Would this annoy you?

[lucy_love_]

hi

in answer to your question, yes i would be annoyed as i know dd's and dh would too.

lucy

 

[UrsulasShadow]

To answer the OP please bring a very small LED style light with you on dark rides but have definate rules set down on its use before your trip.

If I had to list annoyinng things on dark rides from worst to least here is my take.
Freaking out children or adults
Flash photography
Flashlights without supervision
Cell phones and excessive talking
Those whirling light up things
Video camera displays
Still camera displays
Glow in the dark necklaces and braclets used as whirling light up things.
Someone besides me rocking the boats out of rythem.

That is my take hope the OP gets this far.

ITA with this list of annoyances! AND I agree with the stipulations put on the use of lights on a dark ride. If the OP might purchase a light like this, and teach the child to use it as this poster suggests, it seems like the annoyance factor would drop dramatically. Still with us, OP?

 

[onyx8]

I don't know what they are called but WDW also sells light up LED 'necklaces.' The are ~2 1/2 inches on a rope & flash on and off. My kids use them often & they don't give off much light at all.

The necklaces that flash on and off are the MOST annoying to me in a dark attraction. Not only are they distracting, they also hurt my eyes.

 

[Cinderella94]

I posted in here before, but I mean come on people. If you are going on a dark ride with other people, no matter how many, it is rude to disrupt their ride just so your kid won't be afraid of the dark. The ride was made dark for a reason, the entertainment of it. And if you ruin that for other people, it just isn't right at all, no matter if you use a small flashing light, or just a tiny little glow stick or WHATEVER. It's wrong, rude, and shouldn't be done.

 

[PIRATEGIRL007]

To simply answer the OP's question: yes.

 

[SpoonfulofSugar]

To answer the OP's question--- NO it would not bother us. We used one in Sept and I could not count how many people told us what a great idea it was and wished they brought one!!! (many rides have to completely stop when handicapped people need to get on and off a ride and sometimes this process takes lots of time, so a child who is not afraid of a ride can get nervous when they get stopped in a completely pitch black room for serveral minutes--- this happened to us on POTC-- children don't understand why the ride left them in the dark)

 

[mitros]

I remember when Sounds Dangerous first opened, and on our first trip to the show, when the lights went out, I recall being surprised at the utter BLACKNESS of the theatre! I actually panicked for a second because I literally could not see my hand in front of my face! I pressed the button for the light on my wristwatch a few times, and that little tiny glow removed the panicy feeling I had. Very weird......

 

[Mom2R&D]

...they aren't talking about taking airplane runway landing wands with them

I would think a penlight or something similar would be fairly unobtrusive. Honestly, I'd probably never even notice.

I'm curious as to how many of the people that do find this distracting have children? That's not meant as an inflammatory question, just an honest question?

I mean, realistically, there are tons of distractions on any given ride at WDW. I would take a boatride with a youngster holding a small penlight over a boatride full of loud, obnoxious teenagers anyday.

Pick your battles, I say.

 

[Marseeya]

I'm curious as to how many of the people that do find this distracting have children? That's not meant as an inflammatory question, just an honest question?

Yes, I have two kids.

My son had problems with the dark and we skipped dark rides in amusement parks until he was 8 or 9 years old. I just don't get the need to put a fearful child in an uncomfortable position like that. The kids will get older and they will get over their fears and the amusement parks will be there a few years from now, so why is it so inconceivable to wait? There are plenty of well-lit rides for little ones to go on.

 

[Mom2R&D]

Yes, I have two kids.

My son had problems with the dark and we skipped dark rides in amusement parks until he was 8 or 9 years old. I just don't get the need to put a fearful child in an uncomfortable position like that. The kids will get older and they will get over their fears and the amusement parks will be there a few years from now, so why is it so inconceivable to wait? There are plenty of well-lit rides for little ones to go on.

