Crying on Soarin - Felt Bad for the Child

[BAChicagoGal]

I recently spent 5 days at the Disneyland Resort. On my DCA morning, I decided to ride Soarin right at park opening. Good decision, since the wait was just about 15 minutes. I was seated in the third row, and there was a child, and two adults in the 2nd row ahead of me. Immediately upon sitting down, the child started crying. "I don't want to ride this ride". "I want to get off". The two adults, one on each side of him, did not take him off of the ride. Instead they tried to reason with him. I am sure you have heard all of the comments a parents makes to convince their child that the ride will be fun, and not scary. The child was not believing any of it, because he continued to cry, and his crying got worse. I say, the little boy was about 6 or 7 maybe. The CM came over, and checked the child's seat belt, and he commented to the adults that if the little boy did not want to ride, they should consider taking him off. Well, they didn't do that, and the child continued to cry. I could hear him during the ride. I did not see the child, and adults after the ride, so I don't know whether the child calmed enough to agree that "it wasn't so bad after all".

I felt so bad for the child. Why couldn't one of those adults have taken the little boy off the ride? Why force a child to do something that made him cry so much? I felt so bad for the little boy.

 

[Nemo14]

I've seen similar things at WDW frequently. I can understand teaching your child to overcome your fears, but my experience has been that the child will do that when he or she is ready.

 

[Phroobar]

It reminds me of the first time my daughter rode Space Mountain. She cried during the entire ride. When it was over, I asked did you like it. She said yes. I asked do you want do it again. She said

Now she is roller coaster fanatic.

 

[drizgirl]

Why force a child to do something that made him cry so much?

Because the selfish adults wanted to ride.

 

[Phroobar]

Because the selfish adults wanted to ride.

I think it is that and the line is so long that you feel invested when you finally get on the ride. It's much easier to avoid the situation when you can come back another day. Sometimes as a parent you get stuck doing the same rides over and over because the kids won't do something else. My ten year old still refuses to go in the Haunted Mansion because it's too scary. He will go in HMH though. He also wouldn't do the Tower of Terror but said he would go on GOTG:MB because he likes Rocket and it looks more fun.

Parents forget that Disneyland is all about their kids and not them.

 

[drizgirl]

I think it is that and the line is so long that you feel invested when you finally get on the ride. It's much easier to avoid the situation when you can come back another day. Sometimes as a parent you get stuck doing the same rides over and over because the kids won't do something else. My ten year old still refuses to go in the Haunted Mansion because it's too scary. He will go in HMH though. He also wouldn't do the Tower of Terror but said he would go on GOTG:MB because he likes Rocket and it looks more fun.

Parents forget that Disneyland is all about their kids and not them.

I get all of that. But DL is also about the other guests. And the adults need to know when to suck it up because it's just not ok to let your kid ruin the ride for everyone else.

OP, if it was bad, you probably could have asked for a reride.

Or just pulled another FP. It's not like WDW where all the good FPs are gone already.

 

[grnflash]

Yeah I'm always amazed when parents force their kids to ride.

Years ago our son had just hit the TOT height requirement and really wanted to ride. In the line we go, making it up to the grouping waiting for the elevator doors to open. At this point a girl a couple years older than our son goes into full freak out mode. She does NOT want to ride and is screaming, begging her parents to leave. So now our kid gets nervous (not freaking out but tears and a fearful look on his face.) So we ask him if he wants to leave, it's a yes, and we start asking the CM how to exit. The little girl asks her parents if she can leave with us, the dad says "Thanks a lot" while shooting us a nasty look. Of course they stayed. Just ridiculous.

 

[JillC LI]

It reminds me of the first time my daughter rode Space Mountain. She cried during the entire ride. When it was over, I asked did you like it. She said yes. I asked do you want do it again. She said

Now she is roller coaster fanatic.

DH took DS on ToT for the first time when he was 7. DS had no idea what to expect. When they got off I asked DS, "Did you like it?" He hiesitantly said, "yeah." DH excitedly asked him, "Do you want to go on it again?" and DS responded," Do I have to?" Bahahahaha! (And no, he did not have to.)

 

[Texas84]

Happens often with me. Space Mountain, Aerosmith, Soarin. Took my GF at the time on Tower and when it was over she looked at me with a big smile and said, "I'm going to kill you." And I ran.

 

[JediMasterMatt]

"If smaller aviators don’t measure up to the height indicator on the seat, just put the belt through the loop in the center strap before buckling and tell them it's not too scary. Nice work pal!" - the original safety spiel from Patrick

One of the most stark differences I routinely notice on trips to DLR vs. WDW is the "child meltdown syndrome" quota is so much lower in the California parks. I chalk that up to a combination of the climate, the lack of physical distance between attractions (e.g. less walking), and less tourists and more locals.

The last factor, the tourist one, I think is a likely explanation for the example the OP encountered. It sounds like the parents wanted to make sure they got their money's worth on this trip and little Jr. was going to ride it if he/she wanted to or not. This "drive" to maximize vacation time in Orlando leads to countless meltdowns per day and the heat/humidity combined with the sprawl of the parks and resorts simply exhaust the kids.

 

[westie]

Not much of an excuse but on a WDW trip I talked my daughter into ToT. She was not thrilled, to say the least. Later we did Mission Space. I cannot do spinny rides, not even the Tea Cups. It ruined my day! I've never seen my daughter happier...

 

[BAChicagoGal]

I get all of that. But DL is also about the other guests. And the adults need to know when to suck it up because it's just not ok to let your kid ruin the ride for everyone else.

