How do I motivate my 5 y/o to ride?

[catnik]

disneyfreaknjw:

"potc" is short for Pirates of the Caribbean

 

[madhouserobey]

we've been taking are ds6,dd4,and ds2 to local carnival and amusement parks hershey and dutch wonderland which is great for small kids since oldest ds was about 18 months.now youngest two are mad because they can not get on with older brother. so i say start with small carinal rides first.

 

[lenshanem]

I had mentioned this on another thread recently, but this coming trip we're doing a "bravery lanyard" for our 6 year old. She is scared to ride everything so this time we told her for every ride she gets brave enough to ride that she hasn't done before we will get her the ride pin to show everyone how brave she was.
She seems excited about this idea and even told me she would ride Test Track! Huge improvement, guess we'll have to wait and see! She is odd about things that scare her off, she loves the Haunted Mansion, but FLIPS if we even ask her to ride Pirates or even Muppets! (She saw on an ad the theater blows up. I try to tell her it is pretend with puppets on a movie screen, but NOPE!)

On the flip side, my youngest at 3 1/2 is willing to try it all. She is rather tall, almost 40 so it looks like she might be able to ride a few new things this time around. I'm curious if anyone has had their 3 year old ride Test Track or Big Thunder? She likes the roller coaster rides at the kiddie park near us, but I'm not sure about moving her up to Big Thunder, yet. Any thoughts? I think Test Track would be OK.

Thanks!

 

[ChuckGA]

Shan,
Our daughter was 40+" at 3.5 yo and she did them all. We started with Goofy's Barnstormer and after about 8 rounds of that (6 in a row when there was no line), she wanted to try BTMRR, which she loves. I took her on Splash Mountain and have a great picture of her eyes WIDE open on the plunge. That was a bit too much but she did ride it again with DW and myself.

Our last trip she was almost 6 and she did everything that 48" could get her on except ToT and RNRRC because we did not suggest it. We probably should have because on the last night we were there during an E-night she wanted to try Space Mountain and she loved it also. We felt bad that we did not try sooner for SM and RNRRC.

We hope the next time we go DS will be 40+" tall and he is dying to go on all the big rides. Goofy's Barnstormer was just too tame for him (not quite 3 yo at the time).

Chuck

 

[GlennandAnn]

Thank you all for these wonderful suggestions- Stacilee, you got me with your story- that's what Disney is all about!!

Being a chicken myself (I have ridden Splash, but none of the other mountains, no ToT or RNRcoaster either), I have no intention of forcing or coercing my son to ride any rides. I had that done to me, and it just made my fear worse. I love the pin and bravery lanyard ideas, and the Tshirts too, I know we will do the flashlight for sure. I think starting small is a good suggestion too. This is one of those things that I know he will enjoy once he does. We went through this with Goofy's Barnstormer, he was scared, but wanted to ride, so we did, and while he was afraid, he ended up loving it and riding it again.

Ann

 

[KIS]

I also don't think you can force a child to try a ride with good results.

We recently took our first trip and I was concerned about what she might like or not like. Of course, we had no experience to go on.

We discovered that she, 5 1/2 years old, did not handle the horror/fear facture too well. Specifically, it seemed that her imagination got the best of her. She tried the Haunted Mansion and so we were opting out of Honey I Shrunk the Audience. But then, after my husband did that one alone and told us both that he thought she could handle it, she, being naturally curious, went ahead with me and tried it. Her legs were too short to feel the "mice" scamper about. She got scared with the snake, but she handled it quite well.

When we asked her afterwards if her father was correct in his estimation of the film and her capabilities, she claimed it was so so, that she was a little afraid and that she enjoyed it a little, too.

She loved the fast rides, the turns, the jolts of all the rides we tried.

I'm glad we started with something and worked our way to other things based on her genuine reactions rather than pushing her.

KIS

 

[funhouse8]

The DL video is a good idea when my youngest son was small he said he wasn't going to ride any rides but watching the video helped him. We also used an old cd for the computer called Walt Disney World Explorer which lets you learn and see some rides. I'm not sure if they sell this anymore and they don't have the newer rides on it but it helped him ride HM. If he doesn't go on the rides now don't worry he still will enjoy himself and when he is ready he will ride. Enjoy your trip.

 

[stacie_d]

Here iswhat worked for us:

DS (age 4 at the time) was and is really into video games, dinosaur movies, stuff like that. I know he is a little young, but that is what he likes. Mission Space had just opened, and DS was actually tall enough (which I had not expected). DH and I each rode it first, and we though DS would probably enjoy it. So, we described it to him in terms he understood--explained it would be like a video game, with a screen and a joy stick, but that you would be moving around in a circle. He loved it. He must have ridden that ride 8 times on that trip.
We did the same thing for dinosaur--he rode it, but is not keen on ridding it again. But he did fine while he was on it.
Goofy's Barnstormer--a different story completely. We got him on it once, and he wants no part of it again. But, he will ride Big Thunder Mountain, because it is more like a train.

I guess what I am saying is for our son, he will ride some big rides, depending on what he associates the ride with. If he can connect the ride with something he likes, he will ride it.

 

[McCall]

Originally posted by Disneyfreaknjw
what does potc mean?

POTC = Pirates of the Caribbean
My license plate is POTCBP
Pirates of the Caribbean, Black Pearl

 

[Selket]

I think you've got to know your kid and know when to give that extra little push and know when to let it be! I knew my 5 yr old (a few months away from being 6) would love splash mountain but he was afraid of it. He said he'd do it, then he didn't want to do it, then he did....then he didn't..... and so forth. I got the fast passes for it and finally convinced him how fun it was and he LOVED it. We rode over and over on eride nights.

