Worth it for kids ages 5 10 & 12?

[Zoemakes5]

I have one wild rider, my 12 year old. My DH can't go on rides like star tours, or flight simulators, and nothing that goes round and round. My little girl is pretty brave, but will probably be around 47 inches when we would be thinking of going.
Is there enough for everyone? Would it be of interest to kids in that range? Are there things we would all be able to do together?
Thanks!

 

[judykay53]

We are in the same boat. We hve a 12 yo who will ride anything. The 8 yo will not ride even a small roller coaster but is embarassed to ride the "kiddie" rides and a 5 yo who is a little bit braver. One adult, me, will take the two younger kids and do something while the rest are riding the larger rides. There will be 5 adults. I could use suggestins also.

I have ridden everything at Disney but you let me see the ground and how high I am - OMG my blood drains to my feet I did ride EE earlier this year and that initial climb almost did me in!! I am the self proclaimed bag holder and child entertainer.

 

[sameyeyam]

When my son was 5 and daughter was 12 we went to US for 2 years in a row. My kids choices are in this order: #1 Disney Waterparks, #2 Universal Studios, #3 Disney themeparks, #4 Seaworld.

There was plenty to do for everyone. The Spiderman 3D virtual ride is awesome for the entire family. The Bluto Barge raft ride is similar to Kali River Rapids at Animal Kingdom. Shrek 4D is also a fun family show (similar to Philharmagic at MK). Jimmy Neutron 3D ride is fun. There is a Woody Woodpecker roller coaster that is very similar to Goofy's Barnstormer at MK. They have a Dr. Seuss ride similar to Dumbo. There is a Cat in the Hat sofa ride that is fun for everyone. There is also a Magic Unicorn roller coaster (1 step above Goofy's barnstormer). The Jurassic Park ride is a water boat ride, with 1 drop at the end (less of a drop than Splash Mt.), but the dinosaurs inside scared my son a little. The Pteradactyl Flyers are for kids only (adults must be accompanied by kids under a certain height). I haven't rode those, but they look like fun, you look like you are in a hang glider soaring over the park. There is an entire Curious George water fun area for kids of all ages. The ET ride is fun, a little dark, but no fast drops or anything.

I hate scary rides and still felt like there was plenty for me to do, along with both of the kids. Just like Disney there really is something for everyone.

Next year our trip will consist of only Waterparks and Universal!

 

[judykay53]

I like the comparison to Disney. We can kind of tell what to expect.

 

[momof3disneyholics]

My kids have preferred Universal and IOA to Disney for years. They can spend hours in Seuss Landing alone. Spiderman is a family favorite and they love going over to the Jurassic Park Discovery center and watching a "real" dinosaur hatch out of an egg. My daughter just has to ride The Flying Unicorn on every trip. They always want to stop and play in the water fountains at Toon Lagoon and it is a good way for them to cool off.