Which Rides are the Scariest for Young Riders?

[hidetherum]

Our group includes 4 kids under 5 that are a little timid. Could you give me a heads up on the rides to think over first? Thanks a bunch!

 

[AZMickeyfans]

Ok I'll skip the obvious ones with the larger height restrictions as that may not be a factor with 4 kids under 5.

Matterhorn is fun but some kids are afraid of the dark tunnel and the snowman roaring loudly. Dd for example.

Snow White's Scary Adventure can be a little frightening for little kids. My kids aren't scared but dd puts her arm around ds just before the queen turns around with the apple. Then you go through the dark forest part of the ride and I could see that being scary too.

My kids are kinda skiddish on Roger Rabbit's Toontown spin. I dont know why.

I thought they would be scared on HM but they laughed the whole time.

Pirates of the Caribbean has the one drop in the dark. The other is in partial light so it's not as bad. They also have the dark cave part of the ride. It used to frighten our kids but not anymore.

Over at DCA some kids we brought along with us didn't like Tough to be a Bug.

Dd is afraid of Muppets 3D vision because she thinks the cannon is real!
The moving portion of the sunwheel can be frightening and make someone sick! It's more intense than it looks.

That's all I can think of for the "possible" scary rides. Most of these aren't bad just wanted to give little observations that my skiddish children have had issues with.

 

[Dukland]

My dd doesn't like the dark rides. She loves Splash Mountain, but hated Space Mountain. Space Mountain was fast, which she likes, but dark, which she hates.

She didn't like the scene of hell from Mr Toad's ride. She hates the Yeti on the Matterhorn, but ds didn't seem to mind it. She will hide her eyes from Davy Jones on POTC, but enjoys the rest of the ride. That's ds' favorite ride.

It depends on the child, really. For my dd, who was 5 last time we went, fast=good, dark=bad.

 

[hidetherum]

Ok I'll skip the obvious ones with the larger height restrictions as that may not be a factor with 4 kids under 5.

Matterhorn is fun but some kids are afraid of the dark tunnel and the snowman roaring loudly. Dd for example.

Snow White's Scary Adventure can be a little frightening for little kids. My kids aren't scared but dd puts her arm around ds just before the queen turns around with the apple. Then you go through the dark forest part of the ride and I could see that being scary too.

My kids are kinda skiddish on Roger Rabbit's Toontown spin. I dont know why.

I thought they would be scared on HM but they laughed the whole time.

Pirates of the Caribbean has the one drop in the dark. The other is in partial light so it's not as bad. They also have the dark cave part of the ride. It used to frighten our kids but not anymore.

Over at DCA some kids we brought along with us didn't like Tough to be a Bug.

Dd is afraid of Muppets 3D vision because she thinks the cannon is real!
The moving portion of the sunwheel can be frightening and make someone sick! It's more intense than it looks.

That's all I can think of for the "possible" scary rides. Most of these aren't bad just wanted to give little observations that my skiddish children have had issues with.

Thank you for your post! This specific information is just what my sisters and I are looking for to help make our decisions!

 

[AskTheChief]

My kids weren't scared of any rides, but I recall being scared of Matterhorn, thunder mtn, space mtn. when I was a kid (this was before Splash).

And my mom says I cried all the way through It's A Small World.

 

[jocotter]

Our 4 year old granddaughter was nervous but OK in Mr. Toad, but next we went on Peter Pan and when we flew through the bedroom window, she started telling us "No, no! I want to go back now!" We were able to talk her through the ride, but she told us she didn't want to go on more dark rides until she was 31. However, she did agree to go on the Pooh ride over and over, but in some scenes, I could feel her snuggle up to me, being a bit nervous. Her 20 month old sister loved the dark rides and had no problem.

They both loved the teacups, the carousel, Storybook Land, the train, Pooh, meeting characters, parades, and lots of the rides in DCA. the Mark Twain, Toon town rides, etc. We didn't try Pirates or Haunted Mansion with either of them.

 

[ScrapperKimmyD]

The ones my kids still won't go on:
Mr. Toads Wild Ride
Snow White's Scary Adventure
Haunted Mansion

They were a little leery of Pinocchio, but I talked them into it and they like it.

The first time on Story Book Canals, my youngest was afraid of going into the whales mouth.

My youngest went on Pirates twice (once in March, again in November), but wouldn't go on it a second time last November. She doesn't like the dark or the drop and maybe more, too.

There's no way they'd go on Indiana Jones.

They loved Tower of Terror the first time (in March). Last time, my oldest wouldn't go on it again, but my little one did. She won't go on it again, though.

Our first time on Roger Rabbit, they were a little afraid. A few years later we did it again and they loved it.

 

[tracer]

For us POTC is iffy. The drop in the dark is the only "bad" part.

HM was scary at first because of the CM that spooked DS. The ride is slow and relaxing so DS liked it after we got going.

