What rides are NOT for a 4 year old?

[addysmom03]

I'm trying to look at the disney ride explanations but I thought I'd get it from the experts.
What would you not put your 4 year old on? My little man is pretty tall, and not really afraid of much. I'd really appreciate some suggestions of what to stay away from.
Thanks so much,
Suz

 

[clairabell29]

If hes truely not afraid of much, I would start him off slow and build up to the bigger thrill rides. Start wth the go-go gadget coaster and work up to space mountain. I would not put him on California Screaming or Mailboomer, but thats me. My DS4 is scared of all the coasters. You know your son the best and can judge his reactions I'm sure.

 

[addysmom03]

Thanks SO much! I'll put those on my list...I was wondering about space mountain....is that pretty scary? What about the Matterhorn?

 

[trish.]

My DD was 3 almost 4 at WDW and she went on everything she was tall enough to ride which included Splash, TOT and Soarin. She loved them all. Now 5 1/2 she loves SM & BTMRR the best. I do agree with the PP about starting out on Gadgets Coaster and working your way up to bigger thrills. Have fun!

 

[Kayla's Mom]

Thanks SO much! I'll put those on my list...I was wondering about space mountain....is that pretty scary? What about the Matterhorn?

I agree with everyone else - start out slow, I would say Gadget's Go Coaster and Matterhorn are two of the tamest (although Matterhorn is dark and has the "funny snowman" as we call him ). Then maybe BTMR and then Space. I would do TOT and Screamin' only if he likes those.

As everyone else has said, it all depends on each kid though. My just turned 2 year old (now 3) went on Matterhorn and was fine. I never would have taken my oldest on Matterhorn at that age. She went on TOT for the first time when she was 7 and absolutely hated it - she cried and all. At 4, her favorites were BTMR and Splash Mt.

Another good thing to do is show him some rides on youtube before you go.

 

[clairabell29]

It is a little scarier than an out door one because its dark. You can always do one of the coasters he liked during the day at night to see if he likes it. If he likes that he'll like SM. The track is smooth and doesn't have lots of big dips.

 

[bumbershoot]

If you haven't been on the rides, I really recommend that one of the adults in your party, the one that knows the inner workings of his mind the best, go on the rides first.

So have that person get FPs with the 4 year old's pass, or use single rider, the first day, while the other adult and the child amuse themselves (I don't mean to totally split up, but just go around the park together and find different things to do as the adult rides them).

Then again, youtube is rather helpful for ride videos!

Matterhorn has Harold the abominable snowman (though we just call him a Yeti), and that freaked out DS until DS yelled at him. DS also hates how other people scream randomly, so I helped DS just scream to see how it can feel good and release fear. PLease note I'm not normally a screamy type on coasters, being far more likely to laugh, but we were surrounded by screamers anyway...

Space is dark dark dark. But really smooth.

How tall IS he?

 

[jimsocks]

My 4-yr old is pretty tall and handled Space Mtn okay...she cried the first time, but by the 3rd - she was very enthusiastic (hands up, etc)....with that said, I've not yet met a 4-5 yr old I'd put on Maliboomer their first day on big-boy thrill rides....

 

[IBLarsen]

My dd went on everything at 3.5 including Space, Splash, Matterhorn...not tall enough for screamin' but wouldn't anyways. She LOVED matterhorn. We had seen it on you tube which helps. I have to say we didn't have the best of luck with Space with our then 5 year old son. At one point it thrust his head back so hard that he hit the back of the seat (he must have had his head forward a little and just didn't control his neck well??? and he was a very average strong child) He really had a good knot on the back of his head and it hurt pretty bad for a while. So if you do take a younger child on, I would suggest you keep your arm around them to brace them a little. My kids both love all the other rides honestly! Soarin' is a favorite.

 

[bumbershoot]

...with that said, I've not yet met a 4-5 yr old I'd put on Maliboomer their first day on big-boy thrill rides....

Especially since its height req is 52"!

 

[farmfresh]

Absolutely work your way up - and sometimes even after they've closed their eyes and scrunched into you the entire way, they come off and say it was great!

Have fun

 

[LuLusApple]

Matterhorn was our DDs first big ride. She loved it at 3 it wasn't height way back then but age requirement. We just laughed and kept saying woohoo weee to her and she has been a thrill seeker ever since. We used to tell her it was her mountain and she loved it, well
still does like others have said start small and see how it goes

 

[Amommy21]

We just try and go on anything DS meets the height requirement. you never know what they will like or not. DS hates the monster in the Mattahorn, but the ride is fun and we always do it when opened.

DS things the hell part of Mr. Toads or pInocchio (can't remember which) is really scarey. And for some reason he HATES Snow White... even this year at age 8, right when we were getting in line he acted like he had to go tot he bathroom RIGHT THEN to get out of it, we later realized he was just trying to avoid it.

But other rides he is totally fine with. His favorites thsi trip were Big Thunder Mountain, Space Mtn and Star Tours. ToT always freaks him out a bit, but I think it's the theming not the ride and we do it anyway!

