Dinosaur! ride...appropriate for little ones?

[Lesleyluvsdisney]

I agree with the previous posters. The ride is loud, dark, jerky (as in movements) and in-your-face. It reminds me of the old carnival fun house/hanuted house rides where things randomly pop out at you. I wouldn't have been able to handle Dinosaur when I was younger and at 38, I still cover my eyes and scream.

Hahahaha!! Me too! I dont know why I bother! I work my way into DHs armpit!! and screw my eyes tight shut! Hold my breath! and this is meant to be entertainment!!???

 

[SuperSequin]

I wouldn't take them on it. It's very loud, very jerky, and the dinosaurs are HUGE. I'm 16 years old and I still get a little nervous when I go on it! If the 5-year-old is really tolerant to the Haunted Mansion and Space Mountain, then MAYBE. It IS a little scary. I'd wait to take them.
Instead, take them to Chester & Hester's Dinorama maybe? It's a lot more kid-friendly, that's for sure.

 

[IWannaBeAPrincess]

This ride is crazy scary, BUMPY, and dark. My DD (4 at the time) wanted to ride it, because her friend Jacob was 5, loved Dinosaurs and couldn't ride it because he was too scared... Of course she loved it and went back to tell him all about what he missed! (Naughty - LOL)

Normally I would have said that she would have hated it. She doesn't like to be scared, things jumping out of her or the dark. She's 7 now, and still insists that it is her fav ride... (Um sure)

I would skip it unless they just need to prove that they can do it... LOL

 

[PIRATEGIRL007]

No, unless you find terrorfying your children appropriate. If so Dinosaur is the ride for you!

Our DD is 8 and we still won't let her on it, she is brave and adventerous but I dont want to ruin a trip with nightmares the rest of the week and having her scared of going into any dark ride. DS5 is timid, scared and skittish, we might let him decide he wants to go on it when he is 18. Maybe......

 

[Mrs. Charming]

I actually wish DD was tall enough to ride it, darn those short genes! She's a dino buff, and we watched the ride POV on YouTube like 10 times (in the dark) and she was excited and naming all the dinos. She's also one tough lil chick.

Oh well.

 

[longstangetrip]

It's loud and very rough. Jerky, bumpy, etc. My oldest rode it at 6 and was ok, but didn't want to do it again that day. A youngest rode it at 5 and was perfectly ok, rode it several times that day. A middle wouldn't get on it until age 12, and then said "what was I waiting for?" All kids are different. It isn't drops or loops or speed, it's just so loud and bumpy. The loudness and bumpiness can vary too. On the same day, we have seen them really rev up the volume as the day goes on. Let the 5 year old watch a youtube ride video and decide. The 3 year old probably won't be tall enough; isn't if 44"? Have fun!

 

[grimley1968]

The 3 year old probably won't be tall enough; isn't if 44"? Have fun!

It's 40". Therein lies the biggest problem, IMO. A lot of very young children (both my DD's were 3 when they hit the 40" point) are that tall but may not have the mental maturity to withstand the noise and visual stimulation this ride has. When we took our oldest when she was 3 or 4, she was tall enough, and the CM's just waved her right through as though it would be a tame ride for her. But she was still only 3 or 4, and it was just too much for her then. I didn't know anything about this ride before hand and the CM's didn't warn us about it.

Almost needless to say, we had to drop some money at the gift shop after the ride to buy a plush dino toy to soothe our frightened DD.

 

[Infamousmare]

Boy, am I glad I asked! I *assumed* T-Rex was in AK!

Perhaps we'll just wander to the little dino ride several of you mentioned (the one similar to the Dumbo ride) and grab a CS lunch before meandering over to the safari. I think the kids will just enjoy seeing dino-themed stuff.

 

[mariepapa]

No way, I am not even sure it is appropriate for adults! The ride is scary But fun and one of the best rides at AK.

 

[shaniadobie]

youtube it and let them see if they would like it. My DD has been riding it sense she's been tall enough so it really depends on the child

 

[ChristaDeVil]

I've ridden this three times and the last time didn't seem as scary. Oh wait! It's because my eyes were closed the entire time! That's the only way I'll ride it now.

