Would you take your 3 year old on Space Mountain?

[Zookeeperof4]

I would say if he is tall enough sure. Actually my kids thought it was a lame ride-oops I mean TAME..LOL and not worth the hype. I thought it would be better but thought I was knocked around pretty bad and its not that fast. We love coasters and thought that BTMRR and Splash Mt rated far better and faster. So if you think he will be okay on those other rides then Space Mt is for him. Now we have a 4 year old we had with us and she was not tall enough, but she was tall enough for ToT and she wanted to ride again and again. Daddy was more scared!!!
Its not that bad....as long as you prepare him to sit in a line instead of a row.

 

[saraheliz]

we went to wdw when my little sister was 4. she loved btmrr so we took her on space mountain. all my dad remember was a little voice in the dark yelling "get me out of here!!!"

she did not go on another roller coaster for a very, very, very long time!

it's not that fast- but it's dark in there!

 

[PrincessKell]

So many say that Space is very different between the two parks. Also, it's 44" at WDW vs 40", which is weird, b/c people say WDW's version is more like Matterhorn, but of course Matterhorn is 35"! Confusing.

hahaha well of course why on earth would it be any different! haha

 

[SweetPeasMom2]

If he is tall enough, all you can do is try it. Dd (5) just rode it for the first time. She was just tall enough and was so excited to ride it. I prepared her that the ride was fast and dark. She loved it all the up until the point it got dark. She didn't say anything until half way through when I put my hand on her shoulder in front of me and she said she wanted off and didn't want to be on this ride anymore. I tried to make it seem like fun and assured her we'd be off soon and it was ok. When we came to a stop and she got off, she started crying.

I felt bad for her but did tell her I was proud of her because she tried it and she would never know until she did. We agreed that she didn't have to ride it again until she was older and ready.

So you'll have to know your child. I don't think at 3 either of my kids could have handled it. But like I told dd, you just don't know until you try.

 

[Tink561]

If they were tall enough and wanted to go, sure.

 

[ireland_nicole]

Absolutely not, I wouldn't. Like pp's have said, if they get scared or god forbid the ride shuts down or something, you're seperated from them and there's nothing you can do. Just not worth it; there are plenty of other thrill rides available where they're next to you when they're so little.

 

[MyPeanut&Bug]

My first thought was "Sure, if they want to and you think they can handle it." Then I remembered the single seating. That would give me much more pause. I still think so much of it depends on the individual child's personality - my daughter was a month away from 3 when we went and downright ticked that she couldn't go on Test Track and other things she wasn't tall enough for. With her fearless, fiesty personality, I wouldn't hesitate to let her try it on our next trip, when she'll be about 4.5. On the other hand, my son, at nearly 2 years older than my daughter...I don't see a time in the near future where he'll be ready to handle it! Goofy's Barnstormer about did him in!

 

[Doc CW]

I say no because there is no way to reach a child on SM because of the seating, so if your child panics on the ride there is no way to reach him.

 

[sbrotherton]

You know your own child better than anyone, BUT, I will tell you when I was a kid (4 or 5), I thought I wanted to go, went and then wouldn't get on a roller coaster until I was 14. I'd hate to use the word traumatic, but it scared me but good and it was stuck in my head for 10 years.

See how your child does on other dark rides and rides like the Barnstormer and even Big Thunder Mountain. Mine will be tall enough in May, but if she got scared on any ride too badly, that would be the end--not just of all rollercoasters--but all rides that she couldn't see for the rest of the trip. Not worth it. You never know how they'll react so take it slowly...good luck!

 

[cerberus]

We took our DD on it when she had just turned 3 years old, she loved it....I really think it depends on th echild, my DD loves things like that.

 

[MickeyMomOfThree]

I agree it depends on the kid. We took our DD15 to Disney the week before she turned 3. She rode everything (she was tall for her age) INCLUDING SM and even ToT. I was afraid for her a little, but DH talked me into it because she wanted to so badly. She loved both of them and still does.

