DD scared of everything!

[amyjo920]

We are going to WDW in September. DD16 has been, but the rest of us (me, DH, DS13, and DD8) have never been. We were looking at rides, etc., the other day and the youngest keeps telling me all the rides that she isn't going to go on. She already said no to the Haunted Mansion, Splash Mountain, and is really iffy about Soarin'. I won't force her at all, but I wish I could convince her to try at least some of it. I don't expect the big coasters at all. I can't ride them because of my migraines anyway. I just don't want to pay for this vacation for her to be miserable because there is nothing she feels comfortable on. Any suggestions?

 

[HermanTriplets+1]

It will be fine - really! My DS13 is also a more cautious type. On the first day she wouldn't do any of the big rides. So she and I went on the non-thrill stuff while DH and the others did the "mountains". She loved riding the Walt Disney World Railroad, for instance, which is right by THunder Mountain and Splash Mountain! Let her get used to things as she wants to - there is so much to do non-thrill that it won't be a waste at all. BTW my DS13 did Splash Mountain and Space Mountain on the last day!!! She just needed to adjust to the concept slowly...

 

[ML_LovesDisney]

My DD is 4.5 and also that cautious personality, scared of a lot of stuff. BUT at Disney? That was all gone. Granted, she had a little friend to ride with because our friends were there at the same time, but even when she was just with me and DH, we just held onto her really tight and she ended up loving it (Big Thunder Mountain)

 

[treehugnmama]

I have a very sensitive 6 year old. I found out it was the noise of the loud rides she didn't like. It hurts her ears so we bought her ear phones now she rides a lot more. Even if you youngest won't ride the bigger stuff there is stilltons to do

 

[jj1403]

My DD6 is the same way. I told her that she had to try something first before she decided she didn't like it.

She went on Splash Mountain but hated every minute of it...at the end she was glad she did it but then said once was enough.

Same thing with the haunted Mansion..hates it but I've still convienced her to go on it even though she hate parts of it. I think it's the begining part with the portraits that freak her out.

Anyway, she was terrifed to go on Soarin' but it's her favorite ride now. So she is glad that she tried it.

 

[kitsch4]

Have you tried letting her watch videos of the rides/attractions on YouTube? I've done that with my son just to let him get an idea of what to expect. He tends to be more cautious as well. He did NOT want to see Fantasmic because he thought it would be scary, so we watched it on YouTube and let him decide if he wanted to try it.

 

[frkymcky]

My DD last year was scared of practically everything. She was scared of Spaceship Earth, IASW, Carousel....I mean everything. We had to change our expectations of the trip. She LOVED Epcot....she loved all the hands on things and LOVED Living with the Land.

Good luck, lots of deep breaths!!! lol

 

[Andeevan]

My DD8 says the same thing about our trip coming up in June. I have gotten her to say she'll try Big Thunder Mountain, and I'm hoping once she does that she'll get brave enough to try other things. Otherwise we'll just try to enjoy the shows and getting autographs and the things she does want to do.

 

[polkadotsuitcase]

Have you tried letting her watch videos of the rides/attractions on YouTube?

This worked wonders for my nervous son. It really helped eliminate a lot of the "unknown" factors. Good luck!

 

[CruiseBoundnKY]

I feel your pain. My ds was almost 7 on our last trip and drove me over the edge by being scared of rides. To tell you the truth, I never stopped and realized how scary almost all the rides are to a child. Rides are either loud or dark or things happen when you don't expect them to and that sends your kid into a breakdown.

We walked into Soarin and walked right out. By that time, after standing in the line and not being able to ride with my family I was almost in tears. He finally got that mommy was really sad and agreed to ride it. After he did, we had to ride it again and again.

The same thing happened on test track. It took everyone riding without us once and then he rode every time after that.

Try watching you-tubes of the rides. Offer a reward system for being a "big girl".

Good luck!!!

 

[bumbershoot]

I just don't want to pay for this vacation for her to be miserable because there is nothing she feels comfortable on.

Even if she doesn't change her mind, that doesn't mean she'll be miserable. There's plenty to do, see, and experience without going on the rides that can frighten a person. You won't be going on some rides anyway, and I"m sure you aren't miserable while waiting, so just make sure she isn't just sitting there (unless she wants to) while the others are on the ride, and she'll be fine. Maybe not in the way you want, but I'm sure it will work out.

 

[SmallWorld71]

We are going to WDW in September. DD16 has been, but the rest of us (me, DH, DS13, and DD8) have never been. We were looking at rides, etc., the other day and the youngest keeps telling me all the rides that she isn't going to go on. She already said no to the Haunted Mansion, Splash Mountain, and is really iffy about Soarin'. I won't force her at all, but I wish I could convince her to try at least some of it. I don't expect the big coasters at all. I can't ride them because of my migraines anyway. I just don't want to pay for this vacation for her to be miserable because there is nothing she feels comfortable on. Any suggestions?

You may find that she warms up to the idea of the rides as the week goes on. It is impossible for a kid who has never been (and adults too!) to really visualize what WDW is really like if they have never been.

My brother and his family just got back from their first trip to WDW. My Nephew(11) has sensory issues and had said that he wasn't going to ride anything remotely scary or fast. (Including those you mentioned and much more.) Well, the first couple of days he didn't. He rode mostly the kiddie type rides and saw shows. By the third day, he began to get braver and by the end of the week he had ridden: Soarin, Test Track, Mission Space, HM, Splash and BTMRR.

