I don't think you should take little kids on rollercoasters, do you agree?

[jubileegirl]

Big confession/ guilty conscience time! It's possible to abuse your child by NOT letting them ride!!

On our last trip to orlando (1999) our youngest child, Chloe, was 10. We were with a friend and her 9 year old, plus our other 2 teenagers. I have always been terrified of fast rides and couldn't bring myself to overcome this feeling. Instead of being a good mummy and hiding this from Chloe I made such a fuss when the others were trying to persuade me to ride that in the end I put her off riding too! So all the others went off and we stood with the bags! She has never allowed me to forget this. It proves what a deprived childhood she had!

Then the next summer to redeem myself I took her to a UK theme park called Alton Towers. The idea being that I would make up for wimping out at Disney by riding all the scarey things there with her. Did I? Did I heck!! Poor kid had to ride on her own! I've not been allowed to forget that either.

However, this does have a happy ending as last year we went to DLP and I DID IT!!! I RODE SPACE MOUNTAIN TWICE IN A ROW AND R'NRCOASTER OVER AND OVER. I don't know what made the difference but I faced the fear and did it anyway. Chloe was SO proud of me she bought me a special 'bravery' mug.

We're off the WDW in August and I'm so excited. I will go on absolutely everything, shout 'yee-ha' as we loop the loop and even raise my arms at the top of the track!

Chloe, I am so sorry for nearly destroying your childhood! Phew, I feel so much better now!

 

[MelessaG]

We parents just can't win, can we? Having said that, I was a very timid little girl and didn't really ride any 'big rides' at any amusement park until I was in my early teens. I loved them, but I'm glad I was older. It was kind of like a 'rite of passage' for me. Even then, it was only on my last visit that I rode to TOT at MGM, and really made my DH laugh at the death grip I had on his leg the whole ride. Once the plummeting started, I liked it-but probably would have never ridden had my 8 year-old niece not shamed me into doing so by riding it before me and loving it. There are still rides at Universal IOA that scare me too much to try, so I guess I'm still a chicken at heart. My DD, who just turned 6, on the other hand, is fearless. The only thing I let her ride last trip was Star Tours and Barnstormer. She was tall enough for other rides, but she is very thin for her height, and I was nervous she might slip out of the restraints. (Shh! She thinks she is still too short for Space Mountain only because I think she is still too thin for the restraints to work properly). She will get to ride BTRR and Splash Mountain on our next trip because she is already begging to do so, and I know I can sit next to her on those rides-just in case. She says TOT might make her sick, but is really sorry not to be able to ride RNR Coaster. (which I loved, btw-I'm not a complete baby) So, my rambling reply to this is that it depends completely on the kid. I had no clue any child of mine would want to ride anything even resembling a 'thrill ride' before adolescence, but now that one does-I am going to let her within reason. I am kind of glad we are saving TOT and RNR for later visits, though. I still think it's fun to save some things for when you get older.

 

[LaGaviota]

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[KimR]

I wholeheartedly agree that you should NEVER take a child on a ride they are afraid of. The problem I have, though, is my 6-year-old is soooo unpredicatable as far as what freaks her out. She loves Space Mountain, BTMRR, Splash Mountain, Star Tours, Test Track, Haunted Mansion, and Spiderman (yes, I know that one's not Disney). However, she hated 'Honey, I shrunk the audience' and totally freaked out on Dinosaur. She didn't want to try TOT last time, but she said the next time we go she wants to try it if she can ride it with me. I'm not going to tell her she can't ride, but I want DH to ride it with her the first time because I don't want to be there if she freaks. TOT freaks me out even without a hysterical child to contend with. I was the one to deal with that nightmare on 'Dinosaur' - what a horrible experience.....it's DH's turn!

 

[SAWYERMAW1]

My 5 year old grandson has been riding Tower of Terror since he was 3 and this year he was finally tall enough for Space Mountain. He loves roller coasters. He's praying he'll be tall enough for the Rockin Roller Coaster this May. You couldn't pay my 11 year old grandson to ride Towr of Terror or Space Mountian nor would I make him. I think kids should decide which rides they go on.

 

[CRCrazy]

I also agree that you should not say no roller coasters for kids as a general rule.

Every kid is different - but what you shouldn't do is force them to do anything! Every kid has different fears - but those fears are very real to them!

My oldest rides anything and everything, my middle one gets motion sick - doesn't like to try anything - but loves BTMRR & Splash, finally got up the nerve to try Space Mtn at age 12, and liked it - will NEVER try TOT, RNRC, or Mission:Space.

My youngest went to Disney for the first time at 5 - begged to do the roller coasters - in fact, she cried when she couldn't get onto RNRC! Space Mountain was here absolute favorite ride! She did not, however, like anything dark & scary, or with fire. We skipped Haunted Mansion and TOT with her (DH rode with the older girls). I didn't even think - but she hated Kali & Fantasmic - because of the fire on both rides.

We went back when she was 6 - and she was JUST tall enough for RNRC - she rode it 3 times - LOVED IT! She tried Haunted Mansion and TOT - liked Haunted Mansion - NOT TOT (too scary!) and now enjoys Fantasmic and the other scarier rides. She did not try Mission:Space this fall, even at 7 years old. She worries about how scary it may be. I also felt that she might not follow the warnings about keeping your head still and eyes open!

 

[Doc and Family]

Like everyone else, I believe it depends on the child.

Both of my boys rode BTMRR, SM, and TofT when they were only 3 (a little tall for their age) and these are now their favorite rides, at the ripe old ages of 5 and 7.

My nephew, however, at 9, still does not like some of them.

Forcing a child, however, I think is only asking for disaster--but then again, each child is different and some need a little push.

 

[Jordan's MOM]

Even us good parents make mistakes. I have never "forced my DS on anything, but have done some pretty strong "talking into" and even been known to bribe him a time or two. I know that my DS loves most all rides but can be a little unsure of the unknow. Never has he been tramatized by a ride and only once out of many mnay times did he not want to "go again". (That was TOT).
You have to know your child and truely put them first when deciding how to handle rides at a young age.


Jordan's mom