Timid!

[motherofautumn]

DD7 is pretty timid -- are there rides/shows that look fairly harmless from the outside but are rather intense once you're on/in them? And are there any that look scary but really aren't?

If she ends up going on a ride that scares her, she'll just refuse to go on any more rides, period (at least for the rest of the trip).

She is excited about the learning aspect of the various queues, but may hate the reason for the queue.

 

[Perditamarie]

Skip Snow White and Stitch at MK!!! Pirates of the Carribean seems like it will be scary, but is really detailed and interesting. Same w/Haunted Mansion-- the howling and stretch queuing room can be intense, but to me, that is the most intense part. Also, prepare her for LOUD shows. Honey I Shrunk the Audience has 3d effects that jump out at you as well as It's a Bugs Life show can be dark/creepy. I really like the Unofficial Guide to get a good handle on ride descriptions and appropriateness.

 

[badblackpug]

Lot's of folks have recommended "watching" the rides on You Tube.

Also Dinosaur in AK. The line is very sciencey the ride a bit scary, and very loud and rough.

 

[Juliet25]

Last May, we took DD on the Great Movie Ride first and that absolutely ruined rides for her. I also recommend the book mentioned by the PP. Avoid Snow White (it scared me when I rode it at 9!).

 

[Aliceacc]

Hit the bookstore and pick up Birnbaum's Disney for Kids book.

It gives a good description of each ride, written by a kid.

My kids have gone through the book, marking their personal favorites, based on the kid-reviews there.

 

[MandM-Mom]

Last May, we took DD on the Great Movie Ride first and that absolutely ruined rides for her. I also recommend the book mentioned by the PP. Avoid Snow White (it scared me when I rode it at 9!).

This happened to my oldest DD on her first trip back in 2005, she would not go on anything inside between the Stitch Ride and this one it was a good thing we were only staying 4 days When we went back the next year she was still hesitant but then fine because non of the rides terrified her like those 2 did!

 

[casjen]

My boys are both so timid. They have watched almost every ride on Youtube and can't wait to try them. I don't see this is "ruining" the ride for them. Rather, they know what to expect. My older ds would only ride rides that were completely outside and didn't spin. Can you see how limiting that was?

We leave Friday. I'll let you know if Youtube helped or not!

Oh, I returned the Birnbaum's book for kids before my boys saw it. It labels alot of rides "dark" and "scary". They'd never try it if a book said it was dark and scary!

 

[motherofautumn]

Thanks for all the suggestions! We leave in 2 1/2 weeks and we're all getting excited!

I think I may check out the Birnbaum book, but not let DD read it -- she would never go on rides that have been labeled dark or scary, either.

Please let me know how the youtube works out; watching rides from your house can be different than experiencing them for yourself. We've watched some rides already, and I'd love to know how "previewing" them affected the actual ride/show.

 

[kitsch4]

I agree with the others who said to avoid Snow White. They don't call it "...Scary Adventures" for nothing. We made the mistake of taking my daughter on it when she was 3, and she was really freaked out by it. My son has not gone on it, but there is a picture of the witch from the ride in the "Disney for Kids" book, and he made me mark the page so he skip over it and not have to look at it! The Great Movie Ride is another one that bothers them. They don't like the part where the gangster takes over the vehicle.

Surprisingly, there are a lot of rides that have some scary elements to them, even though they seem like they would be harmless. Journey into Imagination has the part where it becomes really dark and there's a big, sudden blast of air.

Have a great trip!

 

[1hero2princesses]

My plan is to start with the happiest and work up towards some of those that are a little more scary. Skipping the ones I know will freak my kids out (especially DD3). My kids 4 & 3 are not afraid of heights or speed, just scary. So planning to definitely skip Snow White, Haunted Mansion, Stich in MK. I am going to start with Dumbo and the Carosel (not spelling that right), then try It's a Small World. If that goes ok, try Peter Pan. I am hopeful but nervous she will freak out. Since I have two other kids DS 4 (5 that week) and DD1 it will be a problem if she refuses to go on things as the others will miss out too. There are a lot of the movies I think will be too scary (unfortunately) Like It's a Bugs Life, Honey I Shrunk the Audience. I am hoping she will be tall enough to ride Splash and Big Thunder as she loves roller coasters and log rides (go figure!). She is 39 1/2 in bare feet.
I haven't been to Disney in 10 years. I just keep reading like crazy to try to plan. My husband thinks I have lost my mind. I am so not normally a planner but I think this trip calls for planning.

 

[motherofautumn]

I am hoping she will be tall enough to ride Splash and Big Thunder as she loves roller coasters and log rides (go figure!). She is 39 1/2 in bare feet.

Can we do a child swap? I have a DD4 who is 41" and absolutely will not ride roller coasters or anything that goes fast.

 

[cam&phoebsmom]

The ride that brought our trip to a screeching halt was Maelstrom-the ride in EPCOT in Norway. We thought it would be like a little log flume ride and my DS (5) FREAKED OUT and it really made him scared of ANYTHING that looked remotely dark after that. I even had a bad/blurry pic of him trying to throw himself out of the Peter Pan ride at MK because it went into the dark.(We now joke with him and call PP "the most terrifying of ALL the Disney rides" ).

 

[Sophie_2003]

I agree with youtubing the rides, it takes away the "now knowing"; we also talk about the ride as we wait in the queue, giving her every right to step out if she wants. She never has. The only issue we've had was with Snow White, but she did request to ride it on the next trip. Usually the fear is of the unknown!!!