Would you leave a 9-year-old while you go on a ride?

[kangamangus]

My nine year olds, yes I would. My kids are independent and are taught that from a young age. I would utilize the strategy of going in line with you and then exit through the chicken exit, only having to be without you for the duration of the ride which might be less then 10 or even 5 minutes. It sounds like your 9 year old understand limits and will follow your directions to stay where you tell her. Each family is different so you have to go with your gut on this one.

 

[lovewdwfun]

Thinking what if you get stuck on a ride type thing? .

Great point! You are far more likely to get stuck on a ride for hours than have you kid kidnapped. I have been stuck on Splash with no cell phone service. At the very least, go over all scenarios with you kid beforehand. If you aren't back in X amount of time, what should he do? What if you get stuck for three hours? Will he be able to get food on his own? Explain how unlikely these things are to happen, but go over the scenarios. That would sure ruin a Disney vacation, if your nine-year old was in a panic for an hour because you didn't Coke back and couldn't contact him! Even if you take the chicken exit, go over this scenario.

 

[piglet1979]

My dad left me by myself when I was about that age. I refused to go on Space Mountain. I remember being a little scared but was ok. I went on the rockets while I waited. Thinking back it scares me more now and I would never leave my alone at that age. My son is 10 and I know I would lose him. He would see something and then forget what he was supposed to do or where he was supposed to be. My daughter is 8. She would stay where I told her but I would be worried that something would happen. I would feel better leaving a 13 year old then a 9 year old.

It is ultimately your choice and what you are comfortable with. You know you child better.

 

[Dr.Mickey]

Another opinion:

With the close proximity of the chicken exit to the end of rides, we have sent our 10yo through the chicken exit to wait for us with no problems. We know the parks very well, and we have a very specific walk-through of what to expect. The main ride I use this at is TofT, which drops the boy out right at the ride pictures. No issues at all for us.

Now, we would NOT leave him out in the park while we go get in line. He gets to wait with us.

 

[piglet1979]

sounds like the chicken exit is a better idea..i've never used it so had no clue what it is like. if she can just be waiting right there when I get off, that would be perfect..... Not worried about Space Mountain b/c I don't go on anything too fast or spinny, so DS will be on his own on that one, lol.

I won't go on Star Tours and us the Chicken Exit every time. She will be able to sit on the benches where they exit. It is really nice.

 

[Shmily01]

I have a nine year old and a 13 year old. I most definitely would send my 13 year old on the ride by himself but I don't think I would feel comfortable leaving my 9 year old alone to wait for us outside the ride. And, I know my daughter, and SHE wouldn't feel comfortable staying by herself. Too many people and too many factors. Thankfully we have a fourth (my husband) so one of us could stay with her while the other rode with my son. That being said, only YOU know your child and what is and what isn't okay. Hope you have a great trip!

 

[maxiesmom]

Tower of Terror's chicken exit is a real elevator that brings you down to the lower floor where the ride lets out and you can see your photos. R&RRC has a door at the front of the line where they assign you a row. I can't remember where that lets out, but I would guess it's in the gift shop. You can also walk through the ride vehicle to the other side on Dinosaur and wait in the gift shop.

Yup, it is the gift shop. Not much of one though.

OP--Count me in as with the give her a phone and have her use the chicken exit group. Who knows, she may surprise you and end up going on a few rides she would otherwise skip.

 

[bjscheel]

Yup, it is the gift shop. Not much of one though.

OP--Count me in as with the give her a phone and have her use the chicken exit group. Who knows, she may surprise you and end up going on a few rides she would otherwise skip.

That's what I was going to say...if she has waited in the line with you, she MIGHT decide to just get on the ride instead of doing the chicken exit. Maybe! Definitely more of a chance of it than if she waited completely outside the ride anyway

When younger DD was small, she didn't want to ride Splash Mountain. It was the Year of a Million Dreams and a CM asked us to follow him and it was to the front of the line at SM. She really didn't have a choice and she rode. But it wasn't until the last trip when she was 12 that she agreed to ride everything. She just decided that it wasn't going to hurt her.

 

[kamik86]

That's what I was going to say...if she has waited in the line with you, she MIGHT decide to just get on the ride instead of doing the chicken exit. Maybe! Definitely more of a chance of it than if she waited completely outside the ride anyway

When younger DD was small, she didn't want to ride Splash Mountain. It was the Year of a Million Dreams and a CM asked us to follow him and it was to the front of the line at SM. She really didn't have a choice and she rode. But it wasn't until the last trip when she was 12 that she agreed to ride everything. She just decided that it wasn't going to hurt her.