As for ToT I never expected him to want to try it - I probably asked one time. Of course then he decided he HAD to do it. So we went back to MGM just for that on our last day. He got in and rode it - no problems or hesitation. However he said after he got out that he'd never ride it again. He wasn't upset - and I think he was rather proud he'd done it. I don't think he is ready for roller coasters yet however (the big ones - kid ones maybe). If he asks I'd take him on one if he is tall/big enough.

Good luck!

 

[JoniGirl]

Great story!

My DD has never been afraid of anything. My DS has always been afraid to ride. DH and I are fanatics - so it is definately a personal thing.

 

[cruisnfamily]

I'm happy to read this thread!

I also have a reluctant rider, my DS8. He's not scared of "scary" rides, it's more the fear of the unknown. He's very worried about speed, jerky motion, and drops. There are several rides that I know he'd love if only he'd give them a try because he thinks they're going to be much worse than they really are. DD11 is a ride wimp too although she's braver than DS.

Based on the advice here in this thread, I've designated two rides in each park as "pin rides" and if they ride these rides, we'll buy them the pin.

So far I've come up with:
MK-Splash Mountain and Space Mountain
MGM-ToT and RnRC
Epcot-TT and Mission Space
AK-...??..I think everybody already does all the rides there(except Kali Rapids as we never want to get soaked)

What do you think?

(P.S.)My DH wanted to know what he needed to do to get pins too I told him if he rides the "pin rides" he can buy himself a pin of his choice.

 

[mep319]

I think you have to know your child.... We on the other hand every year have to "drag" DD on the first ride then after that she is all ready for the others. It happens to us every year. Of course when I say drag....we don't literally drag but we bribe her w/ the "anything" she wants. She gets all worked up is wide eyed but as soon as we ride a ride she is happy and screams "why was I so afraid??" I'm not sure why it happens to us each time. I'm not sure if she is overwhelmed or what....maybe she is just on to a good scam! But if I didn't drag her on that first ride we would never get on the good rides...the only thing I haven't been able to get her on is Dinosaur...but I know she would be scared to death of that so we don't really push the issue! Again..have to know your kid!

 

[mom0104]

The way I look at it is, if they start doing the more advanced rides at a young age what do they have to look forward to when they get older? Enjoy the fact that they are 5 and can't or won't do everything. That way when you go back next time there will be more things that will be a new experience for them. Children already grow up too fast.

 

[HenDuck]

I have a 3 1/2 y.o. DS who just returned from his first trip to DL. He is pretty fearless and rode quite a few rides. But he did not like Pinocchio or Mr. Toad's Wild Ride. After riding those, he would not go back to any of the dark rides in Fantasyland, although we rode Pooh ad nauseum.

Little kids are fun and complicated. With mine, once he gets it in his head that he doesn't like something, that's it. Done deal. No negotiation. But that's ok. He's just a little kid.

The rides that he loved - Dumbo, Tea Cups, Carousel, Autopia, the roller coaster at Toon Town - he rode as many times as he wanted. And HE enjoyed himself immensely. I have full faith that he will take after me, his mom, and be a thrill rider when he gets older...he is already showing those signs. But for whatever reason, those few particular rides were not enjoyable for him.

I am so glad that I read these boards before we went to DL last month because I knew in advance that going with a toddler is just different than with adults. I knew enough not to force him to do anything, to let him repeat rides and attractions that he liked, to stop for characters and ice cream , and to go back to the hotel to rest. Following ALL of these words of wisdom paid off for us big time.

I think if you take your child to Disney and he does not ride anything but has a blast, that's great. As long as my kid was happy and enjoying his experience, I did not care if we were riding Peter Pan or sitting on bench on Main Street.

Have a great time!

 

[Tigger&Belle]

My 4yo did everything that he was tall enough for in February, including Splash Mt, Big Thunder, Dinosaur, ToT, etc. We encouraged him to go once and told him he didn't have to go a second time if he didn't want to. He enjoyed looking at the ride photos and I did buy him a ToT t-shirt after he rode that (he rode it 5 times). He didn't want to repeat Dinosaur, but did everything else at least once. He didn't want to ride Splash Mt, but I knew he'd really like it, so I told him it was a boat ride. It wasn't exactly a lie, but still a bit of a trick, which I generally don't like to do. He rode it and begged to go again. You have to know your own child. My son didn't care of the 3D shows, though.

T&B

 

[stacilee]

One thing I have to remind you of is that there are countless opportunities to do things as a family. My child who was not a "rider" really loved all the shows. There are so many things that seem to get overlooked in our quest to hit all the big attractions.
It seems like the more we go, the more we notice, learn and love about the world. Once is never enough! I feel so sorry for those people that go once, don't enjoy it and come home and say NEVER AGAIN!

 

[Jordan's MOM]

I think it's great that you are getting so many different ideas because what works for one kid, or even one time for a kid might not work another time.
I would never have forced DS to ride anything but I have done a little bit of a lot of the things including bribs. DS was a very practical little guy and worried about things like the ride breaking down!!!
What worked well for me is taking the choice away. I would just say, OH, we are all going to ride this ride. You can choose if you want to ride it one time or lots of times. Now, if he had really refused, it would not have worked, but he would almost always just agree. He never had any problem or really found a ride he did not like. Some he choose to ride again, and other like TOT, he choose not to go back on again. By 8 he would ride everything at WDW, and most things at our local park. Does not help that his Dad is not a rider. It's was harder to get him on stuff than DS.

Just read his signals and decide if he is really scared or just unsure about the ride. Sometime they just need a tiny push.

Jordans' mom