Space Mountain with a brave 6 year old?

[d96j97]

I need some advice...

I have a 6 year old (@45" and about 42lbs.). He is such a daredevil. We went to Hershey Park last fall and he rode the "Comet" which has a 100ft. drop. He was a little nervous in the line but swore he wanted to go through with it. He was able to sit right beside me so I had one hand on the bar and one on him.


I have rode Space Mountain and I am quite worried about his safety on it. He would not be sitting beside anyone (because you sit one behind the other) and I wouldn't be able to keep my hand on him. He really seems excited about riding it but it really scares me.

Has anyone else had a child this small ride and feel fine about it?
I'm really not over-protective...just cautious.

 

[hockey mom]

My 6 yr old son rode it and loved it. Now my DD was another story and I was so scared she was going to try to get out and what made it even worse was not being able to hold on to them.

 

[debm]

Yes, my 8 year old with Down sydrome rides it but I was so scared the first time too that he would try to climb out. I sat behind him and just kept telling him to "sit nicely". He loves rides so much though that I think he understands. He is about the same size as your son. Even my 5 year old daughter rides it and loves it. But you will have to decide. You could always get in there and tell the CMs you want to see how the seating is. Just go when it is not really crowded.

 

[WDWFOREVER]

Deleted because it was duplicated

 

[WDWFOREVER]

My DS is small for his age and rode this for the first time when he was nearly 8. I was terrified he would fall out because I couldn't hold onto him but I can now see why Disney and Universal are so strict on their height requirements - he was fine! Don't worry, if he is tall enough to go on the ride, he will be safe.

Jackie

 

[MaryKatesMom]

My DD 6 is very light for her age so although she made the height requirements I was still nervous but she loved it!

My mother just asked her yesterday what her favorite ride is and she said Space Mountain.

I know how you feel. I was much more scared and nervous for her then she was.

 

[gingermommy94]

My son was 6 when were at Disney last year. 6 years old and barely 42 pounds. He did just fine! I was soooo worried the whole way through the ride..but when it came to an end..he was ready to get back in line and do it again! So..as long as they are brave enough...smaller kiddos will be just fine.

 

[d96j97]

Wow, I didn't know there were such brave little ones out there! I'm really glad that all of your little ones did OK. I guess I'll let my guard down and let him try it. The countdown has begun...we're so excited!!!


By the way, I also have an almost 8 year old who doen't even like Goofy's Barnstormer(too scary)...funny how they are so different.

 

[TiffJ]

Another Yes! My son rode it when he was 5 & loved it! Because of the baby swap he would get to ride it twice. He is also very light for his age (40lbs) and I saw no safety problems with it. And believe me-I'm paranoid so if there was a problem I would have noticed it. When we went to Universal he whined the whole time DH was on the HULK rollercoaster that he couldnt ride it(you have to be 54")

 

[SAWYERMAW1]

My 5 year old grandson rode it in November. He was so proud he finally got tall enough to ride. He announced to everyone in line, "This is my first time." He has been riding TOT since he was 4. Still too short to ride the Rockin Roller Coaster but maybe he will be tall enough for this April trip.

 

[tjmw2727]

My dd did Space Mt on her 5th birthday and loved it. I like you was the nervous one! I sat behind her and was able to just touch the back of her shoulders. I think that was more for me than for her!

TJ

 

[kandmwedding]

I have a funny story for you about this...

Back in the mid-80s, when I was about 5 years old, my parents took me on this ride, and I rode with my dad right behind me, while my mom and siblings were in another car. At the end of the ride I was screaming bloody murder, and everyone looked at my dad like he was horrible for taking this tiny little girl on the ride.... Well, turns out I was screaming because I didn't want to get off, and he had to take me through the line again because I was so upset. I loved it, and if your son is a daredevil (I wasn't by any stretch of the imagination), he'll love it too!!!

If you're still unsure, take him on TTA first, since you get to see the cars moving around inside Space Mountain, and see if he thinks it's too fast for him. Usually kids are braver than their parents think, so it probably won't be a problem!!

Good luck!!!

 

[Madi100]

My 40 pound six year old rode this in January when we went. She is a chicken. She's afraid to do anything, but once she does, she loves it. Big Thunder Mountain was her favorite ride, but she really counts on being able to hold onto us for support. So, when we got in line for Space Mountain, we just didn't tell her that she would be in front of us and not besides us. She hesitated a minute when we got to the ride, but she loved it. She even went on it again with my parents right after we did.

 

[lindaso]

Sounds like he'll be fine on SM if he's been on a coaster with a big drop. My DD had just turned 6 when she went on it and we spent most of the vacation walking back over for another ride. I was also worried about the single seating but she was fine sitting in front of me. I could hear her laughing through the whole ride. She was also tall enough for RnR which she also loved...it pays to be a tall daredevil. I could tell the couple in line in front of us thought I was nuts for taking a 6 year old on RnR...hey, DH doesn't ride so I've been riding alone for years, it's about time someone came with me!!!

 

[kbkids]

My 5 yr old DD rode it and loved it. We had to immediately turn around and get back in line. On the first trip, I just kept reaching forward and holding on to her shoulder, mostly cause I thought she would be nervous. When she got off and wanted to go again, she said, "This time, don't touch me!!"

 

[myboysmom]

Our son was 8 when he went on it the first time, I was the one he had to talk into it! See, when I went on it the first time it had just opened and you sat in it like a log ride- no restraints! I remember hanging on for dear life to the rails. So when he said I'll go if you'll go I said ok. Was I surprised and relieved to see the ride had changed.

We both found it so much fun and rode it over and over again. If he meets the height requirements he will be safe and I am sure if he could handle the large coaster he will do fine here.

 

[my3boys]

It is one of our 6 year old's favorite rides; he began riding when he was 5. This Christmas he was tall enough for Rock n Roll Coaster and liked it too, but not as much as Space Mountain.

I think it is more scary for parents to not be beside their children; I think it must have reached from behind and checked the safety bar a "million" times before we started moving. During the ride, I could reach up and touch his shoulder and see/hear that he was fine. Rock n Roll Coaster is a completely different story, however! It is so fast and dark that I found it impossible to know if my son was in the seat next to me or had fallen out!

 

[Bimmy56]

We just got back from WDW - my 6 years old grandson rode Space and also loved it. Sometimes I think that younger children are more fearless that someone 9-10 years old.

 

[candleonwater]

Sitting apart wasn't what bothered me the most, but more, if my daughter fell out, I wouldn't be able to see her! She was finally tall enough to ride space mtn just after she turned 6... and was a bit hesitant about riding because of the entrance - long dark... she just wasn't wild about it. Once she got on the ride - I had her sit in front of me, so I could touch her shoulder - she loved it... and even prefers one side over the other (I'm not sure if it's left or right, but she says it's smoother). Of course her favorite ride is BTMRR, and since it wasn't open the last time we went, she wants to ride it over and over again this trip!

 

[shafke]

d96j97

DS was 4 on lout last trip and a little too short for SM... did every ride he was tall enough for incuding ToT 3 times. I wouldn't worry about not being seated next to DS... You will be right behind him and there is no danger of him falling out.

PS. Did DS do SuperDuperLooper at Hershey... I think out DS liked this better that the Comet.