my dd3 saying "NO" to certain rides

Jenny

DIS Veteran
Joined
Mar 13, 2000
Messages
711
we went 2 times w/ our 2 dds in 05. for our jan trip, they were 6 mo. & 2 yr 10 mo. for our nov trip, they were 15 mo & 3 yrs 7 mo. We're planning our late jan. trip....like i did for the other 2 trips, I'm showing disney videos, the rides/attractions on the disney website, reading books, etc.

I was making a list w/ the 3 yr old of what rides to go on....we'll have our other 1 yr dd w/ us as well as another couple & their 1 yr ds (same age as ours). both of our girls didn't seem really afraid of any of the rides that we went on...they tolerated many rides w/out crying but i can't say that they really enjoyed them either.....they just seemed very still & maybe anxious on rides like HM, ITTBB, Maelstrom, HISA, Journey to I w/ Figment, snow white, PoC, etc. The toddler was a little jumpy in Muppets & Philharmagic but was laughing.

She's now saying NO to riding them again w/ the exception of Snow White b/c she loves that princess & PoC (probably b/c we rode it only in jan & she doesn't remember it that well). I was surprised about Figment but she said that she didn't like the puff of air/lights going out at the end of the ride.

Give her a rollercoaster & any outdoor thrill ride & she's fine. Many of the disney rides are indoors in the dark w/ loud, jump-at-you special effects which have left the 3 yr old w/ some strong preferences for Epcot's kidcot stations, meeting the characters and stage shows - all fine w/ us - except the 1 yr old is terrified of characters, doesn't sit through stage shows & isn't ready for kidcot stations. tough to meet their needs!!

i'm writing this thread as an FYI to parents who are trying to decide whether or not to bring their young kids on a ride. i'm now wondering when she'll get back on any of these rides. we'll have to wait & see. no rush. i'm definitely not going to rush her into the 40"+ rides, which are quite intense.
 
We found for a period of time (about age 2 1/2 to 4 1/2) my DD would not do the dark internal rides either for the same "jump at you scare" reasons. She outgrew it and now at 5 is an expert in all the rides she is tall enough to jump onto.

Her older brother also went thru a period where we used the chicken door to the mansion every time we visited...until one day he actually went on! He loves the stuff that's scariest now.

While he was one age and she was another, we would alternate our time between their activities and use "baby swap" ALOT. Bring lots and lots and lots of snacks for the younger one and turn her stroller away from the characters when older one wants to see the character that you know scares the pants off the little one.
 
DS6 got scared at the haunted mansion, mainly b/c a group of girls screamed when they turned the lights out. He rode it, but later told me he didn't want to ride it again. (we usually ride it at least 3 or 4 times). When I explained to him that he did not have to ride anything he didn't want to, he de-stressed and was fine. He actually did ride it again. I guess he just needed the reassurance that he could choose if he rode something or not.
 
we got the kids through the rides last year by reassuring them & we'd tell the 3 yr old to talk to the witch on snow white (like say "go away witch"), etc.

this time around, i'm going to include the 3 yr old in deciding what rides to go on & take a break from some of the dark rides that she's unsure of. I'm sure that she'll be ready to go back on them in a few years.

we are also taking a break from the character meals b/c of the 1 yr old, which is fine w/ me considering our budget. we were going to try the princess meal at norway b/c the princesses aren't too scary but really the 1 yr old doesn't even like strangers up close to her. we take 2 strollers so i'm going to head off w/ the 3 yr in search for some characters while the other one hangs out w/ dad - eating snacks, people watching & trying out the play areas like Pooh's, etc.
 

My 2 year old and 5 year old refused to go on the Haunted Manison. But they did really well on everything else.
 












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