What are your 3,4 and 5 year olds favourite attractions.

[jacs1234]

We're coming over in November with a 9 , 7 , 5 and 3 year old. My 9 and 7 year old will love everything but I'm a bit concerned about the (just) 5 year old and 3 year old.

Do they like pirates of the Carribean, thunder mountain and star tours?

What are their favourite rides?

 

[LavenderPeach]

DS3 (almost 4) loves to go on Dumbo and Flik's Fliers (in DCA). He also likes the Casey Jr. Train, Peter Pan an the carousel. He's been on Pirate's twice and he seems fine with it. He gets a little nervous during the drops but he's never gotten upset about it. If your kids tend to get scared about things (scared of the dark or scared of pirates shooting cannons at them) then you might want to skip it but if those types of things don't bother them then I say go for it. I'm not sure which ride you're referring to as "smokey mountain" but DS isn't tall enough for any of the mountain or star tours yet so I can't help you there.

You just have to decide what kind of kids they are. Some kids aren't afraid of anything and others are more cautious about stuff. I have 2 nephews who are 10 and 13 and they're still afraid to see the It's Tough to Be a Bug show and they don't like any of the big roller coasters. But I remember going on Space Mountain and BTMMRR when I was 5 and I loved them.

 

[silence]

My DD started going on the coasters at 3 y/o. Her favorite for the last couple of years has been BTMRR. This year her new favorite is Splash Mtn, but she turned 6 in March.

 

[buzzandzurg]

My DS just turned 3. His favorite rides are Splash Mountain, BTMRR (choo choo fast), Buzz Lightyear, and POTC. He has always like the coasters-he road Gadget's coaster at about 18 mo and loved it.

 

[caligirl stuck in va]

Ditto what LavenderPeach said. Each child is different and each child can be different at different ages. DD5 loves everything! Carousel, PP, Dumbo, Pirates, BTMRR, Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, Soarin. DD8 loved all of those things plus Screamin when she was only 5, but our trip when she was
6, I couldn't get her to get on Space, she cried on Splash, etc. Just hype the ride a little, if they seem interested, give it a try. If they get scared prior to getting on, most rides have a dump feature where you can get out without getting on. Well, I don't know if most do, I shouldn't say that, but I know that Space does!

 

[Kayla's Mom]

When my oldest was 4 her favorites were Splash Mt, BTMR and Gadget's Go Coaster. Her favorites are still Splash and BTMR now (at 7).

 

[HeatherAnn23]

My oldest ds has always been a Star Wars fan, so Star Tours and Jedi Training Academy have been favorites for him since he was 5 or so. Both of my boys loved the Bug's Life area at CA when they were 2 and 3 as well as the Matterhorn and BTMRR! Lucky for me they've never been HUGE Fantasyland lovers! We usually run through it on an EE day and are done with it for the whole trip.

 

[LavenderPeach]

Oh, you can also show your kids youtube videos of the rides and see what they think. It's not the same as being there but it might give a little bit of an idea and it will prepare them for what it will look like inside.

 

[disneynerd420]

I agree with the you tube videos... If youtube had been around when I was a 4 year old in a Disney park, I would have gone on more rides.

 

[bumbershoot]

Each kid is so different, and they change from moment to moment.

They sometimes also have strange fears that they can't articulate for awhile, or at all (if they are too young). For instance, the drops on TOT didn't bug my then 4 year old at all, but "disappearing" freaked him out so bad he still won't go on it. Even though he knows we did NOT disappear. Just too good of an illusion.

The other day he finally went on Splash, and at the bottom of the big drop he had a look that I can't even describe...just terror, fear, I can't believe my mom took me on this, etc etc etc...but then a wave of water hit him, and that cracked him up (it was like someone slapping a hysterical person to snap them out of it, if that makes sense as an analogy), and now he LOVES the ride. If that wave hadn't hit him, he would probably hate the ride.

During DS's 3 year, he REFUSED to go on PIrates. He started watching the first movie at 3.5, but wouldn't go on the ride. Turns out that he hates going through, or "being eaten by", Davey Jones. On his 4th birthday, he was able to go on it...but for the whole 3rd year, nope.

The rides in bug's land are FABULOUS for DS. We finally got there when he was almost 3.5, and at 5 he still loves them. Still hasn't seen tough to be a bug, though, b/c I told him about the big (plastic) arachnids that come down from the ceiling (felt it was best to let him know what would be coming).


DS also has a problem going into buildings. He wants to see the ride, and he gets nervous when he can't. He still won't go into the Space building, not even far enough to snag a FP (though he will go up the exit ramp for the bathrooms). It took youtube, and the fact that I rode next to a same-aged boy who loved it, to get him into the Soarin' building, and that's one of his fave rides.


So...you'll just have to see what these kids are like, and try to work within what they are worried about, IF they are worried!

Oh, FWIW, DS's favorite ride over them all is Grizzly (he just likes getting splashed and possibly soaked).

 

[Grumpy'sWife4Ever]

My DD4 loves the teacups, we rode them several times at DL plus rode the similar ladybug ride at DCA once. She also really liked Dumbo, the carousel, Casey Jr, Storybookland Canal boats, the big train, Autopia, all the kiddie rides in Bug's Land, and she very much enjoyed the Playhouse Disney on Stage show.
She isn't such a fan of the dark rides (except Its A Small World, she liked that!) and she would have done great on the Jungle Cruise but right at the end when the ship captain fired his gun he yelled "Get down" and when she did she thumped her head but luckily we were close to the end and she recovered quite nicely. Oh, and she really enjoyed the walk-thru houses in Toon Town AND the Enchanted Tiki Room.....

