Skip "height rides" with 4yo?

[GoldenOwner]

We'll be visiting with a 4yo and a 2yo for their first trip. Our 4yo will be tall enough for the 40" rides, the 2yo will probably be 35-36". The 4yo is a bit timid while the 2yo definitely is not! I'm trying to decide if it's just better to plan on not doing any rides DD2 can't do since DD4 won't really know the difference anyway since she's never been? I have a feeling DD2 will be very disappointed to not be able to go on everything sister goes on!

 

[Dis703]

I would give them a try. There is so much going on at Disney I doubt the 2 year old is going to care all that much. We try and plan for things to do while the older one is on rides. Like we book a FP at 7DMT and then at the same time a FP for Winnie the Pooh because it's right across the way. When the older one goes on BTMRR or Splash Mountain I take the younger ones to play on the little playground that is below Splash Mountain. It doesn't have to seem like they are missing out on anything.

As for whether or not the 4 year old will enjoy the thrill rides you really won't know until you try. But I wouldn't skip them. I'd start with something they can all ride like Barnstormer and move to 7DMT and see how it goes.

 

[kreckl]

If you think your child will be disappointed, why do it? There is so much to do! Unless there is something very special that you think you would want to try, I would avoid upsetting one child. You can always try a distraction and separate for a little while to try and see how it goes?

 

[superchime]

My youngest is my more adventurous one, too. It wasn't an issue the year he was 2, but when he was 3 he got pretty upset that he couldn't ride everything his big brother was riding. I totally didn't anticipate this and didn't plan for it well at all, so kudos to you for realizing it might be an issue! I remember a pretty spectacular moment outside of Test Track when we were "that family". Looking back, older DS didn't really even care that much about the thrill rides... we should have just stuck with things they could both ride.

 

[Betty Rohrer]

We'll be visiting with a 4yo and a 2yo for their first trip. Our 4yo will be tall enough for the 40" rides, the 2yo will probably be 35-36". The 4yo is a bit timid while the 2yo definitely is not! I'm trying to decide if it's just better to plan on not doing any rides DD2 can't do since DD4 won't really know the difference anyway since she's never been? I have a feeling DD2 will be very disappointed to not be able to go on everything sister goes on!

also plan on the 2 year old seeing a ride that has a height requirement wanting to ride but not tall enough as it is not possible to not see the rides. the "kiddie rides" are not in a separate area from the trill rides

 

[keepswimming76]

I personally feel like it is a right of passage, the whole "being tall enough for a certain ride," thing.

I was the youngest of four and always anticipated the day that would come when I could do the big rides like my siblings.

Our DS has done rides without his little sister the past two visits at WDW. She seems to understand and still has fun doing something different during that time.

Our next trip is 5 days away and she is at the right height for the bigger ones.
She is super excited and we are making it a big deal that she can ride, too.

 

[Ndusmama]

Oh my gosh I just did that trip. Although my youngest girl was 15 months and oldest was 5. A lot of the big thrill rides have play areas near them that can distract other children form knowing that one or two people from group are not around. I find YouTube videos are great to give the older one an idea and feel for what the ride will look and feel like.

 

[Thing 1]

We have been when DS was 4 and tall enough for the 40 inch rides. If you older child is a bit timid, she may not even enjoy many of the 40 inch rides. At that age our DS liked a few such as soaring, Star Tours and BTMR but many others he was just not ready for. With two little ones, I think your trip would be less stressful if you just did rides you all can ride. Little one should be tall enough for SDMT and there are tons of non kiddie rides that everyone can enjoy together. Think POC or Jungle Cruise. I would just tell the kids before hand that there are lots of rides at WDW and every family has to decide which rides are right for their family and these are the rides that you have chosen for your family. Many of the 40 inch rides are not really obvious to kids just walking by and if they are, just a quick, "oh, that will be on our list next time, let go ride the tea cups". You can of course split up and make different FP but then DD is going to miss the rides that little guy does and there is that big chance she might not even want to do the big rides anyway!

 

[Chucky!]

This was our family on our last trip, 5 year old over 40" who was weary about rides and 2 year old who was fearless.

We skipped some things, and did others, he did Kali River Rapids, Star Tours, Soarin' and Test Track and loved all of them. He wasn't so sure about the 7DMT and the Barnstormer (which the 2 year old loved). He refused to go on Big Thunder and was terrified of Splash Mountain.

I really think it is about the types of rides they like, we have discovered our son doesn't really like "coaster" style rides and some themed dark rides scare him

We are going again in Apr '17 when kids will be 4 and 7 and given little one is fearless and we can all go on all things together we might get a better response.

