thrill rides for kids?

[amw]

I'm finally getting down to the nitty-gritty of our upcoming WDW trip ... 45 days today ... and I wanted some opinions from parents or anyone else in the know.

My daughters (8 and soon-to-be 6) love Disney thrill rides. They love Space Mountain, Thunder Run, Test Track, Soarin, Matterhorn at DL, etc. However, the older one still fears scary concepts (bawls at Haunted Mansion) and the younger one had a bad experience on Tower of Terror. We haven't tried Splash Mountain yet as it's always been in refurb on our trip (even at DLR) and Mommy is a wimp with drops. I too bawled on Tower of Terror in my younger years and will never go on it again ; :'(

Here are my questions:

- For those of you who have been with children that age, is Expedition Everest too much? Or is it still a must-do. (How is the drop for Mommy?) ; If Northernmouse sees this ... Claire and Tyler are the same age and size. Has he done this ride?

- Same question for Mission Space. Last trip Daddy went on this alone and came off GREEN ; I wouldn't put the girls on the regular ride, but how is the "green" version? Is it still like Body Wars/Star Tours because those rides really make ME green. They're not even interested in it because they remember how Daddy got sick ... but just wondering if it's a must-try anyways.

- Last question ... Splash Moutain is not on the refurb list this time ... DARN ... how bad is the drop really? I hate the sensation of falling!

Thanks for any input ;

 

[Northernmouse]

Wow that's such a tough question to answer because it depends on the child. Tyler does not like rides that have any "thrill" in it eg. hates Pirates because of the drop, no splash, no space. He was on Big Thunder once and then was scared to ride anything else. I think the moral of the story is don't push them to go on rides their not ready for otherwise everyone will be miserable. He loves Buzz, Jungle Cruise, Winnie the Pooh, he even likes haunted mansion because it is slow moving. ; Chantal on the other hand at 6 wanted to go on everything. ; She had a meltdown because I went on Test Track and she was too small. She is a small girl so she was 8 by the time she was tall enough to go on the thrill type rides. The only rides she has never been on are Tower of Terror, Rockin Roller Coaster and Mission Space Orange only because I think they are too intense for her (I'm problably being over protective.) I don't like to spin so I've never been on Mission Space Orange. I have been on the Green version and thought it was actually very mild, you have a slight sensation of being pushed back in your seat but no spinning feeling. Splash is a tough one. ; I've been trying to get NorthernMiinnie on it for years. ; She hates any thrill rides, like Tyler, but is starting to come around slowly. I don't think the drop at the end of splash is that bad, it is over in seconds and the the rest of the ride is so incredible and after the drop there is more ride! If the girls had been on Space, Thunder I think they will like Everest Chantal really enjoyed Expedition Everest. ; She had just turned 9 when she went on it. ; One thing to keep in mind though you do see the Yetti on the ride although it's only for a couple of seconds that can be scary for some Children. If you want to talk more about it give us a call.

 

[amw]

Thanks NorthernMouse ;

Claire was 3 when she was tall enough to go on Test Track. LOL! She's the one that started dragging her older sister on thrill rides. ;

I hear you about the Yeti ... slight similarity on the Matterhorn ... I think the girls will be OK as long as they're prepped about the monster.

You hit in on the nail about "intensity." That's the factor I was looking for input on. I won't do Space Orange, or Rock'N'Rollin Coaster with them ... was concerned EE was similar.

I wish Splash had a "no-drop" option ... I'd love to see the rest of the ride, but I think I'll sit it out like Alex ; ... Too bad both my girls like thrill rides ... there's no one to keep me company. SIGH. At least they still love all the "kiddie" rides too.

 

[Boo]

Oh my gosh.....Splash Mt is my favorite at both Parks...WDW and Disneyland!!! ; It is cute, fun and you get wet...the kids will love it and they won't get scared and Mommie, the drop isn't that bad. ; Expedition Everest still makes me scream and it might be too scary for the kids. ; Mission Space is a no no for me....too sick afterwards, but Space Mt is not that bad. ; No matter what, you are going to the happiest place on EARTH!!! ; Yee HAW!!!

 

[Miss Megara]

Ditto what Boo said! ; Splash just LOOKS bad; honest. ; The interior (6 minute) ride with mini-drops, singing and super fun animatronics is SO worth the possibility of not liking the drop at the end.

With EE, the Yeti comes and goes WAY too fast for you to even notice and to be honest, the backwards portion of the coaster is worse than the drop. ; Personally, I feel that Space Mountain is a more intense roller coaster than EE.

As for Mission:Spew, go for the green (less intense) side that does not spin first. ; If and only if after they are ok with that, then perhaps go for the orlange (regular) side. ; I've been on both teams (green and orange) many times and there is no reason that someone can't handle the green team regardless of age.

As a suggestion, why not You Tube these attractions, that will give you an EXACT idea of what to expect and then you can decide if it's for you/them or not.

 

[amw]

As a suggestion, why not You Tube these attractions, that will give you an EXACT idea of what to expect and then you can decide if it's for you/them or not.

The problem with the You Tube is that most of the intensity of EE is in the dark ; ;D I didn't see any large drops that would affect me ... unless they happened while careening backwards through the dark!

As for Splash Mountain ... I would be OK if it was a fast slope down the mountain. I think it's a fast "drop" instead where you feel your stomach jumping out of your body while you're staying still ... right?! I still think that one's a pass for me, but both my DDs want to go on it. I'm confusing DLR with WDW. Does WDW have the 2 by 2 seating plan, or the one behind each other? Also, at DLR, at age 7 a child would be old enough to ride alone. Is that the case at WDW? If Daddy takes my 6-year-old, can the 8-year-old sit in a row on her own?

Thanks in advance ;

 

[Miss Megara]

For Mission: Spew, go for the green side! ; You'll be fine; honest.

I would be OK if it was a fast slope down the mountain. I think it's a fast "drop" instead where you feel your stomach jumping out of your body while you're staying still ... right?!

Trust me it's a super fast drop and you don't feel the weightlessness in your tummy. ; I know because I LIVE for that feeling in your tummy. ; This is actually one of the reasons I was disappointed with EE (it doesn't give you that sensation).

Does WDW have the 2 by 2 seating plan, or the one behind each other?

Side by side seating.

Also, at DLR, at age 7 a child would be old enough to ride alone. Is that the case at WDW? If Daddy takes my 6-year-old, can the 8-year-old sit in a row on her own?

As long as a child is tall enough to ride, they are tall enough to ride alone on any attraction as well. ;

Be advised though that the Splash CM's may seat a single rider beside her, so be sure that she's ok with the possibility of sitting beside a stranger. ; In fact, you might want to let the kids sit together and let daddy sit by himself (or with a single rider) instead.

 

[mini-canadian]

With EE, the Yeti comes and goes WAY too fast for you to even notice and to be honest, the backwards portion of the coaster is worse than the drop. ; Personally, I feel that Space Mountain is a more intense roller coaster than EE.

I agree, the Yeti does come and go very quickly! ; It isn't scary, but I did find it a riot once I figured out I was going to go backwards. ; I hadn't listened to any of the spoilers or reports before riding, so had no idea what to expect. ; That was GREAT!!!