Rides that allow 3 year olds, but are really too scary?

[Tomh]

This depends so much on the individual kid. When we were there in August with DD19, DD13, and DS4, I was a bit concerned about some of the rides for DS4 because of some threads I had read here, and info in the UOG. Funny enough, DS4 was fine with EVERY ride we took him on, DD13 not so much.

He LOVED Splash Mtn, had to ride a second time, she Pooh'd herself the first time and didn't even want to LOOK at it after that. She absolutely refused to ride Big Thunder Mountain, he had a blast. Soarin' was not a good thing for her, my wife and I had to take DS back for a second time. We had been a bit concerned about Snow White's Scary Adventures, however after seeing many other young kids ride, we took DS on, and he loved it. He also loved Test Track, Pirates of the Carribean (another one DD13 wasn't happy with) Mickey's Philharmagic, Ellen's Energy Adventure.

Bottom line, it depends on the kid, if they haven't tried it before, give it a shot and see what happens. After a few rides / shows, you'll get an idea of what the child is frightened by. In our case, with DD13 anything that is too fast, has a drop, goes backwards, or looks like it might be fun is out of the question. For DS4, he pretty much handles anything that we throw at him.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

Snow White jumps to mind as an example. I want to create a list since we are traveling with my 3.5 year old's grandparents and uncle, so that they also know which rides to walk past if they are with her. We'll be visiting all the parks. What other rides would you say she should skip even though she is big enough in terms of height?

I personally don't think that Snow White is too scary for a three year old. The ride has the word "Sacry" in the title, but the kids in our family always really enjoyed that ride when they were that age.
The girls especially all enjoyed seeing one of the princesses.

As for which rides will scare them, you don't really know until they are on it. Just about every ride they can go on, has potentially 'scary' elements. One little one in our family was scared of the talking moose in the Country Bears one year...that's just about as tame a ride as you can get at WDW.

The Tiki Birds have the Tiki God, Pirates has pirates, Dumbo and Aladdin have height. HM has ghosts. The race cars can get bumped from behind. Mickey's Philarmagic has small amounts of water that squirt you - as do most ofthe 3-d theaters. Buzz has Zurg/darkness. Small World is scary to many adults - the fear of getting stuck inside. The dolls could be kind of creepy. Indeed, IaSW is said to be the most haunted ride at WDW by many. Many people are bothered by the teacups' spinning. Tom Sawyer Island has caves that are dark and crooked. TTA goes through several rides, including SM. Monsters, INC. has monsters (funny ones, but still monsters.)

Have I left anything out at MK that a child could go on?

I strongly think the best strategy is to give your child coping skills. Take them on everything once, and if they don't like it, they don't have to go back. Remind them that everything is 'make believe,' and that never on any ride - other than water drops or maybe soap bubbles - will anything ever reach out and touch them. The only exceptions are (maybe) Stitch (not sure if they still do the alien tounge thing. A three year old is probably too short for Stitch anyhow.), and bugs moving under your seat in ITtbaB.

If your child is very sensative to loud noises, then maybe those inexpensive swimmers' ear plugs would be in order.

Another strategy is to remind them that they can close their eyes at any point. The only ride that doesn't work on is Mission:Space. Again, most three years olds can't go on that one, but even still, that's not a ride I'd take a three year old on, at least not the intense side. The tame side of M:S is fine.

I do speak from the experience of taking many small kids in our family to WDW, and of being a child at WDW when I was young. I've been going since I was a toddler. Though many rides have been added since then. I can tell you I've been going on Pirates and HM since I was that age.

I can also tellyou from direct personal experience, that having been on these rides since I was a child has helped me to NOT be afraid. Every year, if I had any concern going into an attraction, I'd just think, "Well, I went on this last year and loved it!" I pkipped going to WDW for about fifteen years, and I still went through that mental process, "Well, I went on this when I was three!"

 

[Mallory Lu]

I don't know if she is tall enough for it or not, but I would say Stitch could be scary. I distinctly remember being on it one time sitting next to a probably 5 year old boy and he was totally terrified the entire time.

And I myself am totally terrified of those caves and underground passages on Tom Sawyer Island. Everytime I have been convinced to enter one, I get the crap scared out of me by someone who is trying to scare someone else around me. Apparently people find it funny to hide and jump out in front of their wives/mothers/sisters, and I always just happen to be walking in the vicinity when this happens!

