No No's for sensitive 5 yr old?

[decbysteph]

Hi! This is my first post here! My DH and DD5 and I are taking our first family vacation to WDW in December. My DD can be quite sensitive to loud noises, and if she thinks a person, animal, character, etc... are in "dangerous situations". Usually if I can prepare her in advance about something, she is fine. I know that we won't be taking her to Fantasmic, and probably not Snow White's Scary Adv. Has anyone gone to WDW with a child like this, and what freaked them out, or didn't freak them out that surprised you? Any help is appreciated!!

 

[teacher31]

My son is has hearing loss and is sensitive to very loud noises. AVOID Dinosaur. It was too loud for ME! There are parts in the 3 D movies that are loud, but if you let your DD know ahead I'm sure she'll be fine. Good luck!

 

[McKelly]

I have a very sensitive DS5, who sounds just like your DD. We took him last year and he did not like, It's Tough to Be a Bug, HISTA in Epcot or Mickey's Philharmagic (he said it was too loud and did not wish to return, although it didn't bring him to tears). He also had an issue with the end of Soarin, but was fine up to that point. He also didn't like fireworks. BUT, he loved Indiana Jones, Test Track and LIghts, Motor, Action, which are all loud too, so I am thinking it was just the 3-D and loud factor combined. This year we are going to try ear plugs for the fireworks, or maybe now that he is a year older it won't bother him so much. He still wants to go, so it couldn't have been that traumatic!!

 

[LuluLovesDisney]

My nephew was afraid of It's Tough to Be a Bug when he was about 7. The spiders/bug spray scene, etc.

 

[gonemousin']

Welcome to the DIS!!

I would definitely avoid Dinosaur in Animal Kingdom, like another poster mentioned. Also, Pirates in MK (although it's being redone so it may be more tame, or more scary). And I would say be careful of the Great Movie Ride in MGM - it has an alien scene that is loud and a little frightening. And definitely not Snow White's Scary Adventures in MK...if she's sensitive about other people's welfare!

But, like you said - your DD may surprise you and wind up LOVING everything she tries. Maybe you or your DH could preview any questionable rides while she's enjoying another attraction. And then have the "this is all pretend" conversation with her a couple of times too - that really seemed to help my DD5 when she was getting a little nervous on Dinosaur (which she ended up loving). Good luck to you and I hope you have a magical trip!!

 

[rcraw45425]

First, welcome to the DIS!!! Let's see, our younger one is 9 now and still has rides and attractions that she refues to participate in. Her no no's are: Dinosaur(I agree, it's aweful!), the Universe of Energy with Ellen DeGeneris more dino's), It's Tough to be a Bug, Honey I shrunk the Audience. Others that may give your little one pause are Pirates of the Carribean, (dark, can be spooky), Snow White, Haunted Mansion, Expedition: Everest, and even Peter Pan (again, it's dark inside). Indiana Jones may get her with the noise and explosions, Little Mermaid bothered Amy the first time, I guess because of the sea witch. I'd definitely stay away from the first ones I mentioned. The others you may want to talk about first. We love Soarin' and Philharmagic is sweet, albeit a little loud. Good luck, we have a ton of trips under our belts now, are about to tackle US/IOA again, for the first time in 4.5 years. We're having some anxious moments with her again over cartain rides, so it's not an age thing. Whatever, you'll enjoy yourselves and it will truly be magical to see the look on her face as she walks down Main Street USA!

 

[Garden Stater]

My nephew was afraid of It's Tough to Be a Bug when he was about 7. The spiders/bug spray scene, etc.

haha my friends and i are 20 yrs old, and this show still freaks us out! we always sit on the front edge of the seats because...well, you know.

also when i was much younger, the alien in the great movie ride was a little scary, but i was ok if i didn't look up.

-amy

 

[luv2nascar]

definitely It's Tough to be a Bug is a no no. Fireworks was also a problem. Try earplugs. My DD was also afraid of HM at this age. We skipped Dinosaur. And she almost cried on the Safari because she thought they killed an elephant because of what they say about poachers.

 

[amy4bruce]

My DD turned six on our last trip (which was also our first). She, too, worries about other people in movies, especially if her favorite is in danger, and even more especially if a child is about to be separated from his or her parents. (The worst? After pestering me for months to show her the 1976 Superman, she started screaming in the beginning when she realized that Kal-El was being sent away from his parents forever. )

Anyway, she didn't have any problems with anything, really, in WDW that she was willing to go on. She refused to do Test Track, Splash Mountain and Tower of Terror. (She's anxious to do them this year.) She did not like Snow White's Scary Adventure (which I certainly don't recommend for your daughter). She was fine with everything else, including It's Tough to be a Bug.

If loud noises are a problem, there are lots of them at WDW, especially on the rides. Your best bet might be the silicon ear plugs available in any drug store. They mold easily, pop out easily, and filter out a lot of noise. They don't do as good a job as some of the safety ear plugs I deal with at work (I'm in the office of a maintenance facility, to put it simply), but I don't know if those come in the right size for a child, and I don't think you want to lose all sound.

Of course, Magic Kingdom has lots of rides for her, including Winnie the Pooh, the Dumbo ride, It's a Small World, Peter Pan (might have some problems there, with Hook capturing the Darling children, and then being chased by the crocodile), etc. I agree with another poster - keep telling her that it's all make-believe, and that, with Disney, nobody really gets hurt (not true, given some of their villains, but she doesn't have to know that) and the good guys win at the end.

Good luck. Have a wonderful time.

