Diary of a Mad 5 year old

[kaysmom2002]

Well, I think this will be the title for my scrapbook for our trip this past weekend. She turned into a scaredy cat and totally flipped out on us.

Advice to parents of small ones: It's Tough to be a Bug--heed the warnings. We had 2 5 yr olds and they ran out screaming within the first minute. It's pretty intense!! Watch out. It almost ruined the rest of our trip.

She wouldn't go see any shows and by Wednesday she wouldn't get out of the stroller. We got there on Saturday. I think she still had fun and we have a ton of pictures for her to look at later.

Just advice: *Best laid plans don't always work. *No matter how many times your kiddo tells you s/he will ride all these rides, s/he probably won't!! *Characters are scarier in person. ESPECIALLY the villians! I was thoroughly amazed at how evil the villians looked. They were everywhere too. That was bad for us. *The noise level is elevated and kids will get scared easier. *Detox days at the resort are a GODSEND!! If you have time, use one day to just veg and let the kids detox. We spent one at the resort sleeping in, eating late, and swimming, and taking a 4 hour nap. *Use the photopass when available. It's great!! **Ask for the Tinkerbell magical picture on the photopass. It's worth paying the price for the CD just for that picture.

If anyone wants any other information or any other advice, just ask. We just went and all the details are fresh!!

 

[CastleCreations]

There should be a warning about that show. We went when they first opened and it wasn't nearly as scary. We just went in March, and boy did it change. I was even scared. Especially when that poking in the back started. Yikes!!
I agree with you. I traveled with my girlfriend and her 2 kids. Her youngest usually well behaved, totally pushed me over the edge by the ends of the visit. It actually ruined my vacation. Sadly, until her little one gets out of the terribe two stage, we won't be traveling together again.
Lisa

 

[WantToGoNow]

We went in November with my ds5 and my dd2. We went to Animal Kingdom the first day - saw Festival of the Lion King first then went to Tough To Be A Bug. BIG MISTAKE. We left that theatre carrying (yes, carrying his 50 lb. butt) two screaming/hysterical children. My son was so afraid that he wanted to go home -- not the hotel, but home (we had just finished the 16+ hour drive about 3 hours earlier). He was terrified of any indoor theatre after that - I had to leave out of Little Mermaid and Muppets because he was crying so loud others couldn't hear the preshow -- I knew if I got him in there, he would be fine. We also had to exit out of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad -- after we were already seated. He did see Mickey's Philharmagic but wouldn't put the glasses on. He was not sure of outdoor theatres either and I had to coax him up 3 flights of stairs (him crying of course and me getting the dirty looks) to see Lights Motors Action -- I knew he would love it -- and he did after it started. He cried so hard during the line to the Pooh ridge that a CM gave him a flashlight to use during the ride. When he came out crying, my dd2 was given a princess crown and our entire group was taken over to the front of the line at Dumbo.

I will never, ever again take him into anything that could even remotely scare him -- especially on the first day of a 9 day vacation. There are warnings that it could be frightening -- but there should be more, make you believe, warnings that it will scare your children. Did he have fun as Disney -- absolutely. But I had to remember not to get upset with him when I had to stay out of a ride/show when the rest of the family was enjoying it. While the family saw Muppets, we got Buzz and Woody's autographs -- his smile made it worth it to not see Muppets.

 

[MomtoGKC]

I was afraid this would happen with my kids. My oldest is usually the more wimpy of the two girls but she was OK. She started out easy and then worked her way up to Peter Pan and Soarin'. She even wanted to do Splash Mt. but we waited until nighttime and then it was way too cold. She didn't do Snow White and we never even attempted AK - just not enough stuff for my kids I was afraid.

My 4 year old surprised me by being so nervous about everything. She was really nervous about things being loud and dark. Well, it's pretty impossible to skip loud and dark at Disney! The first trip she was kind of a mess. It started out the night of her birthday. I had booked a pontoon boat cruise to watch the fireworks at MK. We had the boat decorated, ordered a cake and had our best friends with us. What could be better? Well - while we waited for our friends ont he dock at the CR Captain Hook - all 7 feet of him - walked down to the dock. I thought she might collapse right there. She went running and screaming behind a trash can and when i got to her she was shaking like a leaf. It was horrible! He left but she didn't get over it. She didn't care about the boat she just wanted to go home. When we were on the boat she wouldn't let anyone eat the cake because she was still afraid Hook was out on the lake somewhere. She ended up falling asleep in my lap before the fireworks even strated.

Then the next day she was already on edge. I almost convinced her to go on Nemo - I'm so glad she said no! I did convince her to go on Journey Into Imagination because I remembered it being one of my favorites when I was younger. She hated it and was miserable for a while after that!

Our second trip we knew more of what to expect from her so we planned around it. She had much more fun, but when she got tired she still got antsy. Like one afternoon where she absolutely refused to go into Country Bear Jamboree! No matter how much I told her it was just stuffed animals singing she was sure she woudl be scared. Oh well - there will always be another trip!

