DINOSAUR: Can a 6yo handle it?

[cocodog]

My 5 yo son LOVED Dinosaur!! It was way too loud and jerkey for me, although not really too intense.

 

[SheDaisy0088]

My DS was 5 the first time he went on it. We have always tried to get him to try something new every trip. This was the new thing for that trip. He was scared the first time he went on it but wanted to go again. Now he is 8 and wants to go on everything. He is hoping he can grow another 4 inches by October. If he does we might try a 1 day trip to Islands of Adventure so that he can go on The Hulk and the Dueling Dragons. He has been begging his father to take him on those rides. Of course he is a bit of a dare devil. I guess what i am saying is that don't force him but encourage him to try something new.

 

[Tinkerbelle32]

My DD has ridden this ride since she was about four. She really loves dinosaurs. She's looking forward to it again for our June trip.

 

[Merriwind]

JMHO, but I think that you need to let your DD make this call, even if she does wind up scared.

Last January, we were at WDW for DD's 6th bday. She had gotten in her head that she wanted to ride TOT. I thought that this was a dreadful idea--that ride scares me! I suggested doing the preshow and looking around the hotel, but not doing the ride. For a while, I thought that was the route we were going to take. But, the day we went to MGM, she started talking about how much she wanted to go on TOT. I knew she was going to be very scared and told her so; she didn't care. Eventually, DH said that I had to let her make some decisions for herself. So I did..and I went along to be a good sport. We rode it and we both screamed throughout. When we got off, she said, "Mommy, I was so scared, but I am so proud of myself." I was proud of her too. She hasn't been back on TOT since, but it was a great learning moment, courtesy of WDW.

PS - DD loves Dinosaur! Was scared the first time, but it was one of those, "oh, I survived and it wasn't so bad, so let's do it again" sort of experiences. We ride it multiple times everytime.

Enjoy!

 

[Pinnochio]

I would say explain to them it is going to be scary, loud, and dark inside and if they still think they want to do it let them, because sometimes the intimidation of a parent can be stronger than some audio-animatronic dinosaurs. Point being if they are still intent on riding after the warning them they are old enough to make up their own minds.

 

[Ness2289]

Thanks for all of your responses. We will continue to talk about it, look at pictures, and watch the planning dvd and just play it by ear. If anything, I guess she may decide to never ride it again. I just don't want it to detour her from trying other rides. Her most intense at 4yo was TT. Now she's talking roller coasters. I figure we'll start out with the barnstormer and go from there.

 

[Miranda Danda]

I say let her make up her own mind. That way if she does get scared, you won't feel like you made her go on it.

I am reminded of my horrendous experience in the Tiki-Bird thing when I was about 2 years old. I have been a little weary of birds since then. I don't remember what exactly happened in the ride that scared me, but I do know that my mother and I were ushered out after a few minutes of solid squaling. Dinosaurs are a little more frightning than birds, so keep that in mind.

That said, you know your child and you can make the best decision (in conjuction with her of course)! Have a great trip!

By the way, this thread has made me really want to ride Dinosaur!!!! I'm leaving tomorrow for WDW so

 

[pdarrah]

Another vote for "it depends"! My DS6 has been to WDW twice per year since he was 6 weeks. He absolutely refuses to go on Snow White - but he loves ToT, Splash Mtn, BTMR, etc. He just rode Dinosaur for the first time a couple of weeks ago (it was closed last spring and we didn't get to AK last fall because we went on our first Disney cruise - before that he was too short) I rode nearly the whole thing with my eyes shut. DH says DS was holding on to him throughout the ride, but as soon as it ended he said "that was cool!"

We didn't have time to ride it again, but it is already on his "must do list" for October. (He and DH can ride it - I'll wait for them outside.)

pdarrah

 

[donnajon]

When my DS was 3 he rode it and loved it. He just made the height restriction and was really into dinosaurs (he had even asked me at age 3 , "Mom, is a triceratops a herbavore?" - that's when I decided we needed to be working on some more basic skills such as letter recognition but I digress!) Anyway, he rode it again when he was 6 and didn't like it that time! Go figure!

 

[All Aboard]

Our daughter is a WDW veteren, making roughly a dozen trips a year since her first birthday. She hit 40" when she was 3 yrs and 4 months old. I explained to her what Dinosaur (may have still been CtX then) was all about and I asked her if she wanted to go. She said, "yes." I was a little concerned, but she loved it and rode it several more times that day. Now 7, it's still one of her favorites.

So, as others have said, it really depends on the kid. Ours has grown up on theme park attractions and has yet to be bothered by one. She could always close her eyes if it is too much.

 

[Amy340]

My niece was 5 on our last trip last November and was most scared on the rickety bridge on Kilimanjaro Safari and the loud noises of Journey Into Imagination, we didn't even attempt Dinosaur with her. I've been on it once and it freaked me out, though I'm determined I'll do it again. The 4 yr olds in my ride photo didn't look scared at all though. My niece loves dinosaurs too and was fine looking at the ones on Ellen's Energy Adventure, but those weren't popping out at you.

I went on Snow White when I was 7 and never wanted to go on it again!

 

[mjmcca]

When we went to WDW last August my DS was a few months shy of 4 and he rode it. We did a baby swap since hi sister was too small and he rode with his cousin ( she is an adult). When he came out I told him he could ride with me again but he refused. He didnt have a meltdown he just didnt want to ride again.

We went back in October this time he was 4 and he didnt wasnt to ride.


We went in Feburary and the day we went to AK we had a large group of people. his freind Z who is a year older than DS asked him if he wanted to go on. He kept saying no. He changed his mind and of the group only the 3 of us went on the ride. There were a gew younger childer including my DD who werent tall enough.

I sat between the 2 boys in case of any problems. They both hid their heads during a large amount of the time ( and i put an arm around each of them), neither fo them wanted to go bacl on that day but i think they had fun.

 

[nataliesdaddy]

When my DD(6) was 4 years old, she went to WDW for the first time. She was pretty shaken after riding on Snow White's Scary Adventure, but came around eventually. NOW at six she has convinced herself that she wants to ride Dinosaur at AK. I rode it during our last trip and enjoyed it of course, but it is pretty intense. Should I really let HER make the call and give her a chance? This is a girl who screams when she sees a gnat! What do you think?

my dd did it at 6 and was ok - she did not like the ride - she thought the dinosaur was going to bite my head off... when we exited I asked what she thought and she said ...tooo loud... just let your daughter know it is not real, it will be scary and it will be loud...