Ear Plugs for Young'uns?

[ColoradoK]

I know a lot of the attractions can be quite loud...are there such a thing as ear plugs for really little kids? Can I buy them just anywhere or do any of you have recommendations?

 

[chartle]

I know a lot of the attractions can be quite loud...are there such a thing as ear plugs for really little kids? Can I buy them just anywhere or do any of you have recommendations?

How young. Ear plugs like I used to wear go in your ear. You squeeze it, insert it and then let it expand.

Some people have had good results with ear muff type ear protection.

 

[mjfisherdc]

We used the gummy type ones. they were bright orange and I got them at walmart. I could tear them up to be smaller and then squish them into the kids ears. We only used them for the fireworks, but it made it more enjoyable for my kids who usually hate fireworks.

 

[POB14]

There are child-size earplugs (the expandable type mentioned above) available in the swimwear sections of sporting goods stores - we had to use them for our daughter, who had ear surgery when she was quite young.

I think they may have been called "Li'l Swimmers" or something like that. I don't know how much noise they actually blocked, since they were designed to keep water out.

 

[Colleen27]

We use soft silicone ones from CVS, the same kind you'd use for swimming. They come in child size that seem to fit a pretty good range of ages; we used them for older DD at 6 and for younger DD at 1 & 2.

If you forget to pick them up before leaving, you can get Speedo brand silicone ear plugs at Disney resort gift shops. They're more expensive than the drug store, of course, but still < $5 and perfect for the parent who didn't think of buying earplugs ahead of time. Been there, done that - earplugs didn't even occur to me for our first trip but without them, DDthen4 was even scared of Philharmagic. The next day with her plugs in, Tough to be a Bug didn't phase her!

ETA: Patrick, the swim plugs actually block just about the right amount of noise. I tested them out. They don't block as much as the headphone style we use when we go to NASCAR races, but those block too much for Disney IMO. The swimmer style plugs muffle the volume but still allow you to hear the music and enjoy the shows.

 

[ChrisHartman]

We used the gummy type ones. they were bright orange and I got them at walmart. I could tear them up to be smaller and then squish them into the kids ears. We only used them for the fireworks, but it made it more enjoyable for my kids who usually hate fireworks.

We did the same for the exact same reason. Was the first time DS actually enjoyed fireworks. LOL

 

[kschafer]

Those foam ones would be the ones I recommend too. They are cheap so I would suggest you pick up a dozen or so and make sure your kids carry a pair and you have a couple spare too. My son is very noise sensitive so he used them a lot at Disney...for fireworks especially but also parades and some attractions. He was only 3 on the last trip and sometimes had a hard time putting them in so often he would just hold them with his fingers and they tended to get lost in the dark

thanks for reminding me to put them on my packing list for the next trip!

 

[bumbershoot]

I've used the adult sized foam ones on DS when he was 5, and they worked well (though stuck far out from his head). I've also bought the squishy, cover the ear hole (vs the foam put it IN the hole ones) from Mack, the Mack Jr ones made for kids, and he liked those better (though the process of squishing it onto his ear isn't his fave).

We've noticed that when people are tired (in the mornings or later at night) or hungry or just cranky, the constant battering noise of the parks (no matter how pleasant the noise is when you're fully rested after a nice meal) can be VERY overwhelming. I even used the earplugs one day, for a couple hours, at WDW!

 

[mickeygirl14]

You can find them at almost any drug store, wal-mart, target, etc. They work wonders for the little ones who are sensitive to loud noises. Totally transformed our trip last time - we were able to do Mickeys Philharmagic, Fantasmic, Wishes, Hallowishes, Lights-Camera Stunt show with no problems. Easy to use and small enough to carry in a pocket.

 

[TriSeb°o°]

When my Dboys were younger and were frightened by loud noises (Wishes, Illuminiations, Lights Motor Action... IMAX, thunderstorms ) we bought this aviation quality ear protection headset sized just for the kiddos. They are $13 on Amazon and have paid for themselves many times over!