Intensity/Scary factor for younger kids?

[snoopy5386]

We're going to US with my just turned 7 year old in the spring. She will be tall enough for most rides, but I am wondering what rides might be too intense, scary or otherwise too much for her to take. She has been to Disney many times and rode Space Mountain and Everest for the first time this past year and tolerated both, but didn't love either. She loves Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and Splash Mountain.

Rides I am concerned about include - Escape from Gringotts, Revenge of the Mummy, MIB, Transformers 3D, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, Jurassic Park River Adventure, Skull Island Reign of Kong, Poseidon's Fury and Terminator 2 3D.

We'll also have a just turned 11 year old with us as well, so skipping isn't really an option, but we can take turns sitting out with the younger one if need be. I'd like to experience as much as we can as a family and she is game to try most things once, but I also don't want to end up with her getting so scared that she refuses to try anything else.

 

[bchbetha]

"Escape from Gringotts, Revenge of the Mummy, MIB, Transformers 3D, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, Jurassic Park River Adventure, Skull Island Reign of Kong, Poseidon's Fury and Terminator 2 3D."

Our ds2 was that age last year and did ok on Harry Potter big rides (though didn't want to re-ride Gringotts). He bailed on the line to the Mummy (too scary- glad he didn't ride as he'd have freaked). MIB and Transformers were totally fine. Poseidon's Fury made him a smudge nervous but was ok. I Didnt consider trying Terminator with him. Kong wasn't open but I hear the line is scary-ish. Didn't do JP due to weather. I think he'd have been fine though.

 

[TommyJK]

My son had just turned 7 this past year before we went.

Of the rides you mentioned he did them all, and only Mummy spooked him a bit. The rest he loved.

 

[bumbershoot]

My son has been going to Uni since her was 6.5. Even as he could ride things he didn't always want to. The Mummy still freaks him out even though he's 12 and has seen (and likes!) the movie.

Not sure he's yet done Terminator.

The others are loud and chaotic and can indeed be overwhelming.

Uni has a great rider switch program that's inside the line near the spot where you are seated, if she doesn't want to ride. They don't make you split up outside the line like at WDW. There's a downside to that, though, because the mummy's line is 3/4 of the spooky problem for my son!

Of course if adults don't want to ride something either, the "ride alone" rule at Universla is height-based. If you're at least 48" AND meet the height requirement for the ride in question you can get in line and ride alone. So the 11 year old could go alone. (The tall 7 year old could too but in your case this isn't going to be an issue it seems)

On the other hand the info might be useful if the 7 year old wants to ride Woody Woodpecker's Nuthouse Coaster, as my kid did, and no one else wants to. And with the help of hotel-based express pass he rode that, alone, 15 times in a row while I sat on a bench.

 

[woodynjessiesmomma]

We were just there last week and my 8yo son who loves everything at Disney (EE and RnRC are his favorites and he likes ToT too) was scared of Mummy, Forbidden Journey and wouldn't even try Kong. He didn't love Jurassic Park River Adventure either, mostly because he doesn't like to get wet on rides. He did loved Escape from Gringotts, MIB, and Transformers. We missed Terminator and Poseidon's Fury.
My 4yo DD that used to be my dare devil, was scared of everything inside/dark this trip

The child swap areas were really nice and we were switching off anyway due to the 2yo. Maybe look at youtube videos to see if your 7yo could handle it.

 

[snoopy5386]

Thanks all, this has been really helpful. So probably no to the Mummy and Terminator...Luckily we are staying on site and will have unlimited EP so one of the adults can always preview first. For the two Harry Potter rides, which one to go on first? Which is less scary? I've ridden Forbidden Journey before and remember it being pretty intense, Gringotts wasn't built when we were there last.

 

[Kivara]

I'd say it depends on what scares your child. My youngest loves the Terminator show (has since he was 6), but at now 11, he still won't see the Hollywood Horror show...he doesn't care for gore, even over-the-top fake gore.

The Mummy is a "scary" ride though, as it does include many differnet things (ocassional darknes, fire, images of bugs, skeletpns, etc)

 

[bchbetha]

Toss up on scariness of HP headliners. I'd probably say FJ is slightly scarier. I'd do both though. They weren't so scary.

 

[bumbershoot]

FJ is dementors, giant spiders, and the whomping willow.

Gringotts is trolls and dragons.

My 12 year old has been in Poseidons Fury once and still won't go back. The darkness gets to him. I am yearning to go back and see the water tunnel thing again but he just won't.

