What's your 4 year olds' favorite rides?

[DharmaLou]

Granted we have 5 months until we go, but my DD will have just turned 4. She is tall enough for most of the rides (she's 41" right now), but I can't see her loving things like Matterhorn, Space Mountain, BTMR or maybe even the drop on Splash Mountain. I think if Matterhorn still had the tandem seats she would do ok if she could sit on my lap, but not as a single rider.

How do your kids around that age do on those rides?

 

[revwog1974]

Kids are different. When my daughter was 3 she loved Splash. The last day she was there she rode it 5 times in a row. When she was 5 we could hardly get her off BTMRR. When she was 3 she got off Peter Pan very upset and never went again on a dark ride. When she was 5 we bribed her to try it again and she admitted it was "ok" but never wanted to do it again, and we didn't ask her to, or make her try any other dark ride. Fast she liked, but dark she hated.

 

[coaches24]

We have a 3 1/2 year old (turns 4 in Sept) and when we went last week she did very good with Splash (ask to sit in the back where you can sit next to each other with your little one), she went on BTMRR twice and said how much fun it was each time but didn't want to go again lol. She loves loves loves POC, HM, star wars, and Soarin. Of course she loves all the kiddie rides as well. We never took her on space as she didn't want to try it and we weren't going to force her. She also loved the GZ and jumpin jelly fish in DCA. She actually asked a couple of times to ride TOT but only when the line was long and it was too late to get a FP with a do able return time. Everytime we were there early an could have rode with little line she didn't want to (we showed her all the rides on YouTube before we went so she knew what to expect and could pick which ones she was willing to go on). We used some reverse psychology on her to get her on BTMRR and she liked the ride so it all worked out.

We were willing to take her on anything she would willingly go on but if she didn't want to ride something we just let it be. No real pressure and we didn't make her feel bad if she didn't want to go on a ride. I think she liked having the choice and that is why she ended up choosing to ride some she wouldn't have before.

 

[jennabennabofenna]

my oldest DD will be 4 in September.

Her favorite rides are the Tea cups, Alice in wonderland, Gadgets go coaster, Haunted mansion, Areils undersea adventure. & she says splash mountain is her favorite too even though she hasnt been on it yet. She is just over 40" now and cant wait till her birthday to go on it.

 

[kangamama]

Dharmalou, we are planning our first DLR trip right now and my oldest will have just turned 5 when we go, and he is notoriously skittish about rides in general. To kind of prep him and feel him out as to what he might want to do when we are there I've been showing him youtube videos of all the rides and he has been telling us which ones he thinks he will enjoy. I'll take that list and make a touring plan based on what he's told us, and plan to be flexible when we are there.

 

[larina]

My son was 3 1/2 our last visit. He's not big on rides yet. He loved the train (we rode it several times), Mark Twain's Riverboat (he got to steer with the captain!), the Jungle cruise, and Dumbo. In CA he liked Heimlich's Chew Chew Train (went on this several times as well, we all loved it!), Monsters Inc, and Tuck 'n Rolls Drive 'em Buggies.

All kids are different, but my son loved the parades (both the regular in May and the holiday one on Christmas Day) and WOC (he liked it best from our room in PPH, less crowded and quieter). He didn't/wouldn't watch Fantasmic! but I knew that would be the case so we weren't trying to see it, we just happened to walk by and that was too much for him.

 

[NovemberMom]

Last year my 4 year olds favorite ride was Ariel's Under Sea adventure. We rode it three times in a row one day! She also loved Small World and Toy Story Mania.
This year she said she is ready for the roller coasters and wants to go on the Matterhorn(it was closed last year) and Thunder Mountain Railroad. She watches YouTube videos all the time of the rides and that is how she determines which ones she will go on, lol.

 

[canadian_ehngel]

When we went 2 years ago, my oldest DD was 4. Her absolute FAVOURITE ride was Splash. GRR and Matterhorn were a close second, but she also really enjoyed IASW, POTC, the carousel and Monsters, Inc. She loved all the rides, of course, but these were her favourites.

 

[twilightsparkle]

When they were 4, they liked BTMRR, and the Matterhorn and POTC.

 

[MagicMomma1]

We have two boys. The oldest is 4 (5 in Aug., 45 " tall), the younger just turned 3 this month and they've been to DL 3x now (Oct. '10, Oct. '11, and Feb. '12).

