Ride Freak Out!!

[DoleWhip81]

My wife and I were at Disneyland and were on POTC, we ended up getting stuck right before the first drop (the one with the talking skull). What made this experience so memorable was the little 4 year old kid freaking out in front of us. He was already a little nervous about the ride to begin with, but this just sent him over the edge. After we did the "pirate shuffle" for a bit and continued down the way, we came upon the Davy Jones effect. We are slowly getting closer and closer to Davy Jones and this kid is just freaking out. I was about to laugh my head off! I know that it is bad that I find this funny.I think that is the first time I have ever witnessed anyone freak out like that on a ride at Disneyland. The poor kid is going to end up not being able to even watch the POTC movies.

 

[Krissy Marissy]

Aww I feel bad for the kids, and the parents. But being a parent myself I guess I tend to feel for kids more now than before I had any. I hope he didn't have any nightmares...poor thing.

 

[WannaBeAPrincess]

Poor little guy. I bet he'll always remember his first time on POTC! He'll look back on it when he's older and laugh at himself probably...my kids do.

 

[callmeblissful]

I got stuck by one of the Abominable Snowmen on the Matterhorn when I was four, and thirteen years later, I still cannot ride it. I tried in May and had a full on panic attack! I hope he gets over his fear of POTC and doesn't have the same experience as me, poor kid!!!

 

[ashpinoza]

Aww I feel bad for the kids, and the parents. But being a parent myself I guess I tend to feel for kids more now than before I had any. I hope he didn't have any nightmares...poor thing.

really? lol i even being a very good parent, and my husband a great dad, think that is HILARIOUS! LOL i think thats so funny! it just is! although, i have a pretty big sense of humor, i can find something funny in almost anything hehe. of course, with the exception of something truly sad or bad.

 

[teatime]

trauma, any kind is not good for a child. I feel bad for the little guy, really bad.

 

[LuLusApple]

The dark rides can be very scarey for little kids. how sad..POTC can look realistic to them too, hopefully they took him on IASW or something bright and cheery afterward. The gma in me is thinking about my own little DGD hoping she doesn't lose it next week

 

[Stacerita]

Poor kid. He might have been just fine on the ride if it didn't stop then. I don't see anything funny in a child freaking out like that.

 

[davidsprincess]

The dark rides can be very scarey for little kids. how sad..POTC can look realistic to them too, hopefully they took him on IASW or something bright and cheery afterward. The gma in me is thinking about my own little DGD hoping she doesn't lose it next week

That in itself would cause me to have nightmares

Seriously, I hope he is okay.

 

[LuLusApple]

That in itself would cause me to have nightmares

Seriously, I hope he is okay.

I hear ya! It's DGD1s favorite, well as much as she can have a favorite!

 

[PinkBudgie]

I went on POTC for the first time when I was 4. I still remember hiding down on the bottom of the boat when they pirates were shooting at each other. I thought it was real. I didn't yell, I just hid. Now it is my favorite ride. I also don't remember ever thinking I'd never go on it again. I'm sure my parents must have explained it was pretend. I can see how on rides like this it would be good to tell small children it is all pretend ahead of time. In fact, age 3 or 4 is a good time to be having talks about real and pretend anyway- with books, movies, cartoons, etc. DLR can just be a part of that continuing conversation.

 

[abouley]

This reminds me of our POTC experience with my 3 year old and 5 month old. The ride broke down right where Davey Jones is. My son was a bit nervous about going on the ride anyway (even though he'd been before the fear factor was just starting to kick in). So, we're stuck and he has to go potty. He's crying because he has to go. What am I supposed to do? I just kept telling him that if he had an accident it was ok but to try to hold it. The CM came out and I told him and he said ok (I'm thinking maybe they could let us off and use the emergency exit) but no, they just released our boat. We then had to make it through the whole rest of the ride. We were stuck for a good 20 minutes and then it took another 10-15 minutes maybe longer to get off. Horrible, Horrible experience. I have never felt more helpless. I was about ready to have him pee off the side of the boat as I really saw that as my only option but that sort of horrified me.

Luckily my 5 month old nursed because she needed to eat during this time as well.

