiday before, LOL).

For you, I'd probably try to describe it a bit more for her. Each time he brings it up we try to talk about how it goes way up high, a window opens and you can see "the world" as he says (I think he's also seen a Disney show that shows the ride), then it goes down down down really fast, then up up up, then down again, over and over. "And you scream?" he always says. "Yes, and I laugh, too", I always say.

 

[NicoleDisneyFan]

I told my DH to sit with my DD "5" in the back row for the first time. We told my DD that it was a elevator that will take you up and tell a make believe story and that the ride will go down and make your tummy feel funny so be ready. She didnt eat before the ride just in case. I told her that she didnt have to go on but just try it and you dont have to go on again if you dont like it. If your dd has been on fast spinning rides or smaller roller coasters or other type of thrill rides then she should be fine. If there is no medical reason not to go on then the worst that can happen is to get sick or scared but I think she would do fine. At their age, they like it...its more harder for us parents

 

[bouncy54]

TOT was the one ride that I thought my 5yo grandson would be terrified of, but as you can see from the picture below, it didn't phase him at all. In fact, TOT turned out to be his favorite attraction. It was also my other grandson's fave at WDW when he was 5. They both still talk about how much fun it was.

 

[S. S. Columbia]

... at that time my dd will be 4 years and 8 months...

My DD5 was 4 years and 8 months when she rode ToT. She didn't have any difficulties or problems while riding ToT, so based on my experience it doesn't seem to be a "bad idea."

But a couple of months later she told me that she doesn't want to ride ToT on her next visit. At the time, it didn't seem to scare her. (The only other ride that she doesn't want to go on next time is Haunted Mansion.) Based on my daughter's experience, it may not be a "bad idea," but it may not be a "great idea" either.

 

[BecBennett]

I took DBF25 on the ride yesturday, it was the first time for both of us. He told me that he's never going on it again, he was scared sh*tless I loved it though!

 

[LoveDopey]

DD (15) and I went on it last Wednesday. Let's just say that was at about 4:00 and we left the park after that ride. WE ABSOLUTELY HATED IT!!! All night I kept feeling like I was dropping. You couldn't pay me to go on it ever again.

 

[grumpyvet]

My Dd has always been tall so has ridden a lot of rides early. (at three did a upside down loop rollar coaster at Hershey Park), so no big surprize that she LOVED ToT. First ride she said that it was REALLY scary...can we ride it again?

Rode it three times in a row!!! Now it is a "must do" every trip. At 4 I had to hold her tight in the TV room...dark scary!!

So, depends on the kiddo. Mine likes it!!

 

[noryglory]

My 5 yo son at the time of the ride (he's almost 8) had to be drug on the ride another two times since my husband I loved it so much. He was a player and went along with it but was in all honesty terrified of what he called the "toilet zone" part--he didn't care for the creepy hotel, boiler room or the ghosts. He liked the "ride" part after all that. So I think he sort of zoned out and kept his eyes shut and stayed as distracted as possible throughout all the other parts.

Just depends on the kid, obviously!! You can always bail out any time BEFORE you get on the actual ride portion. I'd give it a try, it might be a favorite!

 

[CrAzY4DL]

I took my 47 month old daughter on it last April (easier to say months than ALMOST 4 year old! LOL) and she doesn't want to ride it again. She didn't cry, but the voice that talks to you right before the drop scared the bejeebers out of her. Was tooooo loud, she said. Go figure!!!

We're in the front left row, I'm in the green shirt and she is next to me:

[/IMG]

 

[Dopey's MIL]

My little girl of 4 loved it...but then again if it was dark, fast and wet she loved it all!

 

[Mrs. Bee]

I think it really just depends on what you think YOUR child can handle. I'm sure some 5 year olds love it. But I am also positive that there are many MANY 5 year olds that absolutely hate it. Obviously it's your decision what you choose to do with your children. If they reach the height requirement and have no medical conditions that would be a problem...then technically you can take the on the ride. But if you're questioning it...I think that's a fairly good indicator that it might not be the right time to try out the ToT. It will always be there on future trips.

And I, personally, would never drag my child on a ride just because I want to ride it. It really makes my blood boil when I see parents doing that. So just please...don't be one of those parents.

 

[tkitty]

Yea, thats a tough call. My grandson is 6, and I've been talking about the rides he hasn't done yet, like ToT and SM, to see if he'll go on with me this trip. He's very hesitent about rides (gets it from his mom ) He was at DL at 4yrs and WDW at 5 yrs, but he gets worried about the rides if he thinks they are scarry, fast or drop.
Now , if ToT had a dinosaur on it, he'd be there!

I don't know if Utube has any video from ToT, But for some of the rides, they do, and my grandson watched SM on there,and thinks he'll try it this time.

I told him grandma needs someone to ride the rides with, 'cause mom will be staying off some rides with his sis -15mos.

 

[Mrs. Bee]

Yea, thats a tough call. My grandson is 6, and I've been talking about the rides he hasn't done yet, like ToT and SM, to see if he'll go on with me this trip. He's very hesitent about rides (gets it from his mom ) He was at DL at 4yrs and WDW at 5 yrs, but he gets worried about the rides if he thinks they are scarry, fast or drop.
Now , if ToT had a dinosaur on it, he'd be there!

I don't know if Utube has any video from ToT, But for some of the rides, they do, and my grandson watched SM on there,and thinks he'll try it this time.

I told him grandma needs someone to ride the rides with, 'cause mom will be staying off some rides with his sis -15mos.

Did he go on Dinosaur at Animal Kingdom? That ride seems to scare the bejeebus out of kids!

 

[JenDisneylandlver]

My son is 9 and still hasn't rode it. He just hasn't wanted to, and I'm leaving it up to him. He rode Screamin for the first time last year, and loved it. So maybe this year he'll do TOT.

 

[Kimberlina]

I took my 4yo DD on it last week. She loved it and wanted to go on again, but after we did, she said she did not want to ride it anymore. So even kids that seem to like it may change their minds. She didn't think the theming was too scary or anything like that, but she didn't like the feeling of lifting up off her seat.

I'd agree that it really, REALLY depends on the child. You should talk to your child some more, think about past experiences, and then decide.

And you just never know. DD loved, loved, LOVED the HM when we were there last week, and insisted we go on it over and over. She even insisted on listening to Grim Grinning Ghosts on my MP3 player several times on the plane ride home last night. As soon as we got home, though, she decided she was scared of everything because a ghost might pop out at her.