 

[CinderelliCinderelli]

I agree on dinosaur... i was 24 when i rode it last and it scared the bajeebees out of me! I'm not sure that i'll go on it again this time... I may just to make my fiance happy but close my eyes the whole time! I always have these ridiculous thoughts that one of those dinosaurs might be real!

 

[tweedletwin]

I was twenty on my last trip, and despite that fact, had the bejeesus scared out of me at "It's Tough To Be A Bug." Seriously not a fan of the spiders. Everyone sitting next to me thought I was hilarious...

Really, age doesn't have a lot to do with it- As a 5 year old I enjoyed all the thrill rides I made the height requirement for, and was a big fan of Star Tours, Pirates, Big Thunder Mountain, and the Haunted Mansion. On the other hand, my little brother at 8 had a lot of difficulty with the Haunted Mansion and Pirates. I agree with those saying, you probably won't know until you're *on* the ride. As long as you can gauge her excitement or willingness, and make sure it's not you *convincing* her to just be brave, you'll probably be fine and have a great time.

 

[kmacac]

Our kids are DS 6-1/2, DS 4 and DD3.
From their point of view:
Snow white was dark/scary, Ellen was scary (dinos scary!!), honey I shrunk the kids~ scary!

Mickey's philharmonic is loud~ which can be scary when kids are young.

It took my oldest son alot of convincing to do Haunted Mansion this trip but my 4 year old was fine. My oldest son is a more reserved less adventurous kid overall and the younger son is open to new things always wants to try and do stuff so I agree it depends on the child...

 

[atksn]

Totally depends on the kiddo. My DS was 2 1/2 the last time we were at WDW, he rode everything he could, and was upset that he couldn't ride more . I am not kidding, we watched Philharmagic, Tough to be a Bug, each at least 5 times, and I can't begin to count how many times we were on Barnstormer or Snow White. After our trip, all I heard for the next year and a half was "I better be big enough for Space Mountain next time, that's gonna be my first ride". Sept 2007, we went to DLR, and he was tall enough to ride Space Mountain there, and did so countless times, along with Tower of Terror, and every other ride. (He is ticked off that he is too short to go on Space Mountain during our upcoming trip- try explaining to a 5 year old why he was tall enough at one park when he was barely 4, and a year and a half later he is to "little" at the other park )

However, we had some friends that joined us on that first WDW trip, and thier daughter was 3, and freaked out at everything. So, like I said, it totally depends on the kid.

(P.S. He is also insisting on going on Mission Space this time around, and I can't quite thinking about the 4 year old that died on it last year. I think that is a no go, and am hoping he doesn't meet the height requirement this coming Feb.............)

 

[TravelinGal]

I know my son who is 3, be 4 next month has been going on Pirates and haunted mansion forever and loves both rides. He went on Tower of Terror last month for the first time and loved it, he is waiting for a few more inches so he can try Expedition Everest next, it just depends on the child.

Ditto -- my son turned 4 on our trip in Oct and he loved Tower of Terror, Big Thunder Mtn and Test Track... (finally hit that 40" mark!) Snow White, Peter Pan, Pirates, Haunted Mansion - he's been going on those since he was 18 months old - none of them have ever scared him. There wasn't a single ride he didn't like. I'm sure DS will LOVE Expedition and Rockin' Roller coaster when he's tall enough!

The key is that only you know your child and what will seem scary.


ETA - the only attraction that is too "scary" FOR ME is Stitch -- or should I say Stench. Yuck... that belch of his is still lingering in my scent memory from 2006!

 

[angelegod]

It's tough to be a bug. A bugs Life.

amen I still jump in a friends lap and am 23

 

[brandylouwho]

You will never really know...for us not only did it depend on the child, but on her demeanor at a given moment. And sometimes things she was OK with a year before scared her the next year.

Haunted Mansion caused us the most toubles as the queue itself freaked her out (moving eyes on a gravestone I think). She was a afraid of all dark queues after that. Yet she still taks about that ride and watched the Eddie Murphy movie when it is on. It is like she really wants to conquer that fear and just do the ride.

Its Tough to be a Bug & Honey I Shrunk the Audience were scary to her.

POTC was OK, she was apprehensive, but focsued on finding the dog in the various scenes. This might be a good distraction if you are on the ride and then realize your child is afraid.