 

[Brady's Mom]

When our youngest DS was 2 we took him to DLR for the first time and he liked Dumbo, Peter Pan, Small World and the Teacups (no spinning). He liked Alice, but was afraid of some of the other dark rides in FL. I still haven't been on Snow White (and I am almost 42) because I am not a huge fan of the movie and the tree/forest part in the beginning just freaks me out.

Our other DS was 4 at the time and he rode Space and hated it and then it was hard to get him to go on some other rides, since he had a bad experience (scared to death).

They both loved Bug's Land (have never seen the bug show) and still do. We always have to go there - every trip and they are almost 5 and 7 now.

You might try Buzz Lightyear - it is interactive and if they like video games they might like it. I have pics of our littlest from his first time on Buzz and all you can see is a little pair of Mickey ears and a blaster next to mom or dad in the ride vehicle.

Jungle cruise has some surprising elements, but can be really fun. Casey Jr. Circus train, Monorail, Soarin', Pooh and Monsters are all rides that I would recommend. One of our kid's new fave thing to do is to go see the Muppets 3D in CA. Our youngest (now almost 5) still tries to catch the bubbles and interacts with the movie. Soooo fun.

Our now 7 yr. old is hoping (and eating his vegies) to be tall enough to ride Screamin' when we go again in Nov. He was just about an inch too short when we went the end of May. But, he did finally try Space Mt. again this trip and totally loved it. He loved it so much that he influenced his little brother enough to give it a try and it is now their Most Favorite Ride - EVER!!!

 

[melbarkwith]

We're coming over in November with a 9 , 7 , 5 and 3 year old. My 9 and 7 year old will love everything but I'm a bit concerned about the (just) 5 year old and 3 year old.

Do they like pirates of the Carribean, thunder mountain and star tours?

What are their favourite rides?

When we last visited DL, my DD's were 5, 4 and 11months.

My 5 year old DD turned into quite a daredevil. Her faves were California Screamin' (6 times, so she DID really like it), Tower of Terror, Big Thunder, Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, Star Tours, Pirates etc. She is looking forward to going on the Accelerator at Knott's this time. I'm not impressed with that...

My 4 year old DD was terrified of anything in the dark. She wouldn't even queue up in the dark for Buzz or Monsters. DH and DD5 convinced her to go on Splash Mountain - back when little kids could sit at the front of the log I *had* to buy the photo, DD4 looks like like she is about to fall off a cliff, and DD5 has her hands in the air squealing in delight. Too funny. Her fave rides were the evil Sun Wheel, Grizzly River Rapids, Dumbo, Jumpin Jellyfish, Dumbo etc.

We did not take the girls on Haunted Mansion (will be this visit) as we didn't need the big girls having nightmares!

My kids are really tall, so your 5YO may not even be tall enough for some of the rides my DD went on at the time.

I would suggest letting them watch the rides on You Tube before you go. My middle DD, now 6, is very much looking forward to California Screamin' because she knows exactly what happens.

Mel

 

[PHXscuba]

As OP have said, each kid is different. If you have a child who is anxious about new things, I'd definitely show him/her some YouTube videos and talk them through the "idea" behind the ride. Telling them it's pretend (like a play or movie) seemed to help our kids.

We found with DD on her first trip at 4.5, she was scared of the unknown. We made the mistake of going on Mr. Toad first (the line was "so short") and she cried in the queue and on the ride. It took awhile that day before she trusted us to take her on another "dark ride." Same thing happened to my nephews last fall at ages 3.5 and 6.

We have found that establishing some "trust" with some open-air rides where the child can see exactly what they will be doing is helpful. Even though it goes against many of the "touring tips," I'd start with things like Dumbo, teacups, Toontown, etc. for a little first-timer.

PHXscuba

 

[aprincess@mail.com]

My DD4 LOVES POTC!!!
and I mean LOVES IT!!!!
We also have to hit the Buzz Lightyear ride a few times a day aswell.
She has not asked to get on the bigger rides yet, but she is still pretty short for her age. maybe in November she will ask to get on the big rides.

 

[kkmcan]

When my kids were that little we always started off the trip with some fun and mild rides- usually It's A Small World, Peter Pan, Dumbo, but my ds's absolute favorite ride was AUTOPIA! He was really into cars (before the movie came out) and he wanted to ride this one over and over.

 

[DSNY4ever]

We went with my nephew at 3 1/2 and he loved the Train, Autopia, Casey Jr. Circus train, and the monorail. He also loved the Playhouse Disney Live on Stage show. Out of all those things, Autopia was top on his list.

 

[MommyWithDreams]

My son LOVES Big Thunder Mountain Railroad...he'd ride it all day if i let him. he also loves matterhorn and Pirates. He HATED Indy and Star Tours. I'd probably get him on Indy again before Star Tours.

 

[Chris420]

I dont happen to have any kids but I made my first disney trip at the age 5 and my parents were smart enough to write my favorite rides in their photo album.

I loved thunder mountain and star tours, and definitely couldn't get enough of pirates and haunted mansion.

Space mountain was the only thing that was a bit traumatizing to me at that age haha.

Meeting all the characters and seeing the shows were also some of the very memorable things for me at that age, I would definitely recommend an autograph book for the youngin's and if your budget fits it a character breakfast.

 

[ma2jr]

Kids love that feeling of wanting to do everything/anything... we're the ones that prefer to plan it all out.