 

[klo1335]

Everything except for FJ. Nothing you could do would get my 9yo daughter to ride that again. She felt so sick afterwards and was pale.

 

[jennc27]

Last year my then DS9 would not ride Mummy or Jurassic. King Kong was not running yet. He also does not like Rollercoaster. Poseidon's Fury he was a little nervous when it was dark but liked it in the end.

Loved Gringgott but flipped out before FJ. I mean we are walking to get into the seats and he starts screaming and grabbing anything to keep himself away from the ride. The staff was great. They opened doors and the ropes to the kids swap area and Dad dragged him into the room. A few days later (after watching youtube and asking ton of questions) he tried again and loved it. He was mad at himself for missing the first couple of days. MIB and Transformers was the favorites. We rode them as much as possible.

I noticed with the kids swap that even though he was old enough and tall enough to ride, but was scared, they did not hesitate to let us do the kid swap.

 

[Kivara]

As Jenn said, they are great about letting anyone use the "child swap." My mom can't do motion simulators, so she sits it the child swap at FJ, to hold our stuff & watch clips from the HP movies
The first time DS rode RRR, I stood by myself in the child swap area...too scared of the straight up hill-climb! Everyone was nice and helpful, and just pointed out where to wait!

 

[kohlby]

My 7 year old has sensory quirks, but I have two other kids who I can comment on as well.

Escape from Gringotts - older two would have been fine at 7. Youngest is not ready for it still at 7.

Revenge of the Mummy - eldest actually still doesn't like it at 13. Middle child loved it as soon as she was tall enough, which was 8. Youngest isn't ready at 7 and gets scared even waiting in the line.

MIB - eldest loved it at 3. Middle child did well as soon as she was tall enough, which was before 7. Youngest will finally sit on the ride but closes his eyes the entire time and refuses to shoot.


Transformers 3D - gives my 10 year old headaches, eldest loves it and would have at 7. Youngest is still far from ready.

Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey - This ride can be scarier IMO so just don't do it first. My dare devil child didn't do it at 8 since she wasn't concerned about the giant spider. She liked it when she was a little older though. It's one of my favorite rides. My youngest is far from ready still.

Jurassic Park River Adventure - Older two kids would have been fine at 7 as long as not sitting where they would get wet. I think middle child got splashed on it at around that age and then I had to ask at every single ride about getting wet before getting on since she didn't trust me. My youngest isn't ready for it.

Skull Island Reign of Kong - Haven't done it yet though my husband has as he gets to go without me these days. Youngest wouldn't be ready, older two would be fine.

Poseidon's Fury - neither my 10 nor 7 year old like is one. As a short person, I don't care for it either. You're all packed in and then short people can't see anything, so not fun.

Terminator 2 3D - older two kids were fine with this at 3. Youngest makes it through as long as he wears noise cancelling headphones.

 

[kohlby]

noticed with the kids swap that even though he was old enough and tall enough to ride, but was scared, they did not hesitate to let us do the kid swap

Yes! I love that about Universal. We have never ever had an issue using it with a child who simply didn't want to do the ride who was plenty tall enough. I've never done any special needs pass type thing for my youngest because their child swap is set up so well. (Also, note there is a way to skip the queue for Mummy if the line is too scary for the child swap child. I've heard the same is true if Kong but haven't experienced that in either yet).

 

[kohlby]

Of course if adults don't want to ride something either, the "ride alone" rule at Universla is height-based. If you're at least 48" AND meet the height requirement for the ride in question you can get in line and ride alone. So the 11 year old could go alone. (The tall 7 year old could too but in your case this isn't going to be an issue it seems)

On the other hand the info might be useful if the 7 year old wants to ride Woody Woodpecker's Nuthouse Coaster, as my kid did, and no one else wants to. And with the help of hotel-based express pass he rode that, alone, 15 times in a row while I sat on a bench.

Ha - mine had two days that he did Woody Woodpecker at least 10 times. Luckily, there was no line that day. It was great that I didn't have to do it every single time. He's already told me that when we go on his birthday, he's going to ride Woody Woodpecker 100 times that day. 48" helps a lot! It also helps on Storm Force. I get too dizzy just watching that ride.

 

[EdgeOfGlory]

Poseidon's Fury can be skipped altogether as it is a walk through adventure but the technology is stuck in the 90's when it was built and not really great at all. It felt like a waste of time.