That's what I was going to say...if she has waited in the line with you, she MIGHT decide to just get on the ride instead of doing the chicken exit. Maybe! Definitely more of a chance of it than if she waited completely outside the ride anyway

When younger DD was small, she didn't want to ride Splash Mountain. It was the Year of a Million Dreams and a CM asked us to follow him and it was to the front of the line at SM. She really didn't have a choice and she rode. But it wasn't until the last trip when she was 12 that she agreed to ride everything. She just decided that it wasn't going to hurt her.

I agree with this. As a kid I would have been nervous about alot of the disney rides. At most parks I didn't want to ride anything that I couldn't see the ride before I went. Most of the disney ones alot of the ride is hidden so I wouldn't feel comfortable with them. Of course now the answer would be to watch them on utube. I had to trust friends to tell me what the ride was like...

 

[mickeymom629]

I might think of asking another adult to join us on the trip...

 

[dsdeleon]

I have done this with my kids before but mostly at Universal in the off times my husband isn't there. I have a mix and match of which kids ride which rides. I do leave them to cast spells, with a phone and a meetup area. They know all the parks and some resorts really well. I think am more free range with this kind of thing (also let my younger kids sign in and out on DCL for instance). If they hesitate or want me to stay and not ride, I totally would. We go often enough that we all know that we can all ride whatever again soon enough.

 

[JimmyV]

Hmmm...I have a 9 year old and a 14 year old, and this def. wouldn't be the case for my kids.

See Post #25.

 

[TJDisneymama]

You really can't convince/bribe the 9 year old just to go on them? I too would feel bad having the 13 year old always ride alone...I'd really try to convince the 9 year old just to go, but if it's just ac.

This isn't really an answer to what you asked, but I'm curious if you have tried watching POV ride videos on youtube with your 9 y.o.? Perhaps seeing that some rides are not as scary as they thing might make them more comfortable with actually riding them?

You all can't even IMAGINE the amount of bribing I have done. I have promised her the world. She is THE most stubborn person on earth. She says she's not scared, she just "doesn't want to".

 

[GBBTomorrow]

You all can't even IMAGINE the amount of bribing I have done. I have promised her the world. She is THE most stubborn person on earth. She says she's not scared, she just "doesn't want to".

I think you respecting her desire not to go makes a lot of sense, and I would absolutely let her wait for you at the ride exit, particularly if she has gone through the line with you and then headed to the "chicken" exit. My philosophy is that just because I think a ride is awesome doesn't mean my kids will like it. If they don't like it, what harm is there really in just letting them not do it? In fact, I think it's kind of a good lesson, that she is entitled to make decisions about vacation and what she enjoys and what she doesn't. It's not like she's refusing to go to WDW at all. She just doesn't want to do some aspects. What a cool feeling of control for her to know she can make some decisions. I'm all for it. I love "stubborn" kids! They'll grow up to be confident, self-directed individuals. I'm not saying to let them run your life, but waiting at a ride exit seems a small price to pay to encourage autonomy and convey your respect. I would not worry about my kids at a ride exit in WDW. That wouldn't phase me at all.

 

[aggiedog]

We just got back from WDW and my 10yo ds refused to ride almost every ride. If it was going to be a short wait (short line, FP+), he'd wait near the exit. If it were longer, he'd wait in line with us then take the "chicken exit" (great term!) It worked well for us.

 

[aggiedog]

To the OP, don't forget the single rider lines for your ds. Those are a great way to get in and out fast. My family loves them, both for the speed and the fact that if one of the kids wants to ride it "one more time" the rest of us don't have to wait that much longer.

 

[Bullseye]

Have your daughter go through the line and then take the chicken exit to the gift shop. She can wait for you there.

This is the best answer. They can be with you right up until ride time which I'm sure she would prefer. Then she takes the chicken exit and can wait near the exit or in the gift shop depending on which ride it is. We've done this with our kids many times.

 

[lovethattink]

Is he well versed in "stranger danger"? My kids were always very social and once they conversed with someone, they no longer considered them strangers.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

yeah, as far as I can tell the kid can converse all she wants with anyone so long as she knows that she is not to go anywhere with them, and if she isn't comfortable with somebody, or even if someone tells her that her mother sent them to get her, to find a cast member. Maybe pick places for her to wait that have cast members working nearby that she can see.

 

[mjkacmom]

Sure, as long as my child was okay with it. At that age, my kids were walking to school, going to the playground, running to the store. I know I had a 9 year old on DCL who was given increments of freedom, for an hour or so at a time. Heck, around the age of 10 or so, my kids stay home alone, and travel all over town with friends. I'd like to think they'd be capable of hanging in a gift shop for 15 minutes!