6 Year old son and rides...help.

[JennSmith]

So we will be at Disney next month, visiting all parks, and I am worried that my son will not want to ride anything. He has no experience with amusement parks up until now, (sucks but it is what it is), and he is kind of a worry wort. I am about 85% sure that once he tries one he will love it and want to do more and more. I just think he will need some coaxing at first. I am 15% afraid he will get on a ride and then be that kid that starts crying once on it. Ugh...I don't know what to do because I don't want to ruin any one else's experience with a crying child on a ride. I have had him watching youtube videos of some of the rides for now so he can get a glimpse of what they are. I also do not plan on flat out forcing him on anything. Any tips/tricks any of you can suggest?

 

[Tuvalu]

As a well experienced mother, the best tip I can give you is to be matter-of-fact about every attraction...no begging, coaxing or bartering your son to ride anything. Don't even say things like "it's only scary for a little while"...kids pick up on their parents attitudes and if you don't act fretful (making your son scared) or forceful (causing your son to be obstinate) your trip will go MUCH better.

If he has watched YouTube videos you can remind him about what he watched once you are there. He will notice children younger than himself in lines and that will comfort him. A lot of rides he can see for himself (Dumbo, Big Thunder) and evaluate whether or not to ride.

If you are traveling with others, I am sure someone will stay with him while everyone else rides. When they exit excitedly, he may decide to try it for himself.

The less deal you make of it, the less deal he'll make once on a ride. And if he misses a ride, it's not the end of the world...a peaceful, FUN vacation is always better than one where you saw everything but with tears and tantrums.

 

[JennSmith]

As a well experienced mother, the best tip I can give you is to be matter-of-fact about every attraction...no begging, coaxing or bartering your son to ride anything. Don't even say things like "it's only scary for a little while"...kids pick up on their parents attitudes and if you don't act fretful (making your son scared) or forceful (causing your son to be obstinate) your trip will go MUCH better.

If he has watched YouTube videos you can remind him about what he watched once you are there. He will notice children younger than himself in lines and that will comfort him. A lot of rides he can see for himself (Dumbo, Big Thunder) and evaluate whether or not to ride.

If you are traveling with others, I am sure someone will stay with him while everyone else rides. When they exit excitedly, he may decide to try it for himself.

The less deal you make of it, the less deal he'll make once on a ride. And if he misses a ride, it's not the end of the world...a peaceful, FUN vacation is always better than one where you saw everything but with tears and tantrums.

Thank you - this was good advice!!

 

[Tinkerkelle]

Explain what to expect in the rides as you queue and before you go on, like darkness, drops, etc. Hold his hand and tell him he can close his eyes at any time - first time on HM, my then 4 year old got a bit overwhelmed and buried his head in my chest for parts of the ride - didn't put him off but let him deal with this new experience at his own pace. If your son does get upset then be assured that everyone on the ride will understand, WDW is for all ages after all. The youtube videos are great for showing them what's what - talk about what he think he'll enjoy and what he might find a challenge. Use positive language so it all sounds non-threatening. If you talk about fear and being scared then he might think there's actually something to be scared about if you see what I mean? You could try starting with some of the tame rides like Jungle Cruise and Small World and build up from there. We are from the UK and were lucky enough to be able to take our 2 boys to DLP a few times before WDW in 2013. They were always both desperate to grow each time to go on more of the thrill rides.
The Worst thing I ever saw was a kid being forced on a ride during early morning hours at DLP. The early hours are quieter than in WDW and so it was VERY noticeable when a dad was forcing his son onto Space Mountain which is a proper thrill coaster in DLP. I was walking behind - boys too small and husband not a coaster fan, so just me - and the dad was so horrible all the way to the ride area. There was no queue and you could see the boy (maybe 11?) was getting more and more distressed as they went. The dad was telling the lad that he was a baby and they hadn't paid all that money for him to wimp out. By the time they got to the ride zone he was in tears and obvious distress. The CM was brilliant. He was very kind to the boy and very clear with the dad that the boy would NOT be riding against his will and showed them to the exit.

 

[JennSmith]

The Worst thing I ever saw was a kid being forced on a ride during early morning hours at DLP. The early hours are quieter than in WDW and so it was VERY noticeable when a dad was forcing his son onto Space Mountain which is a proper thrill coaster in DLP. I was walking behind - boys too small and husband not a coaster fan, so just me - and the dad was so horrible all the way to the ride area. There was no queue and you could see the boy (maybe 11?) was getting more and more distressed as they went. The dad was telling the lad that he was a baby and they hadn't paid all that money for him to wimp out. By the time they got to the ride zone he was in tears and obvious distress. The CM was brilliant. He was very kind to the boy and very clear with the dad that the boy would NOT be riding against his will and showed them to the exit.

Yea - this is awful. I will not be forcing him on anything. This dad is kind of a you know what...ugh.

 

[Tinkerkelle]

Yea - this is awful. I will not be forcing him on anything. This dad is kind of a you know what...ugh.

I know!! Thankfully it's the only time I've ever seen anything like it. Hopefully your son will get caught up in the magic of the whole trip and will be happy to give things a go. I'm sure he'll love it whatever he does and doesn't want to ride. My husband doesn't like coasters and refuses to ride things like ToT, Space and Splash Mountain and Expedition Everest. He tried ToT and Splash and didn't like them. He didn't bother with EE or Space as he just didn't like the sound of them, yet he liked RnR (he's a huge Aerosmith fan so this may have some bearing on it?!) and BTM - everyone's different and he really enjoys our trips without doing several of the rides. Have a wonderful trip!

