3 y/o-go now or wait

[goofymom]

We are heading to Florida for a couple weeks in September and have a three and a half year old son. I have never visited Universal's parks and am looking forward to them. However I am wondering how much my son will be able to do with regards to fright factor and height requirements. He is already forty inches tall so I know he will be able to ride some things but I don't want him to be terrified. Having never been to Universal I have nothing to go by other than what I've read in the guidebooks. I am wondering if it is worth the admission to go or should we wait a few more years. Any help would be most appreciated. Thanks!!

 

[WDWFREAK53]

Well, it really only depends on the child...

Does he like thrilling rides or does he get scared on them (I know it's tough because he's so young) but does he like Thunder Mountain and stuff like that?

(I had 2 little cousins (4 and 3) the 4 year old boy HATED thunder mountain and rides like that but the 3 year old girl LOVES THEM!!!

(The same little girl is almost 6 now and LOVES TEST TRACK and TOWER OF TERROR!!! (The boy is petrified of both but LOVED Spiderman!) (Like I said...it all depends on the child)

But...IoA is DEFINITELY geared MORE towards an older crowd than 3 years old. (with the exception of the play areas and Seuss landing)

Universal is also geared more towards an older crowd too...
Attractions at both might be a little too frightening for little kids.

 

[DisneyGal]

I agree with WDWFreak. IOA is definitely full of thrill rides, with the exception of the Cat in the Hat area, but it does depend a lot on the child. Seeing that they are so young and the park is geared more towards an older crowd, you may want to skip it. I think Universal may be more suitable for them, but then again they ay not like everything there either.

 

[WDWFREAK53]

To tell you the truth...I'm thinking of things in USF that are for kids and there really isn't all that much.

I mean, Terminator 3d would be too intense for him (although it's just a movie so he may be ok)
Twister might be okay but could easily scare a young child
Jaws is just a boat ride (but even the shark could petrify a little kid)
Back to the future would be okay for him.
MIB would probably be okay but he may be too little to "grasp" what to do (but if he likes Buzz, he'll like this)
Hanna Barbera is a good attraction for him (if it's still there when you go)
I'm not even sure if they do anything at the Nick Studios anymore.
He'll definitely like the shows with Beetlejuice though

Woody Woodpeckers are is really fun too.
(as is animal planet! and E.T.!!!)

I'd wait for a couple of years...that's just MY opinion though.

 

[DisneyGal]

I'd wait for a couple of years...that's just MY opinion though. [/B][/QUOTE


Thats a good idea actually....they are still pretty young!

 

[goofymom]

Thanks for all the input. My little boy is one to try anything and doesn't scare easily. However, the rides at Universal might be to intense and better be enjoyed in a few years. Universal looks awesome though. We might just go to one park and see how he does-maybe do some switching off if needed. Do you think Sea World would be a better choice for a child this age as opposed to Universal? Thanks again for the responses. I sure helps to get an opinion from someone who has been there.

 

[DisneyGal]

Originally posted by goofymom
Thanks for all the input. My little boy is one to try anything and doesn't scare easily. However, the rides at Universal might be to intense and better be enjoyed in a few years. Universal looks awesome though. We might just go to one park and see how he does-maybe do some switching off if needed. Do you think Sea World would be a better choice for a child this age as opposed to Universal? Thanks again for the responses. I sure helps to get an opinion from someone who has been there.

I definitely think Sea World is a better choice for your three year old. He will love it there!! Although he is not afraid to try new things, he may not be able to do a lot with all the height restrictions at Universal. In a couple of years he'll be ready for it!!

 

[WDWFREAK53]

I'd go with SeaWorld...He'll LOVE SHAMU (but who doesn't )

 

[hellokitty1]

another thing is


A LOT OF THE RIDES ARE HEIGHT RESTRICTED. EVEN THOUGH HE
IS 40", HE STILL MAY NOT RIDE SOME OF THE RIDES

HE CANNOT RIDE:

DR. DOOM'S FEARFALL
DUDLEY DO RIGHTS FALLS
DUELING DRAGONS
INCREDIBLE HULK
RAT BARGES
JURASSIC PARK RIVER RIDE
SOME OF THESE ARE FINE NOT TO RIDE FOR KIDS, BUT GREAT
FOR ADULTS.

 

[Dawn S]

My then-4 year old was not too thrilled with IOA. She loved Jurassic Park...the "real" dinosaur was probably the coolest thing she had ever encountered, since she loves dinos so much. We all had a great time at Seuss Landing. She also liked Spider Man (not sure if your son would be tall enough for that), but she did seem a tiny bit frightened by it. Other than that, there wasn't alot for her at IOA.

Universal was quite a hit. Both my then 4 & 2 year olds LOVED E.T. Barney was a success. DD really had a blast on Woody Woodpecker's rollercoaster. We spent HOURS playing in the Curious George area. Both of the kids loved Jaws, but I think they're overly gutsy & weird...not the norm. They also LOVED meeting Scooby & the Rugrats. I would suggest Universal, but perhaps wait on IOA. Just my 2 cents.