Soarin for Little One

[Frozen2014]

Hi,

We're coming to Disney in Oct with my DS9 and DD5. I need an honest answer as I'm trying to decide whether to get a FP for all four of us for Soarin or just for my DS9 and husband. (And yes she'll meet the height requirement as she's about 44" now).

My little one is timid to rides and very conservative...Although last month we did go to an amusement park and for the first time she went on a kiddie 'roller coaster' that went in a circle with a few ups and downs and loved it.

For those that have been on Soarin, what exactly is it like? How old were your kids, and were they adventurous?

Obviously I want my DD to have fun but don't want to freak her out.

PS - We haven't told them about our trip yet so can't show her on you tube and let her decide

 

[Robo]

Hi,

We're coming to Disney in Oct with my DS9 and DD5. I need an honest answer as I'm trying to decide whether to get a FP for all four of us for Soarin or just for my DS9 and husband. (And yes she'll meet the height requirement as she's about 44" now).

My little one is timid to rides and very conservative...Although last month we did go to an amusement park and for the first time she went on a kiddie 'roller coaster' that went in a circle with a few ups and downs and loved it.

For those that have been on Soarin, what exactly is it like? How old were your kids, and were they adventurous?

Obviously I want my DD to have fun but don't want to freak her out.

PS - We haven't told them about our trip yet so can't show her on you tube and let her decide

Soarin' is a nice, easy-going ride.

Younger kids have an extra safety strap that keeps them secure in the seat.

Guests (as a group) are seated in comfy chairs and gently lifted off the floor into the center
of a large-screen projection of scenes of flying over California landmarks.

It's fun for nearly all ages.

 

[mcconnellfam96]

If she has been on a kiddie coaster, Soarin' will be nothing for her. It is really a very soft glide motion just to add effect to the film you are situated in front of.....you really aren't "going anywhere". She should do great!

 

[jenrose66]

My dd is tall for her age. I brought her on a few months after she turned three because she is usually pretty fearless. I don't know if the rise into the air is what freaked her out but she hated it! I mean sobbed the entire ride. I felt bad that she was scared and I also felt bad for the other people on the ride who had to listen to the screaming kid. She showed no sign of uneasiness until we went in the air. She did really enjoy big thunder mountain though. I'm not trying to sway you either way I am just sharing my experience

 

[jm106]

Awesome ride, my kids love it and went on it 3 times each EP day last trip(so 6X total.) Yds was 4. Nothing fearful at all.
My kids love all disney rides, I explain a little about it and let them try. We did Dinosaur and ToT with each kid at 4/5. They know its not real, they know its a "funny sensation" in their stomach and it is only a couple of minutes. Me, Ill never do ToT again They love it.

 

[jenrose66]

I also forgot to mention that my ds was three on his first ride and he loved it!

 

[gtpoohbear]

Took my 3yo DS on it in March. He is scared of just about everything right now, lol! He tried to back out at the last minute but I didn't let him, and he ended up loving it. I think a 5yo will be fine

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

 

[Malibustyle23]

Epcot was the first park that we went to last year. It was my dd's first trip and the day she turned 5. She was is all over the board on rides. One minute she is super adventurous and the next she is scared of everything so it is hard to pinpoint her reaction. We got on Soarin' everyone was locked into their seats and the screens came on and she was fine. But then when the liftoff took place she was pretty apprehensive. The seats lift up into the air so they are in a vertical line in front of the imax screen. While doing that first lift you can get a very big butterflies in your stomach sensation. I was able to quickly and easily calm her down and she was fine to watch the show on the screen. Between the show on the screen and the scents they blow in distraction is easy. But Soarin' can be overwhelming for someone that is sensitive to heights and motions. Your seat will move throughout the movie in a gentle(ish) and sometimes faster than gentle swaying manner that goes with the film. While most adults think that it is fine, it is pretty big and overwhelming especially for a 5 year old. My daughter had no qualms about it until liftoff but I know that she can always be calmed throughout (pretty much) any ride and won't come off terrified swearing to never return to WDW. I'm not saying don't do it just beware lift can be overwhelming the first time. Have you checked out Youtube to see if you think she will like it?

 

[erin327]

My daughter is afraid of Soarin because of the fireworks at the end. They are fairly loud, close, and your seat sort of shakes with the boom. If fireworks are an issue for your child, beware that might cause problems for them on Soarin.

 

[sb682]

My son is afraid of most fast rides, including Barnstormer, but loves Soarin'. If she feels like she's sliding too far forward in her seat (always happens to my boy), have her sit "criss cross applesauce".

 

[Frozen2014]

Epcot was the first park that we went to last year. It was my dd's first trip and the day she turned 5. She was is all over the board on rides. One minute she is super adventurous and the next she is scared of everything so it is hard to pinpoint her reaction. We got on Soarin' everyone was locked into their seats and the screens came on and she was fine. But then when the liftoff took place she was pretty apprehensive. The seats lift up into the air so they are in a vertical line in front of the imax screen. While doing that first lift you can get a very big butterflies in your stomach sensation. I was able to quickly and easily calm her down and she was fine to watch the show on the screen. Between the show on the screen and the scents they blow in distraction is easy. But Soarin' can be overwhelming for someone that is sensitive to heights and motions. Your seat will move throughout the movie in a gentle(ish) and sometimes faster than gentle swaying manner that goes with the film. While most adults think that it is fine, it is pretty big and overwhelming especially for a 5 year old. My daughter had no qualms about it until liftoff but I know that she can always be calmed throughout (pretty much) any ride and won't come off terrified swearing to never return to WDW. I'm not saying don't do it just beware lift can be overwhelming the first time. Have you checked out Youtube to see if you think she will like it?

