tower of terror with 4 year old?

[scrappindentist]

I am leaving on Saturday and I have a 4 year old, a 6 year old and a 9 year old. My 9 year old went on the tower of terror when he was 6 and loved it. I don't know about my 4 year old. she'll be 5 in July and she's tall enough. she's very outgoing and I know she'll say she wants to ride...I don't want to scare her to death though. Anyone ever take their little one on this ride?

 

[huntconn]

We're going to WDW with our 3 and 4yr old this year. We were actually just discussing this the other day. I think we'll pass on TOT for now. Just doesn't seem to be worth the risk of scaring the hell out of them.

 

[shelleyz]

I was also wondering the same thing. I dont think DS4 will do it. One day he says he wants to do it then another day he says he doesnt want to. I think once he sees it he will not do it. DS5 (will be 6 one week after our trip) I'm not so sure about. He wants to do it but I think it will scare him. He is afraid of the dark, sleeps with a night light on. I told him he can wait til next year when we go to Disneyland but he says he wants to do it this year. So I'm up in the air on this ride.

 

[jessiesmom]

I tried to find pictures to determine how old my daughter was when she first rode Tower of Terror. I think she was barely four and just barely tall enough to ride. I do vividly remember her determination as she made us ride 10 times in a row with her arms in the air EVERY time (back in the day of no seatbelts) because she loved the "air time" as she floated from the seat to the safety bar with each drop . One ride had a woman in tears (she was coerced on by her teenaged sons ) while my daredevil giggled through the whole thing. We still laugh about her turning to the woman when the ride was over and saying in her little tiny voice "Did you LOVE it?"

Oh boy...I fear the teenage years!!

 

[dbenlee]

I would watch ToT from a distance and let your child decide after watching it for a few minutes. Our 5 year old will ride anything they will let him on and had a blast on it last year. At first he didn't want to ride it because of the sheer intimidation of the size, but after thinking about it for an hour or two he changed his mind and loved it. I'm sure he will ride it again this year...several times....with his mother, but without me!! I don't ride anything that causes my life to lash in front of my eyes like that and our son loves to call me chicken because of this.

 

[DJBounce]

It all depends on your kids. We gave our son who was 4 at the time the choice. He wanted to, so I let him. Now I have been on the ride several times so I was able to tell him throughout the ride what was going to happen. I think that eased him a little bit. Needless to say, he LOVED it!! We rode it 3 times in a row. You know your kids the best.

 

[markel]

Our youngest daughter was 3 1/2 when she first rode the TOT. She loved it !! It's all about the height requirement of rides for our family. As soon as they were tall enough, they rode them. Rock 'N Roller Coaster was another big one for them. Of course, she was always "encouraged" by her older sisters !!

 

[PolyHereWeCome]

But haven't there been some changes since some of you rode with your kids? Like no longer having safety bars, just seat belts?? Also, haven't they changed/randomized the drop sequences so there's not just one at the end that you can anticipate, and you could get as many as 6 or 7??

I've never been, and if I don't chicken out, I'll be going on TOT -- but solo, at least the first time.

 

[eeyore45]

DD 7 was determined to to ToT, she saw the ads, her gf in her school had been on it, then she gets to the park and hears the screaming, no not gonna, and no, we didnt even try to talk her into it!! We did however talk her into HM and POTC!! She refused to do Pirates a 2nd time!! HM, she just kept her eyes closed... it was the screaming that got to her!!

 

[Vivianne]

I've ridden TOT and find once if enough for me. I wouldn't coax a small child on this ride there are so many other rides for small children.

 

[twinsmom&dad]

Our ds rode it last year for the first time as 4yo. no coercion(sp?) was neede. He rides everything he can. DD is totally different and questions everything. Dw took him on and talked to him the whole time in the begining themeing, he loved the drops!! He rode 4 times throughout the day!! We are going in May and he says" i'm going to ride it 5 times!!!" Just base it on your child, you know them the best!

 

[dbenlee]

I believe you shouldn't try to talk a small child into riding a thrill ride like ToT or RnR or any other thrill ride for that fact. I think only more damage can be done by convincing them to ride something they are scared of when that age. If they say they don't want to ride, then don't talk them into it. If everyone else is wanting to ride, then do child swap and save the little one the emotional terror. Of course, in my family, its trying to talk the 37 year old (me!!) into riding some of the thrill rides. They don't try to hard, they think is embarrassing to see me cry!! LOL

 

[laudan14]

My daughter was 4 last time we went and this was her favourite ride and she went on it i4 times. She talks about it all the time and its top of her list of must doos for this year.

 

[minmate]

My dd5 rode it but dd4 was not into it. I think that if she wants to do it, go ahead... just pay close attention to her so if she starts to look like she may be freaked out you can take your cues from that. Just my dd5 and I went... we talked the whole time in line about light topics and she talks about she was the ONLY one on the ride that didn't scream when all the other older cheerleader girls did! Like she wasn't scared... I thought half the fun WAS screaming though!

 

[bethbuchall]

Dd rode it the first time when she was 4, and she loved it so much. It is still her favorite ride. Ds who was 6 at the time wanted nothing to do with it and didn't ride it until this past trip when he was 13. He thought is was ok but didn't feel a need to ride again. Ds 5 also rode it and said that once was definitely enough! He just isn't a fan of that falling feeling.

 

[pjshaff]

My DD was 4.5 y/o when she first went on TOT. She LOVED it!! We went this past Dec with friends also, and got the picture. Our friends are laughing away, my DD is smiling and I've got my eyes closed with my arms over her waist. But boy oh boy do I love that ride also!!!


You know your own child best, we worked our way up with the rides. She also got to ride Space Mtn with the lights on at MVMCP b/c it kept breaking down that night. Now she can't wait until she's tall enough to go on RNR.


Pam

 

[TiggerXx]

Im 14 and I still get scared when I go on it! But its fun.

 

[nluvwithmickey]

The funny thing about my DD 8 (almost 9 ) is she loves the simulator rides(star tours,body wars...the kind that make me and other DD 12 queasy ) But she hated Tot....she's not too keen on splash mountain either...she said she doesn't like when her butt doesn't touch the seat!

However she can do space mountain and BTMR many times over. My other DD absolutely hates those!!!!

We tease DD 9 all the time about doing ToT again this year and she is very adamant that there is NO way you are going to make her do this again....

 

[FreeTime]

My daughter was 4 when she first rode it and said she wasn't doing it again. We went back 5 months later and she decided to ride, but now says not again! We'll see. Also, I think it is much easier now then it used to be with the one major drop. It seems there are quite a few little drops now. But I woud not suggest forcing your child, let them make their own decisions. My niece has went with us many times and refused to ride RnR until this past trip, she is 15!

 

[shelleyz]

I wouldnt try talking him into it, I am actually trying to talk him out of it cause I dont think he will like it. I dont want him to go on it and not like it and be afraid of rides the rest of the trip. I've been on it once and liked it but not so sure about him. Once he sees it for real he will probably decide not to do it.