handling "big kid" rides for the first time

[browneyedgirl1683]

I'm coming out of lurkdom because we finally pulled the trigger to do an August trip (hopefully).

I'd love to hear opinions and experiences. My soon to be 7 year old has a hit-or-miss record with rides. She has a minor hemiparesis (weakness on her left side) and some sensory issues. We know from experiences at other theme parks that she can be hit or miss when it comes to rides, based on what she is comfortable with at the time. Some years she will ride eveyrthing, including kiddie coasters. Some years she will ride the Dumbo type rides, but only if we promise we won't go up in the air. When we went to Disney at age 4 she did dark rides, the spinning tea cups, and met princesses all day long. She refused rides like the carousel. She's begging to go back on the Carousel of Progress

This year she says she wants to try the roller coasters. It normally doesn't bother me if we wait on line and she decides against riding. But this is Disney. It's not like our main park, Sesame Place where we can go multiple times (pre-and hopefully post-Covid). Also, I was pregnant during the last trip, and quite frankly I want to ride too. Let's say we wait an hour on 7DM, and she decides it's not for her and no regrets (which is what we try to say to help her decide), would a CM give us a pass to try it again? Or to let me do rider switch to go on myself (since I want to do rides!)? I want to prepare her as much as possible for what to expect. We do have a DAS for Sesmae Place, but I don't know if she will qualify at Disney.

ETA thanks for the kind replies I think as we get closer I will show her videos of the big rides to help her mentally prep, but stick with the rides that would be easier to switch.

 

[Orion Nebula]

You can do rider swap on most rides. My wife and I have done it several times due to our son having ASD. But you don't even have to have a DAS pass to use the service.

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/guest-services/rider-switch/

 

[DeeBee3]

My daughter is 7 and although she does not have sensory issues she is a bit "skittish." The next trip I was going to try Big Thunder Mountain or 7 Dwarfs. I have been on both myself and felt they were the least "scary." I also show her videos so she gets an idea of what they are like and she tells me her opinion.

 

[SandyinMonterey]

My daughter, 15 soon to be 16, is the biggest baby when it comes to rides (especially trying new rides). Yes, I said it, biggest baby. It may be politically incorrect, but it is what it is. She is all about the kiddie rides...Dumbo, It's a Small World, Peter Pan, etc. She freaks out to rides like Soarin, Splash Mountain, Space Mountain, Runaway Railroad, etc. Sometimes we can get her to try. She has done Splash and Soarin and hated both. We were all once in line for Tower of Tower and she had to leave the line the last minute. She does, however, like 7DMT. When we have an upcoming trip coming up and start discussing rides, it's always back to "I want go on this or I will never try that." Year after year we always hope she grows out of this. WDW will always let you out of line or off the ride at last minute. We have never received a pass to return to a later date.

 

[MomOTwins]

We've had this happen a few times. Usually we just do rider swap but other times our youngest is all for riding until he gets to the front and has a change of heart. We found out that if it is a ride where the "on" and "off" areas are basically in the same place, they might let one parent wait with the kiddo while the others ride and then do a rider swap in the boarding area. So for example, at Splash, DH and little guy waited right near the boarding area, and then when our log pulled after riding, he handed me the kiddo to take to the ride exit and boarded on for his turn to ride. We did the same thing at Slinky. Obviously, this requires that the CMs there be understanding so YMMV. It also wouldn't work at, say, space mountain, where the exit is in a completely separate area from the boarding area.

Maybe pick one of those rides or another ride with "on" and "off" in the same place for the first "big kid" ride and if she likes it, try others?