So how intense is Dinosaur (for kids)?

[oceanmarina]

Hi all,

I'm thinking of trying Dinosaur ride with my son who is 10 this summer. He's on the autistic spectrum, he enjoyed Haunted Mansion and 7 Dwarfs. Him and his friends like "jump scare" video games where its a dark game and something jumps out at you (From what I know of the ride it is dark and the dinosaur's jump near the car you are in). I'm wondering how intense this ride would be for a 10 year old? (who's a young 10).

Thanks so much for any feedback,
Marina

 

[Robo]

I will not begin to tell you what will be the reaction of YOUR child.
I will just describe the ride as best I can put into words.

Dinosaur is, by far, the ROUGHEST indoor ride at WDW.
(Space Mtn. is right in there, but not for the ENTIRE ride!)

It's certainly "tied" for the absolute LOUDEST
bellowing sound effects.

And there is nothing that comes close in the category of
"Pitch-blackness...
then FULL-BRIGHT LIGHTS illuminating
GIANT DINOS with razor-sharp spiked teeth
LUNGING out straight AT YOU
with DEAFENING-ROAR sound effects."

Then,
more VIOLENT shaking,
jack-rabbit ACCELERATION,
sudden hard BRAKING...
and REPEAT.

All that said, I really ENJOY riding this attraction, and do so every trip.

Dinosaur is based on the same ride technology that is used on the Indiana Jones and the Temple of the Forbidden Eye ride at Disneyland.

 

[rdominy]

My daughter rode it when she was five. The ride itself did not scare her. There is a dialog part where they are urgently insisting that you may not get back to your own time. That part is what terrified her. She didn't think we would make it back.

Each kid is different. It is an intense ride.

 

[cdnjason]

Here's a video for you to gauge for yourself:

 

[pa. dad]

each child is different but mine never had a problem with that one starting from age 5.
I think if you tell them something like "the plot of this one is that there's this dinosaur chasing you but it's not a REAL dinosaur and it's just a big puppet" that most kids will like it.

 

[lovethattink]

My son loves Dinosaur, but the anticipation of the ride makes him extremely anxious. He stresses the whole time we're in the FP+ line, in the pre-show, and until the seat belts are fastened. Yet as soon as we get off the ride, he wants to go do it again. Somewhere in between Thomas the Tank Engine and Star Wars there was a period of dinosaur hyperfocus. And he still loves dinosaurs.

It's quite ironic, because he hates sudden loud noises, hate surprises, hates the dark, yet he loves this attraction which has all of those.

 

[capegirl]

You know what your child's limitations are, and each child may respond differently. My DGS, who is mildly autistic, panicked on Dinosaur. His reaction was totally unexpected, because he really enjoyed Space Mountain, TOT and all of the other thrill rides. I guess Dinosaur can be too intense for some children.

 

[anneboleyn]

My DD8 rode Dinosaur on our trip last October, and it is now her favorite. This was very unexpected since before that, she had refused to ride anything except Dumbo, the Magic Carpets, and the Tea Cups (as long as I didn't spin them lol).

I would have your child watch the Youtube videos of the ride and decide whether they would like to ride it or not

 

[CAS239]

Depends per child.

I get a kick out of riding with little kids and elderly people, just to see their reaction in the pic at the end of the ride lol. I love the ride

 

[Good Morning Dewdrop]

We rode it when DD was 7 - it was Dinosaur one of her favorite movies....UGH big mistake - she was scared the whole time I kept my arm around her and told her it would be OK. She didn't agree to ride it again until she was 14. Could you ride it first and then make a judgment call? Robo did a very good description of it but being there is more intense !

 

[caroline1851]

my 6 year old son HATED it. His expensive face paint was streaked all down his face when the ride was over. Returned at age 9 and LOVED it. It's extremely loud, jerky, dark, flashing lights.

 

[msmama]

My son is a total scaredy cat. There have been times he wouldn't to Pirates and even was scared of the safari for while. 7DMT is the most roller coaster like ride he does. He LOVES dinosaur.

I think his love of dinosaurs and the the science of it tops the scary factor for him. He's 8 now, rode for the first time at 6. I took him inside to the air conditioning fully expecting to use the chicken exit but he did it - nervously - and loved it.

I'd never tell you what to do with YOUR child but that's my experience.

 

[DWillowBay]

My son, who is also ASD, loves it! I, however, am of no help to you as I have never seen anything past the Pterodactyl ! (Shame!)

 

[ShirikiUtundu]

My son, who is also ASD, loves it! I, however, am of no help to you as I have never seen anything past the Pterodactyl ! (Shame!)

I laughed out loud at this. Because I have been on Dinosaur many times and the Pterodactyl is always my cue point to bury my face in my hands.
Stuff gets real after the pterodactyl.

 

[han22735]

Our DD loved dinosaur from the first time she rode it at 3. Loved it again this past January at 4. She knows that its pretend so maybe thats why she's not as scared.

 

[DWillowBay]

I laughed out loud at this. Because I have been on Dinosaur many times and the Pterodactyl is always my cue point to bury my face in my hands.
Stuff gets real after the pterodactyl.

YEP! My head has never even made it into the picture....just looks like an empty seat next to my son!

 

[Kelly loves Food]

My 9 year old hated it. Cried with her head down the entire ride. I didn't love it either...but we all like different things. If you have doubts, I say don't do it. I wish we hadn't.

 

[aggiedog]

My 10 yo ds HATED it. Cried like a little girl the entire time. Poor guy. He is not on the spectrum, has no issues with loud, scary video games, and is not generally that delicate of a personality. I don't hate it, but don't love it. It's not fast enough to be a thrill ride. Mostly it's just dark, loud, and bumpy. We ride it about once a decade, then it takes the next 10 years for us to forget we don't like it. LOL

As an aside, my 16yo dd watched Felicia Rashad in that video, looked at her 80's jewelry and was like "what is she wearing??" It really does need updating.

 

[mrzrich]

My 16 yo is Autistic and will not ride Dinosaur anymore. He used to ride it when he was younger though.

 

[jormom1030]

My now 4 year old loved it this summer at 3 years old. It was her favorite. Her 7 year old sister and 12 year old brother said they never wanted to go on it again.