Originally Posted By LuvsDsnyTrips I have the exact opposite kind of children....not scared of any ride.... I remember almost passing out myself when my kids would hold both of their arms straight up and weighing only 60 pounds...I would be scared of them falling out.
Originally Posted By Marlin Perkins LDT, I'm a little chicken on certain rides. My kids were fairly timid, but they grew out of it.
Originally Posted By hbquikcomjamesl Hmm. Family group approaching ToT (the WDW version, I think), to CM at entrance: "We have reservations." I suspect lots of people have, ahem, "reservations" about ToT.
Originally Posted By Kar2oonMan I would suggest that with young children who are apprehensive, don't start with any dark rides at all. Start with outdoor rides that the child can see most everything clearly. Casey Jr., Dumbo, Carrousel, Mark Twain. DLRR can be scary, with the long "dark ride" portion at the end, so maybe hop off at Tomorrowland station and try Autopia. Once the little one has become more of a ride veteran with those attractions, go through It's a Small World. It's brightly lit, there are no waterfalls, and there's nothing that would frighten a child (the song frightens some adults, I know). I would keep the fantasyland dark rides towards the last on the list. Even though these rides are short and relatively simple, I've seen more crying children coming off those rides over the years than almost anything else. The Fantasyland dark rides are loud, there are lots of things fairly close to the vehicle, there are scary witches and red queens and children turning into donkeys and lots of strobes and tight twists and turns. It's pretty intense for little kids who are apprehensive. I think for kids who are prone to be frightened, the Fantasyland Dark Rides can be overwhelming, and it seems to be where a lot of parents try to introduce dark rides to little ones. FWIW, it's really not such a bad thing, having a kid who isn't wanting to go to ride after ride. It allows time to slow down a bit, see some of the shows, shop, have a relaxing meal and generally look around a bit more at a more comfortable pace than those jamming in every ride they can.
Originally Posted By Dabob2 <I would keep the fantasyland dark rides towards the last on the list. Even though these rides are short and relatively simple, I've seen more crying children coming off those rides over the years than almost anything else.> The only ride that ever made me cry at DL was the original Mr. Toad, my first ever dark ride. I was small and I'd never seen anything like it and had no idea what to expect. What I remember was that in the original version they had several cops with whistles, whistling at you to slow down, and those whistles were L-O-U-D! I think they have only one now, and it's not nearly as loud. Strangely enough, that was what pushed my buttons. It wasn't going to Hell (I don't even think I realized it was supposed to be Hell the first time - in the original, that was a very quick and short room) or even the train "collision." In fact, I remember figuring out how they did it on that very first ride - "Oh, they just hung a light there, and there's no actual train" - and thinking that was pretty cool - and yet was still traumatized enough by those damn whistles to be crying when I came off the ride. So was my sister. It's amazing what will push a kid over the edge, and I agree that the FaL dark rides can be too much for very young kids, for all the reasons 2oony stated, as benign as they seem. Of course, some very young kids take them completely in stride, as I did on every trip after that. (I wouldn't get on Mr. Toad again for several years, though. Too many bad memories, man!)
