TOT 40" height ...

[jennypetal]

Do not let the 40" height requirement at TOT lull you into thinking it is appropriate for your 3 or 4yr old! It was just terrifying for my daughter. And she is a short 4yr old(almost 5yrs) who is a dare devil to boot! She left the ride crying and me feeling like a awful mother. Disney should raise the height to 48".

Jenny

 

[LostBoyinVA]

Can I ask what scared here more? Was it the atmospher or the ride itself? Just the Drops? I myself found the ride to be pretty tame compared to what I expected when I rode it for the first time last year. My wife and I had considered taking our 5 year old when we went in October so I would like to know if you where aware of one particular aspect that scared her or if it was the ride as a whole.

 

[ABBSMOM]

My complaint with the TOT was the CM put my DD (8years - 50 lbs) in the same bench as a 200+ guy. Well the bar on the bench that pulls down to your lap, on that bench only came down to the middle of her chest. She was terrified the first time she went because she thought she was going to fall out.

PS. She loved the ride the rest of the times.

 

[jennypetal]

I think what scared her was the repeated dropping of the elevator. The darkness and the screaming might have done a little bit of it too

Jennypetal

 

[catwho]

Disney has on its website the scare factor for most of the rides. I have found them quite accurate. My youngest dd (5yo) is quite timid and we doesn't go on things like Haunted Mansion or Pirates of the Caribean because it is "spooky" Height usually has nothing to do with readiness for different rides. My 2 yo was tall enough to go on Big Thunder Mountain, but we knew he would be terrified of the ride (he loved Goofy's Barnstormer *after* he got off it)

If you have a child who is timid or afraid of the dark or falling, or going fast, then do a baby swap. The CM's are quite familiar with parents doing a baby swap even when the "baby" is 5 or 6 yo. They would prefer you to baby swap than have a terrified child on a ride. And since baby swapping makes things so much easier, I really recommend them.

My oldest dd (who will be 9) has even mentioned that it looks too scarey even for her and she *loves* thrill rides. It can be a bit intimidating. As for the height issue, I agree. I think it should be higher. That also allows a child to be older. Next time maybe you should make sure that she is seated with you so she feels more secure.

 

[sheilap]

My experience...

This past Nov. I took my 5 yo daughter on the ride. She is a complete dare-devil, loves rollercosters (the bigger and faster the better), isn't squeemish at all, and loves "spooky" things. Since the height requirement was so short, I thought she'd love it. Boy oh boy was I wrong. She never cried or anything, but she was scared to death - and I've never seen this child scared about ANYTHING. I really can't pinpoint what it was that freaked her out so much, but she still talks about hating that ride. We're planning a Disney Cruise for next fall, and her first question was "there's no TOT ride on the boat, is there?"

My humble advice - skip it if your child is under the age of 8 or so.

 

[Linda]

When TOT was just one drop it was a much tamer ride! My 3rd child rode it at age 4, almost 5 and loved it! She was just 40", a BIG daredevil and at the time Splash was 42 or 44" so she could ride TOT and not Splash which I felt was less scary.

I think what freaks the kids out the most (this is according to my son) is those special effect ghosts, especially the little girl - they look SO real, my #4 son (just turned 5) is scared of the ghosts and not the drop, but the multiple drops are much more intense. (I have 4 kids so I gave them all a number –LOL) If they see the rides as being on the ‘real’ side then the ghosts really freak them out – the ones at the HM look somewhat fake, but they really perfected those at the TOT. When my little guy told us he hated the ghosts my older teen told him that if the lighting hits just right when you drop you go join the ghosts forever as one of them (the teen was almost put on the next flight home). We just saw the TOT movie on the Disney Chn so he now understands it is not real – but does he?… We’ll see in November on his next trip.

 

[theterms]

we took our dd on tot when she was 2 weeks shy of 7. she cried as soon as we got in the "car" , but as soon as we started to drop, she was loving it! She was so excited!!inkbounc

when she was upset, my sister-in-law and I just put our arms around her and tried to make her feel better. I was definately feeling rotten. bought her an "I survived" tee shirt as soon as we got off!!!

 

[athurstance]

On our last trip DS1 was 6 and DS2 was 8. They love TOT. They wanted to ride again and again (4 times in a row one day) and bought up half the shop afterwards with 'I Survived' T-shirts etc.
On the other hand DS2 won't even try RNR (DS1 is too short) as he thinks its too scary. He can't really explain why he just doesn't fancy it.
We usually ride as a group of 4 so don't have too much problem with the lap bar but once I rode with DS1 and we had a problem with a larger person next to him. I just put an arm round him - he is a bit skinny and I didn't want him floating up to the ceiling - but he was fine anyway.

Angela

 

[skeezixspud]

DS usually likes spooky things, but I have a horrible fear of falling, so there is NO WAY I'm doing that drop. My plan is that all of us will go through up to the elevator, and DH will ride it, but DS and I will take the chicken-exit elevator. I hope that plan will work out. If DS handles the pre-show part well, then he can do the drop with DH next time if he wants to.

 

[aprincessmom]

My then just 5 year old LOVED TOT and was worried she wouldn't make the height requirement. She's a big daredevil and actually likes scary things but was terrified by HM and actually told me that if I brought her on that ever again she'd never speak to me. Yet had no trouble with the ghostly images in TOT. Go figure.

I don't think height requirements are a good indicator as to the age appropriateness of a ride. The only one who can judge that is the parent.