Stop Forcing Children On Scary Rides!!!

[Feralpeg]

There are truths on both sides of this argument. I realize that not all children are the same and the parents need to use their best judgement. However, the OP is correct in that not all parents use that judgement. Since I am at WDW more than most, I see the same things over and over. I see children terrified of going on a ride. The parents aren't trying to reason with the child or tell them it isn't afraid. They are simply dragging them on, telling the child that they paid to much money for them not to ride every ride. In these cases, it seems it is much more about what the parent wants to do than what is best for the child. I try to give people the benefit of the doubt, but this really gets old. And, while I agree that we should not worry about the next family, it is darn hard to ignore when the child next to you is hysterical.

 

[crisi]

There are truths on both sides of this argument. I realize that not all children are the same and the parents need to use their best judgement. However, the OP is correct in that not all parents use that judgement. Since I am at WDW more than most, I see the same things over and over. I see children terrified of going on a ride. The parents aren't trying to reason with the child or tell them it isn't afraid. They are simply dragging them on, telling the child that they paid to much money for them not to ride every ride. In these cases, it seems it is much more about what the parent wants to do than what is best for the child. I try to give people the benefit of the doubt, but this really gets old. And, while I agree that we should not worry about the next family, it is darn hard to ignore when the child next to you is hysterical.

Yep. Its really hard to judge any situation from the outside. SOME parents shouldn't force their kids on rides, and other parents know their kids well and know that this is part of the process and to do anything involves a push. SOME parents use leashes so they don't need to pay attention to their own kids, and some parents use them because they know they can't pay attention every moment and two year old boys are faster than they look, but try very hard to make sure you don't trip over the leash (which is only going to hurt their child, too). SOME people are responsible stroller drivers, and some are too busy taking video to look in front of them and are responsible for scraped heels parkwide. SOME parents are bad parents, SOME kids are little brats, and sometimes there are invisible extenuating circumstances that if you knew, you'd feel horrible for having passed judgement.

Generally, around here we get the responsible stroller drivers, the "I pay attention to my own kids" crowd and the "well, we didn't make it on Haunted Mansion, the four year old freaked out, but maybe next time" crowd. Occationally someone will read these threads and see their own behavior and realize it is inconsiderate of others, or wrong, and then all the whining is worth something.

(Haunted Mansion is not scary at all when you are 20 or 30. A five year old with a vivid imagination and a sensitivity to ghosts may find it terrifying. Many kids ride it without problems, its really toned down for a "Haunted House" - very happy ghosts. But that didn't keep my five year old from almost bailing at the last minute (the entrance is particularly spooky) and having his face buried in Dad for half the ride.)

 

[elliemae1192]

If you go the first week of October and see some horrible mother ushering her blonde haired blue eyed girl through the que's, that's me! My 8 yr old (she'll be almost 9 when we go) cries over everything. She cries at the drop of a hat, if you look at her wrong, she cries. She cries every morning when getting ready for school and every afternoon when she gets home. Sometimes for no reason at all. She will cry the first time we go on any big ride and the next time around, she will be first in line.

So if you see me, wave ! I'll wave back and if you see us after the ride too, you'll see my DD giggling away asking to go again. If I didn't insist she try it once, she would never do anything.

There must just be something about 8 year old girls because my almost 9 year old DD is the same way. We have cajoled her as well as bribed her and if we looked like bad parents I really don't care. All I want is for her to try things once. If she doesn't like it-fine. Most of the time she does. For instance she didn't like Space Mountain AT ALL but she LOVES RocknRollercoaster and rides it several times when we go. She HATES ToT but LOVES Splash Mountain. I know my daughter's personality and I know that sometimes she needs a nudge.
We just recently went to Six Flags in New Orleans and she wouldn't get on those swings that just spin around in a circle. We were there with a large group of family members and the other girls were riding over and over. I finally "made" her get on and literally could not get her off again. She rode it at least six times back to back.