 

[pigletof4]

We had the same problem in Feb. with my son who is almost 6. The first thing we did was it's Tough to Be a Bug. When people ask what he did in Disney, he tells them that he rode the park benches because he wouldn't ride the rides. Now my 7 year old loved everything so I'm hoping when we go next Feb., he will enjoy it a little more.

 

[Olallamom]

So funny that you bring this up. My DH and I have taken the family to DL and WDW many times and our kids HATE It's tough to be a bug. I thought they were being babyish about it until I had the oppertunity to go to the show without kids. Let me tell you that the whole theater was full of scared children screaming. The show is pretty intense for young kids unless you have a child that just loves bugs. We will avoid it on future trips unless the kids beg to go.

 

[kinntj]

It's so good to know to skip that one next year when we go. We hope to be flexible on our vacation when the kids don't like something. It's hard though as an adult when your hopes go down as kids reject things you like or want to see. Oh well, it's a part of parenting we all have to face.

I hope you enjoy trips to come when they are old enough to know that some of these things aren't as scary as they seem.

 

[Malbet86]

It is amazing how some rides are not made for children in a theme park that was made for children... heres an article that I found that might help the next time that you need to travel with young children on orlandovacation.com. They have a whole section under their walt disney world section about traveling with children, i hope it helps good luck!

 

[jessica52877]

My son didn't care for It Tough to be a Bug either, he was 3 1/2 and LOVED everything else. Cries when he isn't tall enough for rollercoasters. He also loves the characters, always has. I think it has alot to do with a kids personality as far as the characters go. For It's Tough to be Bug, he had actually been several times before last trip and no issues. This time we put the 3D glasses on him and I think that did it. I see tons of kids laughing and enjoying it though, don't remember too many actually getting up and leaving.

 

[Toeknail]

Last year we arrived at WDW late our first night. Even though it was late, we decided to head over to MK for a little while. We got there, walked through the castle, and went on the first ride we saw, assuming it was fun for kids. We were right next to the Snow White ride and thought because our DD4 loved Snow White, she would love the ride. What a mistake! It was not until after the ride did we see it was called "Snow White's Scary Adventure." By then, our DD4 was already freaked out. That ride is dark dark dark, and the scary witch is everywhere. We spent much of the rest of the week trying to recover from that ride. She eventually got comfortable with the Peter Pan and Pooh rides. She reluctantly agreed to go to the Philharmagic show but we made sure she did not wear the glasses. Fortunately we had learned from disboards ahead of tiume to skip It's a Bugs Life and Stitch's Great Escape.

 

[las3888]

I got the same report from my sister whose 5 yr old niece was terrified of 'Tough to be a Bug'...We will avoid it until we are sure our DS REALLY can handle it!!!

 

[princesskimberella]

We went in knowing that ITTBB would be kinda scary and I told my girls they did not have to look.... Well everything was going ok , my youngest was getting a littel scared so i stood up to exit when the CM told me I would have to sit NOW.... Well littel did I know I was standing right under Hopper as he pops out of the frigggin wall. The rest goes down in history as the ride were all 3 kids left in tears and pretty much sent mom into a panic attack..

 

[CampbellScot]

It's Tough to be a Bug scared ME! I'm not taking my step kids to see that one b/c it is pretty freaky.

I know I may get flamed for being "mean" here but we had issues with my stepdaughter and her "fear" of rides. She decided after going on a ride with a friend and her friend's mom (who was pregnant and got queasy) at Sesame Place, that rides make her "sick". She cried and carried on the rest of the trip she was on and She got all sorts of special attention and "Poor baby" and all that. So, she declared to us that she would not be going on anything that might be scary or make her sick when we go to Disneyworld. Her dad and I sat her down and told her that #1:Her daddy and I would not ever take her to a place that was too much for her to handle. To suggest that we would is disrespectful. #2:This vacation is NOT all about her and what SHE likes and dislikes and what she will or will not do. If she is going to be dramatic and pouty and ruin everyone else's good time, then she would be staying home. Period. When she realized that drama would get nothing positive, the "fear" oddly vanished. She had a fabulous time. She went on every ride and yes, she was a little nervous for rides like Thunder Mountain, but we were with her and reminded her that we wouldn't ask her to do something she could not handle. It ended up being her favorite ride of the trip.

She wouldn't do anything new if we didn't insist that she try. She always enjoys things once she gets one time under her belt. She's not the adult, she's not in charge, we are. It's not up to her to dictate what she will or will not do.

this was just our experience with the "fear factor" and how we dealt with it. Take from it what you will!

 

[bibbity bobbity boo]

THANK YOU sooooo much or posting this. We will definetely be avoiding this with our 4 year old dd!!!

 

[la79al]

Anyone know if this ride has gotten scarier since 06? DSD is in love with it but I want to warn her if I have to.

 

[kaysmom2002]

It's Tough to be a Bug scared ME! I'm not taking my step kids to see that one b/c it is pretty freaky.