 

[ArielDreams]

I was that kid! I had my first trip when I was 5 and absolutely hated Pirates and Snow White's Scary Adventure. Pirates was because of gunshots and cannon fire and the evil queen in Snow White was just soooooo terrifying! Also hated Mr. Toad's Wild Ride but you won't have to worry about that one anymore! In addition, I hated the fireworks at Epcot (basically, fireworks in general) and my dad had to carry me out of the park as i was crying hysterically because my parents thought they could try it. I actually still hate fireworks today but I'm getting better. I can watch Wishes now 16 years later....

 

[YEKCIM]

Slightly off-topic, but may be applicable. We took our daughter for the first time in December 03, and the only thing that *really* unnerved her was the self-flushing toilets! To this day, when we go, she asks that her mom or me hold our hand over the sensor until she is finished and has moved away from the "device" before removing our hand, allowing the potty to flush. Guess she thought she was gonna get sucked down the drain. They *are* pretty loud...

~YEKCIM

 

[oxfordcircus]

My son is super sensitive to sound. On our first trip, he freaked out on just about every ride, including Pooh! On our next trip, we brought the foam, bullet shaped ear plugs that you roll up and let expand in the ear. They gave him a lot more confidence this time around.

Yesterday, my daughter bought some earplugs in anticipation of our next trip. They're the same plugs, but they come in girly colors. You can get them at Lowe's.

 

[Gradar1]

My little sister was 4 when she first went, and she just came back from her 3rd trip with my parents. The best thing that we did is remind her that it's all 'Mickey Magic'...we took her on most of the rides then, just not the Mountains, Mission: Space and ToT. She did pretty well with most things--the Haunted Mansion she hid her face the entire time the first two trips---she didn't like the dark. She liked Buzz Lightyear, and loved Test Track--we just told her it was no different than Daddy driving (which it's not!) After three trips, she's still afraid of the dark rides like Space Mountain and Rock and Roller Coaster. In my opinion, the best thing to do is if you're questioning what she'll like, when you get to the ride, tell her what to expect and ask her if she wants to ride. If she doesn't, then you can always do a child-swap, so you and your DH can ride. Take her for a Mickey ice cream, slip into a shop, stop and see characters while the other rides....just thinking about this makes me want to go back!

 

[Scrap_Vamp]

haha my friends and i are 20 yrs old, and this show still freaks us out! we always sit on the front edge of the seats because...well, you know.

also when i was much younger, the alien in the great movie ride was a little scary, but i was ok if i didn't look up.

-amy

Lol, I always lean forward too - my DF didn't notice me doing this until it was too late (his first time at this attraction) but the second time we went in he knew to do it too!

 

[LaughinPlace289]

The obvious ones would of course be ToT, RnR, EE, the mountains, Mission: Space, etc. I would also avoid the 3-D shows... they can be pretty intense for a 5-year-old. Dinosaur is very loud and intense, stay away from that. Test Track is a toss up... it would depend on whether or not high speeds would bother her.

 

[Sleeping Becca]

My tips:

Use the ear plugs, DD has molded ones from her ENT, they easily go in and out. We put them in before a loud ride or attraction.

Buy a hat that can be pulled over their eyes. The hat is a safe place. When DD pulls the hat down and covers her ears I hold her close, when the fear or loud noise passes, she sits up and pushes up the hat.

Watch Disney Travel videos ahead of time so you can introduce the attractions ahead of time, this will greatly reduce the "fear factor".

Remind your child over and over again that it is ALL PRETEND, there are no REAL monsters or dinos. I went as far as telling my DD that all of the charaters on the rides are robots.

Good Luck!

 

[pugcrazy]

Last year we went to WDW with DD11, nephews 2 & 5. The 5 yr old was afraid of ALL of the 3D shows & the fireworks because they were loud. Buy ear plugs if you have a child afraid of loud noises.
HOWEVER, I thought Buzzlight year was loud & they loved that.

My DD11 did not like the Universe of Energy @ EPCOT as it was loud.

Hope you have a magical trip. Here's a little pixie dust

 

[Ellajoan]

Had exact same issues when we took our son at age 5. We started with the Pooh ride, thinking it would be fine, but the "herky jerky" motion and heffalump scene scared him to death. We avoided all 3-D movies (after having to leave Mickey's Philharmagic) and anything with extremely loud noises. Fireworks were out, too. POTC was out, too. Even Buzz freaked him out a little, but he braved it through and wanted to go on a second time. Ear plugs would be a great idea. He is almost 9 and still a little skittish about going back. We did, however, find plenty of fun rides attractions that he still LOVED.

Good luck!

 

[mac3013]

DS is 8 now but the first time we went he was 6. He also hates loud noises. We bought him the over the ear protection, like the ones used at shooting ranges. We were there for 8 night and by the 6th he told us he didn't need them anymore.

 

[BlindTyldak]

Definitely out: Dinosaur, Tough to be a Bug, Honey I Shrunk the Audience, Star Tours (not as loud but definitely a "you're in danger feeling"), Stitch, Snow White.

Watch out on: Philharmagic and Muppets 3D, Indiana Jones, Pirates, Lights, Motor, Action, Little Mermaid, Great Movie Ride, Backlot Tour, the tame Mission Space (wild ride, but a very "you're in control script" and I didn't think it was deafening, use your judgement after riding it yourself first), Ellen, Maelstrom, BTMRR, and Splash. Some are loud, some imply dangerous situations. If you don't mind spoilers and think preparation might help your child, PM me I'd be happy to send you conversation points.

Probably very safe bets: Buzz, Winnie the Pooh, Peter Pan (Wendy is in danger but it's so cartoony and old fashioned it's just charming), Kilimanjaro Safaris, Kali River (but only if she'd enjoy a wild wet ride, other than that it is quiet and you feel very safe), Festival of the Lion King (loud music but very familiar, no dark surprises), Flights of Wonder (but the birds do swoop a little low, you may want to mention that), Jungle Cruise (cover her ears for the starter pistol if used, other than that an excellent "test ride") just to name a few.