Just got back - my 2 year old was scared of many rides

[ttm999]

My son loved meeting the characters. But he was scared of many of the rides. If it was a ride like Dumbo and you could see the ride and he knew what it was going to be like - he was okay. But if we were waiting in line and the ride was inside. He would get very anxious and ask, "Is it going to be dark? Is it going to be fast? Is it going to be scary?" We took a few glow sticks with us and he would hold on to one of those and they helped.

He is normally a wild child and "all boy" - so I was kind of surprised by his reaction to some of the rides. He is still talking about Snow Whites ride being dark and scary.

Just an FYI - with those of you with small children going. Oh - and I had packs of fruity snacks for him to munch on while waiting in line. That helped too.

 

[plutosmyfav]

I'm taking my 2 yo, too. He'll be 2 1/2 when we leave for POR. I've been worried about the very thing you described-- being scared of the inside rides that he can't see what's going to happen. He is also a wild "dare devil" boy but lately he's begun to get scared at loud noises (particularly the vaccuum cleaner) and new situations.

Thanks for the post. I hadn't thought of glow sticks-- great idea!

 

[dmonroe]

We took ds last year (at 2.5) and he really wasn't scared of anything. This year I'm more worried though! He's also gotten scared of loud noises. When we took him to the fair a couple of weeks ago, he didn't want to ride anything. Of course, the fair was REALLY loud--lots of loud music, siren things, horns, ect. Disney doesn't seem to be that obnoxiously loud, so maybe we'll be ok there! I did get him one of those little keychain lights at the The Disney Store. I'm thinking that will help him out on the dark rides!

 

[crisi]

Try a build strategy ----

Start with Dumbo, its out in the open and the lines get long so you want to do it first thing in the morning anyway.

Take a quick trip through Small World. Its not at all dark, but this will get them used to motion and movement.

Move onto Pooh. The honeypots move a lot (its the track from Mr.Toad's Wild Ride), but its pretty bright, the characters are loveable, and it isn't scary.

Then Peter Pan's Flight. My 2 1/2 and 3 1/2 year old liked this best. Its a little darker, the ride is pretty smooth, but there are some heights involved and bigger "bad guys" (i.e. Hook) than before.

If everything is still ok, try Snow White, which is can be scary for the tot set.

My kids surprised me by enjoying the Teacups. They love to spin.

If it your kids still aren't phased, you can now leave Fantasyland and try Pirates and the Haunted Mansion.

Keep a positive attitude yourself. Don't tell them its scary. Laugh, hold them close. And be prepared to cut your losses. There is nothing wrong with a character breakfast, time at the hotel pool, and multiple rides on the carrosel (and so much small world that you sing that song till you die).

(We brought tiny little flashlights instead of glowsticks)

Snow White is right there as you enter Fantasyland, and I think a lot of parents end up there first - because if you are coming from the castle its the first ride you come across.

 

[laughinplace199]

We just got back also, and my 3 yr. old was scared of Pooh (even though it only has a couple of dark parts) and Peter Pan because of the darkness. It never occured to us to prepare her for these rides. She loves the characters so much, we didn't think she would be afraid. When we went to Epcot, she said she wanted to go on Spaceship Earth. When I explained that it was a dark ride, she said that she wanted to try it anyway, and she was fine. She went on the Imagination ride too. We learned that she was fine on the rides as long as we told her what to expect. She decided to give Pooh and Peter Pan another try the night of MNSSHP, and she loved them!

 

[Tink]

Our DD, who is 3.5 knows that we are going back to WDW "soon" (we are going in December, but you know kids just don't get that time thing). When she tells us all of the rides she is going on, she says: "But NO Snow White, too scary!" She went on it as an infant, and again at 20 months, but then our last trip was when she was 2 1/2. That seems to be the wall. I think at that age they start to realize.

Her other funny thing is the Haunted Mansion. She has the Disneyland Sing A Long video and for the longest time she wouldn't watch that part without me in the room. We call it the "Halloween House". On that last trip (9/01) we walked past it and I said "look Emily the Halloween House". She was in the stroller and started shouting - keep walking, don't stop to close. Needless to say we don't get too close to that, either.

I guess it really depends on the kid. Emily is very afraid of the dark all of a sudden, so I know we are going to aviod those rides. She does like Winnie the Pooh, tho, and is not crazy about Peter Pan.

 

[Ithastobe]

Thanks crisi, for the straegy... we're going in a few days with 3 and 4 yr. old. Think dark and noise = scared! We've done several movies and they both hold their ears because the noise.

How was Fantasmic? Did you do that one with them?

We got our flashlights from TDS when we bought our costumes.

 

[dmonroe]

We did Fantasmic with ds last year. (He was 2.5) He didn't freak out or anything, but he wasn't too crazy about it. The villians and the loud noises scared him some. We're planning on skipping it this year. One good thing is you can try it, and if they don't like it you could just leave. He was never bothered enough that we needed to leave though!

 

[crisi]

We didn't do Fantasmic - the only fireworks we saw at all were the MK ones - and my kids saw those from the WL launch.

My son is one of those kids who is spooked by loud noises. Besides, we were all exhausted and in bed by 7.

 

[honeymom]

I never even do Snow White with my kids. It really is too scarey and would wreck them for better rides. I would recommend skipping that ride until kids are at least 5 years old (I didn't even take my 6 1/2 year old on it yet, because she still gets scared easily.)

 

[ttm999]

My 5 year old daughter loved Snow White's ride and wanted to do it again. My 2 year old son was scared to death and is still talking about it a week later.

 

[Synonymous]

You need to carefully break them in, as outlined above. Start with things that are completely scare-free, like Dumbo. The first time we took DD, she was 2 1/2, and we blundered onto some things that we thought would be fine, but ended up being scary for her. Later, she was so gun-shy that she was afraid of almost everything. Even the movie at The Living Seas scared her by that point, because it was loud and had a fiery volcano (if I remember correctly.)

You might even want to put off rides for awhile, instead starting with characters, playgrounds, etc. WDW is a big, overwhelming place and the sensory stimulation, by itself, can make kids wary. Once they're used to the surrounding, start with some rides.

 

[disneymom3]

Talking sensory stimulation, try earplugs. Our oldest who is 6 but a major light weight if anything might maybe possibly be scary is very excited to go on all the rides now because we told her she can wear ear plugs. Disney is very loud! Why can't they turn the volume down?! We're even going to try getting the two and a half year old to wear them.

 

[Ithastobe]

Just returned and our 3 year old (just turned 3 in Aug), was scared of the parade at the MNSSHP! DH had to walk her away from the parade. We attended a local parade where they had LOUD fire engines and that scared her for life me-thinks!

We started on the merry-go-round. She was fine on Dumbo, and teacups, and magic carpet ride. She chickened out in line for the Barnstorm (think that is what it is called) kiddie roller coaster in Toon Town. She seemed fine in Pooh, but later said 'it scared her'. She was fine in small world. She was 'iffy' in the Tiki Room. She was not scared of meeting any of the characters. Wanted to spend her whole time in Minnie and Mickey's house in Toon Town.
Overall, the 3 year old may have been a bit little for some of the things. Next year should be a lot better!

The 4 year old loved it all, and even went on Splash Mountain with mom! We avoided Snow White and when they had thunder in Tiki Room, she curled up on mom's lap.

We only went to MK and MGM. Everyone loved Bear in the Big Blue house!

 

[plutosmyfav]

MY DS loves Pooh, but the honey tree story terrifies him because of the bees. Are there any bees in Pooh Corner? That would probably do us in for the whole trip!!!

PlutosMyFav