 

[kakiegirl]

I would never force or even bribe my child to get on a thrill ride. For example she is going back and forth about Splash Mountain and I have told her it is totally up to her. However, when it comes to rides, she is hesitant about trying anything new (for example soaring) and motion simulator rides do not make her sick, she loves rides like STAR Tours, back to the future and Wild Artic. So I have really had to talk her into riding Soaring when we go next week and I know when we get there that she may try to chicken out so I will probably tell her it will not be scary to try it once, and I will buy her a small item at a gift shop and if she doesn't like it she never has to ride it again. I don't think that makes me a bad mom.

 

[oogieboogie]

I have 2 sons who are usually weeping in the line even before they get on the ride. The anticipation of the ride usually frightens them more than the actual ride. So we do have to force them on the rides usually.

Great example of this: my oldest DS (7yrs old now) didn't want to go on BTMRR. He was weeping during the entire queue. He was crying the whole ride all the way to the end. But... in the end... this turned out to be his favorite ride of all! Right after that first ride, he immediately wanted to ride it again and again.

Now, he also went on Space Mountain. Again, he was crying before the ride, but by the end, he said the ride was OK. He didn't want to ride it again because it was too jerky for him but he certainly wasn't scared to ride it again.

This year he was big enough for RNR. Again, crying in queue and on the ride. But at the end of the day he said it wasn't so bad and that he really wasn't that scared and that he wouldn't mind riding it again.

Just another perspective on the situation.

 

[tn_disney_addict]

I would never force or even bribe my child to get on a thrill ride. For example she is going back and forth about Splash Mountain and I have told her it is totally up to her. However, when it comes to rides, she is hesitant about trying anything new (for example soaring) and motion simulator rides do not make her sick, she loves rides like STAR Tours, back to the future and Wild Artic. So I have really had to talk her into riding Soaring when we go next week and I know when we get there that she may try to chicken out so I will probably tell her it will not be scary to try it once, and I will buy her a small item at a gift shop and if she doesn't like it she never has to ride it again. I don't think that makes me a bad mom.

Like I said...my daughter LOVES the dollar and if she will try it one time because I bribe her, I am all for it ! I don't think that makes you a bad mom at all to bribe your child with a gift from the gift shop! I do the same thing on rides that I know she will love that she is just nervous about trying. BRIBE away!!

 

[C.Ann]

For those parents who force or bribe their children to go on rides that they are terrified of, what happens when they get off and the children are still hysterical because they really didn't feel comfortable going on the ride?

I'm just curious how a parent would explain to a child why they would force them to do something that they're terrified of simply for entertainment value..

 

[Lollipop Mom]

We are of the "you don't have to ride anything you don't want to" type of family. We did encourage for rides we know aren't scary at all (ie IASW) on our first trip but we never force. We did the chicken exit at Splash at least 3 times before my oldest decided he would ride. He came off screamming but 3 trips later he tried again and LOVED it.

Now, I will say that if you see a parent at the END of a ride with a screaming kid...don't assume that kid was forced. I got a LOT of dirty looks from people leaving BTMRR over Christmas week last year. I was carrying my SCREAMING not quite 3 year old off the ride. People were giving me that "What a horrible Mom forcing that little boy to ride a roller coaster" look. What they weren't aware of is that he was not screaming b/c I made him get on the ride and he was scared, he was screaming b/c I made him get OFF the ride so someone else could have a turn! He's our daredevil who at 2 3/4 would prefer to ride Splash or Thunder than Dumbo or Peter Pan! (and yes, he was tall enough with no "help" to reach the height limit, DH is 6'5" and I'm 5'11" so we have tall kids. )

 

[meandtheguys2]

My kids would learn real quick to have a hissy fit to get a buck to go on a ride!

I still have to ask those who "make" (for lack of a better word) their child go on a ride when crying, upset or worse whether you care that it is upsetting for those standing there watching? It affects other people, even if they are understanding, etc.