Simarlarly, when we were there in Feb., DD7 who has been several times and has ridden most of the thrill rides, wasn't sure if she was going to ride Space Mountain. We grabbed FP's and tucked them away. By the end of the day, she was ready to ride.

You may be surprised at how much your daughter is willing to try once she is there and has become absorbed in the magic.
And, even if she doesn't, there is still plenty to do and have fun with. In fact, you could have a blast at WDW without ever going on a single ride!

 

[busyshrew]

Even if she doesn't change her mind, that doesn't mean she'll be miserable. There's plenty to do, see, and experience without going on the rides that can frighten a person. You won't be going on some rides anyway, and I"m sure you aren't miserable while waiting, so just make sure she isn't just sitting there (unless she wants to) while the others are on the ride, and she'll be fine. Maybe not in the way you want, but I'm sure it will work out.

I absolutely agree with this.

My DD6 is a completely scaredy-cat. She can't stand ANY tension or "drama", whether it's on TV, on a ride, anywhere. Finding Nemo freaked her out. She won't even attempt to watch Snow White. We had to put Cinderella on fast forward over the scary parts (remember the cat-chasing-mice scenes?) for almost FOUR MONTHS before she would consent to watch those parts at regular speed.

But at WDW - there is SO MUCH to do, your daughter will be so busy! I have been twice, and I have never ridden ANY of the big roller coaster. Ever. DH leaves me with DD and goes and rides them (sometimes twice or three times) while we are exploring around or doing quieter rides. It works out very very well. You and your daughter will love every minute.

 

[tinx35124]

We were there when DS was 8 also. He wasn't sure about riding. I would let him wait at the end of the attraction in gift shop etc. He finally gave in as well and tried Space Mtn. of all things first and liked it. I was OK with him waiting he is a mature child. He understood that we wanted to ride and it was OK for him to choose.

 

[MAKHayes-DisneyDiva]

We were fortunate to be at AK during the soft opening of EE, 4 years ago. Or maybe we were unfortunate? We had never been to WDW, so we were careful to read everything we could find about appropriate attractions for a 6 year old. We hadn't read anything about EE (I don't think much had been written yet) and it looked like it was just a run-away-train type ride. We tried it. Big mistake! To this day, DS (now 10) won't ride a coaster. Was it because he rode EE before he was ready? I'm not sure. I'm a coaster junkie, so it amazes me that he won't ride my favorites with me. Still, I never urge or push him.
In his defense, he has been on every water slide at TL and BB, and loved every one of them.

 

[cydswipe]

... our 2 girls (9 and 6) have different personalities. DD9 tends to be spooked easily.

Our 1st day (Epcot) 1st ride at WDW for them, Test Track. From DH and my previous trips, I knew I HATED the semi on Test Track. I sat with DD and told her when to close her eyes. She had trust in me that I'd let her know if I thought it was to much for her. They both LOVED it!

Next ride, Soarin... there is time when you enter and get strapped in, to point out how the "ride" actually works... We told DD, if you don't like it, close your eyes and you will feel some moving, but you're not far from the floor... just perception that you are.

Haunted Mansion... she HATED HATED HATED it... all because of the preshow. She kept her head in her dad's chest the whole ride.

I was surprised and felt stupid for not thinking of this earlier... she also HATED it's tough to be a bug at AK. She was bawling when it was over. The little effects, most of us love, she couldn't handle.

Space Mountain was closed while we were there. We didn't even try Expedition Everest or Dinosaur at AK.

We did barnstormer coaster first... she thought it was "stupid" babyish.. surprise, surprise. She was nervouse at Big Thunder Mountain, but we assured her I or DH would keep our arm around her.... that and Splash MTN were the girls' favorites!!!

Like I mentioned before, the shows got to her too. You may want to know what's going to happen (lots and lots of 3 D) during the shows. DD9, not so much a fan of that. Who knew?

have fun and GOOD LUCK@!@

 

[amyjo920]

Thank you all so much! I was terrified she would end up bored!

 

[squirrel]

My niece (almost 6 last trip) is a ride chicken.

She was scared in 2008 when I tried taking her on Winnie the Pooh. We left the line, made a trip to the bathroom and I tried to convince her she would love it. We rode tea cups and then she tried Winnie the Pooh-guess what it's her favorite ride.

Last year I took her on Carousel of Progress-she kept asking in the short line, what is this ride, I have to go pee, I don't want to go on this. Finally, get her inside and she sits through the attraction and wants to go on it again.

She did the same thing on Jungle Cruise-wouldn't go on it at night when we met up with some other DisBoard members and their kids. I did get her to ride it on our last day at MK. She liked it-wasn't a favorite.

She doesn't like the 3D movies at Disney either. I thought this last year she would be okay for Mickey PhilharMagic as she watched a few more 3D movies at home since the trip before. She didn't complain while in the line and had seen it the year before. Shortly after it started she got scared. I told her to take the glasses off and not watch it as we couldn't leave as we were in the middle section with lots of people on either end.

Soarn' is another one she doesn't like. She rode that twice once at DL and then at WDW in 2008. Last year I took her and as soon as we entered the room to get into the seats, she freaked out. We left-I should have asked for a fast pass or rider swap ticket as my neighbour would have watched her so I could ride. We somehow lost them when we went on a bathroom break.