DS afraid on rides

[las3888]

We are just back from WDW and sadly, DS has started to get pretty scared on the rides and shows. He is only 2.5 y/o and really, Disney is very dark and very loud in many attractions so I do understand. I just wasn't ready for it as he had done pretty well since we have taken him a few times before. I think now he is at an age where he gets it a little more and really it's the anticipation that gets to him. We spent our time in lines while he is in near tears (or in tears) in anticipation and then about 90 percent of the time during the actual attraction, he is very drawn to it and does fairly well. I am not talking really scary stuff...I mean things like Playhouse Disney (which he had seen several times prior to this trip). He refused to go on Pooh at MK and many many other rides. We really had to pull back and re-think our plans.

DH talked and we don't want to create an aversion or anything but we are DVC members and do plan to take trips regularly from here on out, probably twice (maybe 3x) a year. We are thinking we will do more baby-swapping and really really tame rides, like the Motor Speedway which he likes. He wouldn't even ride Dumbo. I was taking a tally of the rides which I think he will actually go on without crying through the line and in some parks, esp. MGM, there may be only 1 or 2 attractions. Are we crazy to keep coming here???? I just don't know if I am doomed to ride "People Mover" for the next 5 years or what!!!

Just looking for other experiences from those who may have gone through this before. We are big Disney fans so it is tough when we want to forge ahead but since we have DS and he is our one and only, we have to factor this in big-time. DS has done fairly well this past summer at county and state fairs and really seems to enjoy the kiddie rides at these kinds of things. Previously, he rode Goofy's Barnstormer roller coaster, but alas, no go this time. I will say in the past month or two, he has talked a lot about being "scared" of things...he is now able to recognize and verbalize this feeling (big-time).

Any advice? Thanks!

 

[MinnieTink]

Kids are funny like that. My younger daughter went on ALL the rides at age 5. After that trip, she said Space Mountain was her favorite ride. Last month (at age 7), she freaked in line and I had to take her back to her dad. She gave me a hard time about a bunch of other rides too. We had the baby with us, so we were doing baby swap anyway, and she just hung back with him.
I'm sorry your little guy was afraid. Hopefully he will grow out of it. In the mean time, I agree to your baby swap strategy. Let him choose if he wants to go on something so he's not stressed. I'm sure he'll eventually snap out of it.

 

[Princess Roo]

On his most recent (3rd) trip at 26 months, DS decided he was afraid of any of the rides that went in the dark at all. This quickly expanded to him starting to freak out whenever we went inside, because it was darker than the bright sun outside. We gave him a little flashlight to hold and that helped some and also avoided anything that was truly dark.
I'd say there is enough to do at Disney without the rides that I would just not pressure him next time you go back. If he doesn't want to ride, you can spend more time at play-places and the rides he does like and he'll still have a blast (and you can do babyswap). If he's still acting that way in a couple years when the chances of "reasoning" with him are higher (please tell me that comes before long - LOL!), you might get more "aggressive" about him facing his fears, but for a toddler I'd just go with the flow, personally.

 

[snowbunny]

If he's still acting that way in a couple years when the chances of "reasoning" with him are higher (please tell me that comes before long - LOL!), you might get more "aggressive" about him facing his fears, but for a toddler I'd just go with the flow, personally.

My DS10 still won't go on some of the rides and is totally scared of anything that even looks like a coaster. I did talk him onto Big Thunder and he hated every second of it. If he doesn't want to do it, I don't force him. I disagree that there is any time to get "aggressive" and force a child to "face his fears." It's supposed to be a vacation not boot camp.

 

[las3888]

Well, I struggle with both sides of the coin. DS is too young to work with him on his fears, but I do think that at a certain age you can work with them and help them try to conquer their fears. I have read about a young boy who was afraid to swim in the ocean or lakes because of all the sea creatures. I guess the parents watched Steve Irwin (I think?) shows with him so he could understand what they're really like and it was very helpful to him. In that same vein though, we have done a lot of home "prep" for WDW (mostly because we just like Disney). We listen to a lot of CD's, watch some Disney shows, read Disney books, so he knows a lot of what is going on. I did buy a picture book of Disney World so we can look through it at home and talk about the various rides. That might help a little bit.