Goofy's Barnstormer scared her, but it is her favorite ride. I think the physical fear is a rush for her, but the psychological fears (ghosts, 3D creatures) is truly frightening to her. Then again, she doesn't like the feeling when we exit the highway...the fast, downhill off ramps bug her. So...maybe I just have a wierd kid.

 

[princesswendy720]

I was afraid of HM when I was little, but it was a good kind of scared. It was mine and my Dad's "thing" to ride together so he could protect me. Honestly, the stretching room scared me more than the ride itself, hitchhiking ghosts excluded.

Unless you know that your child is going to freak out on something, I'd let them try it once. They can always close their eyes and snuggle up to you if they're scared.

Also when I was little I was terrified of the mice part of Honey I Shrunk the Audience. I would still go on it, I just sat with my feet up on the chair from then on.

 

[abc999]

It really depends on the child. Also, you never know what is going to scare them. DD was scared of the Pooh ride last time, but only because she didn't know what to expect and the ride started to bounce, so she didn't want to go on any indoor rides. This time, I showed her videos on Youtube and reminded her what to expect, we went on it 3 times. DS however hates Spaceship Earth because he is afraid of the dark.

I gave them each a little flashlight this time and they would turn them on when they got scared. The flashlights also came in handy when we came upon a lady who slip on the stairs one night, so that someone could check her injuries.

 

[angelegod]

It really depends on the child. Also, you never know what is going to scare them. DD was scared of the Pooh ride last time, but only because she didn't know what to expect and the ride started to bounce, so she didn't want to go on any indoor rides. This time, I showed her videos on Youtube and reminded her what to expect, we went on it 3 times. DS however hates Spaceship Earth because he is afraid of the dark.

I gave them each a little flashlight this time and they would turn them on when they got scared. The flashlights also came in handy when we came upon a lady who slip on the stairs one night, so that someone could check her injuries.

was she okay what stairs did she slip on and I love the idea of the glow siticks I might use it to navagate the park after dark

 

[properlywarnedyebe]

My daughter loves POTC, is ok on HM but Freaked out on Buzz Lightyear, TTA, Nemo which are kids rides! I couldn't figure out why until I realized all three had "tunnels". Something in the tunnels really bothered her. You just never know what will affect a small child until you try!

 

[angelegod]

My daughter loves POTC, is ok on HM but Freaked out on Buzz Lightyear, TTA, Nemo which are kids rides! I couldn't figure out why until I realized all three had "tunnels". Something in the tunnels really bothered her. You just never know what will affect a small child until you try!

can someone refresh my memory and tell me what potc stand for

 

[niclodn]

Also when I was little I was terrified of the mice part of Honey I Shrunk the Audience. I would still go on it, I just sat with my feet up on the chair from then on.

I'm 35 and I STILL do this

 

[Calla]

can someone refresh my memory and tell me what potc stand for

Pirates of the Caribbean

 

[*pixie*dust*]

Depends on your child. My son has no fear of bodily harm but if there is intense, loud music he gets really nervous. I guess that is emotional fear?

I would suggest avoiding or investigating:


at MK
Snow White for the witch, skeletons and alligators
POTC for the skeletons, darkness and drop at the begining
HM for the ghosts at the end that look like they are in the car with you
Stitch for the darkeness and harnesses

at HS
GMR for the alien scene and the horror movie scene

at Epcot
Malstrom for the troll
HISTA for the lion and the snakes

at AK
Dinosaur for the idinos and the intensity of the ride
TTBAB for the bugs, stingers and darkness

 

[becfehr]

my then 4 year old was even scared of Nemo & Pooh rides, so it really does depend on the child. To prep for this trip, we're looking at photo spoilers of the insides of rides to help her calm her fears.

Try Youtube... they have alot of the rides on there... not the same as the real thing... but gives them an idea... and you can talk to them about it. Usually the sound and music isn't very loud on the clips.

 

[aaronlisar]

It's Tough to be a Bug completely terrified my almost 3 year old (frankly, DH and I weren't fond of it either). She still talks about those scary bugs.

On a side note, though not particularly scary, Mickey's Filharmagic is really LOUD! Lound enough that she didn't really enjoy it like I was hoping she would. So some kiddie earplugs or earmuffs might not be a bad idea.

I thought It's Tough to be a bug was the best 3D movie in the World when we were there three years ago. Our two year old watched it with us (without the glasses though, wouldn't keep them on) and he liked it a lot.