Sci-Fi with 3 year old?

[Luildinha]

Hello!

I have never been to Sci-Fi and would really like to go on our next trip in December.
I have a 3 yo DD and would like to know from people that have gone with kids her age if they got scared or if they did fine in there.

Thanks for the help!

 

[DisneyWishes14]

I took DS when he was 3 and he was fine. That being said, he was afraid of other things in the parks (Tigger bouncing on the Pooh ride, face characters) so you just never know how they will react!

 

[hakepb]

While every kid is different, the clips in Sci-Fi definitely fit a Disney park.

I think I "held out", for similiar concerns, going to Sci-Fi too long

 

[SSRFred]

Only you can really know how your child will react. There are Youtube videos online showing the clips. I suggest you watch them yourself and decide whether your child will be scared by them. Also, the room will be dark which adds to the ambiance and makes some of the clips a little scarier than they would be in a lit up room.

 

[ryukage]

Since the Sci-Fi Dine In can be summarily described as b&w "scary" movies in a dimly lit room, you could run a test case in your home using low lighting and YouTube clips in the background.

 

[MamaRoo]

My three year old was fine, but my six year old was really freaked out and scared by the clips and overall ambiance.

 

[goofyintoronto]

Since the Sci-Fi Dine In can be summarily described as b&w "scary" movies in a dimly lit room, you could run a test case in your home using low lighting and YouTube clips in the background.

I agree with this and was going to suggest the same thing. Test it out at home first via youtube, see how your kid reacts. Also, by being familiar with the clips, your 3 year old might not be as spooked when you eventually do go there. They'll look at the clip and think "hey, i've seen this already".

 

[Harambe]

Also, the room will be dark which adds to the ambiance and makes some of the clips a little scarier than they would be in a lit up room.

^^This. My DS was a little leery at about 7YO, but I think the whole darkness thing played a real factor. That said, I LOVE going here because of the darkness factor now! We do a lunch, and it is a great break from the midday sun and heat. And those milkshakes - YES!

 

[RangerPooh]

My kids all went there at young ages and never once did we have any issues. I do think that it depends on the resiliency of your children and what they have been exposed to previously. Our kids also know that what is shown are movies and not real events. It might have helped that they watched a lot of old movies and Twilight Zone episodes with their grandfather.

 

[SweaterInJune]

My daughter (just turned 4) has never had a problem. That said, HM is her favorite ride and she can't wait to ride ToT "next time", so we may not be the best indicator. I never found the clips scary, even as a kid, because they are campy and mixed with cartoons and such. It was always my favorite restaurant for ambiance--so fun and creative!

 

[smiths02]

All 3 of my kids went at almost 3 (and also again at almost 4). They were not scared of the clips. The darkness was a little unnerving, but I went in with letting them wear glow sticks and bought the light up drinks...also, they got over the dark part when they saw how cool the car was.

ETA: These were all children who were very leery of Haunted Mansion, but I did get them to ride it (took lots of talking about)

 

[buzznina]

At first our DD did not like it because of the darkness, so we stood in the back by the concession area and once her eyes adjusted and when she saw that you can sit in the cars everything was great

 

[TravelingTotMom]

It's my 3-year-old son's favorite restaurant, hands down. He requests it because he loves eating in the cars.

And to be honest, I'm not sure how much he really pays attention to the movies (though they have never scared him... and this is a kid who refuses to ride Winnie the Pooh b/c there's 3 seconds of thunder at one point). He seems to watch the cartoon clips and loses interest in some of the older sci-fi movie ones.

I think if a clip comes on that they find scary (which would be few and far between), there's enough stuff to distract them until it's over. They get a kids menu/coloring page with crayons, there's other cars to look at, food to eat, etc.

 

[Micca]

And to be honest, I'm not sure how much he really pays attention to the movies

We took our DGDs (4 & 5 1/2) last spring and I don't think they paid a lot of attention to the screen. Depending on where you're sitting (we were close to the back) it's not really in your face. Our two just thought it was fun sitting in a car and having lunch. BTW--had the best burger I've had on property at Sci-Fi.

 

[VAfamily1998]

I took my sons when they were 3 or around that age (I have 4 sons.) None of them were scared, but they really don't scare easily.

 

[KimBean]

Dd was 4 when we went there last. She didnt pay that much attention to the screen. It is really dark in there and that is sort of bothersome. But we are going this time.