I think we are just going to do more baby-swap etc. His problem seems to be the unknown plus dark and loud. He refused It's a Small World...sigh...I could try the flashlight...it might help, but it's probably a long-shot. He is a cautious guy.

 

[NemoMOm]

It is something he will likely grow out of, I would not worry too much. At this age they are becoming more aware of their surroundings and of the danger around them. My DS is the same way and suddenly my dining room which he has always played in, is now the sleeping place of monsters He is now starting to slowly come out of it, we keep telling him there are no monsters. So, now he has started to walk in the room and say "no monsters". I'm sure your DS will come around when he gets a little older.

 

[asktriplets]

GLOW STICKS and EAR MUFFS!

both of these things have really helped all 3 of my "afraid-of-noises-afraid-of-dark-afraid-of-moving-parts-afraid-of-water-splashing-afraid-of-things-jumping-out-at-them-afraid-of-moving-fast" kids.

since our first trip at age 2, my kids have been apprehensive about a surprising number of shows and rides at WDW. Knowing that they can have their noise reduction ear muffs and glow sticks whenever they want helps not only the fear of dark and noise on the rides, it also really seems to calm the apprehension PRIOR to the ride (they like knowing that they have some control over their environment). the other thing that seems to help my kids is talk them through the show/ride BEFORE getting in line......
....when i look at some of these rides/shows from a kid perspective, i see WHY they are scared...you never know when something is going to jump out at you (tigger on the Pooh ride), splash water in your face or have the lights go out (Little Mermaid show), or have something dropping down on you (like the bubbles and paper confetti at Playhouse Disney), or when your seat will suddenly start shaking/rocking/jumping (Pooh)...there is A LOT of sensory stuff that is a surprise.

as a side note, my son tried Barnstormer and Test Track at 4(but will probably never do it again!!!), but refused to do Winnie the Pooh...why? because he remembered the ride as having water splashing down in the rainstorm scene. it took us 3 trips (!!!) to get him to tell us why he didn't want to go on the Pooh ride. once we PROMISED him that there was no water, he loved it!

....I think that is the other thing that has helped our kids build some confidence-we never "PROMISE" them anything unless we are sure of it ("i promise there is no water", or "I promise we can leave the show whenever you want if you don't like it" for example). we recognize that if we say something like, "I PROMISE it will be fun", or "I PROMISE you will like it", and we are wrong, the kids won't trust what we have to say about the next ride.

If it helps, after 6 trips, my kids still haven't done Barnstormer more than twice, but we still manage to find things to keep us busy!

good luck!

 

[las3888]

Thanks much, asktriplets, for all the great advice! I am not sure what glow sticks are and where you would get them, but that and ear muffs is something that is definitely worth a shot!!! I appreciate the advice and you're right...I keep saying "I promise you will have fun" and it is totally lost on him...means nothing. However, at his age, "I promise you can leave if you want, also means very little. When he is scared and apprehensive, that seems to be it for the time being...nothing seems to calm his fears at this age.

I have to say that I love him for being cautious but there are definitely times when I wish he were a little more easygoing. He has an interesting personality...he will complain about being scared whenever we go out at practically wherever we go...grocery store, gymboree, music class, library, you name it. However, once he gets there, it doesn't take long and he wants to be the CENTER of attention. Who knows what I'm in for...

 

[dawnball]

DH talked and we don't want to create an aversion or anything but we are DVC members and do plan to take trips regularly from here on out, probably twice (maybe 3x) a year. We are thinking we will do more baby-swapping and really really tame rides, like the Motor Speedway which he likes. He wouldn't even ride Dumbo. I was taking a tally of the rides which I think he will actually go on without crying through the line and in some parks, esp. MGM, there may be only 1 or 2 attractions. Are we crazy to keep coming here???? I just don't know if I am doomed to ride "People Mover" for the next 5 years or what!!!

