My Famous Space Mountain Story and a Few Ride Questions

[duchess1576]

My son, who is nine and a half years old, is technically tall enough to ride EVERY one of the rides. He's 55 inches tall. He's a pretty smart kid, so I'm not worried about him being scared of anything pretend like monsters, dinosaurs or witches. But I AM worried that a few of the rides might be too rough for him. Particularly, Space Mountain, Tower of Terror and Rock'N'Roller Coaster.

He went on his first real rollercoaster at Six Flags last summer and LOVED it. He sat in the front seat and had his hands in the air the whole time. Scared me to death. BUT he's never been on a coaster with loops before. I know Aersomith's coaster has 3. Are there any parents here who's kids went on it? How was it?

As for Tower of Terror, the more I think about it, I think I'M more scared than he is. There is a similar ride at Six Flags that he BEGGED me to let him go on and I said no. Again, any parents have advice?

And last but not least, here's my Space Mountain story. The only time I went to Disney World was with my family when I was 13 years old. My mother was terrified of coasters and my brother and sister were too young to ride. So it was just me and my dad. My dad said he waited since Disney was built to ride Space Mountain and was really really looking forward to it. Well, my dad and I waited in line almost TWO HOURS. When we finally arrived, I noticed the seats were single file and I'd be sitting alone. For some strange reason, that REALLY terrified me. I chickened out and refused to get on. My dad and I walked away. I felt really bad. He wasn't mad, he just joked about it and picked on me a little. He still does.

So, I guess what I'm getting at is, I just hope that my son doesn't do anything like that. I'm going to show him the pictures of the ride seats on AllEars.net and make SURE he decides ahead of time if he's gonna be too scared to sit alone. Are there any other rides like that? I guess I just feel safer if I can hold his hand if we get scared, you know what I mean? Last summer we went to a water park and were having SO much fun, hopping on one slide to the next. We jumped in two really tall, identical slides, side-by-side so we could race. Well, as soon as I started to pick up speed, I panicked. It was a HIGH-SPEED slide that felt like it was PULLING me 1000 mph! I was SO scared for my son, I couldn't wait for it to end. As soon as I got to the bottom, I grabbed him and hugged him. He didn't cry or anything, but he looked really shook up and said he panicked and spun over and banged his nose on the floor. That was one of the most scariest moments EVER.

Okay, I'll stop babbling on and on. I would just appreciate any and all ride advice.

Thanks!

 

[waltdisny]

Dude Relax!! Say OHM!:wave: Just kidding.

In all seriousness, Disney rides are so very different from anything that you described that you can't draw any real comparisons, except for the water-parks. I have no reservations about the safety of any of the Disney rides.

I have 4 kids, 12 to 3, and they all have various tastes. My second is the thrill seeker. At age 9 she's been on everything except Space Mountain and ToT and loved them all, including Mission Space.

The only ride that has fazed her was Dinosaur. Even then, she just said she didn't want to do that again. It was more the darkness and the noise that scared her, not the motion.

Her favorite is Test Track. She rode it for the first time at six (she was just tall enough). I wasn't sure of her reaction until going around the high speed curve she stuck her hands in the air and yelled, "I love Test Track!!" She also loves Splash Mountain.

RnRc is the smoothest coaster ever. Nothing scary there. In fact, the way the loops are designed, you wouldn't know that you were up-side down if it weren't for the visual's. That is to say, the g-loads are all positive. All in all, it's my favorite.

Except for Space Mountain, you can hold hands on every other ride. Always a comfort factor, I know.

ToT can be a bit much. But like so many of the rides, the hype is worse than the reality.

My advice is to let the kids make their own calls. Showing him the web is a great start. Stand near Splash and ToT and have him watch for a while. Ride the TTA for a sneak peek at Space Mountain. Use Fast Pass to save time, and don't push, but don't hold them back either.

 

[wickedqueen]

Funny you should mention that you yourself have been scared of the rides at times....I too am not a big thrill ride person, and roller coasters scare the bejesus outta me! However, my family was here last week and my little brother and sister are 9 years old as well. They, and consequently I, loved all the rides you spoke of, even ToT, which my little brother rode years ago and had a very bad experience on. I think the biggest factor in whether or not your son will feel comfortable riding the rides is if YOU are comfortable. As long as you can gulp your fears down enough, you and he both should have a pretty great time on any of the rides here, even RRC or Space Mountain (my scariest ride as well!) Play it by ear and don't try to force him one way or another, and i am sure he will let you know what he feels comfortable with....and the forewarning about Space Mountain being a single-seat ride could be very helpful, it didn't bother my brother and sister but it may bother others. Good luck and have fun no matter what you ride!

