Scare factor of Spiderman, Jaws, and Earthquake

[afcgirl]

Please tell me how you think a not-too-adventurous mother and her not-too-adventurous 4-year old son would handle Spiderman, Jaws, and Earthquake.

We have never been to US or IOA. My son handles Haunted Mansion and Pirates of Caribbean okay, and he has ridden baby rollercoasters. I have never ridden a rollercoaster and don't plan to! (I do plan on trying Splash Mountain though). I am not scared of themes though, only motion.

Also, are Spiderman and Earthquake simulators or actual rides?

Thanks for advice!

 

[the Dark Marauder]

Spider-Man is a ride, with simulator effects. The cars move on a track and your car reaches 3D simulation screens where the car and the on-screen images all work together.

Earthquake is a ride.

You should do fine on Spider-Man, it's not that scary and is a lot of fun.

Jaws and EQ are scarier, though. In Jaws, there are explosions from the skipper's gernade launcher, plus the shark attacks several times and there is a large fire ring. In Earthquake, you experience a (simulated) earthquake. Your train shakes, a tanker truck explodes (if that effect is working), and there's a big flood.

 

[F-L-A]

Spider-Man is an open simulator that moves through the building on a track, so it's like a normal ride. Earthquake is basically a simulation as well. The train moves forward and back and does the whole earthquake routine while it's stopped. Out of the three, Spider-Man is really the only motion intensive one. Jaws and Earthquake don't move much, but have startling effects.

 

[JohnnySharp2]

I think you will be fine on all rides but at 4 I believe your son is too young.

There are much scarier rides and more intense motion rides such as Back To The Future and Ripsaw falls.
However, to be honest at 4 I think your child is more suited to the gentler attractions, my son loves Jaws but he is 8 and has only recently ridden it.

 

[cleo]

If the motion on Spiderman scares you, close your eyes and most of the intensity is gone (though you do feel the spin and the jerking). Nothing about the motion on Jaws is bothersome (it's a boat ride). Earthquake shakes from side to side (you're on a subway car during an 'earthquake'). It isn't overly violent, but it's certainly enough to shake you around a bit.

That said, I think they'll all be too scary for a not-so-brave (normal!) 4 year old. Spiderman is a continuous assault on your car by Villians, all of them out to get you. Jaws is obvious....big, mean, scary shark trying to drown you and then eat you. Earthquake is the least scary, but a more timid 4 year old (or 5, or 6....) might take it as 'real'.

 

[afcgirl]

Thanks for the advice. I think I will stick to E.T., Jimmy Neutron and Cat in the Hat. I might try Spiderman, but will pass on Jaws and Earthquake.

 

[allie&mattsmom]

We took our 3 (almost 4) y/o "brave" son on Spiderman back in 2000. Let me tell ya, he was scared. We just went back to US/IOA last month and DS is now 8. DH & I were like..."What were we thinking taking DS on this when he was 3!?"

 

[cleo]

I have got to agree with allie&mattsmom. A timid 4 year old is likely to be scared by Spiderman. It's a fabulous ride (one of my favorites!) but the bad guys are right in your face with effects such as 'electrocuting' your car, throwing you off a building, and threatening you at (literally) every turn.

You might want to preview it before you take a young child on the ride. It's more intense than you may think.

 

[tink too]

We took DD on both Jaws and Earthquake in December '04 - she was 3 at the time. She wasn't terrified by either nor was she traumatised by the rides afterwards. She is quite daring and nothing much scares her (except clowns! ) She didn't reach the height requirement for Spiderman so we didn't ride it either - she wasn't disappointed as we didn't tell her about it. DH & I have been on it before and although we loved it, we will just wait until DD is able to ride before going back on it again! We did take her to meet Spiderman though and she was really pleased about getting his autograph and a photo with him - maybe this would work for your little one, too!

 

[Tiggernut_jadie]

As I said on the other thread about The Mummy my DD was four last year and rode everything she was tall enough for! We went when it was very quiet and rode Spiderman 6 times in succession and she just howled with laughter all the way through! She was bored rigid by the pre-show of Earthquake (something I agree totally with her on! ) but was not phased at all by the ride itself. But the funniest thing was her reaction to Jaws! When we got off the ride she was in floods of tears and everyone thought she was traumitised by the ride....she was but only becasue she was upset we'd killed 'Jawsy' - she become very fond of him during the ride and was upset to see we'd set him on fire at the end! The CM's and the other epople on the ride thought it was hysterical!!!!!

So i agree it depends on the kid!

 

[dpuck1998]

My young boys loved spiderman, weren't crazy about jaws and we didn't even try Earthquake only because I'm not crazy about it.