Has anyone taken their kids on a ride and regretted it?

[3mousehouse]

We're leaving in a week with our kids DD 4, DD 7, and DS 9 and some of the guide books state that some rides/shows that young kids can get into are too intense for this age group (Stitch ride, Fantasmic, others). Has anyone taken their kids on a ride or saw a show that was too intense for young ones? My kids are neither super-brave nor wimpy - any advice appreciated!

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

We took DS (he was 8 at the time) on ToT in January of last year. He wanted to go, but he HATED it after we were finished. Fine. We went back in October and DS (who was 9 by then) INSISTED on going again, only right in the load area he started to chicken out. DH and I became THOSE parents and made him ride anyway. He hated it again, but he survived.

We didn't do RnRC in January, but DS INSISTED on going in October. Fine. He rode with DH because I have back problems and didn't want to chance it. DS HATED it and was silent for about 20 minutes after the ride finished. Yet what is he talking about doing in August with his uncle? RnRC!

You just never know how kids will react to something. I think he is going to be terrified on Expedition Everest but he wants to ride anyway. So we'll let him, and if he hates it he can sit out the subsequent expeditions!

 

[bhsurfer]

My daughter was 5 when she rode the 'Tower of Terror'. She liked the ride part, but was freaked out by the ghosts.

She says she will never ride it again.

She did love Space Mountan and the Test Track.

Her older sister will not ride anything faster than a snail, so we always do the parent swap.

 

[Stitch65]

My son was about 4, and we had the brilliant plan to take him on Splash Moutain. BIG mistake. He hates water (that should have been the first clue ) He's 6 now, and wants to give it another shot, but wants to wear goggles. That'll make a great picture!

My sister took her daughter who was 4 at the time on TOT and she's 6 now and can still remember how scared she was.

I know some people regret the Stich Escape thing at MK (used to be Alien Encounter) since it can be nightmare-prone especially for kids who are afraid of the dark. I think we're skipping that one. But hey, every kid is different!


Another one that freaks my son out is "It's a Bug's Life"

 

[TXMommy]

OK, this one's pretty silly........but we took our DD and DS on HM when they were 6 and 3.....scared them to death. They will not go on it to this day (and they are 12 and 9 now!). DS will ride ANY ride in the parks except HM. Crazy.

 

[Tiggerrn2]

In 2004 first park we visited was Animal Kingdom. Went to see It's Tough to be a Bug in the Tree of Life. DS was 4 at the time, and he was so terrified by the spiders that look as if they are coming at you that from that point on he would refuse to go to any "shows" that were 3D or rides in the dark. LOL. The rest of our vacation was spent convincing him nothing was going to jump out at him on further attractions. Also, Stitch's Great Escape, Dinosaur, and the MNSSHP parade with the villians/scarey music (although parade is different now-music not so scarey). DD was 6. She did OK in Bug but didn't care for Dinosaur or SGE. Both enjoyed fireworks and Fantasmic. Going again Oct 2006. Can't wait!!!

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Rides? No. When my DS was almost 4, though, he was very upset at the Indiana Jones show when the ball came down and it appeared Indiana was crushed. We got through that part, and then at the end he became scared again with all the fire. That was about the only thing we regretted going to, but we didn't know, had never seen the show before.

 

[rcraw45425]

For us it was It's Tough...Bug and Dinosaur. YOUnger DD made us backtrack through the entire que line on bug and cowered in my lap through all of Dinosaur.

 

[dibey]

In 2004 first park we visited was Animal Kingdom. Went to see It's Tough to be a Bug in the Tree of Life. DS was 4 at the time, and he was so terrified by the spiders that look as if they are coming at you that from that point on he would refuse to go to any "shows" that were 3D or rides in the dark. LOL. The rest of our vacation was spent convincing him nothing was going to jump out at him on further attractions. Also, Stitch's Great Escape, Dinosaur, and the MNSSHP parade with the villians/scarey music (although parade is different now-music not so scarey). DD was 6. She did OK in Bug but didn't care for Dinosaur or SGE. Both enjoyed fireworks and Fantasmic. Going again Oct 2006. Can't wait!!!

We also took our DD who was 5 at the time to see It's Tough to be a Bug. As soon as the butterflies left the screen she was terrified. It was our first day at WDW and she refused to see any of the other 3-D shows at the other parks. Now, two years later, she is thinking about watching Muppets 3-D when we go in May, but says she will never go to It's Tough to be a Bug again or watch the movie, A Bug's LIfe.

 

[bnhasak]

We took our 2 yr old to Philharmagic in MK. She hated it and we left before it really started. Too loud and scary. We went in on Motherinlaws recommendation.

It is easy to leave though. We didn't cause too much fuss.

 

[dismom9761]

I was told that TOT was not too intense on our first trip.My DD6 and DS7 were terrified.My DS9(at the time) loved it.When we go back in October my son who will be 9 says he will NEVER ride it but my DD wants to try it again.It was the only thing to scare them except for Dinosaur.My oldest didn't even like that.