Our 4 yr. old has never been afraid of the characters (with the exception of The Mad Hatter!). He STRONGLY prefers the outdoor rides. His faves: Dumbo, Teacups, Casey Jr., the carrousels at both parks, Autopia, Astro-Orbiter, and Jungle Cruise. The exception when it comes to indoor rides would be Ariel's Undersea Adventure, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, and Buzz Lightyear's Astro Blasters. Loves those. He likes to ride the Disneyland RR and Monorail, too. And really enjoyed Disney Jr. Live on Stage at DCA.

He's ok with Peter Pan's Flight and Alice's Adventure's but buries his head for all the other Fantasyland dark rides. Doesn't care for Monsters, Inc. He says he doesn't like Pirates (the drops, lightning, Davy Jones in the mist) but there are parts he does enjoy. Did NOT like Silly Symphony Swings. Did BTMRR once and was a trooper but refuses to go again. So things like Space Mtn. and Splash are totally out of the question for now. Overall, our 4 yr. old likes his attractions tame, well-lit, and non-threatening.

BUT every kid is different!! He has a younger cousin and she can't get enough of Space Mtn. Go figure...

Have a magical trip when you go!

 

[L8nyttv]

We took our 4 year old granddaughter last month and her favorites were GRR and Splash, only because she likes to get wet. Without the water, her favorites were Space Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain, Tower of Terror, and Star Tours. She was pretty bummed because Matterhorn was closed and she wasn't tall enough for California Screamin' or Indy. We discovered a little daredevil in our princess!

 

[bakerudall]

IASW, Pooh, and both carousels.

 

[Started With a Mouse]

We love Alice in Wonderland (have your 4 year-old watch the movie), Small World, Buzz Lightyear, Winnie the Pooh, Haunted Mansion, Canoes, Peter Pan, Tiki Room, Autopia, Railroad through "dinosaur land", Monsters Inc (again, have your child watch the movie), Disney Junior Live on Stage, Ariel's Undersea Adventure, Toy Story Midway Mania. We avoid the rides in A Bugs Land, as they are just cookie cutter rides, nothing special.

 

[Girimama33]

My DD loves it all...she will be 4 in one week
Her favorites are Star Tours and BTMRR. When we were there in April, one day there were no lines for BTMRR all day, and we rode it 4 times in a row anytime we were over there.
She also enjoys Jumping Jellyfish, GSS, IASW, Nemo Subs. Can't wait to take her on Matterhorn.

 

[PHXscuba]

My 4.5-year-old son loved Peter Pan and the Haunted Mansion Holiday (still calls it "Jack's House.") He rode all of the big rides willingly but didn't want to go back on Matterhorn (or Tower of Terror). After the Gadget Coaster, I would suggest starting "big rides" with Big Thunder because they can see the whole ride and there are no big drops. And you can hold onto them.

PHXscuba

 

[bibbidibobbidibecky]

I just asked my DD4 and she said Splash Mountain, Tea cups, Pirates, Toy Story, Buzz Lightyear and Haunted Mansion.

She also said Tower of Terror, which I'll let her ride again if she wants, but I really don't think it's a favorite based on her reaction last time she rode it

She is most looking forward to riding the Matterhorn, Alice in Wonderland and Ariel for our first trip to DL!

 

[RiderGirl]

We got back recently with our four year old triplets.

My girls' favorite rides were:

Ariel
Teacups
Pooh
It's a Small World
Monsters
Swings
Jumping Jellyfish

My son's favorite ride was Soarin'- he loved it and rode it about ten times!

 

[tinytinkmom]

At 4, my DD loved Big Thunder Mountain... I can't even count how many times we went on it (not complaining!)...

 

[kailuagirl]

My 4 year old daughter's favorite rides are Haunted (we have to go on it like 4 times a day at least when we are there), Dumbo, Tea Cups, Space Mountain, Matterhorn, Star Tours and at DCA she loves Jumping Jellyfish, Little Mermaid and the swing one.

 

[MerryJ]

My 5 year old son is a little on the timid side, and scares easily. He didn't like any of the dark kiddie rides, but my guess about what he would and wouldn't like was totally wrong! I assumed he wouldn't want to go on any coasters, but his favourites were Big Thunder Mountain, Space Mountain and Goofy's Sky School. He also really loved Pirates of the Caribbean, but was scared on Winnie the Pooh and could NOT be talked into going on Little Mermaid!

I have a link in my sig to my trip report that talks all about what he did and didn't like! HE turned into a bit of a bear when he thought he was going to be forced to do things that were scary - but wouldn't tell us it was because he was scared.