 

[tn_disney_addict]

For those parents who force or bribe their children to go on rides that they are terrified of, what happens when they get off and the children are still hysterical because they really didn't feel comfortable going on the ride?

I'm just curious how a parent would explain to a child why they would force them to do something that they're terrified of simply for entertainment value..

I only bribe mine on the ones that I know she will just love. I know her pretty well. I have yet to have her come off a ride and say anything other than "can we ride that again!?!?"

I will say that my DH rode Dinosaur first and told us both that we would love it that it wasn't 'bad' at all....huh! I HATED IT...of course DD and DH rode it several times over...so...she takes him at his word...but not this Dixie!

 

[tn_disney_addict]

My kids would learn real quick to have a hissy fit to get a buck to go on a ride!

I still have to ask those who "make" (for lack of a better word) their child go on a ride when crying, upset or worse whether you care that it is upsetting for those standing there watching? It affects other people, even if they are understanding, etc.

Well, I will have to say that DD caught on and for several rides it was "how much will you pay me to ride this one", but I had several rules...

1. You only get paid for the first time riding
2. I get to decide if the ride is worth paying for!

I LOVE being the grown up!!

 

[meandtheguys2]

Well, I will have to say that DD caught on and for several rides it was "how much will you pay me to ride this one", but I had several rules...

1. You only get paid for the first time riding
2. I get to decide if the ride is worth paying for!

I LOVE being the grown up!!

They are quick aren't they? Too funny!

 

[dismom9761]

My DS7 and DD6 were scared to get on everything on our first trip.We made a deal that they would try it all and from then on they would only ride what they wanted.The only thing my DD did not ride was MS-I was afraid it would be too intense.I guess we did bribe-they loved the pins but only got it if they "conquered" the ride.They were so proud that they went on RNRC.My son did get on Test Track crying and then came off crying because we told him the line was too long to get back on.They would have ridden NOTHING w/o some prodding-and,yes,some tears.The only thing they say they will never ride again is Tower of Terror.But my DH says the same thing.

 

[elliemae1192]

I only bribe mine on the ones that I know she will just love. I know her pretty well. I have yet to have her come off a ride and say anything other than "can we ride that again!?!?"

I will say that my DH rode Dinosaur first and told us both that we would love it that it wasn't 'bad' at all....huh! I HATED IT...of course DD and DH rode it several times over...so...she takes him at his word...but not this Dixie!

Same here. See, I know my daughter and I knew she'd love the rollercoasters. I also know that Dinosaur would freak her out so I would never try to force her or bribe her to go on that one. I figure she'll do it when she's ready. If I know she'll like something, yes, I will bribe her. Only once was I wrong. We got her to ride Space Mountain and she really didn't like it. She was not traumatized or anything, just decided not to ride it again. As long as you know your child's personality and don't force them to do something you KNOW they will hate, I don't see a problem. My daughter would be the first to tell you that if we hadn't coaxed her, she would have missed out of some of her favorite rides.

 

[Disneyland_emily]

I think it comes down to 2 groups the apprehensive kids and the scared *&^%less kids.

As a former Ride Op CM I saw both groups mulitiple times daily. I have very little issues putting apprehensive kids on because yes 95% of the kids will love it or aleast like it ( think this is where most kids mentioned on this thread fall) and they are not a danger to themselves or others-

Its the scared kids that we have had issues with because often they can become a danger to themselves or others and yes we've seen kids who have tried and one or two suceeded on getting out of the restraints (this was still before the ride moved at all) that should not ride. It's a fine line that CMs have to walk- and its not a fun one but its far better to be safe than sorry.

-em

 

[C.Ann]

Its the scared kids that we have had issues with because often they can become a danger to themselves or others and yes we've seen kids who have tried and one or two suceeded on getting out of the restraints (this was still before the ride moved at all) that should not ride. It's a fine line that CMs have to walk- and its not a fun one but its far better to be safe than sorry.