 

[MyMonkies]

I remember my first ride on POTC. I thought the guns were real & was sure I would have been shot if I didn't duck, lol. Not sure how old I was. I also remember thinking for sure that I'd fall out of Space Mountain if I didn't hang on so tight that my fingers felt like they would break!

 

[bumbershoot]

That effect is very effective on the littler Disney fans.

My guy has gone on the ride more than once...at 1 yo, at 2 yo...at 3 he rode it once and said that was enough for that year, LOL. On his 4th b'day trip he was ready to ride again! And I don't know when the DJ thing was installed, but that was the first time we remember seeing it. By that time, DS had actually seen at least the first movie, and really enjoyed the whole idea.

He's 5 now, and has seen all three movies (but won't watch Harry Potter 2 b/c Dobby scares him...which is actually OK, we feel guilty enough about POTC!), but that DJ still worries him. He was finally able to explain his feelings, and he said that he was worried that DJ was eating us, b/c we went right through him.

This is the same boy that liked the up/down of TOT, but won't go on it again (I think he says "until I'm 16") because he thinks we turn into skeletons for real (even though he knows we didn't), thanks to the electric effect before the up/down starts. He's really attuned to those effects!

Since I've gotten to deal with the ever-changing and not always capable of explaining concerns of DS, I definitely feel for the 4 yo, and also for the parents! What a rotten spot to get stuck!


and people.....
Stop hatin' on IASW! I love that ride! Harumph.

 

[pixiewings71]

Oh poor little guy!!! My girls didn't really do that on any rides, but we didn't take them until our youngest was 6. LOL I hope he's OK!

 

[iheartdisney]

We explained the rides to my kids ahead of time. except now we have to hear DD6 and DS5 through every ride, "is he a robot?"
Last week though...we saw a 12 year old girl completely FREAKING OUT on the Fun Wheel. Screaming at the top of her lungs, crying, it was bad, because her friends were all laughing at her. they stopped the ride to get her off. Poor girl! It was sad, but kind of funny, I've never seen anyone flipping out like that before.

 

[wdwnut4life]

i duck on splash everytime! where's the seatbelt?

 

[Rpunzel]

I was one of those kids freaking out! I don't remember how old I was but about that age. At the end when when the boat goes back up is where I freaked. I thought that it was a monster drop coming and if not for the stranger behind me I would have climbed out (my mom says that she couldn't reach me, I don't remember why). I have never been able to live that down to this day!

*This is my first post!*

 

[LavenderPeach]

I was one of those kids freaking out! I don't remember how old I was but about that age. At the end when when the boat goes back up is where I freaked. I thought that it was a monster drop coming and if not for the stranger behind me I would have climbed out (my mom says that she couldn't reach me, I don't remember why). I have never been able to live that down to this day!

*This is my first post!*

That reminds me of the story of DH freaking out on Space Mountain when he was little. He wanted to sit with his mom but when they got to the front of the line, the CM told him to sit with his brother. I don't think the CM really cared but was just directing people where to stand and didn't realize it was a big deal to DH. Anyway, during the ride I guess he really freaked out and actually climbed out of his seat and was trying to climb over the back of the seat to get to his mom. My MIL said she was holding on to him for dear life until the ride ended. I can't believe DH did that and didn't fall out. Scary. DH likes Space Mountain now and it's one of his favorite rides although roller coasters still freak him out a little.

 

[Chris420]

That reminds me of the story of DH freaking out on Space Mountain when he was little. He wanted to sit with his mom but when they got to the front of the line, the CM told him to sit with his brother. I don't think the CM really cared but was just directing people where to stand and didn't realize it was a big deal to DH. Anyway, during the ride I guess he really freaked out and actually climbed out of his seat and was trying to climb over the back of the seat to get to his mom. My MIL said she was holding on to him for dear life until the ride ended. I can't believe DH did that and didn't fall out. Scary. DH likes Space Mountain now and it's one of his favorite rides although roller coasters still freak him out a little.

Lol, I did the same thing my first time on space, I believe I was only 4 or 5, but definately had a freak out, and had to be held down by my dad

Twenty years later, I love space and that experience is good for a laugh now