I know I may get flamed for being "mean" here but we had issues with my stepdaughter and her "fear" of rides. She decided after going on a ride with a friend and her friend's mom (who was pregnant and got queasy) at Sesame Place, that rides make her "sick". She cried and carried on the rest of the trip she was on and She got all sorts of special attention and "Poor baby" and all that. So, she declared to us that she would not be going on anything that might be scary or make her sick when we go to Disneyworld. Her dad and I sat her down and told her that #1:Her daddy and I would not ever take her to a place that was too much for her to handle. To suggest that we would is disrespectful. #2:This vacation is NOT all about her and what SHE likes and dislikes and what she will or will not do. If she is going to be dramatic and pouty and ruin everyone else's good time, then she would be staying home. Period. When she realized that drama would get nothing positive, the "fear" oddly vanished. She had a fabulous time. She went on every ride and yes, she was a little nervous for rides like Thunder Mountain, but we were with her and reminded her that we wouldn't ask her to do something she could not handle. It ended up being her favorite ride of the trip.

She wouldn't do anything new if we didn't insist that she try. She always enjoys things once she gets one time under her belt. She's not the adult, she's not in charge, we are. It's not up to her to dictate what she will or will not do.

this was just our experience with the "fear factor" and how we dealt with it. Take from it what you will!

I don't think you're mean at all. We told our daughter the same thing. Mom and Dad would never put her in harm or make her stay in a scary place. She was just so dramatic though. She threw a huge fit in Muppets at MGM. DH told her that if he had to take her out for screaming she would get a swat. He asked her if that's what she wanted. She whimpered "yes, I just don't want you to be frustrated at me" WHAT??? You'd rather get a spanking than sit in a muppet show. What 5 yr old says that!

This trip was definitely an adventure.

 

[WDWorBUST]

Every child is different and every trip with the same child is different. My 3 1/2 year old has been 5 times so far with the first trip being at 13 months...she has not been afraid of anything yet and we have done ITTBAB, HM, SnowWhite, PeterPan etc and all different ages. I'm hoping it stays that way. On HM I just reminded her it's not real and we can just laugh at the ghosts and say "Ha, ha, ha ha - you don't scare me" that it's all in fun and pretend. She did tell the ghosts they didn't scare her but she was not bothered by the ride. This trip she should be tall enough for BTMRR, Splash, Soarin, etc and I'm pumped because right now she is excited about riding them. If she gets scared before we get on we'll skip it - but she loves Barnstormer and I'm thinking she'll be a little daredevil. But you never know. I will agree that you want to work up to some of the "scary" rides and I'm of the mindset that we will encourage her a lot but won't make her do anything if she is truly scared (I'm not arguing w/ the previous poster about who is boss and that the trip isn't all about the child - we have had that very discussion with DD. But I'm not going to drag her on a ride screaming which I don't think is what was being said at all).

 

[CampbellScot]

I don't think you're mean at all. We told our daughter the same thing. Mom and Dad would never put her in harm or make her stay in a scary place. She was just so dramatic though. She threw a huge fit in Muppets at MGM. DH told her that if he had to take her out for screaming she would get a swat. He asked her if that's what she wanted. She whimpered "yes, I just don't want you to be frustrated at me" WHAT??? You'd rather get a spanking than sit in a muppet show. What 5 yr old says that!

This trip was definitely an adventure.

I have to laugh at the kids who weigh their options and make a choice like getting a swat rather than staying someplace she didn't want to! I think I might be more apt to respect a decision like that.

My step daughter was using a "fear" to get extra attention. She is a bright and capable girl who does not need to resort to manipulative behavior to get attention. As she knows that I don't buy it and neither does her dad, she doesn't even bother...yet those same fears mysteriously appear when she is with mom or grandma and grandpa. She was a royal pill on their last visit to an amusement park. Nobody had any fun b/c they were so busy fussing over the little drama queen. Funny how she came home loaded down with toys and things to help her not be so afraid... Like I said...a bright and capable girl. She's no dummy!

 

[reginaastralis]

My mom laughs at me b/c I'm terrified of ITTAB, Honey I Shrunk the Kids and Stich. Everytime we go to AK they want to ride the ITTAB, and I sit in the theater with my feet up in the seat and my head down and my back as far away from the back of the seat as possible. Luckily, I now have a two year old who I can use as my excuse to skip those rides.

I don't know why, but the "suspense" scares the crud out of me. I'm also a little scared of Splash Mt, but I ride it b/c I know I'll love it as soon as it's over. I rode Dudley's Doo Right at Universal and it has scared me from all floom rides, maybe I'm just a big chicken.

You have to go with the flow of your children. Julie used to LOVE HM, but on or last trip, she wasn't so into it. Snow White is dark, so she sits on my lap and we look for Snow White and say Boo to the witch.

It wasn't until I had a child that I realized how scary some of the rides are ...

 

[2Pirates_1Princess]

I have DS9 who has ADHD and Generalized Anxiety Disorder. From everything I have read on the DIS boards I can honeslty say that we will avoid the Tough to be a Bug show at all costs. It would totally push him over the edge. The minute he felt something poking him or crawling on him he would come unglued. He is also very dramatic and refusing to ride things like the magic carpets or dumbo just because he feels they are girl rides. We have been having conversations about him not ruining vacation for everyone else and have threated to leave him at home a couple of times. I think we are going to have an "adventure" too.