 

[JennSmith]

I know!! Thankfully it's the only time I've ever seen anything like it. Hopefully your son will get caught up in the magic of the whole trip and will be happy to give things a go. I'm sure he'll love it whatever he does and doesn't want to ride. My husband doesn't like coasters and refuses to ride things like ToT, Space and Splash Mountain and Expedition Everest. He tried ToT and Splash and didn't like them. He didn't bother with EE or Space as he just didn't like the sound of them, yet he liked RnR (he's a huge Aerosmith fan so this may have some bearing on it?!) and BTM - everyone's different and he really enjoys our trips without doing several of the rides. Have a wonderful trip!

Thank you!!!

 

[Chef Kronk]

Start him off on the slower rides and shows, such as Under the Sea, Festival of the Lion King, it's a small world, Buzz Lightyear, Beauty and the Beast, etc and work his way up. If he's willing to try a roller coaster, do the Barnstormer. It's not THAT intense, he can see exactly how it goes before he rides it, and only lasts like 30-45 seconds. Other less intense rides also include Jungle Cruise, Kilimanjaro Safaris (especially if he likes animals), Muppet Vision, the Laugh Floor, and Tomorrowland Speedway. If you think he'd like spinner rides, there's 4 of those at the parks as well.

 

[JennSmith]

Start him off on the slower rides and shows, such as Under the Sea, Festival of the Lion King, it's a small world, Buzz Lightyear, Beauty and the Beast, etc and work his way up. If he's willing to try a roller coaster, do the Barnstormer. It's not THAT intense, he can see exactly how it goes before he rides it, and only lasts like 30-45 seconds. Other less intense rides also include Jungle Cruise, Kilimanjaro Safaris (especially if he likes animals), Muppet Vision, and Tomorrowland Speedway. If you think he'd like spinner rides, there's 4 of those at the parks as well.

Sweet thank you!

 

[Chernaboggles]

This may sound silly, but I feel like the Peoplemover is a good intro ride. It has both dark and bright parts, goes inside and outside, goes around curves...it's like a little taste of the sensations and atmospheres of the other rides, but on a very low setting. I'm an adult who has trouble with rides and sometimes I'll do the Peoplemover a few times when we first arrive just to get myself used to the sensation of moving on a track.

 

[sfeinst]

I'd start him on an easy ride. Then use that as a comparison for each ride as you step up. So maybe start with Small World. Then move on to Peter Pan and say, similar to Small World but you are on a pirate ship and you get to watch scenes from Peter Pan. Then on to Buzz (especially if he likes video games). etc. Just be honest and say how the next ride will differ. First time I went with kids I had a 3 and 5 year old. They went on their own pace as far as rides. My 3 year old refused to meet characters except Pluto and Peter Pan. So be it.

And I agree with others about not forcing a difficult ride (I saw one girl come off ET - when it existed - saying she would never trust her mother again and how terrible it was - and yes it was scary).

 

[Ben_since_1971]

Let him try the rides he can actually see first - rides like Small World, Dumbo, Tea Cups, Jungle Cruise. He can see exactly what the ride does and he can decide if he wants to try it. As for rides to try first - IASW, Mermaid, even Tomorrowland Transportation PeopleMover. Not a lot of moving parts and as others said, tame. Then he can build up to Peter Pan, Jungle Cruise, Pirates. Take him on the River Boat so he can see Big Thunder Mountain. If he wants to try Big Thunder, he might want to try Space Mountain. Give him the control over what he wants to do.

Tip - have the Youtube videos you mentioned bookmarked so if he is undecided, you can quickly bring one up so he can see what it will be like and whether he wants to try it. His little 6 yo memory might not remember so keenly from a while ago and may backfire. Show him the video, then he can decide right then and there.

And give him some positive reinforcement - "thanks for picking that ride - it was fun!" after each ride - might boost his self confidence so he will want to try more rides.

 

[JennSmith]

Let him try the rides he can actually see first - rides like Small World, Dumbo, Tea Cups, Jungle Cruise. He can see exactly what the ride does and he can decide if he wants to try it. As for rides to try first - IASW, Mermaid, even Tomorrowland Transportation PeopleMover. Not a lot of moving parts and as others said, tame. Then he can build up to Peter Pan, Jungle Cruise, Pirates. Take him on the River Boat so he can see Big Thunder Mountain. If he wants to try Big Thunder, he might want to try Space Mountain. Give him the control over what he wants to do.

Tip - have the Youtube videos you mentioned bookmarked so if he is undecided, you can quickly bring one up so he can see what it will be like and whether he wants to try it. His little 6 yo memory might not remember so keenly from a while ago and may backfire. Show him the video, then he can decide right then and there.

And give him some positive reinforcement - "thanks for picking that ride - it was fun!" after each ride - might boost his self confidence so he will want to try more rides.

This is really good advice - thank you!

 

[Flippin'Flounder]

When I was little I was scared of absolutely everything. Winnie the Pohh, Jungle Cruise, TTA, Small World, Buzz, Back Lot Tour, Spaceship Earth, Energy, Dinosaur, ITTBAB, the list goes on. I would pretty much only go on the Barnstormer