Hmmm...from this description I think it might freak her out. (Dh would say 'go for it as she needs to get over her fear' but I don't agree with "throwing her in with the sharks"). She's been on one of those airplane rides that goes in a circle and you can lift it up and down...and she cried when it went up (her brother was in front and lifted it up). Mind you, that was last year...

My daughter is afraid of Soarin because of the fireworks at the end. They are fairly loud, close, and your seat sort of shakes with the boom. If fireworks are an issue for your child, beware that might cause problems for them on Soarin.

Good question. Our first live fireworks will be at Disney in Oct

If this ride wasn't a definite FP ride, then I wouldn't need to decide this beforehand. (And I've been told that you cannot get FP for both Soarin and Test Track...but can switch magic bands. So if DD5 doesn't go on Soarin, then may get FP on different bands so my DS can try both. BUT if she would enjoy Soarin, then we'll skip Test Track and get for both of them)

 

[Robo]

sit "criss cross applesauce".

OK. No clue.

 

[jm106]

OK. No clue.

PC term for what used to called "Indian style"

 

[ktlm]

My DD (8) has never been big on thrill rides. She is just now getting more adventurous, but she has always hated BMTR and Splash, and is just now warming up to Space Mountain, and starting to really like Test Track. The only thing that has ever scared her at all about Soarin, are the fireworks at the very end that someone else mentioned. Other than that, she has absolutely loved it since she was 3 years old. At age 3, we told her it would be flying like Peter Pan, and she loved that idea, although after the ride she told us that we were wrong it was like Diego because it was a hang glider. Soarin is a pretty gentle ride.

Just FYI if your DD has never seen fireworks before, they are LOUD inside MK. DD's first trip to WDW was when she was 2, and she had seen fireworks a few times before the trip and had liked them and not been scared of them. WDW was a whole different story, the first boom and she was absolutely terrified and we had to take her inside of a store where they were not as loud. She didn't start liking the MK fireworks until she was 5 or 6. If she is sensitive at all to loud noise, you might want to think about bringing some ear protection for the MK fireworks if you want to watch them inside the parks.

 

[ghtx]

My 5-year-old-at-the-time was moderately scared of Soarin'; he didn't scream or throw a fit, but he didn't like it and didn't want to ride again. He mostly disliked the heights. He can be scared pretty easily, although on that same trip he rode BTMRR twice and loved it. You never can tell.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

It's more or less impossible to fully tell how anybody will react to any attraction until they experience it for themselves. That said, Soarin' is pretty tame. It sort of gives you the feeling of flying (gliding, really), but it is always easy to see the edges of the screen. Your seat hardly moves, though you are raised off the ground. Only someone who is very afraid of heights is likely to be bothered by it.

One suggestion, they kind of 'make' small children use the middle strap that come up between one's legs, but making sure that strap is fastened will likely help your little one feel more secure.

 

[Frozen2014]

It's more or less impossible to fully tell how anybody will react to any attraction until they experience it for themselves. That said, Soarin' is pretty tame. It sort of gives you the feeling of flying (gliding, really), but it is always easy to see the edges of the screen. Your seat hardly moves, though you are raised off the ground. Only someone who is very afraid of heights is likely to be bothered by it.

One suggestion, they kind of 'make' small children use the middle strap that come up between one's legs, but making sure that strap is fastened will likely help your little one feel more secure.

Thanks. Are you sitting directly next to them? e.g. can you hold their hand or comfort them if they get scared? Or is there a gap?

 

[erin327]

My DD (8) has never been big on thrill rides. She is just now getting more adventurous, but she has always hated BMTR and Splash, and is just now warming up to Space Mountain, and starting to really like Test Track. The only thing that has ever scared her at all about Soarin, are the fireworks at the very end that someone else mentioned. Other than that, she has absolutely loved it since she was 3 years old. At age 3, we told her it would be flying like Peter Pan, and she loved that idea, although after the ride she told us that we were wrong it was like Diego because it was a hang glider. Soarin is a pretty gentle ride.

Just FYI if your DD has never seen fireworks before, they are LOUD inside MK. DD's first trip to WDW was when she was 2, and she had seen fireworks a few times before the trip and had liked them and not been scared of them. WDW was a whole different story, the first boom and she was absolutely terrified and we had to take her inside of a store where they were not as loud. She didn't start liking the MK fireworks until she was 5 or 6. If she is sensitive at all to loud noise, you might want to think about bringing some ear protection for the MK fireworks if you want to watch them inside the parks.

Agreed. The fireworks part of Illuminations is also extremely loud!

 

[mummabear]

Dd3.5 alternates tends to be quite anxious by nature, she loved it.
Soarin is one of the rides she talks about frequently.

 

[mummabear]

Thanks. Are you sitting directly next to them? e.g. can you hold their hand or comfort them if they get scared? Or is there a gap?

Yes you will be able to hold hands.