I guess I can see both sides of the argument. We took our oldest DS to WDW when he was 20 months old. He rode nearly everything without incident. We avoided the scarier things like Snow White's Scary Adventure (heck, it even scares me ) but did take him on things like POTC. We've subsequently taken our two DS's when they were 4 and 2, 6 and 4 and 8 and 6, thank goodness with no major ride-related catastrophes (or need for a penlight, for that matter).

But knowing the unpredictability of children, I can see the need for an emergency "back up plan" in case they do become frightened. Yes, most parents can rely on instinct to know if their children can or cannot handle a ride but you can never say with 100% certainty how a child will react.

I don't think it would be a terrible thing to have to "suffer" through as long as the child in question used the light responsibly (ha...I do realize what I'm saying). Will I scream at them if they decide to wave it around? No. Will it ruin my vacation? No. Will it ruin my day? Probably not. Will it ruin the ride? Possibly, but not likely. I've encounted countless other "distractions" that, in my opinion, are worse than a child with a small, unobtrusive light.

Besides, WDW is the happiest place on earth! A little light can't make you that mad for that long, can it??

 

[UrsulasShadow]

I would think a penlight or something similar would be fairly unobtrusive. Honestly, I'd probably never even notice.

I'm curious as to how many of the people that do find this distracting have children? That's not meant as an inflammatory question, just an honest question?

I mean, realistically, there are tons of distractions on any given ride at WDW. I would take a boatride with a youngster holding a small penlight over a boatride full of loud, obnoxious teenagers anyday.

Pick your battles, I say.

Yes, I have children. I took them to WDW when they were very young, and would not have taken them on a ride which I thought might frighten them.

They are teenagers now. And if they were obnoxious or ill-behaved, I would not allow them on rides, either.

I don't do battle with other parents in the parks. The question was asked, does this annoy? For many, it does. There are many things others would or might do in the parks that annoy other people. This thread is about lights on dark rides. For some, they do not annoy. For others, they do. It seems the OP is somewhat concerned about disturbing others, and I find that admirable. So many show no consideration for others these days.

Thank you, OP, for asking. I hope you have gotten some guidance from the answers you've gotten on this topic. Whatever your decision, have a wonderful trip to WDW!

 

[mitros]

And one of those distractions is riding in the front seat of El RioDelTiempo and have the rest of the boat filled with giggling, screaming, swearing teenagers, who do not appreciate the quiet, relaxing aspect of the ride.
And in case someone asks, yes, it did happen to us once....ONCE. I did in fact turn around and asked these clowns to go on ToT if they wanted to carry on. After that, the ride became very quiet, but I was glared at by one of the boys when we got off, and I just looked back at him and shook my head. We avoid those types of things now, because if there are boisterous teens in back of us on line, we will step aside and wait for the next boat.

 

[Marseeya]

I don't think it would be a terrible thing to have to "suffer" through as long as the child in question used the light responsibly (ha...I do realize what I'm saying). Will I scream at them if they decide to wave it around? No. Will it ruin my vacation? No. Will it ruin my day? Probably not. Will it ruin the ride? Possibly, but not likely. I've encounted countless other "distractions" that, in my opinion, are worse than a child with a small, unobtrusive light.

Besides, WDW is the happiest place on earth! A little light can't make you that mad for that long, can it??

No nothing would make me that mad for so long!

It's just a matter of simple consideration, though. Everyone's waited in a long line for however long, then to finally get on that much anticipated ride and have it messed up by something preventable (such as keeping the uncomfortable kid off). It's just very disappointing. For example, I was really anticipating "It's a small world" when we went last June. To me, that's WDW. I wanted my first ride on it to be completely magical and it was! I would have been so disappointed to have been distracted by a parent consoling a frightened child or seeing a light, however small. Maybe I'm just too distractable. Who knows? But apparently I'm not the only one.

I agree with the other poster who said it was nice of the OP to even ask for opinions. That IS admirable.

