Rides without children

[suzieqinga]

Hi everyone. I'm new to this forum and would like to thank everyone for the wealth of information here. We are planning our first trip to US this summer (staying at HRH). This is a surprise trip for our children.

My question for you experts is this: Hubby and I like thrill rides and children (9 yr old twins) do not. We would like to experience all the thrill rides and I'm wondering the best way to go about this. Hubby feels it would be okay with FOTL for us to ride together while children wait for us at exit. I'm a little more on the paranoid side about leaving my children alone. The only other options I can think of would be swapping off (although we'd rather ride together), or going to the parks one night while children stay in Camp Lil Rock (would 9 yr olds like this?). Hubby is unsure of this idea also...I think he would feel guilty about going without them.

Any opinions? Your help is much appreciated!

 

[nicolep91]

I would also feel nervous about leaving my kids alone while riding a ride. With FOTL, it shouldn't take too long but if the ride breaks down or there is some other reason you are in line longer than you expect, your kids might get anxious and wander off looking for you.

My DH and I have also discussed this since our kids aren't probably going to be big enough to ride some of the rides so we figured one of us would just wait with the kids while the other rode the ride. The one waiting will probably take the kids on something else or to a play area, but I doubt the wait will be long with FOTL so that might not be necessary.

 

[highlander447]

My dw and I had this problem at universal in spain a few weeks ago but u know your children if they will stay and do as they are told my dd is 12 and ds is 10 we left them told them not to move and they where fine but they are well behaved so we felt we could risk it

 

[Disney Debbie]

I'm sure you could have the children wait in the swap area. Just take them to the area and then go do the ride. That way they aren't "out" in the open park and there's no place for them to wander off.

I don't know this for a fact - but I'd think Camp Li'l Rock would be for younger children - during the day anyway.

 

[Sue & Co.]

Hi, when we went last time our twin daughters were just 7 and couldn't do a lot of the rides with me DH and DS. We used to sit them near the entrance and tell them to stay there and that if anyone started to try and persuade them to move they should start shouting as loudly as they could and go to the member of staff at the entrance. They were never bothered by anyone and this worked absolutely fine. of course we could trust them to stay there and not wander off on their own. In the end only you know your own children and if this would work for you. We are going again in Nov when they are 9 and if they don't want to ride and we do we will leave them the same way.

 

[JessicaR]

I totally agree only the parents know their own kids. That being said, I would never leave my kids to wait for me at the ride exit/entrance. My boys are 10 and 6. It would not be an option or an invitation for something to happen while out of my sight. I trust my kids to listen 100% to what I say. I dont worry about them finding trouble but I sure would worry about trouble finding them. What if the ride had a problem while you were on it while the kids sit and wait and worry. Okay so I sound like I'm overprotective maybe to some but guess what? Thats OK!

If the kids are with us we ride it by ourselves and we always take one evening out to attend the parks alone and have a nice dinner while the kids enjoy one of the camps. The camps are a highlight for them and they always ask if they can go. Stop by the camps during the day and let them have a look around, you dont have to feel guilty if they want to go!

 

[suzieqinga]

I guess I should clarify...I'm not a bit concerned about my children wandering off. They are very well behaved and would do whatever we asked them to. As Jessica said, I'm more concerned about trouble finding them. What is the swap area? Would that be a safe place for them to wait?

I hadn't even considered a ride breaking down. We will probably just have to take turns.

 

[2angelsinheaven]

My younger sister and I went to Disney's MGM Studios last year and had our younger brother with us, six at the time, well he was just a hair too short to ride Rockin Roller Coaster, upset we were going to just leave and try something else, but the CM told us to bring him to the gift shop (exit of the ride) and tell the CM at the exit he could or would not ride and she actually watched him for us and we went into a back entrance and got on the ride and got off and he was fine. I guess we may have just gotten lucky, or this may be their policy for parents which children too short to ride. However I would feel safe leaving him in the parent swap area, a room full or other parents, I think he would be just fine. I want to say we did this once on MIB and he was just fine. You could "try" it during the day and if not you could go alone at night. It doesn't hurt to ask, or say to a CM at the entry that the children do not want to ride and see what they suggest or maybe they might offer a similar experience like Disney did for us, children waiting next to CM's at exit. Goodluck!

 

[prncess674]

Tell the attendant you will be doing a child swap at the entrance and show your FOTL passes. What will happen is your kiddies will wait in line with you. Once you get to the front of the attraction the attendant will show you where the child swap area is. If you feel your kiddies are old enough just let them sit there and you and hubby can ride together. You should be gone no more than the attraction time. For instance on the Hulk you enter the car on the left side of the track and the swap area is on the right side. If you do a true kid swap it works this way. Entire party waits in line. When you reach the front. Non riding kids and one adult wait in kid swap area. When other parents train returns you take their place on the ride and the other parents waits with the kiddies. It really is quite simple and probably the safest solution. I wouldn't just leave a 9 yr old outside an attraction to wait. Lines can sometimes get long in the heart of the day.

 

[MsDisney]

Originally posted by suzieqinga
I guess I should clarify...I'm not a bit concerned about my children wandering off. They are very well behaved and would do whatever we asked them to. As Jessica said, I'm more concerned about trouble finding them. What is the swap area? Would that be a safe place for them to wait?

I hadn't even considered a ride breaking down. We will probably just have to take turns.

Another option would be...on the Hulk side of the park, there is an arcade...a fairly large one...I know my kids (8 & 10) can spend a great deal of time there! So that's an airconditioned, fun spot for them while you ride Hulk. On the other side of the park (for riding Dragons), there is the Jurassic Park Discovery Center or Camp Jurassic. The DC is an inside spot, where downstairs the kids can play games like "you bet Jurassic" and see the dinosaur nursery and such. This is another cool, air-conditioned place to hang out. Camp Jurassic is a giant outside playground. So if the weather is ok...this would be an awesome place for them to hang out! Kids (and many grownups) can literally spend hours there! There is a water fight area too...so be aware to let them know if you don't want them getting soaked! They have a ride, Pteranadon Flyers there as well, the line can be long...but it's a kids ride and as long as they are under a certain height (56", I think), then they can ride. You might want to think about having a set of 2 way radios, just for peace of mind. That's what we do when our kids go on their own, and it works out great! They know their way around though, so that helps!

Karen

 

[Aisling]

I may be overprotective, but I would not leave my child DS11 alone while I rode on a ride, even at the swap area. And I may be wrong, but I don't think Universal would encourage people to leave unattended children at the swap area or any area. My son is not the wandering away type, but it's not worth the chance of anything happening while I'm enjoying myself on a ride. Like I said, I may be overprotective!

 

[ksdave]

I agree with many of the people that it depends on the individual kids. My DD (13) and DS (11) are very mature for their age and have been on trips away from us several times already.

DD is currently on a youth mission trip to Dallas. This Friday, they are going to Six Flags Over Texas, where they have the day free to ride and have fun. She will spend the day with two other friends in the park (both 13 y/o girls), and meet the adults only for lunch and then departing. I have no concerns at all about her being away, because she has already proven herself to be very responsible (more than some adults I know ). My son stays by himself at home for an hour or two on occasion when his sister is out and wife and I go shopping. In two weeks, he will be away at a local college for an entire week in the dorms for a wrestling camp.

Both of my kids have gone around IOA for a short time together away from Mom and I and never had any problems. They had the two-way radio with them so we could find them, if necessary. Leaving your kids alone is truly dependent on the maturity level of the kids and their ability to handle themselves without adult supervision.

 

[prncess674]

There is a big difference between a 13yr old and a 9 yr old in maturity. The OP children are only 9.