First coasters and big kid rides?

[SwanVT2]

I'll chime in on this one as I'm a middle age parent who goes solo with DS13 a lot and I didn't want him to constantly ride alone (though he has when he decides to go on EE for the FOURTH time in a row - um, no thank you, my brain was quite addled after the third time around). I do not like roller coasters or anything with huge drops. Expedition Everest is about as far as I will go in terms of roller coasters. I would definitely put Barnstormer as more wild than 7DMT. 7DMT is all wind-up with no pay-off (pay-off being big drops and, I'd like to thank the Imagineers for keeping them out of that ride). Slinky is deceptive. It can feel really fast and intense depending on where you sit, but it is SUPER smooth. I would definitely rather do Slinky than Barnstormer - again, no huge sudden drops, woohoo! And the drops that are there are really, really smooth - no jerky Barnstormer stuff. Space Mountain, oh dear, I hate it so much. I found if you count to 100 at a fairly steady pace, the ride is over once you get to 100 - no joke, that's how I get through it. BTMRR just feels fast, but no big drops - yippee! Splash - yeah, it's lovely until the drop. I think the only good thing I have to say about that is the drop is over really fast.

This is great. I'm in the same boat where I have to ride with DD. We will be going in Feb. 2022. She will.be 9 and loves coasters. So far I've only done thunder Mt. And splash which I'm fine with. Thanks for the count to 100 trick and the reassurance about Slinky. Don't know if I have it in me for Everest.

 

[SwanVT2]

I'll chime in on this one as I'm a middle age parent who goes solo with DS13 a lot and I didn't want him to constantly ride alone (though he has when he decides to go on EE for the FOURTH time in a row - um, no thank you, my brain was quite addled after the third time around). I do not like roller coasters or anything with huge drops. Expedition Everest is about as far as I will go in terms of roller coasters. I would definitely put Barnstormer as more wild than 7DMT. 7DMT is all wind-up with no pay-off (pay-off being big drops and, I'd like to thank the Imagineers for keeping them out of that ride). Slinky is deceptive. It can feel really fast and intense depending on where you sit, but it is SUPER smooth. I would definitely rather do Slinky than Barnstormer - again, no huge sudden drops, woohoo! And the drops that are there are really, really smooth - no jerky Barnstormer stuff. Space Mountain, oh dear, I hate it so much. I found if you count to 100 at a fairly steady pace, the ride is over once you get to 100 - no joke, that's how I get through it. BTMRR just feels fast, but no big drops - yippee! Splash - yeah, it's lovely until the drop. I think the only good thing I have to say about that is the drop is over really fast.

Also Barnstormer was awful. We waited in the hot line for a good 45 minutes and it was literally one drop and over. Shortest. Ride. Ever.

 

[SwanVT2]

Thank you for this update. I have been trying to confront my fears and my mental Maginot line right now is this:

Barnstormer | Space Mtn
BTMRR | Rock n Roll
7DMT | Everest
Sp|ash

Splash is probably going to be a day-of decision. I'm partially embarrassed to share how often I've watched first-person ride videos to desensitize myself to these rides when the day comes.

I think splash would be easier than rocking Rollercoaster. I will not go on rocking. Apparently there are some upside down loops. No thanks!!

 

[Marthasor]

This is great. I'm in the same boat where I have to ride with DD. We will be going in Feb. 2022. She will.be 9 and loves coasters. So far I've only done thunder Mt. And splash which I'm fine with. Thanks for the count to 100 trick and the reassurance about Slinky. Don't know if I have it in me for Everest.

After walking my DS through the EE line and waiting in the gift shop for him multiple times, I finally tried it - it wasn't bad! The drop actually looks worse from the outside than it actually is. The worst part is when it goes backward (briefly) and then the short drop. Otherwise, it's fairly scenic!

Also Barnstormer was awful. We waited in the hot line for a good 45 minutes and it was literally one drop and over. Shortest. Ride. Ever.

Yeah - Barnstormer is NOT fun, LOL!

I think splash would be easier than rocking Rollercoaster. I will not go on rocking. Apparently there are some upside down loops. No thanks!!

Yes, Splash is DEFINITELY easier than RnRC!!! I tried RnRC a few years ago. My legs were shaking SO badly by the end and then I couldn't get the harness off at the end and I thought I was going to be trapped on the ride having to ride it again - NOOOO!!! Never, ever again.

 

[EPCOT-O.G.]

Sorry for the confusion - my ASCII art skills are rusty. Rock n Roll is a DEFINITE NO- meant to signify that Splash is on the line

 

[DanaCeppy]

When my daughter was 3 we tried Barnstormer and she hated it. We go to Busch Gardens Tampa frequently and a few months ago I got her on Air Grover which is very similar to barnstormer and she loves it. We go next week and she’s 5 now so we are going to try Barnstormer again and then try Big Thunder and 7DMT. Hoping she likes it! She loves watching the video of Slinky Dog on YouTube but I’m still a little nervous for her to try that one

 

[Disneymomma18]

I know your post is not really about MK but I just wanted to give you my perspective of barnstormer vs 7dmt. We went in September when my son was 2. He is huge and was right at 38inches so I dragged him on 7dmt just to see what he’d think. He loved barnstormer!! He didn’t hate 7dmt but he laughed and squealed all through barnstormer and had a look of shock the whole time on mine train. Honestly I believe it was the size of the seat. On barnstormer he fit perfectly and could see over the sides. On mine train however he was so short in the seat that his head was flush with the side of the train car. Maybe since your little one is now 2 years older and much bigger her perspective will have changed. I would avoid EE and RnR even if she’s tall enough. Don’t want to risk traumatizing her and never getting her back on. My dad took my sister on space mountain at 8 and to this day she still refuses to ride.

