Skip Test Track?

[MalkaR]

I just showed my (almost) 4 year old the video, and he said he wants to go on the car ride that's outside and this ride. Then he said he wants to go on the ride where the kids build the car. I guess he was paying attention when I showed them the WDW DVD! So I'll show the video to my big boys when they're back from school and get their opinions. Thank you all so much for your help!

 

[Klayfish]

Yes, the design studio in Test Track can be a big deal for kids (and adults). That may help make the ride more fun. Sometimes I think my boys like the design studio more than the ride, they are so competitive. Big bragging rights for the "winner"...we always have to remind them that the ride is identical for everyone regardless of the "design".

 

[snoopy352]

a few thoughts...

1.) I wouldn't change your itinerary with the parks since you have already put so much thought and strategy into it.
2.) having said that, if they do TT before tomorrowland speedway at MK, TS will be a big letdown!
3.) don't rope drop figment -that's a lineless ride that can be done later.
4.) consider rope dropping soarin and riding living with the land first - then work your way toward TT later. (you can work them up gradually to TT that way.

 

[Lilylogan]

I think there's more risk of them saying "where's the other rides?" at Epcot the rest of the day if you do TT first lol

 

[MalkaR]

a few thoughts...

1.) I wouldn't change your itinerary with the parks since you have already put so much thought and strategy into it.
2.) having said that, if they do TT before tomorrowland speedway at MK, TS will be a big letdown!
3.) don't rope drop figment -that's a lineless ride that can be done later.
4.) consider rope dropping soarin and riding living with the land first - then work your way toward TT later. (you can work them up gradually to TT that way.

I really like your idea of Soarin' and Living with the Land first. I know I can't rely completely on it, but I'm using Touring Plans to play with plans and get an idea of how much we can fit in. It's recommending Character Spot first thing at rope drop. I guess it all depends on which FP's I get, but does that sound like a good idea?

 

[rg35]

The best answer is: nobody can say how your children will react to any specific ride. Test track has a fun car design part first, which I think all kids really love. If you wait and your kids don't want to ride, then they don't ride. Don't force them or it will make the rest of the day tense. My 7 yo son likes test track, but he didn't like Soarin'. Our 7 yo girls liked both. Every kid is different.

 

[Mouseketeers4]

Would doing Soarin first work with your touring plan? My son does not like most of the "big" rides, but Soarin was his favorite at 4 and again just a few weeks ago at 6. That being said, he's tried everything he's tall enough for once (except ToT) and while he didn't enjoy them, it never ruined our day or made him fearful of trying other rides.

 

[snoopy352]

I really like your idea of Soarin' and Living with the Land first. I know I can't rely completely on it, but I'm using Touring Plans to play with plans and get an idea of how much we can fit in. It's recommending Character Spot first thing at rope drop. I guess it all depends on which FP's I get, but does that sound like a good idea?

Which characters? If Baymax, yes RD that. If Mickey, etc., then use tier 2 FP for them later. My order would be Soarin, living with the land, breakfast at sunshine seasons, figment, see Pixar film shorts, FP Nemo or Characters depending on answer to my previous question, FP Spaceship Earth, and then finish future world with a TT FP. All that works if you don't care about Frozen, which I have to think with three boys you don't.

 

[acwsmom]

My kids have anxiety issues and my son is still not crazy about any thrill rides (which kills me since I LOVE roller coasters). But for some reason, he's never been afraid of TT and loved it even when he was only 4 or 5. The queue is so well-done with car things that it kept his interest all the way until the end. And having the competition of making your own car is now his favorite part!

 

[MalkaR]

Which characters? If Baymax, yes RD that. If Mickey, etc., then use tier 2 FP for them later. My order would be Soarin, living with the land, breakfast at sunshine seasons, figment, see Pixar film shorts, FP Nemo or Characters depending on answer to my previous question, FP Spaceship Earth, and then finish future world with a TT FP. All that works if you don't care about Frozen, which I have to think with three boys you don't.

Right!! My two older boys refuse to have anything to do with Frozen, even if I'd like to go on it. I may have to leave the kids with their grandmother one night and drag DH on it.

For Character Spot, we want Mickey, so I'm definitely going to try to snag a FP for that. And that will probably be the only meet and great we do. My two older boys like to look at characters from afar, although my little guy would probably be happy doing meet and greets all day, he's super friendly and talkative and LOVES the characters. We'll catch parades to see the other characters, unless they surprise me and want to meet more characters.

 

[MalkaR]

My kids have anxiety issues and my son is still not crazy about any thrill rides (which kills me since I LOVE roller coasters). But for some reason, he's never been afraid of TT and loved it even when he was only 4 or 5. The queue is so well-done with car things that it kept his interest all the way until the end. And having the competition of making your own car is now his favorite part!

They're sometimes scared of things with an intense atmosphere, nothing to do with anything actually scary. So maybe the cool car aspect of TT will keep them interested instead of nervous.

 

[DaisyD3]

My kids, 8 and 12, are ride wimps but we basically convinced them to ride Test Track. They survived and even kind of liked it. The parts they might really dig are the interactive pieces before the ride, the test sequences during the ride and after playing in the interactive area. The only part that may be intense is the part when the car takes a speed lap around the track. My litte one wasn't necessarily traumatized by the ride but she didn't exactly feel inspired to try other intense rides like Tower of Terror or Expedition Everest. She reports maybe on future trips??

 

[AuroraRose22]

A few years ago I went with a friend of mine and her six year old daughter. We had the opposite problem from what we anticipated. We took her on a roller coaster fairly early in the trip.

Little did we know she turned out to be a total roller coaster junkie and every ride after that was judged, and she was thoroughly unimpressed by anything that wasn't enough of a thrill ride for her. We may have gotten to enjoy more 'kiddie' rides if we had waited a little longer.

 

[mrzrich]

Whatever you do, don't ride Figment first (or at all, really). That ride terrified my 4 year old and he wouldn't go on anymore dark rides the rest of the trip.

My niece was terrified of the dark, loud train part of the figment ride

 

[DLgal]

My niece was terrified of the dark, loud train part of the figment ride

For us it was that last scene when they plunge you into darkness and shoot the air cannon at your face. Way too intense and we had no idea it was coming.