young kids at Fantasmic?

[abby4]

We are going to disneyland in late April and our girls will be 4 and 6. Is Fantasmic age appropriate for them? How have your kids handled it? Also, is Indiana Jones okay for a 6 year old who is 48" tall?

 

[Amy&Dan]

Fantasmic is a great show. I have seen many kids younger than yours loving it but I have also seen some not so happy to be there! It can be loud, it is Mickey fighting villians so it has a bit of a dark element I guess. If your kids get scared of dark things or loud noises it might be a gamble. You can always try it and cut out if it isn't working and making them frightened. There is a scene where the lake is on fire. But it has scenes from many Disney movies projected on water screens that your kids would love. You might just explain its about Mickey fighting the bad guys and it all turns out great in the end!

As for Indiana Jones, it is a jolty, bumpy ride. It is rather dark in there. There are parts where there is fire and there is one part with a large snake that if you are sitting on the right side of the vehicle, sort of jumps out close to you. I would suggest you or your husband riding it first and deciding. Also, build your way up to that ride, for instance if Matterhorn is too bumpy and dark, Indiana Jones would probably be a no no. Haunted Mansion might also be something to test the waters on since it is dark and has some creepy parts too. I. Jones is a great ride however. My daughter was just turned 7 when she rode it the first time and loved it. She had never been to anything but a small kiddie amusement park so it was way different than anything she had done. A friend's son rode it when he was 5 and did fine, was a bit scared but wanted to ride it again! Have a great trip!

 

[abby4]

thanks for all your help.

 

[MsYumiBr]

If you want to even attempt it with younger kids, I would plan a nap beforehand. My kids had an 8:00 bedtime and even at Disneyland they shut down at 8:00 so they would typically sleep through Fantasmic at that age. My youngest was 9 when first saw Fantasmic and loved it. She is a morning person.

 

[hlbtimes2]

Our 4 year old watched F! twice this trip. He loved it. On the flight home yesterday he told that he would make a Fantasmic show for me when we got home. He would be Mickey and daddy could be the dragon he would fight.

 

[kuusimo]

Depends on the child. My two boys could not sit through it. It would be too much for them. Of course we had to coax them to watch the fireworks. But they get scared easily. You could always have a backup plan. I heard that a really good place for watching Fantasmic is by the Hungry Bear Restaurant on the lower level by the bathrooms. You can see everything, have a chair to sit in and you can see what is coming next. May be an option, and then if you want to leave you are not climbing over everyone.

 

[hlbtimes2]

Depends on the child. My two boys could not sit through it. It would be too much for them. Of course we had to coax them to watch the fireworks. But they get scared easily. You could always have a backup plan. I heard that a really good place for watching Fantasmic is by the Hungry Bear Restaurant on the lower level by the bathrooms. You can see everything, have a chair to sit in and you can see what is coming next. May be an option, and then if you want to leave you are not climbing over everyone.

Seems like you would miss most of the show from way back at the hungry bear. All the projections, the stuff on the island. Seems like you would just see the boats/ floats and fire works from there.

 

[victorandbellasmom]

My kids were 2 and 6 the first time they saw it. Ds(6) had a nightmare that night and dd(2) had here face burried in my shoulder. Dd was only interested in the princesses. It was the first dh and i saw fantasmic as well so we could not prep them. We saw it again last year, dd(now7) and ds(now4) loved it. We did bring earplugs since my kids hate loud noises except for their own voices. I guess it depends on your kids. Our niece (2) and nephew (4) was also with us on our last trip and they enjoyed it and were not scared. We ended up watching it twice on our last trip and would have watched it more if it was playing on the weekdays. We've videotaped it and burned it on to a dvd. The kids love to watch it. I

 

[kuusimo]

Seems like you would miss most of the show from way back at the hungry bear. All the projections, the stuff on the island. Seems like you would just see the boats/ floats and fire works from there.

Here is the thread that talked about it (11 and 12th posts):

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=989311&highlight=hungry+bear

I personally have never done this. I just know that if I wanted to have my boys do it, having them see things from behind the scenes would be less scary. That is my children though.

 

[SunshineOR]

First off, depends on the kid... How scared are they in other situations?

Mine usually fall asleep waiting for Fantasmic, but wake up and really enjoy it. Is is loud and intense though, so it can be a bit much. Our young dd loved it when she was three, but she also made sure she was sitting in one of our laps!

Indiana is intense too, so I'd test the child out on a few other rides first and see how they're taking it. That being said, my dd at five barely made the height requirement, but LOVED it!

 

[boosmom96]

I have to agree with everyone. My DD (9) is petrified of Fantasmic, we had to leave the balcony seating she was so upset; and Indy, forget about it!! On the other hand my DGS (5) thought Fantasmic was the best thing since sliced bread! He loves anything loud and bright and was heart-broken that he was way too short for Indy. I would say try it, but be prepared to leave.