 

[MrsPinup]

I would not take them on the Tower of Terror. My son at 3 1/2 was tall enough for the ride, but way to thin and light. They do not have straps inbetween the legs on that ride (or a weight reccomendation) and every time it lurched up and down he slipped further and further under the seat belt. It was the scariest moment of my life, holding him in his seat since I thought he would fly out. Two years later and he is still incredibly frightened of that ride.
All the other rides he really enjoyed. This year he is finally tall enough for IJ and I know he will love that ride!

 

[mmlover74]

When DS was 3, we did Buzz 30 times in 3 days, so when he turned 4 and I checked the height requirements...I had him go on different rides. I also have a tall 4 yr old. I took him on Matterhorn on one of his first rides. I explained that he was going to try the ride one time and then if he wanted to go on it again, we would. He didn't like the matterhorn right away, but wanted to do it again later. We explained it was the adorable snowman who was crying because he dropped his snowcone. Few rides later, we did mr toad's and then were going to do snow white, but he fought that one. Also, we did BTMRR and loved it. He really enjoys the fast rides. We did Star Tours too and Soarin. It was nice to experience it with him and I can't wait to go back.

 

[MG3G]

We took our DS's when they were 4 & 5 for the first time.
They are on the short side so couldn't ride a lot of things because they were too small - drives me nuts to see a big 2 year old on things that my 41/2 year old can't do but that is for another thread

Because we aren't locals and couldn't try rides over and over again to get used to them our experience is different then people who go often and just keep trying....

DS5 (now 7) is a dare-devil. His favorite ride was space. But liked any of the bigger faster things he was tall enough for.

DS4 (now 6) is not really a thrill ride kid.
-He loved - HM, POTC (I thought he would be scared but the music was enough to keep him happy.)
-All the bugs land rides were great!
-Did OK in all the dark rides. (We reminded him if anything was scary that it was "just magic".) Peter Pan was a HUGE hit.
-Was too short for Soarin but probably wouldn't have liked the being so high in the air - I would ask for third row if you do this ride.
-HATED It's tough to be a bug!!! Which then destroyed all the other 3D shows because he refused to wear the "magic glasses" and would cry in the line because he thought the show would be scary too. It wasn't so much that the show was scary BUT there is a wind that even took my breath away and he found it really hard to breathe.
-LOVED Buzz
-Was scared on Roger Rabbit - too loud/dark/fast/scary for him
-Liked Nemo a LOT
-LOVED the matterhorn which surprised me!!! We just warned him about the "magic" snowman ahead of time so it didn't startle him.

We had 8 day hoppers (extreme I know ) that trip so we got on every ride that was running when we were there, several times for most.

 

[Mugglemama]

i would probably avoid TOT with a 4 year old, even if they were tall enough to ride. unless he has seen the movie, and has a true interest in going on the ride, it might be too scary. my almost 9 year old dd goes on EVERYTHING at DLR, but she won't ride TOT anymore. my 12 year old ds also won't go on it (he says it's because it makes him motion sick, but i also think maybe it makes him nervous), and he also rides EVERYTHING else in the parks (even things like maliboomer).

i would also probably avoid Space with a 4 year old. the only time we took one of our kids on that at 4, they weren't frightened too much, but they certainly didn't enjoy it, and on top of that it felt like we really had to hold them in (i don't think they could have actually fallen out, but it really "felt" like they could). it's dark all the way through. and if your child is prone to car sickness, considering space goes around and around in circles, in the dark, it would probably make them feel crummy.

my kids have never been frightened by the "dark rides" in fantasyland, but i've known others who really are, and heard a ton of kids crying on them. they are loud, and sometimes, like in snow white, have scary images that seem to jump out at you.

if your ds really hates the dark, i'd explain to him about the first drop on POTC before taking him on it. my kids love POTC, but they've been riding it since infancy, on a pretty regular basis. i don't think they would have loved it quite so much had i just put them on it at 4 with no warning about the dark areas and the drop that you don't see coming.

my kids have never been frightened on matterhorn, but they do hate how loud it is, and none of them are crazy about the dark areas. the abominable snowman is crazy-loud, and it always startles whichever kid i have riding with me enough to make them jump (not enough, however, to keep them from riding it again).

last but not least, i don't think haunted mansion is the greatest attraction for all kids. my two youngest (5 & almost 9) STILL hate the elevator room, but it's never made them cry or anything. the ride itself is dark, and could easily seem scary to small children, especially if they're not used to the ride. i often hear kids crying on it. it's also always FREEZING inside, so don't ride a water ride just beforehand, lol.

 

[letthembelittle]

My oldest is a girl and the only ride that she didnt like and says she wont go on again is Splash, my little guy LOVED Matterhorn. I wrote about how they liked the rides on my trip report if you want to check it out. Good luck and have a great trip!

 

[99haunts]

Although its not exactly a ride, I would not recommend "its tough to be a bug". Every child in my family that has seen the show has been scared to death, and all of them were over four. I remember being in about second grade and hiding in my parents lap because I was so scared.

 

[moljammom]

We went to Disneyland for 1 day when DS was 3. He went on everything he was tall enough for. The only thing he did not love was Splash and that was because he got wet - not the dips.

I agree with - it really depends on your child. My DD5 will not go on anything. Not even Gadget go Coaster. She did however insist on going on Star Tours and enjoyed it! Go figure.

I agree Tough to Be a Bug can be tough (we did wdw). I found making sure they did not sit back in the seat helped!