Is POTC scary?

[Wes1stTrip2016]

My 5yr old DS' only pirate is Jake, will he be ok on POTC, as I plan to ride it and Jungle Cruise first thing after our Crystal Palace breakfast. Thanks!

 

[Robo]

It's dark and loud.
There are many effects that can be "startling," including a small but rapid waterfall "drop."

 

[Capang]

Watch the YouTube videos and judge for yourself. Some kids do just fine while others don't. You could even have him watch to know what to expect.

 

[tinawv]

Only if you have a redhead in your party.

 

[Skywise]

For a 5 year old... maybe?

There's not really any blatantly "scary" scenes in it but there are some intense ones, like skeletons, ships attacking the city and a town on fire. (as you merrily ride your boat. )

Some 5 year olds wouldn't have a problem, others would.

 

[MJ6987]

Not scary for an adult but my daughters (17 and 13!) won't go on it again and for a 5 year old, it would probably be scary.

 

[GPC0321]

I'm scared of getting soaking wet on it. Does that count?

 

[CindySwims]

That really depends on the child. My kids have been riding it since toddler ages, but they have also ridden the haunted mansion since they were babies too. I agree with a YouTube preview. You know your child best. There are elements that some kids might find scary.

 

[Wes1stTrip2016]

Thanks for the feedback! He has never been to Disney, so doesn't know what to expect. He has ridden tons of carnival rides, but I don't think they compare. I just don't want to scare him right out the chute.

 

[brinkley07]

We took my 2 yo on it for the first time this past fall during MNSSHP and he loved it. He has been on it again when we went in Dec as well as on the Haunted Mansion and loved both. The only thing he said he didn't like was the elevator portion of the HM. My guy is very laid back and we made it fun for him which helped.

 

[palmtreegirl]

My 4 year old niece was scared until I told her it's all fake and they're robots. Then she thought it was fun. Just explain to him that it's not real.

 

[Cruisin Spartan]

3yo DS had no problem with it, and he can be a little timid at times. For example, I'm not sure we'll get him back on Haunted Mansion for a while.

 

[lugnut33]

I act like a 5 year old and don't find it scary.

 

[sunsetbeachgal]

It totally depends on the child, the ride starts off quite dark and then there is a drop. After that very visual.

 

[TideWDW]

It definitely depends on the child. My almost 5 year old rode this many times. But he also rode Tower of Terror, Haunted mansion and Expedition Everest many times. He is a daredevil. Lol

 

[Tondee]

The drop is a slope. I think most 5 year olds would be fine. Bring some glow necklaces and bracelets. The beginning is slightly scary but with the song and antics of the pirates later on, it ends on a good note. I really think you should try it. The only ride/attraction I would not recommend is Stitch. My 5 year old rode space mtn for the first time last fall and loved it. I would not say he is a daredevil and I was surprised he liked it. I always tell my son that we can try it once, if he doesn't like it we won't ride it again.

 

[wdw71]

I think it depends. I don't think its as dark as HM but I think the music and loud banging from cannon fire could be scary to a small child. I don't remember my DD ever being afraid on POTC but she was scared on HM until she was 7ish. My son went through a phase from age 4 until we went back when he was 7 where he always wanted to know if it was dark and he wouldn't go in if it was. Only thing you can do is try it. You can always back out if the queue is scary to him. I think the queue represents the ride pretty well.

 

[Rylie Grite]

My 5yr old DS' only pirate is Jake, will he be ok on POTC, as I plan to ride it and Jungle Cruise first thing after our Crystal Palace breakfast. Thanks!

My daughter is 4 and was upset that the Pooh ride had lightning, no joke. Last trip she did POTC 2x.

We did have to convince her to go on it the first time. We had seen the you tube video and warned her about what she would see and explained it wasn't real and it was make believe. Prior to the small drop I warned her by whispering in her ear that it was coming. We also gave her a small AAA flashlight on a lanyard so she could turn on a light if she got scared. There are only 3 things that may scare a child, the fog projection in the beginning, the drop in the dark and the skeleton piloting the boat in the thunderstorm. She very much enjoyed the pirate cannons and the town scenes.

After going on the first time, she asked to go on again the next time we were in adventure land.
Now we are trying to convince her to go on the mine train for our next trip.

 

[freshmanjs]

In the last refurb, they massively upgraded the sound system at the ship battle. It is now quite loud and much more intense than it used to be. Also, if your boat goes by at just the right (wrong?) time, you can get a blast of air right across your face/ear that is very startling.

 

[StirlingSilver83]

My 7 yr old went on it no problem...he wasnt scared at all...the baby on the other hand cried the whole time bc it is really dark there. The baby will be 3 in a half next time we go so we are going to try it again...he loves boats and pirates and isnt afraid of the dark anymore lol