 

[LiteBrite]

Ok, to all the people on opposite sides of this fence, maybe our opinions would be closer together if we specified exactly what would annoy us. I posted strongly earlier in the thread about the necklaces with moving lights on them being a terrible annoyance. However, I would like to say for the record that I have no problem with a child using a small penlight pointed at the floor of his or her own ride vehicle. If the child began to get out of hand with the flashlight, pointing it all over, that would be an annoyance as well, but an easily remedied one. The parent wouldn't have to "scream at" the child to fix this - just gently take the flashlight away, and continue to shine in on the floor themselves. Child gets light, child feels better, no one else even has to see the light. No big deal.

 

[Mommy Poppins]

No, it would not bother me--AT ALL! You know what your child can anc can't handle. If a small pen light is going to make your child more comfortable, just do it. Even though many people on here are saying it would bother them, I would truly bet that unless they were specifically looking for it or your child was waving it irresponsibly, they wouldn't even notice it was there. Of course, now that it has been brought to their attention, they'll be singling out every poor child who has some kind of light on a dark ride at WDW.

Try being in a ride or attraction where someone's cell phone rings and they sit there and talk--and you know they must be the most important person at WDW that day. Or the adults who push their way in front of small children at a parade--because they kids don't really want to watch it anyway.

A small pen light - not a problem at all!

 

[maxiesmom]

I can't help but think that the people who are so adament about no lights whatsoever, if the ride was totally dark, would find somehing else to complain about. A child being to loud, the boat rocking too much, whatever. This is Disney World. Thousands of people a day, and most of them will not act and think exactly like you. There is no ride rule book that states lights are not allowed. So if a child needs a small light for comfort, so be it. As the adult you can then approach the ride knowing there may be lights and decide if you wish to ride it or not.

 

[UrsulasShadow]

Of course, now that it has been brought to their attention, they'll be singling out every poor child who has some kind of light on a dark ride at WDW.

I hardly think it's fair to accuse those who would be bothered by lights on a dark ride as "singling out" poor children to persecute. Obviously, if it isn't visible, it won't bother people. Let's try not to attack other people just because their opinion differs from your own. OP asked a simple question. Let's give her our answers with civility.

 

[Pinnochio]

We've done this with some of our children and it's worked well. I just make sure they keep the light to themselves and don't wave it around or shine it on anyone. I think that would be the only annoying thing about it...

Agreed. I would have posted the same thing. Keep an eye on where they point it however a glow stick is good because you can't point it at anyone since it glows evenly in all directions

 

[VSL]

There is no ride rule book that states lights are not allowed. So if a child needs a small light for comfort, so be it. As the adult you can then approach the ride knowing there may be lights and decide if you wish to ride it or not.

I would have thought that the 'no flash photography' would also mean 'no lights'

And it's not really fair that adults should have to approach a ride, which is meant to be dark, with the knowledge that there 'may' be lights - the ride is dark so there shouldn't be lights at all.
Instead, shouldn't it be the parents that are approaching the ride be aware that it will be dark and should consider whether it will be appropriate for their children or not, and then decide if they wish to ride it?
(And if you're on the DISboards then there's plenty of info available on what each ride entails.)

 

[Mommy Poppins]

I hardly think it's fair to accuse those who would be bothered by lights on a dark ride as "singling out" poor children to persecute. Obviously, if it isn't visible, it won't bother people. Let's try not to attack other people just because their opinion differs from your own. OP asked a simple question. Let's give her our answers with civility.

I am not attacking anyone. I am just saying that those who never noticed the light before may now notice it on rides. Not saying that they will say anything to the child or the parents, just that it will be noticed. I believe I was quite civil in my response.

I can't help but think that the people who are so adament about no lights whatsoever, if the ride was totally dark, would find somehing else to complain about. A child being to loud, the boat rocking too much, whatever. This is Disney World. Thousands of people a day, and most of them will not act and think exactly like you. There is no ride rule book that states lights are not allowed. So if a child needs a small light for comfort, so be it. As the adult you can then approach the ride knowing there may be lights and decide if you wish to ride it or not.

I agree totally with maxiesmom.