 

[Mousemommy1]

If we worried about disappointing the younger, not tall enough child, we wouldn't ride anything, lol.

Our oldest (now 12) is super tall and has been riding the 48 inch rides since she was 5. Now, her and our middle are only 2.5 years apart but our middle is super short and just recently became tall enough for the 48 inch rides - she's now 9!!!! So, we've had many years of "sorry, your not big enough, maybe next year..."

Plus now we have a 16 month old who won't be tall enough for quite some time, and he always wants to do what his sisters do, but oh well. I'm not going to hold the older kids back just because a younger one is not tall enough. The littlest ones time will come...

 

[smiths02]

We kind of have this problem. My 9 year old loved things when he was 5, but he was scared last June. We finally got him to do all 4 "mountains" (mine train, and the 3 others), but he would only do them once and he was terrified.
My 2 year olds, at the time, didn't have a problem with splitting up to do these things because they are so used to the idea that big brother is older, due to the large age gap.
So then we did adult only in Feb and fulfilled our need for thrill rides
On our upcoming June trip, I didn't even get FP for any of the mountains. DH and I had our fill in Feb, and I'm not going to go through splitting up if older DS is against it. It is just a pain.

Our only dilemma is 7DMT. My daughter meets the height requirement, her twin brother is iffy (with shoes, he's right on the cusp, so it will depend how tall he stands, the CM, etc.) However, my younger DS is much more adventurous than his twin sister or older brother. So if my younger DS doesn't meet the height, I totally see DH or I having to ride Mine Train with children who won't enjoy it.

In other words, my best advice is to split up for a few rides that you think older kid will enjoy (Soarin' for example isn't as scary...also the Land is right next door and my 2 year old twins just adored that ride or you can get a fun snack at Sunshine Seasons). Maybe try for FP+ for 7DMT because those are so hard to get, but otherwise, don't plan on separating much...and with FP+...make the FP+ for one adult and the older kid at the height restricted ride and make another for one adult and the 2 year old at a nearby not restricted ride (or choose a ride nearby that won't have a wait).
Other than Soarin', (maybe Test Track), and 7DMT...you will probably easily be able to switch FP+ if you get to the park and all of the sudden 4 year old just HAS to ride Big Thunder Mountain or something.

But, really, there is enough to do, at least for my family, that has no height restriction that we all have a good time WITHOUT splitting up...ages 30s, 9-10, and 2-3

ETA:
Some ideas for things to do with 2 year old
Soarin' has the Land and Sunshine Seasons nearby
Mission: SPACE has a cool indoor play space
Test Track empties into a cool car display thing
Splash Moutain has a neat playground nearby
DINOSAUR (which is really scary, IMHO) has the dinosaurs to play on nearby

I'm sure other people will have others, but those rides you wouldn't necessarily need another simultaneous FP+

 

[isabellea]

I thought my youngest would be the most adventurous but I was wrong! IRL my oldest is timid but at WDW we discovered that she's a thrill junky! On the other hand, my youngest was afraid of everything! I would try everything. While my dd6 does Space Mountain 2 or 3 times with her dad at rope drop I do the speedway and dumbo with the youngest, when I do 7DMT with my oldest DH does Small World with dd3, etc.

 

[DisneyOliverMom]

I will say that if big sister goes on the height requirement rides, then it gives both siblings one-on-one Disney time with Mom or Dad. It can be fun bonding time and let both siblings feel like they are getting individualized Disney time.

 

[skuttle]

We have a 12yo, 5yo, and 3yo. Been going to WDW every year since the 12yo was a toddler. We just split up so that the "tall enough" kids can ride. The "too short" kids never complain. We always do something with them while waiting. I am looking forward to our next trip because our youngest will be able to ride the 40-inch rides. I never considered skipping something because everyone wasn't tall enough. Maybe that's because my oldest is so much older and definitely would have known we were skipping rides. It was never a big deal for my younger two, though. We just explained that they were too short and for their safety couldn't ride yet. Even our past trip, when the 5yo could ride things the 3yo could not, it wasn't a big deal.

 

[buzznina]

Superchime, this is us still. Our youngest, was always wanting to go on rides that her big sis did. As a matter of fact, when the youngest got tall enough for some rides that big sis did not really want to try, big sis all of sudden was okay trying the rides now We have never forced then on any rides, and have waited in a few lines only to exit right before getting on the ride. We just roll with the flow

 

[Chucky!]

I will say that if big sister goes on the height requirement rides, then it gives both siblings one-on-one Disney time with Mom or Dad. It can be fun bonding time and let both siblings feel like they are getting individualized Disney time.

This is very true, we have some super cute photos from when DH and DD checked out the Seas Pavillion while my son and I rode Soarin'