Spashmountain for 3 1/2 year old

[Dizzy4Dizney]

My DD is a little over 3 1/2 but is tall enough for Splash Mountain. I know she would enjoy going through the ride, but I'm not sure about the water drop. Any experience with young, tall children on this ride?

 

[dmonroe]

Our ds did it at 3 1/2. He liked the ride; but the scariest part to him was the drop in the dark tunnel. The big drop at the end didn't scare him at all. Because of the dark tunnel drop, he said he was never riding it again. (He's 4 1/2 now and he's been back on it twice with some coaxing! )

 

[TLinden16]

I think it really depends on the child. You know your child better than anyone else. Let her take a look at the drop, see what she thinks of it. Be honest with her about it. You may want to see how she does on some of the tame dark rides, as parts of Splash are in the dark. Twice, my sisters have taken their kids on Splash the first day of the trip, and they've gotten scared and were apprehensive about going on rides they couldn't see.

My sister thought her son, who was four at the time, would love Splash Mountain, and she told him there would be a chicken exit before the big drop. Big mistake. The entire ride, he kept saying, "I want to get off. I want to get off." He was afraid of most rides the rest of the trip.

Karen

 

[DisneyShack]

Our DD rode it last May and she was 4 - absolutely loved it!!

 

[Steffi]

My DD rode Splash Mountain for the first time right before her 3rd birthday and loved it! She's kind of a thrill seeker, though, always has been.

I'd let your DD watch the drop first and let her decide if she wants to try it. SM is such a pretty ride; I hope she wants to give it a try.

 

[honeymom]

My daughter rode it when she was 5 and she was petrified from the dark and the drop.

I only took her on it because she really wanted to go on it and she had been fine on other log drop rides.

 

[PattiPB]

I think it's the Unofficial Guide that talks about SM as being "informed consent", since the big drop is right out there for you to see before you ride.

All of my kids are thrill-seekers (get it from DH!!!) and have LOVED SM since their thick-soled shoes let them ride it. However, it was always their choice, and we followed two strict rules:

1. Always tell the exact truth and don't exaggerate or sugar-coat what the ride does or shows.

2. Nobody can or will make you feel bad if you choose not to ride!

Patti

 

[ckmommy]

My 3 1/2 year old DS went on it last week. He was a bit afraid of the big drop, but after we got off of it, he wanted to ride it again. We had talked with him about the drop and explained to him that it was like a really big slide. That is how he saw it and kept asking to go back on the ride with the really big slide.

My Ds also was tall enough for the Tower of Terror. I had told him that it was too scary for him, but he through a huge fit about wanting to go on it. We watched it and I tried to explain that it was a much bigger drop tham SM. He still wanted to ride. My Dh took him on it. While in line, my DH kept telling him he did not have to ride it and it was a pretty scary ride. But DS still wanted to go. Well, they rode it, and DS said that he did NOT want to ride it again to the other riders around him. By the time DH and DS met up with us again, DS thought he wanted to go on it again. I don't think so. Then DS said he wanted to RnR--thank goodness he is not tall enough for that!!!

 

[Tigger&Belle]

My son didn't want to go after seeing the planning DVD, but I knew that he would like it. I told him we were going on a boat ride and he went and loved it. He would not admit to ever NOT wanting to go on it. I should mention that he'd already gone on Jurassic Park at Universal, so I was pretty sure that he would be fine on Splash Mountain or I might not have resorted to trickery.

T&B

 

[jacksonsmom]

My son went on Splash when he was 3.5 yrs old. He kept begging and begging to go on it.
I talked to him about the dark and the big drop, I let him watch the logs come down the big drop for a while and he still wanted to go on it.

So, we went on. He was fine all through the ride. We get off and he told us He does NOT want to go on it again! He told me the big drop scared him.

So, I say let the child make up their own mind. They may like it and they may not. I always told my son, if he rides on a ride & he finds out he doesn't like it, he doesn't have to ride it again.

 

[AdventurerKat]

I took my DS on Splash last October when he was just about a month and a half from his fourth birthday. He begged me to go on it. We went on it, in the dark actually, at MNSSHP and he LOVED it. Went back on it two more times that trip.

I agree that it depends on the child and that you should watch the logs drop for a while so they know what they are in for.

 

[Katy Belle]

My son just turned 4 and he did Splash Mountain twice! He is very, very cautious and scared, but we showed him the drop and he decided to do it. He LOVED the characters. He talks about it all the time. The dark was a bigger issue than the drop for him. We had a little flashlight, shaped like a basketball, that we clipped on the zipper of his jacket. Any time he was scared of the dark he squeezed it and it lit up a bit and made him feel better. Also, lots of positve words, "whee!!!" helped a bunch. He loved Splash Mountain!

 

[myhandd]

We took our little boy in Sept of last year one week before his 3rd bday and he loved ot. In fact it was his favorite ride. I'll bet we went six times on it! Go for it!

 

[campingcorgi]

We rode it last October with an under 4 and she loved it! We have the cutest ride photo of her in the front seat with her little arms held high--they barely cleared the top of the log but they were held high!!! Now me, I was holding her tight into the seat! She wants to ride again soon!!!

 

[McKelly]

I took my 4 year old daughter on this ride after she watched the logs coming down for awhile too. She wanted to go on, so I took her. Well, she started SOBBING after the short dark drop in the middle of the ride. She continued to cry through the rest of the ride. To be honest with you, I don't even think she realized we went down the big drop at the end. Even though she is tall, she couldn't see over the top of the log because the seats are so deep. Anyway, we are going back this December and she will almost be 6. She has told me she DOES NOT want to go on Splash Mountain again, however, her three year old brother does!!! I don't know if I want to go through that again!! Maybe dad will though!!