 

[kokomos]

When daughter was 5, I took her on BTMR early in the trip . Big mistake the rest the trip we rode the teacups and carousel about 100 times. If she couldnt see exactly what it did she wouldnt try it. Took 3 more trips before she would try anymore thrill rides, Now her favorite is splash and shes looking forward to EE but still doesnt want to try TOT .

 

[ajcolorado]

When my youngest was six, she was a dare devil and did just fine on Big Thunder Mountain, Splash Mountain, and Space Mountain. She didn't have a bad reaction anywhere and was fine through the Haunted Mansion until she got home. She got looking at her grandmother's old, fat, lazy black & white cat and "realized" that Mama-kitty has vampire fangs and absolutely freaked out. We're not entirely empathetic people so we said, "Let's just assume that you are right and Mama-kitty is a vampire. If she hasn't sucked out your blood yet, she probably isn't going to." That seemed to settle the issue - we didn't even have to buy any cloves of garlic.

 

[lauralana9]

I didn't personally take her on but I told my mother to take my niece to Its a Bugs Life... Heard it was great and kids liked it. I completly forgot she hates bugs... She cries if she sees an ant. Needless to say she freaked and would no longer go on any attraction inside a building. Thankfully it was on our last day, or my mother and sister (her mother) would have killed me.


Bean

 

[aspcamhreditor2]

I can't say that I've regretted taking my kids on anything although some things didn't necessarily turn out well. On our first trip to WDW, our older daughter was 2 & 1/2. Although she took Snow White like a champ, the Buzz Lightyear ride scared her.

On our last trip, the girls were 6 & 3. The younger was JUST making the height cut off for many of the rides. Our 6-yr-old was INSISTENT to do Tower of Terror first thing, which we did. Our 3 yr. old even went on. Both girls were very brave and stoic about ... they SAID they enjoyed it but also said they wouldn't ride again. Funny enough, the people in the row immediately in front of us had 2 little boys of approximately the same age as our girls. The two of them screamed like little girls and were in tears by the time we got off.

After TOT, the girls weren't sure about Haunted Mansion. The younger girl did a little better than the bigger girl and neither were terrified. But, again, they said not again.

Our 3 yr old did okay on Snow White and POC, but totally FREAKED out on Maelstrom in Epcot. She still complains about the scary troll ride.

However, with that said ... things the girls BOTH LOVED .... Soarin ... Philharmagic ...Splash Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain. The older girl just made the height for that crazy spinning coaster in Dinoland in AK. She LOVED it and basically walked onto it 3 times in a row.

Bottom line ... you just never know. Kids can be different

 

[penel3]

My DS was almost 5 and wanted to go on ToT. We gave him the option out right up until we stepped on the elevator. He HATED it, same scenario as some of the others, was quiet for about twenty minutes. We walked over to RnRC so my DH could go on that. While we waited the forty minutes or so, my son watched the ToT from the ground....and said he wanted to try again. My DH and I discussed it, discussed it again with DS and decided, OK. Big Mistake!! We gave him opt out right up until we were on the elevator....by the end of the ride he was sobbing, it broke my heart...I'm sure people thought I "forced" him to ride, but we didn't and never have and never would do that.
Oh well, live and learn. He said he would never ride again (that's my favorite ride, too, oh well).

 

[Leota]

Our only real ride mistake was on our first family trip, DS was 4. I remembered Haunted Mansion from when I was there with my family in 1973. I didn't remember it in great detail, just that I loved it & used all my souvenier money buying extra E Tickets to ride it again.
So Fast Forward 20 years & I'm so excited to take my DH & DS on this Great Ride! By the time we got in the Stretching Room, DS was a little nervous....by the time the lights went out, the crying started. "This is NOT a good ride."
He did calm down on the way to the Doombuggies & gave the ride a try. He liked most of it except the Attic scene, but wouldn't ride again that trip.
2 years later, it became one of his favorite rides.

 

[Gonz Of Lancashire]

Went to Disneyland Resort Paris when kids were 2 and 3. Both got freaked out with Honey I Shrunk The Audience. Fast forward to last month and the kids, now 7 & 8, having been on numerous rides and 3-D shows got more than a little edgy going back on the WDW version. Must admit I got a little edgy watching the Kodak pre-show. I'd gladly sponsor the show if it meant getting rid of this.

 

[dawgsgirl]

Another It's Tough to be a Bug. Totally freaked out my cousin's daughter, who was 7 at the time. We left AK and went to MK to do Fantasyland to calm her down. She spent the rest of the day riding Splash Mtn. Who can figure kids out?

 

[pongo&perdita]

Would you believe Buzz Lightyear? DS 6 freaked at the very last minute and we had a bad parent moment and put him on the ride anyway. He screamed the whole way while his sister (4) LOVED it. Who knew? Later he was able to tell me that even tho' he did love buzz, the fact that it was loud scared him. He loves it now . . .