Seriously, my son rode it the first time when he was 7. He loves it, but then again, nothing scares him. Anyone younger or with sensitivity to loud noises and scary things, I'd say no.

 

[whitney37354]

I wouldn't take your younger child, but the older one would probably be okay. Our DD was five and she enjoyed it. I sat down first, DD was next, then DH, and and empty seat. We were trying to get her as far away from the dinosaur that jumps out as we could. It wasn't as scary as I had believed it would be. She did hold my hand the whole time and the ride was bumpy in parts, but she talked her daddy into buying her a dinosaur in the gift shop after the ride, so she made it fine.

 

[katemarcail]

Thank you for not taking your little on on this! Every single time I ride there's some parent bringing a small kid saying 'hey, it's a ride with dinosaurs, you'll like that!' and obviously not realizing that these are NOT the nice, vegetarian types. It's like Snow White's Scary Adventure in a larger, darker building with Tough To Be A Bug level noise and jumping out combined with the Alien scene in The Great Movie Ride level scares. Doubled. At least. No, parent in line ahead of me, this is not a tame little dino ride that your child will smile their way through.

Fortunately, as you've found, it's hardly the only dino experience to be had in Disney. Besides Chester and Hester's little roadside dino place and the boneyard (I so wish I was small enough to run all over that!) the gift shop is a treasure trove of dino stuff and over in Epcot the Universe of Energy has a dino section (and these are the far tamer type - still carnivorous but they don't see the guests as prepackaged chicken nuggets) that I think is good - I've never actually stayed awake for the whole thing.

And please bring some earplugs for at least your younger kid - I don't have any sensitivity issues, I don't get overwhelmed easily, and I've been going to Disney parks for almost three decades and I STILL find the whole experience overwhelmingly loud and chaotic. Fantastic, fun, amazing, but loud and chaotic!

 

[delmar411]

I'm not so sure I'd take other people's POV on the ride honestly. I'm terrified of it but that's due to my (completely irrational) fear of animatronics.

My boys LOVE this ride. Younger DS was 3 when he hit 40" and they went on it multiple times in a row and were very happy to get back on it during our last trip. In the pictures of us on the ride, the boys (now 4 & 5) are simply looking at the big dino in fascination. It doesn't scare them at all and they want to go on the ride over and over.

So while I'd say it is one of the scariest rides at WDW (right up there w/ ToT), my kids wouldnt' agreed with me at all. I'm not really sure what the boys would think was a scary ride but I know younger DD would say PoTC (I agree a bit..too many animatronics there too! LOL).

 

[katemarcail]

I just thought of another option - if the wait at Dinosaur is short enough and you have more than one adult with you at that time then one can stay in the boneyard with the kids and the other can hit the ride and report back on the scare factor. You know your kids better than anyone and hopefully by that point in the trip you'll know exactly what they can handle and what sends them screaming (which, in some cases, is everything if you've started off with the wrong ride!) so if you're still in doubt, that's one way to decide. And it gives one adult the excuse to ride my favorite ride.

 

[Mercenary]

Nope no way dont take them.... lol I made that mistake... trust me...

 

[badblackpug]

youtube it and let them see if they would like it. My DD has been riding it sense she's been tall enough so it really depends on the child

Yes, this! ^^^^^

My kids have been riding it since they were big enough to get on it. My son loves it and thinks it's a blast, and has from the beginning. My daughter was a little more scared, but not so scared that she didn't ride it multiple times!

It really depends on the kid.

 

[heatherwillmom]

I do not recommend Dinosaur for small kids. I took my kids on it when they were small because DS loved Dinosaurs. I bought the ride photo although you couldn't see the kids because they were so scared they had they faces hidden in our arms. It was several years before they would ride it again.

 

[Chelley00]

If your little one does have noise issues, I'd rethink TRex as well. The restaurant gets very noisy when the meteor shower happens.

 

[MagicPrincess]

we took our kids (8 and 4) on it, and our 4 year old had his head burried in my shoulder the whole time. He didn't cry, but he was scared. I even jumped and closed my eyes a few times...it's quite scary!