-em

------------------------

This is exactly the type of children I'm referring to - and saw far too often during our trip in 2001.. These children were beyond frightened - they were traumatized - and I've always wondered how their parents were able to justify their forcefulness to their children in a park that was supposed to be "fun"..

 

[agnes!]

Haunted Mansion is a funny one...not that scary, it seems & *yet*... I've been told that most folks (not just young children, mind you) who freak out do so in the "shrinking room", when the Narrator states something along the lines of "no windows and no doors...and now you have this chilling challenge...to find a way out!"(HaHaHaHa)
There's just something about realizing that there is no obvious exit.

agnes!

 

[Kimmie5870]

I guess you missed the part of Pyrxtc’s post that said her daughter cries when going onto the ride, but is giggling and ready to ride again when it's over. I think she knows her child better than we do.

I did the same thing with my son when he was 9. He was afraid of many of the rides, and would have passed them all up had I not pushed him to try them. Of course he loved them all.

I'm sure some nosey, busy body saw us going on the rides and may have had plenty to say about me "forcing" my son onto a ride. I'm willing to bet the person wasn't around at the end when he was begging to do it again or to see him happily ride the same rides several more times during our trip.

Maybe we should start a theard asking people to stop passing judgment on others. Go on your vacations, enjoy your trips, and learn to mind your own business.

If someone wants to put their 10-year-old in a stroller, that's their choice.

If someone wants to use a leash to keep up with their child, their choice.

If someone wants to encourage their child to ride a ride they are nervous about, their choice.

If someone wants to feed their children ice cream, burgers, fries, soda... during their trip, that's their choice.

If a people want to walk around eating turkey legs, more power to them.

We complain about so many things that don't have anything to do with us.

We all go to WDW to enjoy ourselves. We shouldn't have to worry if we're going to do something that will piss someone off so much that they just have to start a thread about it on the DIS.

My son and I are returning to WDW September 29-October 5. I'm sure we'll give the busy bodies, plenty to talk about.

I'm a far cry from a size 4 and I can't wait to get my hands on a turkey leg. ( and several other yummy snacks)

I'm sure my son will force me ride TOT at least twice during our trip.

My son's birthday is the last day of our trip, but I plan to celebrate the whole time we're there.

I think we should all just enjoy our trips and not worry about what the next family is doing.

This is a great post disneyjunkie,and it's beginning to look like you are speaking for alot of us!

 

[kakiegirl]

I think it comes down to 2 groups the apprehensive kids and the scared *&^%less kids.
-em

The rides I encourage my dd to ride are the ones she is apprehensive about. She is just hesitant to ride any ride for the first time. I know her better than anyone and would never put her on something that would terrify her. Also, I would never take her on any ride crying or fighting not to go on. If she is hesitant I explain the ride to her, encourage her to try it, ask her to please just try it once and yes if I really want her to try it I may bribe her. If she still dosen't want to ride, I drop the issue. Again understand these are not thrill rides, I personally, for my dd, think a 6 year old is too young to ride most thrill rides. We were at Seaworld last summer and she really wanted to ride Atlantis (which shocked me) and I hesitated to let her because I just knew it woud terrify her, but she did okay.

 

[all4fun]

Now, I will say that if you see a parent at the END of a ride with a screaming kid...don't assume that kid was forced. I got a LOT of dirty looks from people leaving BTMRR over Christmas week last year. I was carrying my SCREAMING not quite 3 year old off the ride. People were giving me that "What a horrible Mom forcing that little boy to ride a roller coaster" look. What they weren't aware of is that he was not screaming b/c I made him get on the ride and he was scared, he was screaming b/c I made him get OFF the ride so someone else could have a turn!

I can so relate! This is what happened multiple times with our soon-to-be 2-year old on our last trip. We were hauling him kicking and screaming OFF the ride because he wanted to go again. Too funny!

I never even thought someone might think that the ride had scared him LOL. Quite the opposite!