 

[fla4fun]

I am not a coaster fan. The only coaster at WDW I will ride, and it’s not often, is BTMRR. I hated SDD. In the on-ride photo, I have my eyes squeezed shut and look like I just bit into a lemon (funny photo, horrible ride). I rode Space Mtn. and hated it too. I don’t fit in the leg part of the restraint for 7DMT, so that one I have not tried yet.

OP, if your DD is up to watching the videos, I would do that and let her decide which coasters to go on. Although I dislike coasters, I don’t have issues with things like Test Track, Soarin, and Smugglers Run. I think allowing her to ride what she is comfortable with will help the experiences be more positive. I hope you all have a happy trip!

 

[leannak]

Wow, you guys are all so great. Thanks for this discussion - it's helping me figure things out and it sounds like it's helping a few others as well. These boards are wonderful and there are so many kind and supportive people on here.

One thing I will say that helped my older kids was earplugs. For some reason, when the sound is muted, the rides seem SO much less intense. Especially with thunder mountain - that first tunnel with the bats - it hurts even my adult ears. My kids always felt so brave when they had the sound muted a little bit.

 

[scrappinginontario]

You may find asking what they didn't like about the rides. My DD hated EE the first time she rode it and swore she'd never ride again. Eventually it came out (wish I'd thought to ask her) that she thought the entire ride she was going to fly out. Once we talked it over and I gave her reassurance that wouldn't happen she tried it out next trip and loved it!

 

[auntlynne]

coming back to Flight of Pandora: I can’t ride it due to motion sickness from simulation rides. However, as it is not a rollercoaster, not on a moving track, there is none of the jerkiness.

When my niece was too afraid to ride rollercoasters, she rode Star Tours. Once in a lifetime was too much for me on that one.

Most of my family have sworn off Space Mtn. Although we like the ride configuration, it is brutal - you’d swear you had whiplash.

BTMRR has that older, jerky sensation at the beginning of a climb. This year, at 7 Dwarves, I thought it was a bit rough. Expedition Everest seemed smoother - but I wouldn’t try it on a kid.

I like the idea of “riding” the videos. No need to be surprised at the park.

 

[wiggy500]

Hmm, I wouldn't have expected anyone would have thought there are roller coasters that are more tame than Barnstormer is.

 

[EPCOT-O.G.]

I wanted to report back to you all. We went this past week and I’m happy to report that not only did I “summit” BTMRR and 7DMT, I actually loved them! Actually rode BTMRR twice! Didn’t have it in me to conquer Splash or Space Mountains but have to leave something for the next trip! Thanks for the encouragement and advice on here!

 

[Shughart]

So my son was 10 so ymmv and a big ball of anxiety, we didn't take him on any roller coaster on our first trip (he was 5) and this second trip he didn't think too much about easing him into it when he stated he wanted to go on SDD (it was a big deal coming back for SWGE and TSL). I was worried he would be traumatized but we learned that day my kid is a bit of an adrenaline junkie and loves lover coasters as much as his Mom does (my daughter hates them like her Dad). For the rest of the trip, he didn't turn down a single ride except ToT (which funny enough is DD's fave).

 

[Kelly014]

I wanted to report back to you all. We went this past week and I’m happy to report that not only did I “summit” BTMRR and 7DMT, I actually loved them! Actually rode BTMRR twice! Didn’t have it in me to conquer Splash or Space Mountains but have to leave something for the next trip! Thanks for the encouragement and advice on here!

I like big coasters, but there is a special place in my heart for the wildest ride in the wilderness!

 

[fgaini]

Interesting debate. I will bring my 3y daughter to MK soon. Was aiming to try 7DMT... now I will carefully reconsider... may be it is too early to do that :-(

 

[yorkieteacher]

Barnstormer and Mine Train are very short. Barnstormer is somewhat jerky, but only lasts about a minute! Mine Train lasts about 2. Slinky Dog is very smooth, lasts about 3 minutes but seemed longer, and had some fairly intense leans, but not hills. That's what got my four year old grandson, but he loved it anyway. It is much more intense than Mine Train. I agree, Big Thunder Mountain, if you can ask to sit very near the front, seems less intense than anything but Barnstormer to me.

 

[Pyxie]

Thanks. Felt like there was one, but guess that was just my imagination

There is a "fake drop" where it looks like you are are dropping on the screen, but you are completely stationary and don't actually move at all.

 

[scrappinginontario]

I'll admit I haven't read the entire thread but wanted to mention, one thing that made all the difference in the world to my DD was telling her that she could not fall out. She tried EE and swore never again but later told me it was because she thought she was going to fall out. Once I reassured her that could not happen she was great and rode all Disney roller coasters by age 7 but she is's the adventurous type!

 

[sdeut]

We started going to Disney when my 2 were 4. We did barnstormer at age 5 and that was about the only coaster. Then about 7 or 8 one wanted to try more. She will ride BTM and 7DMT but tried SDD and didn't like it at 9. She wanted to ride EE and I said she had to try SDD 1st and since she didn't like SDD she didn't try EE. My other one tried 7DMT at 6 and hated it. We can only get her on Barnstormer. I am not a big coaster person. I will ride any coaster currently at MK but I will not ride the ones at HS or AK.