Now, DD10 who is still a bit of a daredevil, was 5 before she wanted to go on, and she loved it and still does but had no desire at 3 so we didn't take her.

DD7 went as soon as she was tall enough and again, loved it and still does. So I say follow your gut on each kid.

 

[Colleen27]

It really depends on the kid. My son has always been big for his age, and at 4-5 he was going on real thrill rides at Cedar Point. I'm sure he'd have been fine on Space Mt at 3. My daughter, on the other hand, stretched and hoped and prayed she'd be tall enough to ride it on her 6th birthday trip, and it scared her so badly that it took 20 minutes and a Mickey bar to get her calmed down afterwards. She's 8 now and loves Everest, Rock & Roller Coaster, Tower of Terror, but still doesn't want to give Space another try!

 

[a1tinkfans]

I am thinking no...

NO!
emotionally, physically (even if tall enough) you cannot HOLD the child....have you read the accidents that have happened????? Not worth the RISK IMHO!

 

[mjkacmom]

I wouldn't. We brought ds6 on Dinosaur when he was almost 5, because he's a complete dare-devil, and he refused to go on rides after that. Dd8 went on SM when she was 6, she begged to, and was in tears at the end.

 

[Hannathy]

NO!
emotionally, physically (even if tall enough) you cannot HOLD the child....have you read the accidents that have happened????? Not worth the RISK IMHO!

What accidents? you are acting like something happens every week. Why would you need to hold the child? That is what ride restraints are for. if you need restrained the system will be in place to do it, if it isn't there, then it isn't needed. They will be fine if they are the right height and stay seated, just like anyone else.

 

[Curiouser&curiouser.]

my dd (5) has been 3 times this past year and space mt finally reopened when we were there in dec and it was broken down a LOT and we made 4 different trips while in the park to the ride and finally when it was running we went to get on the ride and she was 1/2 and inch too short and she was not allowed on, she was bummed! but my ds (7) wen on it last aug and he was scared! my dd is more of a daredevil and LOVES splash mt & BTR! so she was really excited about going on space mt but actually started to cry b/c she couldn't go on the ride..so much so that i said none of us would go on so she would relax.
I don't think it would be a great idea b/c of the dark and not knowing what to expect with a child that young.

 

[alisonh]

Well, if my son was tall enough for anything he would not let me keep him off it! He is a dare devil and was so bummed when he couldnt go on big rides. (he is barely 37 inches NOW, he was about 35 in WDW and 36 at DL) I did not make it on Space Mtn at MK, but would certianly let him on it at DL. I saw the youtube videos and seat configuration... that would make it more of a difficult decision but I think I might take him on the other rides for a few days and see how he does, if he is really into them (like I am sure my ds would be) then i would let him, if he got scared in any of the dark, or fast, or coasters I would prob keep him off because of the seat set up.

 

[MSSANDRA]

They will be fine if they are the right height and stay seated, just like anyone else.

See this is the thing. I am not sure that you can ever trust a 3 year old to stay seated if they get scared and want off. Three is pretty young. DGS has begged to go on rides at local parks (with me) and ended up freaking out. While I am there beside him to be sure he is safe (and have them stop the ride a few times), it 's fine for him to try but without me there in case he freaks, I just could not do it. I have seen some kids totaly come unglued on some rides at WDW and without a parent there it would not have been pretty.

 

[crisi]

Nope. My father in law is a neuroscientist. You know shaken baby syndrome? It happens because baby's brains don't "gel" into their heads until they are older - usually sometime between two and three, but it can still be happening as late as four or five. Space Mountian is shaky enough and long enough to potentially cause brain damage in a child younger than six.

 

[PiperPizzaz]

My DS rode it at 4y2mos old. I made him put his arms up and hold my hands the entire time (I sat behind him. Does that make sense?) Might not work if you are short/have short arms.
He LOVED it. He is a little daredevil when it comes to rides.