It's Tough to be a Bug - just how scary?

[pilesoflaundry]

Is it worse than Honey I shrunk the audience? That completely wrecked my at the time 6 year old for hours afterward and she took her glasses off and closed her eyes 2 minutes in! She's 7 now and we didn't do it this trip because I was still apprehensive after our previous fiascos with 3-d shows. (she's a ride demon and loves coasters and scary rides but the shows just do her in I guess!)

We are hoping to go back in September and thought about it but I'm still nervous. My dh and son want to do it and I've thought about sending them in alone!

 

[Robo]

Is it worse than Honey I shrunk the audience?

Bug is far more "intense" and interactive than HISTA.

 

[tndisneyfan]

DS watched it when he was seven and it terrified him. He is afraid of spiders so it was a little much for him. He is almost 14 now and still refuses to watch it again.

 

[Sneezie]

We took my DD's best friend with us when they were 10 years old and at the end of the show we found her in the fetal position on the floor. Traumatized her! I felt awful.

 

[ChristaDeVil]

We went our last trip, after a LOT of begging from my son. I don't care for the creepy and/or crawly, so I had to be forced in there. When the spiders fell down from the ceiling, I realized that my husband and I were holding on to each other for dear life and screaming like little girls. My eight year old son, laughing his head off at us. I won't be going in there again.

 

[pilesoflaundry]

Bug is far more "intense" and interactive than HISTA.

I can't imagine anything worse than that! Wow. Thanks for the warning, I really appreciate it.

I know disney isn't strictly for children by any means but you would think these shows wouldn't be quite so bad.

 

[Tinkerbell3014]

When my DD was 4 and 1/2, she was terrified. She hated it. We took my DS in when he was 4 and although he didn't love it, he didn't hate it either. It really does depend on your child. I agree with some others, you should prepare them for what is going to happen. Then when it does they aren't as scared by it.

 

[lessit]

I can't imagine anything worse than that! Wow. Thanks for the warning, I really appreciate it.

I know disney isn't strictly for children by any means but you would think these shows wouldn't be quite so bad.

It's not that they're "bad", it's that the effects make it very real. Most kids can probably watch an animated bug on TV sting a human or squirt some bug juice at another. It's an entirely different story (to the kid) when it's directed right at you in 3D, coupled with real fog, a squirt of water or a poke in the back. I have to admit that I winced a few times but loved the presentation. I would carefully consider bringing young children into these w/o seeing it for yourself first. Even if you think they'll be OK, you might be suprised at their reaction. If your kid freaks at this you'll have a tough time getting them into other attractions where they have to put those 3D glasses on.

 

[Vallie]

I really like this ride, however I could see it being very scary for a younger child. If you do take your child I would definitly prepare her with what she will see, reassure her its not real and definitly keep her on your lap, as there are little bugs that scurry across your seat and a bee "pokes" your back.

 

[kldmom2000]

I finally took my girls in to see it on their 4th trip to WDW.... younger DD was nearly 6. She loves bugs so I thought she'd think it was fun....

WRONG!

She absolutely freaked like nothing I'd ever seen before!!! Terrified to death! She will never set foot in there again I think!

 

[MHSweb79]

At the end, some seats have a "stinger" that get a few guests and you may feel some things moving under your seat.

Some seats? Every time I've seen this show I've been stung and creepy-crawlied in my seat. I think the show is very creative, clever and funny but for many younger kids, it's way too intense.

 

[MichelleVW]

Speaking as someone who has seen TTBAB 30 plus times...I have never been to a show where at least one child did not have to leave crying.

Speaking as a pre school teacher...all children are different. There will be some 4 year olds who think the show is great, but most will not. We are doing a "bug" theme right now - most kids are scared of bugs. Add that to the dark, loud show and the general over excitement of being at Disney, and you have a recipe for disaster.

Is it worth not only scaring your child, but having to fight your child to go on rides/shows the rest of the vacation?

Same here...it's DH's favorite attraction so we see it A LOT! Every single time there are screaming terrified children in there. It's hard to enjoy yourself when the 6 year old next to you in screaming in terror.

There was this poor little guy one time who kept screaming, "I WANT TO GO HOME!" The parents were trying to talk him through it, and finally towards the end took him out. It was hard for me to sit and laugh at the show when this poor guy thought he was going to be eaten by bugs..

I finally took my girls in to see it on their 4th trip to WDW.... younger DD was nearly 6. She loves bugs so I thought she'd think it was fun....

WRONG!

She absolutely freaked like nothing I'd ever seen before!!! Terrified to death! She will never set foot in there again I think!

That's my DD18, except the attraction was Dinosaur and she was 10! She went on it and totally freaked out, and refuses to ever go on it again.

 

[Dawnie]

Like someone else said, IF you decide to give it a try do it on your LAST day! When my son was about 7 we took him on Alien Encounter (before it was Stich) on the first day of the trip. It ruined every 3-D, interactive type show from then on!

 

[ntikos]

My advise - wait about 6 or 7 years before you take your 4 yr old to this show.


The part with hopper and the bugspray and the spiders is very intense. The bugspray fills the entire theater with fog - you can't see while hopper is screaming about killing all humans. Then the spiders, then the wasps - 2 years ago my dd5 (at the time) completely freaked out and I had to take her outside - she was crying and shaking. It is very intense.

 

[momma2kiddos]

It is intense......and funny! We went this past March and my daughter is 11 and was scared! Her face kept burying itself in my shirt. Of course, my then 5 month old son was oblivious as to what was going on since he had no 3d glasses but I was shocked my daughter was so scared. I thought it was funny myself but hey! LOL She said she'll wait for us outside next year when we go back!
My sister's family went with us also and her 5 y/o son wasn't feeling it at all. There were only maybe 2 kids that just LOST IT and needed to get the heck o ut of there but all in all it was very very fun.

 

[BABY_EINSTEIN'S_MOM]

I agree with the posters that say to save it for last or work up to it. My ds(4) was having a great time with 3-D shows, coasters, loved the thrills..so...I took him on Stitch (mistake!!) He cried on my shoulder as soon as Stitch was over... So when we took him to the 3-D Bugs Life I believe he was already hesistant.

I had forgotten how intense it was since it never bothered my dd! My boys like thrills but not scary things...my girl likes scary things but not thrills!LOL

Anyway, he began to get scared when it got dark and foggy and right about then I remembered about the creepy crawlies under the seat so I just put him in my lap and held his head to my chest with my hand over his other ear!! Thankfully he made it out without any tears! I did work my way up with the attractions but those last two were just too much for him! Splash Mountain and Soarin were his faves!!!

 

[RMulieri]

It scared the pants off my 7 yr old niece...I didn't even chance bringing my 4 y/o last time. If you have a child that scares easily, this is not the attraction for them.Hopper is scary, the bug spray can freak kids out.Not to mention the spiders that drop from the ceiling, the stingers at the back of your seat, and the sensation of bugs running over your feet at the end of the show

 

[WantToGoNow]

We had to take out both of our kids last time - and my ds was 5.5. He is 8 now and still remembers that show and said he will NOT be going back.

The first time I saw it the huge spiders coming down from the ceiling frightened me. I think this trip, part of the family will go and the rest will be waiting outside.

 

[Robo]

...and the sensation of bugs running over your feet at the end of the show

Not over your feet.

The little critters can be felt crawling beneath your, ah, dignity (so to speak.)

 

[TVEPFOX]

We took DD when she was 4. She freaked 2 minutes into the show. We quietly got up and left the show. A very nice CM met us at the door and walked us out. She gave DD a ladybug finger puppet to cheer her up. 3 years later she still has the puppet.