 

[duchess1576]

Dude Relax!! Say OHM!:wave: Just kidding.

OHM? Sorry, I'm a little Disney-illiterate sometimes.


Thanks EVERYBODY for your great advice. You made me feel a lot better.
Any other advice is GREATLY appreciated!

 

[barnum42]

But I AM worried that a few of the rides might be too rough for him. Particularly, Space Mountain, Tower of Terror and Rock'N'Roller Coaster.

Space Mountain and Rock N Roller vibrate a bit, but are not rough. Tower of Terror is very smooth. Dinosaur is probably the roughest ride.

 

[Nemo14]

As a mom who's not too crazy about thrill rides,I can totally understand your fears. My son (now 15) shares this trepidation with me, and Disney has been the greatest experience for him. Whenever the rest of us would ride TOT or Splash, Space, or R&RC, he would break into a cold sweat just thinking about it. A CM told him that he could always change his mind when he got to the front of the line, and frankly, he did this more than once as a boy your son's age (he still won't go on TOT). He can just tell the CM who is loading the ride, and they will escort him into a waiting area right where you get off the ride (before the gift shops LOL). Just knowing that he could make the decision without spoiling anyone els's fun really made a difference to him, and eventually he no longer needed that option. We still get annoyed at parents who force their sobbing kids to ride things that they're not ready for. So much for magic!

 

[tazhughes]

Every child is different so I don't know if anyone can give you good advice. I didn't go on my first roller coaster (space mountain) till I was 12. I loved it and have never stoppped. My 9 year old went on her first roller coaster (Big Bad Wolf) at 5, she loved it and we rode it again immediately in teh front seat. She also LOVES Tower of Terror (it's her favorite ride in Disney). So I'm not sure she is a good barometer for your son.
The thing I got out of your post is that you are scared for your son, not that your son is scared himself. In my opinion you need to let him make the decision and step back as a scared parent on this one. I know it is much easier said than done. To help you with that i'll try to explain the "extreme" rides (I use that term very very loosely) in the parks.

1. Space Mountain- an indoor roller coaster in which you will ride single file through the dark going through hairpin turns and sudden drops. There are no loops and in reality it does not go fast at all I believe under 40 mph (someone will correct me if I'm wrong). The intensity factor is that it is in the dark and your perceptions are WAY off. Everyone thinks they'll hit their head even if their only 5ft tall and if you son has his hands up I guarantee he will quickly yank them down at times from fear of hitting the track. In reality he couldn't if he wanted to it's all the distorted perception. I highly reccomend this for him.
2. Big Thunder Mountain- this is your typical runaway train, alot of fun fast trurns and drops in the sun for the most part. This actually goes faster than Space Mountain, but because your in daylight it doesn't seem that way, at least to me. Again I reccomend it.
3. Splash Mountain- The world's best log flume. It has 3 drops, but only 1 to worry about you can see this from outside teh mountain and I'd say let him take a look at the drop first. Keep in mind the drop takes like 3 seconds so even if he is scared it's over so fast that it may be worth taking him on teh ride anyway to see the best themeing in a disney ride. The ride takes 12 minutes I believe.
4. Test Track- You ride along in a prototype car as it goes through it's testing for safety features. The ride climaxes in a speed test on the track surrounding the building. This wil reach over 60 miles an hour in a convertible. My wife finds this too intense. My daughter does not. Most enjoy the ride, but know it can be intense.
5. Mission Space- This is not for teh weak of stomach. A centrifuge ride in which you will spin at extremely fast sppeds until you lose gravity and all teh while you are staring at a video screen taht makes you believe youa re flying. MANY people get dizzy and sick to their stomachs. If you get motion sickness even a little bit think twice about this ride. Also I wouldn't reccomend eating right before this.
6. Dinosaur ride- This may be the most questionable for your son, depending on how easy he is sto startle. This is an intense jeep ride through a dark inddoor building while dinosaurs try to eat you and come at you from out of nowhere. It is alot of fun but can be scary if you startle easy.
7. Star Tours- A simulator ride through the star wars universe I only mention it because some people get motion sickness from it. Be forewarned.
8. Tower of Terror- The ride from six flags you were referencing (sp) Free Fall is nothing compared to this. The themeing adds to the scare factor as you build up to something really suspenseful and then have the floor drop out on you, literally. