How secure is Big Thunder Mountain for a 40" tall 3yo?

[bangzoom6877]

I would like to take my 3-year-old son on BTMRR when we go next week, and he is just 40" now. How secure is this ride for a child this size? He is average weight too, not too skinny but not chubby either. Is the child strapped in with me? Should we skip this one because it is too rough for him?

We are definitely not taking him on Splash Mountain because I don't think he will like the drop without being strapped in. I think that one would maybe scare him at the end of the ride. But he has been on kiddie coasters many times and loves them, and I do think he is ready for a ride like BTMRR provided it is safe enough for him.

 

[bevemjake]

My son went on it when he was 3 and just about 40" and he really liked it. They aren't really "strapped" in but a bar comes down onto your lap. I think he'll be fine. It doesn't go up or down enough for anyone to feel like they are going to fall out. There are a few bumps when your butt comes off the seat a bit but it's pretty tame. I found the biggest problem was the corners-when they went around to his side I thought I was going to squish him!

All I did was hold onto him and it was because it made me feel better to do that. Have fun!

 

[SuzieN]

We took my DD on it when she was just shy of 4 and it was terrifying for her and me! She sat right next to me and because the lap bar came down to my legs there was waaay too much empty space above her lap! We both felt like she was going to fly out! She skipped it in February!

 

[delmar411]

we starting taking our DS on it once he was tall enough at age 2. He loves it but I do have the fear of squishing him when we go round some of the corners. I normally pair him up with my 10yr old DD if possible so that he gets squished less. LOL

 

[Malela9]

My 4 year old just reached 40 inches and wanted to go on "fast train" (that's what we call it in our family ) at Disneyland. We put her between dh and myself and she screamed her head off, but wanted to go again.
I just feel that the little ones are more secure between two people. I have gotten some hilarious pictures of her on BTMR since she has gone back several more times. She wants to go when we get to WDW too. I think your little guy will be fine and love it!

 

[PrincessTiffany]

I would like to take my 3-year-old son on BTMRR when we go next week, and he is just 40" now. How secure is this ride for a child this size? He is average weight too, not too skinny but not chubby either. Is the child strapped in with me? Should we skip this one because it is too rough for him?

We are definitely not taking him on Splash Mountain because I don't think he will like the drop without being strapped in. I think that one would maybe scare him at the end of the ride. But he has been on kiddie coasters many times and loves them, and I do think he is ready for a ride like BTMRR provided it is safe enough for him.

In the 37 years that BTMRR has been open, I don't believe I have ever heard of anyone "flying off." All of my children rode this ride at 40 inches, along with Tower of Terror, Splash Mountain, Soarin' and Test Track, and loved it. It is definitely one of our family favorites! But, you know your child best. Also, Splash Mountain is SO much more tame than BTMRR. If your child enjoys BTMRR, then Splash would be a piece of cake for him.

 

[Mamapapa]

I just PM'd you a link to a video of my DS4 on this ride - check it out!

 

[Zeebs]

you live in the land of law suits , I would be pretty certain that kiddies who meet the height requirement are as secure as an adult.

Have a fun trip.

Kirsten

 

[HonnyDipp]

My 4 year old son rode it years ago. He normally loves the scary stuff, but he really didnt care for this ride. 5 years later, he still remembers the ride, and has made it clear that he will not be riding it again in November

 

[cinderellamom123]

my 4 year old dd rode it right at 40 inches and a whopping 33lbs. I was next to her. She loved it. It was her favorite ride of the trip.

 

[Houstonmouse]

My dd was 4 yrs/40 inches when we were there three years ago. The first time she rode, it was just with me and she was scared. The second time, we asked if we could put her between my husband and myself, and the ride attendants said that was no problem. Well, she loved it and we rode 3 more times in a row. I would check to see if that's still possible, because she felt a lot more secure with two adult bodies between her.

 

[bangzoom6877]

My dd was 4 yrs/40 inches when we were there three years ago. The first time she rode, it was just with me and she was scared. The second time, we asked if we could put her between my husband and myself, and the ride attendants said that was no problem. Well, she loved it and we rode 3 more times in a row. I would check to see if that's still possible, because she felt a lot more secure with two adult bodies between her.

While I would love to be able to do this, DH has to wait with DS1 while I take DS3 on this ride. We were going to do a rider swap for this one.

So going between 2 adults is not an option, unless I find another adult who is going on alone who can sit on the other side of my son. Not sure if this is a good idea though!

My son weighs 36 pounds and is 40" tall. I suppose he will be fine on this ride. Just the usual "mom" fear of accidents, you know?!

 

[DisneyEG]

It all depends on your child. My 4 year old is a thrill seeker my 8 yrd old is not, but both children love both BTMRR and Splash mt and Splash Mt is a lot tamer than BTMRR.

 

[Mom-2-2Princesses]

My dd was a littile taller than yours at 3 (44 inches) and she loved both btmrr and splash. She is a daredevil and that 5 story drop is right up her alley. She actually rode btmrr with no hands (I think she saw the people in front of us with their hands in the air and followed suit) and then yelled at me for holding on to her during the ride. she did come up off the seat several times, and while this caused ME anxiety, she loved it. I think your child will be fine, physically, but you will have to assess whether it would frighten him.

 

[jpolak]

It's pretty secure. We actually fit three across in the car so DD wasn't going anywhere. Same on splash we all fit in one row.

 

[Chelley00]

Try linking arms with him. DD and I did before we took off. It made her feel a little more secure, and even though I squished her a few times in the turns, she felt like I was "holding on" during the parts where her rear came up a little.

 

[loco4dis]

When my DD was four, my DH took her on this ride and he swears she almost flew off on a sharp turn. He had to grab her arm and when he got off the ride he was quite shaken — and he's not a shaky guy. I'd try to put your little guy between two people on this ride.

 

[K and K's Mommy]

I am going to agree with the other posters that Splash Mountain is much less intense. My DD 4 at the time hated BTMRR because it jerked her all around and was so "fast." She loved Splash Mountain though!

 

[disneymomof2boyz]

In the 37 years that BTMRR has been open, I don't believe I have ever heard of anyone "flying off." All of my children rode this ride at 40 inches, along with Tower of Terror, Splash Mountain, Soarin' and Test Track, and loved it. It is definitely one of our family favorites! But, you know your child best. Also, Splash Mountain is SO much more tame than BTMRR. If your child enjoys BTMRR, then Splash would be a piece of cake for him.

I completely agree!! Last year my 3 year old was tall enough to ride both SM and BTMRR. I have to say that he enjoyed SM much more than BTMRR. He was a little freaked out on BTMRR b/c it does go fast and he has a small phobia of the unknown...he's a control freak, just like his momma!
But he is convinced that this year he is ready for it, he will be 4 by December, and this year will be the first time both kids are 40", so I am very excited!!
I'm sure your son will be fine at BTMRR, and don't hesitate to take him on SM. I was actually doing some research about the SM drop, and if it makes you feel any better, the drop for SM and POTC are both 52ft., just different degrees of incline.