Question about a couple Disney rides

[CrazedBee]

In February we'll be going to Disneyland with my 7 year old cousin. Shes sometimes scared of the rides at our local amusement park so I was wondering what the matterhorn, Tower of terror, space mountain, and Golden Zephyr do (spin fast, go upside down, etc)? This is going to be her first time to Disneyland so I want it to be special, or 'magical'- that means no crying or upset kids!

Thanks in advance for any info

 

[Albort]

In February we'll be going to Disneyland with my 7 year old cousin. Shes sometimes scared of the rides at our local amusement park so I was wondering what the matterhorn, Tower of terror, space mountain, and Golden Zephyr do (spin fast, go upside down, etc)? This is going to be her first time to Disneyland so I want it to be special, or 'magical'- that means no crying or upset kids!

Thanks in advance for any info

theres only one ride that goes upside down... which is California Scream

Matterhorn: very very fast left and right jerking... i get jerked left and right and if i got lots in my pocket, my side hurts But still fun
Tower of terror: if you get sick when the pilot pulls up and down on the airplane, shouldnt ride it... i get pretty motion sickness on ToT. I suggest trying the Mailboomer before going onto Tot...
Space Mountain: left and right too, very fast... for beginners, sit on the right side of the train. Tis more smoother...
Golden Zeplyr: never rode it, been meaning to, but it seems slow...

 

[Pirate-Emery]

In February we'll be going to Disneyland with my 7 year old cousin. Shes sometimes scared of the rides at our local amusement park so I was wondering what the matterhorn, Tower of terror, space mountain, and Golden Zephyr do (spin fast, go upside down, etc)? This is going to be her first time to Disneyland so I want it to be special, or 'magical'- that means no crying or upset kids!

Thanks in advance for any info

Ok, being a Theme Park enthusiast of only a couple years, I feel I can adequately answer this. I never was one for upside down or spin fast.

Matterhorn: Nice and Easy. Went on it when I was 5. There are quick turns, but not much. Easy Roller Coaster.

Tower of Terror: I've been on the Great America Drop Zone. It is basically like that. Would I recommend it for 7? I don't know... I just recently plucked up the courage to ride it and I was 16 at the time. Also take into consideration the plot of the ride (Twilight Zone). I'd say this isn't a ride for younger children.

Space Mountain: It's fast, but I don't remember there being much upside down. Basically: you go up to the top, then spiral down to the bottom. I'd put it in the same vein as Matterhorn.

Golden Zephyr: I haven't been on it, but it appears to be like one of those giant swing-type attractions. Not sure, you'd have to consult others on this ride.

 

[disneegrl4eva]

Tower of terror: if you get sick when the pilot pulls up and down on the airplane, shouldnt ride it... i get pretty motion sickness on ToT. I suggest trying the Mailboomer before going onto Tot...

haha yeah I know first hand that albort doesnt like TOT...only made him ride it once then me, being the that I am, decided to be nice and not make him ride it the remaining 13 times with me

 

[AZMickeyfans]

I can chime in on the Golden Zepher. It is one of my ds3's favorite ride. It does go around and around but is very tame. I never get that motion sickness or the force on my face feeling (best way I can describe that feeling of spinning too fast. ) Overall it's a pretty calm ride that I like to go on and enjoy the view as I spin and spin around.

Keep in mind that ToT and SM are dark rides. If she doesn't like the dark I would suggest skipping them. I made the mistake of taking dd on SM and the rest of the day was ruined because she was so upset. I explained it to her before we went on that it is a rollercoaster in the dark and she thought it sounded ok but she hated it.

Matterhorn has a dark tunnel. Dd hates the darkness and gets a little freaked in the tunnel of Matterhorn but when we are out of it she is fine the rest of the ride. Oh, except the loud ROAR scares her. I've learned to cover her ears during when it happens. We usually force her to go on it though since it has been the ony "big" ride my ds can go on. She never minds when she is out and then will go on it a few more times. It's just the first visit of our trip that freaks her out on the Matterhorn. Then she loves it. funny.

 

[honeymom]

Golden Zephyr is mild. The only thing that could be scary is if she is afraid of heights.

Most kids do okay on Matterhorn. My daughter 11 is not a huge roller coaster fan so she isn't thrilled by it. I would suggest starting out on Gadget's Go Coaster in toontown. If she likes that, then graduate up to Matterhorn and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. If she really likes those and doesn't mind dark, loud rides, then go for Space Mountain. But, be aware it is really fast and powerful since it was renovated a year or two ago. I took my 8 year old son on it thinking it would be like it used to be - dark and a little faster than Matterhorn. Luckily the whole ride is only like a minute and a half, but I spent the whole time thinking what have I done. He liked it, but didn't want to go on it again for the rest of the trip.

Tower of Terror may be too scary for a 7 year old. The story line might just be too frightening.

 

[LittleWoodenHead]

Most kids would be OK with the Matterhorn, I think. (Growing up, I had a friend with a deathly fear of roller coasters, but she had no problem with the Matterhorn.) It's just fast enough to be fun, without being too intense. The Yeti can be a bit scary -- but not any worse than the Witch in Snow White...

Space Mountain will still be "Rockin'" in February, so it won't be as dark as usual. Still, 7 might be too young for this. I would see if they can handle Big Thunder first. (Or, as honeymom suggests, Gadget's Go Coaster in Toontown.)

I would STRONGLY recommend AGAINST Tower of Terror. It is one of my favorite rides -- yet every time I go to CA, I am upset by the number of kids I see in tears at the end of the ride. I'm sure most of them (and their parents) thought they could handle it. But they couldn't.

It is NOT just a simple drop ride. The storyline is morbid, the atmosphere is very creepy, and you really feel like you are plunging through the Twilight Zone on an out-oc-control elevator.


If nothing else, ride it first before you subject your cousin to it.

 

[DLR29]

Golden Zephyr is NOTHING! Gentle, slow spinning ride over the Paradise Bay.

I'd actually say Space Mountain is less intense than Matterhorn because the Matterhorn was the first steel caoster and is very old and bumpy. Also the yeti can be a little intimidating. Space Mountain is not full of big drops but more of tight twists and turns to gain speed. The Max speed of Space is about 30mph.

ToT is different. It is unlike any other ride anywhere in the world other than the one at MGM and other disney parks. It is a drop ride mixed witha Haunted Mansion. The drops are intense but not extremely scary and more fun. Have someone try it and come back and give a review or ask her if she would like to try it but give her an explanation of the ride before hand so that she's not surprised.

 

[CrazedBee]

Thanks for all the info everyone I think the only ride we'll have to skip is the tower of terror (I'm not to keen on big drop rides anyways ).

 

[rosiep]

I am not one for fast motion. I tend to get "off balance" rather easily, so imagine my surprise when I LOVED TOT, and Screamin California. Space Mountain? No problem. Mailboomer ok! What made me sick??

The Golden Zephyr ....I needed to go back to the hotel and lie down before I lost my lunch