Helping kids get over coaster fears

[disneyxica20]

we were there recently on a big family trip and one of my nephews, who is about 10, was hesitant about some of the rides. he was ok on star tours and ok(ish) on space. he seemed completely fine with riding splash, but once we hit that first drop and he realized what he had gotten himself into, he freaked- started crying, saying he didn't feel well, and by the time we reached the last drop he was hysterical. he looked terrified in the photo. we hit indy not too long after that and he was so nervous. by the time we reached the projection room he was in tears and ended up not riding.
later that day, his dad took him aside with me and my husband and they asked if we had any advice to help him feel better about getting on rides. i basically just told him that everyone gets scared/nervous, but once you're on the ride, you're having too much fun to even think about being scared; i still get nervous about rides sometimes (even when i've been on them before) and i just keep reminding myself how much fun it always is. i also told him that when i first rode splash (when i was about his age), i hated it, but the more i rode it, the more i learned to like it. i think it really helped him to know that even if everyone seems happy/excited on the outside, they're probably freaking out a little bit on the inside. the next day, he rode splash mountain twice(!) at his request and was all smiles in the ride photos. and he also rode indy (again, at his request) and had a great time.

 

[MrJT]

My kid had a fear of carousel horses. Really odd too, as they were a favorite type of ride until maybe 2-1/2, when a panic set in. And it really only got bad once they started moving. We could ride on benches just fine.

I went through a phase when I was a kid when I refused to ride carousel horses as well. I would only do benches.

 

[bcla]

I went through a phase when I was a kid when I refused to ride carousel horses as well. I would only do benches.

My kid just had a switch flip. Calm when placed on the horse, but was screaming to get off the horse once it started moving. That time I yanked my kid off the horse and into a bench. I tried a few more times and it was the same. Calm when not moving and then panic when not. We rode a few times on benches at DL carousels. Then we got the announcement that "I'm not scared any more". Just a phase I guess.

 

[Skiton]

Not when they are tall enough to ride.

That's not how the CMs are trained, and you're unlikely to find a CM who will budge on it. (I haven't checked the DL or WDW sites recently but for a few years now they've had the exact WRONG info...but the people who make the website aren't the ones running the rides, and the ones at the rides have been trained that swap is NOT for tall-enough-but-scared people)


OP, I realized that DS's birthday makes it easy for me to remember when our experience was. His b'day hits around Mem Day weekend twice every few years, and one of those years was "free on your birthday". Since family and friends kept forgetting that they had a birthday party to attend, and kept booking campsites for themselves, we just went to Disneyland for both his 4th and 5th birthdays. Like a switch he hated everything as the trip for his 4th started (he went on TOT and hated the illusion of "turning blue and dying" even though he liked the up and down), and like a switch he liked everything again during the 5th birthday trip. So we're slightly off in ages, but that's pretty close. Close enough that it feels like an age-appropriate thing to do, themepark-wise.

This was not our experience. My son was plenty tall enough to ride BTMR last May, he was just scared to. The rest of us wanted to go. I explained this to the CM and was given a rider swap pass right away.

 

[pinkprincess30]

Our first trip when our son was 5 he wouldn't do any of the "scary" rides. Now he does them all. The only one he is still unsure of it ToT, which he does about half the time. I take the fake it till you make it approach with him. We talk it up (before and during the trip)... "You are so brave now that you're older! Those rides are SO much fun, especially when you go because we are ALL going TOGETHER! This is going to be So awesome!". I never, ever forced him to go, but I consistently gave him the opportunity to go, never mentioning his previous reservations. It worked. He starting going along with the hype. He's an adrenaline junkie like the rest of us now.

 

[Maddysdaddy]

Over the course of our trips to DL and WDW, there are certain rides that my daughter (4 when we started coming, now 12) had to work herself up to. We found that her biggest hesitation on going on certain rides was fear of the unknown.

What we ended up doing was watching YouTube ride-through videos at home, which allowed her to have a pretty good sense of what the ride experience would be like and what "surprises" there might be (e.g. Disco Yeti on Expedition Everest). Watching videos also minimized her fears for such DCL excursions like zip lining and snorkeling.

Might be worth a try for those with anxiety issues?

 

[bcla]

I'd say the fear isn't necessarily irrational. Drops, sudden turns, bumpiness, etc happen and in many ways is intentionally unpleasant. Ever kid has a different tolerance for thrill rides.

 

[crystal1313]

My son rode TOT when he was 3. We had to bribe him to ride it (cotton candy). He LOVED the actual ride....the pre-ride video, not so much. He is 8 now and still won't ride. He loves Screamin and all the other coasters. We have even asked the CMs if we could skip the part with the video, and they have said no. I've even promised to hold DS ears during the video (he thinks Rod Sterling's voice is scary) but no go. Hopefully one of these next trips he will at least try it. Good luck!!

 

[ChloroformSdxn]

This is so funny, because the same thing happened to us. We went in January, and my son LOVED ToT. Best ride ever, and we had to watch YouTube videos when we came home. Went back in May? Absolutely terrified. So strange. Maybe he'll like it when we go back in October.

 

[sherilaine]

I agree with the others, if you know he'll like it once he gets on then bribe him to ride it, cause you want him to ride it so you can. My DS hates it so he is not riding it again - and no bribe would work and I honestly don't want to try to force someone to ride something they hate. But if you think he'd love it then go for it. My only other thought is, if he rides it and hates it, then that is just a part of being a parent - we can't control what our kids like or hate and we have to respect that.

 

[mpadilla89]

I think its something they get over by themselves, but i think the more you ask them to go on and the more you say they aren't scary the more scared they get. My daughter now 8 is way more scared now than she was at 5. I normally make no fuss about a ride if she asks if its scary i say its a roller coaster and some people like them some don't if she wants to go we will if not we will take turns with DH. I tell her if she gets scared that its ok to scream and thats just what she does. Usually after the ride she loves it sometimes she says she will never get back on it. I think she is more brave than i am because she will get on rides im scared but of course i pretend not to be or send her with dad who is also scared lol

 

[Terri_Berri]

ToT is traumatic. That thing scares the hell out of me. I have to force myself to go on it and then when I'm on it I have my eyes closed the whole time. I hate it. I hate dropping rides and it's even worse cause it's so disorientating and confusing. Plus I have a deep fear of elevators in general. I don't blame anyone who doesn't want to ride that thing.

 

[maltdizzy]

My DS rode ToT for the first time at WDW when he was 4. It was right after they randomized the drop. It dropped the maximum number of times (6?)...and I was ebeginning to wish it would stop and was worried I had just scarred him for life.

...he loved it.

For the OP, if he still rides all the other coasters, etc, and doesn't want to ride ToT, I would just let him skip it. One day he'll do it again. I read the word "bribe" earlier...might work...won't help him like the ride any more.

 

[agamble]

A couple of thoughts. At five they can sometimes be irrational, but you could try talking to him about how you really want to go on the ride at WDW because it’s a special trip and that you would like it if he and his mom could ride with you. If he still says no, then I suggest you ride it alone and use child swap if your wife wants to ride too. I know it isn’t as much fun to split up and it’s a family trip (we’ve had this issue since our oldest was born), but you’ll be sad if you miss out on the ride since this is a special trip to WDW, as opposed to a more frequent trip to DL. The vacation is for everyone to enjoy the things they want to see/do.

I would think you wouldn’t have any issue getting a swap pass with a five year old as he isn’t allowed to be left alone at the park and many five year olds will not ride the thrill rides. Those with older kids could have an issue as CM may think they’re abusing the system, but it’s pretty obvious with a young child that is not the case. We've always shown our non-rider.