Crying on Soarin - Felt Bad for the Child

[George Lucas on a Bench]

Did you bring your kids when they were babies and had no idea what was going on? Those are my favorite people to criticize. Disneyland is not a nursery. Your child is puking and pooping all over this place. That's just gross. At least the older ones use restrooms and have limited intelligence.

 

[Curious Constance]

If you have a child that is literally losing it and making a scene, chances are you have a kid that doesn't like rides.

And yes, don't force the issue and make a scene and ruin it for those around you.

But if you have a child that's nervous, but overall enjoys rides, encourage them to do it. If they don't like it after one attempt, they never have to ride again if they don't want. But chances are they will love it and want to ride again and again.

My son was really nervous to do Splash Mountain. I encouraged him to just give it a try, had to continue to encourage throughout the line. I was 99% sure he'd love it, so I didn't want him to take the easy way out and give in to his slight fear.

I sat in the back with him, held him at tight as I possibly could, and of course, he loved it.

He never had a meltdown, I wouldn't have encouraged a meltdown, but I believe that kid's should be encouraged to face their fears to some degree.

I could had left him with his dad (who couldn't be encouraged lol) and just rode with my daughter, but I really wanted him to be part of the experience. And it's now our favorite thing to do in the world together, just the three of us.

 

[Curious Constance]

Did you bring your kids when they were babies and had no idea what was going on? Those are my favorite people to criticize. Disneyland is not a nursery. Your child is puking and pooping all over this place. That's just gross. At least the older ones use restrooms and have limited intelligence.

Yes, and if memory serves, my kids literally pooped and puked ALL OVER every doom buggy there was. I made sure of it. I have OCD about finishing things I've started.

 

[SuddenStorm]

My son was really nervous to do Splash Mountain. I encouraged him to just give it a try, had to continue to encourage throughout the line. I was 99% sure he'd love it, so I didn't want him to take the easy way out and give in to his slight fear.

I sat in the back with him, held him at tight as I possibly could, and of course, he loved it.

Overcoming the fear of Splash Mountain is almost a right of passage for kids at Disneyland, I remember being scared of Splash far longer than being scared of Space Mountain or BTMRR.

 

[George Lucas on a Bench]

i don't doubt it.

 

[FigmentForver96]

I remember being younger and hated Tower of terror (WDW) and every time my parents made me ride. Not because they felt we had to but because being afraid wasn't an option. I cried in line before even getting in the ride but I was always told the more I cry the more we ride. I remember riding 5 times one trip and after that never was afraid again. They were rash yea but we also didn't make a scene in public and I know them forcing me to do stuff made me overcome. That of course doesn't work for everyone so I really can't say it's the preferred method but I'm glad they did it to me.

 

[No Name]

Because that's how they overcome their fears.

I distinctly remember that, many moons ago, I was a watering can in the queue for BTMR with my dad and grandpa. I didn't want to do it and made that very clear, but they didn't budge. The rule was that you try everything once, and if you don't like it, then you don't have to do it again. And I came off loving it, as they kept telling me I would.

Today, I have a number of friends who are afraid of rollercoasters and thrill rides, and it's because when they cried on line for BTMR, their dad and grandpa said "okay honey, we'll try another time."

I can't thank my parents/grandparents enough. It's not a lack of respect for the child, it's simply good parenting.

 

[BAChicagoGal]

I certainly understand that not everyone parents in the same way. I certainly would not have said anything to the parent, had I been sitting closer. However, I still felt sorry/bad for the kid.

 

[RandomPrincess]

It really depends on the case. I took my daughter to DL at 7, it was not her first trip to the parks she had been 4 or 5 times and been on everything height appropriate expect TOT by then on both coasts. For some reason, my daughter got it into her head that the Little Mermaid ride was scary and went upside down. No amount of explaining or bribing would work. I tried a few other kid-friendly indoor rides and she wouldn't go on them either. Finally, I just said screw it I'm about to be that parent.

Little Mermaid had the shortest wait 5 minutes so that was the ride I chose. I told her I promise you I will never take you on a ride that is too scary for you. This is a calm storybook ride that newborn babies can go on. We are going on this ride. I held her had super tight and we got in line. As we moved forward I could see and feel her getting more anxious. I just kept saying I promise you it a calm smooth ride. When we got to the turnstile she lost it. Sobbing, kicking trying to grab on the rails to keep me from putting her on the ride. I picked her up in a bear hug and plopped her down in the seat. I'm sure everyone thought I was a crazy, awful mom. By the time we entered the first scene she was done crying. She enjoyed the ride and felt really embarrassed about her reaction.

After we got off I told her again I promise I will not take you on anything too scary and I will not lie to you about what a ride it like. At each ride, I explained to her what it was and the ride system and she would choose. We ended up skipping all the coasters and TOT but we rode everything else height appropriate.

 

[Curious Constance]

Kids are creatures of habit and would probably never try anything new unless nudged. A little nudge can make a big difference and can open up entire worlds they may never have discovered on their own. Food, amusement park rides, books, hobbies and interests etc, etc.

 

[Practical Pig]

I have a little different tale. We first took our eldest to DL when he was four. We had told him before that he could ride anything he wanted that he was tall enough to board, which was probably a mistake since he was very tall for his age. He met the height requirement for the Matterhorn, and desperately wanted to ride. I was dubious, but after describing what he should expect and being met with even more enthusiasm, and with my dread to break a promise, we did it. This may not have been my best judgement.

I rode with him, hanging onto the grip with one hand and hugging him to my chest with the other (in the old-school bobsleds), and he seemed OK during the ride from what I could tell. But afterward he was ... stoic. If you haven't seen a four year old being stoic, you probably don't want to. He didn't cry, and he insisted he liked it, but it was a few years before he was willing to even board a kiddy coaster again. The Matterhorn that he was so eager to ride had terrified him, and I spent a few years hanging out with him (and for awhile, his younger brother) doing those smaller experiences that are usually missed when you're just running from e-tic to e-tic, while the others rode the coasters. I would always gently encourage the elder to challenge his fear, but I also really enjoyed those times.

Eventually, his younger brother exceeded height requirements on the big coasters and took to them like a fish to water, which gradually broke the elder's phobia. Seeing his younger brother loving rides that he himself was too afraid to board was bugging the $#!& out of him, and he tackled his fear. He choose some thrill-lite coaster at Legoland to tackle first, and worked his way up. After he was able to ride the rest of Disney's coasters again, it was still a couple more years before he could face the loop on California Screamin'.

We didn't pressure him to have that first, young coaster experience, he chose it, and we allowed it But it was still too large of an experience for him at the time. The younger is a totally different story.