DD is fairly similar, although she won't ride TTA. She wears her earmuff headphones most of the time, because WDW is too loud for her. There are a total of 9 rides she'll get on in all of DisneyWorld (and most of them are really Dumbo):

Teacups
Barnstormer
Astro Orbiters
Dumbo
WDW RR
Magic Carpets of Aladdin
Kilimanjaro Safari
Triceratops Spin
Railroad to Conservation Station

You might notice that there are none in Epcot or MGM.

And yet she *loves* to go to WDW. She won't watch shows either, although I might manage to get her to do Flights of Wonder this year. She'll watch the parade. She'll watch part of the castle stage show. I might get her to ride the motor speedway. She does love character greetings, as long as the characters are the super six.


If she could have her lantern she'd probably ride Jungle Cruise. I may ask them if she can have a lantern for the dark part. I've been concerned about giving her lights and glowsticks because they light up other ride vehicles and I'm pretty sure they aren't allowed on some rides (like Haunted Mansion). I don't want to tell her that she can have the light and then have her not be allowed to use it.

 

[bzzymom]

Every child is different. I tease DS though because he used to love ToT when he was 4, 5 and 6, and would ride it several times a trip. Then when he was 7 he didn't want to ride it because he didn't "like the lightning effect anymore". But he doesn't get afraid of thunderstorms here at home. He is 10 now and says the ride is fine to ride once a trip. That is the only ride he has ever complained about

 

[mom2kai]

....and he was afraid of all rides (I am talking non-disney here) until just this year. Even last year he was unhappy on a merry-go-round and I was on it with him, holding him on the horse. Early this year he started becoming interested in the commercials he saw for Canada's Wonderland and was bugging us to go. I told him that we were going to have to wait until he was older and not so afraid because most of those rides were much more intense than the juvinile carnival rides he had tried up until this point. I told him there was no rush but that we really were fine with waiting until he was older.

A few weeks later he spotted a small carnival that had set up in the local plaza parking lot and asked to go on the rides. Just before getting out of the car I heard him talking to himself in the backseat.

"You can do this. You just have to do it."

Normally he would point himself at the bouncy castle but this time he headed towards a very tiny kiddy roller coaster. We asked him if he was sure before we bought the tickets and he confirmed that he was ready. He did in fact go on the ride, and was so surprised to have such a good time that he immediately wanted to ride it again and again. Before we left that carnival he had gone on two adult rides (one with me and one with my hubby) and both of them were off the scale for too intense for me. When we headed back to the car, he proudly announced that now he was ready for Wonderland. 'We took him to wonderland and he rode every ride that he was allowed to ride for height restrictions and Wonderland has a lot of roller coaster type rides.

Some children are much more sensitive and much more imaginative than others. Our son seems to be both. He is very aware of his own limits, even when it comes to movies we are watching in the house. He is extremely responsive to intense soundtracks and sudden surprises, but he is finally at a place where he can ride the excitment without it freaking him out too much. The key is never push them or try to convince them when they establish a limit or they are liable to dig their heels in and be stubborn about it. In respecting our son's decision to say no, we put the control in his own hands and he has moved through this like he does any growth experience....at his own comfortable pace.

Your son could be totally different next year than he is right now. Each child is different. However, I wouldn't give up hope on him being able to enjoy the Disney experience. 2 1/2 is a very common age for kids to develop more fear than they previously had. Our son developed a fear of swimming at this age, despite the fact that he had been in swimming lessons for a year and a half already. I think the world suddenly seems a lot larger to them than it did previously, and there is a lot to process, and even more to process in a place like Disney.

 

[Princess Roo]

My DS10 still won't go on some of the rides and is totally scared of anything that even looks like a coaster. I did talk him onto Big Thunder and he hated every second of it. If he doesn't want to do it, I don't force him. I disagree that there is any time to get "aggressive" and force a child to "face his fears." It's supposed to be a vacation not boot camp.

Just to clarify...I definitely didn't mean scary rides/coasters. But, things like going into a slightly darkened theater/room/ride queue that was scaring my child and sounded like it scared her child, too, are things that they will need to do in school/life. I still don't know that I would "force" him to do those things, but certainly try more aggressively to convince him and reason with him about the safety of it. This past trip, we just gave a lighthearted "OK" and walked away from whatever he didn't want to do.