Rides for a 5 year old

[smelka]

Hello all :wave:

Is there an easy way / quick reference guide that will tell me what rides would be suitable for my 5 year old? I'm REALLY getting into planning our Spring Break trip!:sohappy:

Thanks in advance,
Karen

 

[PotteryGal]

The Unofficial Guide has a WDW with Kids book; in it they have listings of all the rides and the ratings based on age, as well as height restrictions. Also allearsnet might have some useful information. A lot of it depends on your child. I would never consider taking my son on Space Mtn, but a friend of mine has a son the same age and he not only rode Space but also Everest and loved them both. Hope this helps and have a wonderful trip! :wave:

 

[Master Yoda]

The first thing would be to look at is the height restriction. Obviously if your child does not measure up then they can not ride. After that it is really up to you knowing what your child can or can not handle. My daughter at 5 was going on ToT, Space Mountain, M:S and the like and loving every second of it yet there are gown men that pass out when they look at ToT. If your child it terrified of the dark and being surprised do not take him/her on SGE, if they do not like dropping do not take him/her on ToT and so on. Read the descriptions of the attractions and use your best judgement but if your child does not want to go on an attraction do not force then to.

 

[KingStefan]

Hello all :wave:

Is there an easy way / quick reference guide that will tell me what rides would be suitable for my 5 year old? I'm REALLY getting into planning our Spring Break trip!:sohappy:

Thanks in advance,
Karen

Go to disneyworld.disney.go.com

Hover over the "Parks" tab, and select the park of interest

Find where it says "EXPLORE THE PARK"

Select "Attractions" and then "Fun For Little Ones" and view the attractions. This will give you a good baseline. These are certainly suitable for the smallest of kids. These will be the most appropriate attractions for a 5-year-old.

Then select "Sports & Recreation", "Pavillions", "Animal Encounters", or "Other Attractions" (etc.) in turn. These are not really "rides", but are more films (like O Canada and Reflections of China), shows (like The American Adventure and Hall of Presidents), water tours (like Jungle Cruise and Living with the Land), etc. Just about all of these will also be suitable for a 5-year-old, but geared more torward "family" rather than "fun for kids".

Then select "Mild But Wild Thrills". Many of these will be suitable for the more adventurous 5-year-old, but the less adventurous might want to avoid them. You know your child best, and whether or not he or she can handle these rides. Some kids might be fine with the scarier dark rides (like Pirates of the Caribbean or Snow White's Scary Adventure) and be scared by the easier coaster-type rides (like Goofy's Barnstormer), and some kids will be just the opposite. Some kids will be able to do it all, and some should avoid all of these. It just depends on your kid.

Basically, consider avoiding the attractions listed as "Big Thrill" rides. A 5-year-old may not enjoy these, and may not make the height restriction anyway. But again, Master Yoda had it right: it depends on the kids.

These official disney web pages give a good overview of all the attractions, so you can judge ahead of time.

Have a magical trip!

 

[Minnietoo]

I agree with what others ahve said and I will agree also it depends on the kid!

When we 1st took my kids a few yrs ago(way to long ago!) my son was 20 months and he went on almost every ride and didn't want to get off! There were a few with height restrictions though like plash mountian but my little girl then 4 was able to go on it and still says it is her fav ride. Luckily my 20 month old fell asleep just before we got to the ride.

Now that we are talking about going again the 20 month old is now 5 and he was asking about ride he wouldn't be able to go on and I mentioned Rock N Roller coaster and told him why and he is so bummed! This of course is the kid that at Great adventure wanted to go on I think it was the Batman ride that goes through a few loops upside down. So yeh it really depends on the kid!

 

[disneygirl1]

I took my 5 year old to Disney this past October, and he was able to ride almost everything. Not sure how tall your child is, but if you go to allears.net, they have a section on their site w/all of the height requirements. Enjoy your trip

 

[DisneyJoe]

I believe the Passporter WDW Guide also has ratings for each ride.

My 5 yo DS most daring ride this year was Goofy's Barnstorner! He's also too short for anything else. He said he wants to do more next trip.

He loved all of the other rides that he was on.

 

[KC82271]

I took my Godson at 4.5 and again at 5.5 years old. He was not afraid of anything. We went on ToT too many times to even count when he was 5. At 4, we did it once, he looked like he was going to puke. Got off and asked to go on again. Couldn't do it to him then! Did it the next year though. He did Space Mountain, Splash Mountain and if I am not mistaken, at 5, he even got the courage to go on Thunder Mountain.

At 8, we went back again. Although I ended up on bedrest for a complicated pregnancy down there, he dragged my Mother In Law on ToT and my mom on Primeval World in AK. They were both scared, but he loved them.

Play it by ear. He may not like something day 1, but that can change by the end of the trip.

 

[shoppingnut]

My 3 yr old nephew loved barnstorming and Soarin, he also like SGE, go figure.

 

[lunalovegoddess]

One attraction I recommend is the Carousel of Progress. I know; it probably sounds boring at first glance. However, I've found that the wait time is nonexistent, it's a good way to beat the heat and rest, and younger children like the animatronics. The theater rotates, each room providing a glimpse into a different decade from the past 100 years, showcasing the fads and technology of that time period. The song is catchy, the dialogue is humorous, and it is a great filler when you have to wait until you can use a fastpass for Tomorrowland attractions.

 

[KingStefan]

One attraction I recommend is the Carousel of Progress. I know; it probably sounds boring at first glance. However, I've found that the wait time is nonexistent, it's a good way to beat the heat and rest, and younger children like the animatronics. The theater rotates, each room providing a glimpse into a different decade from the past 100 years, showcasing the fads and technology of that time period. The song is catchy, the dialogue is humorous, and it is a great filler when you have to wait until you can use a fastpass for Tomorrowland attractions.

Good advice! "It's a great big beautiful tomorrow!" Everyone will be singing it by the end of the trip. One of my family's favorites.

Hope it doesn't go away anytime soon. Needs refurb, I know, conceptually and physcally. But still a hoot!