OK, They are tall enough, but should they really ride?

[christophfam]

I could use some help deciding what is appropriate for a 9 and 6 year old at IOA and US. They are tall enough for most of the rides, but I'm not sure how much of the psychological thrill rides I should subject them to. I'm very picky about the types of things that go into their heads, i.e., they have seen a just a FEW PG movies and we watch PBS cartoons only (no cable use here). They have ridden space mountain, and love it, but have been scared on dinosaur and It's a bug's life at AK, although that was a few years ago. They love Tot, and RnRC, but were scared at Fantasmic! the first time we saw it, but more recently enjoyed it.

Any suggestions? I know for sure that we will skip Mummy and Terminator, but what about Twister and Earthquake? Jaws worries me a bit since we go to the beach every weekend. And what about the shows? They sound like they may be a bit gory or risque for young ones without much exposure.

At IOA I think they will be all right on spidey and the water rides, but what about Jurassic? Poseideon will be closed while we are there.

Thanks in advance for your help!

Oh and lastly, what are some of the best kids (although still good food)restuarants both at the parks and at Citiwalk? We are staying at RPR.

 

[phamton]

I'm not sure anyone can really answer this. Sometimes kids get scared at things you would never expect like seeing Barney for the first time.

These two articles really explain the rides and the fear factor quite well. I would read these and decide from there.

Kids at Universal

Kids at Islands of Adventure

 

[JillU-DVC]

From how you describe your children, i'd really suggest avoiding Spiderman (I'm almost 40 and it scares me!) and the new Mummy ride.

Just my two cents!!

I also wanted to say GOOD FOR YOU for researching these things ahead of time, and caring about how your kids react. I HATE when I see kids dragged onto rides screaming in fear, just because their parents want to ride them!

 

[Snoopymom]

I agree, that's a hard one to answer.

My 5 yr old is fearless and loved everything, but my sensitive 6 year old nephew would probably be scared to death of the loud Marvel Island area in itself and I doubt he would enjoy any of the rides. In fact, the whole time we were there during our family trip this past summer, I kept thinking how grateful I was that they had made the choice to stick with Disney. I knew the little guy would have been miserable.

Also, I tried to cheer up a frightened child who looked to be about 8 years old with a glow in the dark stick while waiting for Shrek to start, so you never know, sometimes it's just a few minutes of darkness or waiting in line for the unknown that scares them the most.

If you haven't already, I'd check out the little video clips on Universal's website. That may give you a better idea. Sorry, I'm not much help. Good luck!

 

[A Mickeyfan]

Only you can answer this. I have seen kids that love one ride while another that is the same age & height...hate it... I have a 12 yr old that will not do roller coasters...yet she loves the Mummy. Her friend is younger than her & she will do DD & the Hulk. My one daughter was petrified of Jaws when she was younger, my other daughter wasn't, my son thought it was "funny"..so only you can decide... I want to say that there is a web site that shows the rides, I just cannot remember what it is.... that may be a little help to have them "see" the ride first...

 

[shoney]

Just back....

I have a daredevil of a 4 year old (boy) and a scaredy cat of a 6 year old (boy)....

Twister is intense scared the daylights out of my 4 year old but he loved earthquake. I think sitting in that "train" is a safety net. 6 year old wouldn't go on either.

Mummy is out of the question for anyone who isn't a thrill seeker. My husband and I love thrill rides and it is enjoyable for us.

Jaws is probably okay for your children if they can handle the "fire" aspect. If they are able to detemine the difference between "fake" real fire and a real fire then Jaws isn't so bad. My kids thought they were going to burn.

The Dr Suess land and curious George were worth the price of admission for both my sons. Having other rides that thrilled Mom and Dad were a Bonus!!!!!

If you love food, please eat at Mythos...best theme park restaurant we've ever been to.

P.s. the fire hydrient that spewed water at universal kept my kids busy for almost 2 hours one day. Strangers were taking their pictures!!!!!!!
It was cute because Grandma and Grandpa are both from Brooklyn, NY where that was a common place on a summer afternoon. They enjoyed seeing their grandchildren enjoying themselves.

 

[Figment22]

I guess none of us are helping you much but I'd have to concur that you'll have to decide based on your knowledge of your kids. When my oldest son, (now 15) was 3 or 4, he wanted to ride every coaster he met the height requirement for so we always considered him a daredevil. That is, until we took him on ET. Now ET is considered so mild, it's in the KidZone. It's a dark ride which posed a problem. As you go through the ride, there's a point where a police car appears (quite noisily) as you're trying to make your escape with ET in your bike basket. My son started screaming! It just scared the living daylights out of him and he wouldn't go on ET for several years after that.

I guess what I'm trying to say is: You just never know what might frighten your child. Things that other kids take in stride completely.

Wish I could be more helpful. Good luck in making your decisions.

 

[sha_lyn]

you said they love ToT and RnR.... So I would say they would like Mummy, Spiderman, JPRA etc.