How to ride when kids don't want too??

[MickeyReeds]

We're not sure if ds (6) or dd (11) will be brave enough to try some of the rides like space mountain although they will meet the height requirements. I'd love to hear how you handled riding when kids didn't want too!

 

[tinkandpan]

We just didn't ride. THe kids have the run of the trips for us and we accept that we don't always get to ride everything. Otherwise, I suppose you and dh could swap off.

 

[MiniGirl]

I believe the child swap procedures would still apply. Are you familiar with that? Basically, in your case, one person would ride while the others waited. Then the other person would ride. You'd get something like a Fast Pass though so the 2nd person wouldn't have to wait in line all over again.

If you can fit it into the budget, I would suggest a evening in the one of the kids' club at a resort. They feed and entertain the children, and the kiddos have a great time. While they are there having fun, the adults can go to a park and ride the rides TOGETHER. Can be pricey, but makes for a great date night.

Have a great time whatever you decide.

 

[Manda]

We usually have some time where one parent goes off by themselves to ride a few big rides while the other parent goes and hangs out with DS for awhile on their own. It works out well.

 

[Rylee]

We're not sure if ds (6) or dd (11) will be brave enough to try some of the rides like space mountain although they will meet the height requirements. I'd love to hear how you handled riding when kids didn't want too!

All 5 of our children love rides and have always been willing to try anything,(although, the 2 little guys are afraid of the Haunted Mansion ).

As long as they met the height requirements... we just took them on with us. (Space Mt., Rock -n- Roller coaster and Mission space were the exceptions, because I put my foot down and made them wait another year).

We tell the kids, if something makes you nervous or frightened, close your eyes and hang on... it will be over in a couple of minutes.


Do what we've done...

Get to these rides early, and grab fast-passes. Meanwhile, have one parent ride, in the stand-by line, first, and see if you think the kids can handle it. If so, comeback for the fast-pass time. If not, then the other parent can ride, quickly at the fast-pass time.

If you are certain one or both of the children won't ride, you can, either...

1) All of you wait in line and do a kid swap... prior to boarding, tell the CM you are doing a swap. One parent will board the ride, while the other waits with the kids and when that parent returns, the other parent boards the ride, reducing wait times.

2) While one parent rides, the other takes the kids on a different, nearby attraction. Pick a place to meet, and then switch. We usually do this, so the kids aren't standing in line for an attraction they won't be doing. Example... the Buzz ride is near Space Mt., Beauty and the Beast Show is near, both Tower of Terror and Rock & roller coaster.

3) Or, while waiting for someone to ride, grab ice cream, a shaded bench and relax, or hit the gift shops!

 

[dizzi]

We just didn't ride. THe kids have the run of the trips for us and we accept that we don't always get to ride everything. Otherwise, I suppose you and dh could swap off.

You must be really good parents.....I figure it this way.........I PAID FOR THE TRIP......SHUT UP AND RIDE!!!!!!!!!

 

[JacobsMommy11002]

We just didn't ride. THe kids have the run of the trips for us and we accept that we don't always get to ride everything. Otherwise, I suppose you and dh could swap off.

Us too. While I love Disney, with us, the trips for the kids. We do what they want to do. We'll take a trip alone someday and do everything else.

 

[Melissa_E]

I've seen in a few other threads that if the child meets the height requirement you can't do a child swap. Is that really enforced? There are a few rides that DD4 is tall enough for but is not ready for them (ToT especially). We'd like to child swap but since she meets the requirement, I'm worried that they won't let us.

 

[bigbabyblues]

We just didn't ride. THe kids have the run of the trips for us and we accept that we don't always get to ride everything. Otherwise, I suppose you and dh could swap off.

That's what we do, or else we get a fastpass and take turns. I don't like to ride everything that DH does, but I don't want to wait while he stands in line for 45 minutes either.

 

[I'mNoPrince]

I've seen in a few other threads that if the child meets the height requirement you can't do a child swap. Is that really enforced? There are a few rides that DD4 is tall enough for but is not ready for them (ToT especially). We'd like to child swap but since she meets the requirement, I'm worried that they won't let us.

It depends on the CM at the time the best thing to do is just get fastpasses and go that way.

What we did with rides that have a chicken exit was we would all go through the line together then I would hang back with DD for a few cars to pass and then send her through the Chicken line with a CM to meet DW at the exit.She was 10 or so when this worked .

 

[DawnM]

We parent swap or fast pass. My DH doesn't care as much about rides as I do. He is there for the kids, I am there for ME! So, he doesn't care if I go alone or take just one kid, he is willing to get an ice cream and sit with the other kids.

My oldest won't ride Expedition Everest again

My middle will ride pretty much anything.

My youngest has never been yet! Going for the first time in a week! He is over 40" so I am very excited.

Dawn

 

[WantToGoNow]

Luckily for me, I have a coward husband as well. When ds6 doesn't want to ride, daddy usually doesn't either. Dd4 on the other hand is my daredevil -- she wasn't quite tall enough last visit (just before her 3rd birthday) and was upset that she had to miss the big ones.

 

[NewEnglandCamper]

We're not sure if ds (6) or dd (11) will be brave enough to try some of the rides like space mountain although they will meet the height requirements. I'd love to hear how you handled riding when kids didn't want too!

This happened to me last year. My DS (12) did not want to go on Everest roller coaster at AK (even though he went on Splash Mtn. and Space Mtn.).

If the lines are NOT long then my DW doesn't have any problem with me heading on a ride, just like I don't have any problem with her going in the shops (ok -- most of the times I don't have a problem with this). We just happened to be at AK during a extra evening magic hours and was able to get on/off Everest with NO waiting. It was GREAT! This year my DS (age 13) will be going on Everest. I have to try to talk my daughter to go on it.

 

[tjmw2727]

I've seen in a few other threads that if the child meets the height requirement you can't do a child swap. Is that really enforced? There are a few rides that DD4 is tall enough for but is not ready for them (ToT especially). We'd like to child swap but since she meets the requirement, I'm worried that they won't let us.

This has always been the case for us and as recently as November still was. If the child is tall enough but chooses not to ride then you are not eligible for rider switch (babyswap). My youngest dd and my nephew were tall enough but not brave enough for the TOT. We just used Fast Pass and split up so the kids could do something fun while the first group rode and then switched up.

With rider swap the first parent still has to wait the line or use a fast pass and then the second parent uses the rider swap pass to ride via the FP line. So it dosen't take any additional time to use FP and since there really are just a few height restricted or scary rides at WDW the time we are separated isn't a big issue.

You can also use the single rider lines on a few - EE, TT and RnRc all have single rider lines. This is usually faster than FP and great if you have just one adult riding.

TJ