OP, if it was bad, you probably could have asked for a reride.

Or just pulled another FP. It's not like WDW where all the good FPs are gone already.

I did not complain, or ask for a reride. However, I did get a fastpass, and I rode again. That is another story, in itself altogether. They put me in row 1, which made me happy, because in row 1 you do not see the feet of anyone above you. Also the Eiffel Towever looks straight, not crooked like it did in row 3. I was sent down to row 1, and there was a very large man already standing in that row. He wasn't standing in the row, however, which made me think at first that he might be a cast member. When we began to board, I realized he was a guest, and he would be first in the row, with me being 2nd. He sat down, and he had a very difficult time fastening his seat belt. He almost had to get up, and not ride at all. He even commented that very thing. "I may not be able to ride this ride". The problem was, that I could not sit down and fasten my seat belt, until he fastened his, and that took longer than everyone else. That meant that I was the last one to sit down, and get buckled in. I did not understand why they would sit me (who is chunky by my own definition) next to a very large man. Instead, they should have sent down the group after me, which included a child, and two average sized guests. It made the loading of the ride a bit uncomfortable, but I did enjoy the actual ride much more the 2nd time.

Not my first time seeing the new Soarin. I did see it at Epcot last year, and I especially enjoy the park specific endings.

 

[Rich T]

When my niece was very young, we were taking her and her sister on Star Tours for the first time. Standing in the row pre-board at the loading area, she suddenly said she didn't want to ride--and she was genuinely scared. I told her, no problem, and that when the doors opened, we'd just head straight across the cabin and out the other side. And that's what we did. She got a look at the inside of the starspeeder, and then she and I exited and had fun browsing in the gift shop while waiting for the other family members to finish the ride and catch up with us. It turned out to be a really good time all around. The next year, she was ready for Star Tours, rode it and loved it. Over the years she worked her way up through Space Mountain, Tower of Terror and finally California Screamin', loving each one in turn. Now she goes on rides I won't go near (all those insane spinning/flipping/somersaulting flat rides at non-Disney parks). Letting the child make the decision whether or not to ride is the way to go.

 

[SuddenStorm]

When I was in like third grade, my father took me to Six Flags Magic Mountain. Obviously, I was less than thrilled to be riding those rides. First ride- the Batman ride- I was freaking out. I did not want to ride, and was making it known.

He sat me down in the front row, I rode it, and loved it. Rode it again right after. Haven't had an issue going on rollercoasters of any kind since.

There is merit to the "making your child face their fears" mentality, but you very much have to know the child and what they can reasonably handle.

 

[21stamps]

When I was in like third grade, my father took me to Six Flags Magic Mountain. Obviously, I was less than thrilled to be riding those rides. First ride- the Batman ride- I was freaking out. I did not want to ride, and was making it known.

He sat me down in the front row, I rode it, and loved it. Rode it again right after. Haven't had an issue going on rollercoasters of any kind since.

There is merit to the "making your child face their fears" mentality, but you very much have to know the child and what they can reasonably handle.

I've been lucky that so far my kid is all about roller coasters and rides.. if he wasn't, I'd do exactly as your father did. And nope, it wouldn't be for my benefit, it would be for my child's benefit.

Fear of a ride you haven't been on is irrational. Ride it, and if you hate it- then don't do it again.
At least you tried, most times the kid is exactly the same as your story

 

[SSG]

I've said it before and I'll say it again: Disneyland is no place for kids.

 

[George Lucas on a Bench]

It's pretty obvious the majority of the parents are there for themselves and the kids are their excuse to be there. You can just tell. These kids grow up to be just like their parents and the parks get more and more crowded with each generation.

 

[Antaundra]

It's pretty obvious the majority of the parents are there for themselves and the kids are their excuse to be there. You can just tell. These kids grow up to be just like their parents and the parks get more and more crowded with each generation.

Decent people go to Disneyland without kids. Strollers and crying just ruin the experience for the rest of us.

 

[Curious Constance]

It's pretty obvious the majority of the parents are there for themselves and the kids are their excuse to be there. You can just tell. These kids grow up to be just like their parents and the parks get more and more crowded with each generation.

Wow, how horrible of grown adults going somewhere they want to go and taking their kids along for the ride. Disgusting!

 

[Stevek]

I recently spent 5 days at the Disneyland Resort. On my DCA morning, I decided to ride Soarin right at park opening. Good decision, since the wait was just about 15 minutes. I was seated in the third row, and there was a child, and two adults in the 2nd row ahead of me. Immediately upon sitting down, the child started crying. "I don't want to ride this ride". "I want to get off". The two adults, one on each side of him, did not take him off of the ride. Instead they tried to reason with him. I am sure you have heard all of the comments a parents makes to convince their child that the ride will be fun, and not scary. The child was not believing any of it, because he continued to cry, and his crying got worse. I say, the little boy was about 6 or 7 maybe. The CM came over, and checked the child's seat belt, and he commented to the adults that if the little boy did not want to ride, they should consider taking him off. Well, they didn't do that, and the child continued to cry. I could hear him during the ride. I did not see the child, and adults after the ride, so I don't know whether the child calmed enough to agree that "it wasn't so bad after all".

I felt so bad for the child. Why couldn't one of those adults have taken the little boy off the ride? Why force a child to do something that made him cry so much? I felt so bad for the little boy.

My brothers did this to me on Haunted Mansion. So I threw up, right before you get on to the moving sidewalk and board.