I won't even try DS on the MH yet.

Go coasters in TT are jerky but fun.

DS wanted to go on splash mt...but I could see him crying the whole time and trying to jump out of the boat!

The rest are fine and if they get spooked we just talk them through it. Kids have big imaginations so I think that is the biggest problem, not so much the rides.

 

[staley7580]

My dd was afraid of EVERY ride! She cried and cried. My 4yo DS, who has always been VERY timid, we had trouble at the carusel at the zoo, at the lake he didnt want to get in above his knees! But we get to Disneyland and on the first night we go to the pool, and he jumps in and starts paddling around! The next day we go to the park, and he wants to go on Space mountain. He does it and loves it. Every single ride he could go on he did, except TOT. We were so surprised, I didnt think we would be able to get him on any rides. Anyhow, the point of my story is that sometimes kids can surpise you!

 

[disneegrl4eva]

For us POTC is iffy. The drop in the dark is the only "bad" part.

I hear ya tracer...the first time we took my gd, then 4, she hated POTC because of the drop...she would ride all the fantasyland rides except she doesnt like Mr. Toads (because he goes to hell), she liked mark twain and she did like roger rabbit and gadget go coaster...she wasnt sure about HM and she hated TOT...she couldnt differentiate between the 2 so when asking if she wanted to go on HM she would ask...is it the hotel or the room with no windows and no doors however, now she is going to be 6 in may and we are going back next month and she tells me she is ready to try POTC again but no toads and NO TOT

 

[tracer]

Question here...On POTC, would DS (3.5) be able to hold himself in the seat during the drop? I usually hold him really tight under my arm but this year I will have DS2 (20 months) with me as well. Obviously he is smaller so I will need to brace him. I can't remember the force and if DS1 will be able to stay stable. My dad will be able to hold him, but you know how no one does it the same as you do? Thoughts??

 

[disneegrl4eva]

Question here...On POTC, would DS (3.5) be able to hold himself in the seat during the drop? I usually hold him really tight under my arm but this year I will have DS2 (20 months) with me as well. Obviously he is smaller so I will need to brace him. I can't remember the force and if DS1 will be able to stay stable. My dad will be able to hold him, but you know how no one does it the same as you do? Thoughts??

you should be fine...even though no one does it the same as you do mom, your dad isnt gonna let him go flying...dont worry

 

[Twinprincesses]

The first part of haunted mansion is rough for my girls but they love the actual ride portion.

My one daughter hated Mr Toad, POTC, and Pinocchio.

They loved the sun whell in the motion gandahla but mommy was scared to death!!!

 

[AZMickeyfans]

Thank you for your post! This specific information is just what my sisters and I are looking for to help make our decisions!

No problem, It's funny to read how certain things will scare a kid and others wont.

 

[DevilDuckie]

Our group includes 4 kids under 5 that are a little timid. Could you give me a heads up on the rides to think over first? Thanks a bunch!

Haunted Mansion. Maybe I'm biased because I had an early childhood trauma, but the trees in the graveyard *still* creep me out. This was the single scariest thing for me as a kid, hands down.

Space Mountain may be too much for them, but under 5 they might not be tall enough anyway. Same for Splash Mountain. Every kid I know has found Big Thunder to be less intense than the other mountains.

 

[Alex2kMommy]

My sons (ages 6 and 2) loved all the rides they were allowed to go on. We did not do HM (closed for the Halloween/Christmas overlay) or Space Mountain, though, and DS2 didn't do Mr. Toad or Snow White because he was napping when DS6 and I went on those.

I honestly wasn't sure if they'd be scared on POTC, but they LOVED it. I had more reaction to the puffs of air in the big battle than they did. (Me) (DH and boys)

 

[aWholeFamilyofSupers]

I completely lost it on Haunted Mansion when I was 7. My parents had to take me over to the Bear Jamboree to get my mind off those ghosts.

Yes, I am old.

 

[lilpixie]

My daughters (who were ages 3 and 6 at the time) were absolutely terrified of the Snow White ride. They love the princess Snow White and even though I told them it would be scary, they insisted on going. Sure enough, they came out totally scared (and a bit mad LOL!!!)
I didn't take them on Pinocchio, but I heard that can be disturbing for some kids.
One of the absolute funniest things about our trip:
We were waiting in line for POTC. There was a man in front of us with his son who was probably about 8 or 9. They were speaking in a different language than us, so I couldn't understand them, but it was obvious that the son did NOT want to go on the Pirates ride and the dad was clearly annoyed. The dad pointed to my 7 year old and then said something (basically like, she is going on and she is younger than you). The boy was still whining and didn't want to go on. Then the dad points at our 6 month old baby who was going to ride on our lap -- ok, that convinced the son because he got on with his dad. You had to be there, but the whole exchange was so funny!! My kids loved POTC, though -- bit I know it scares some!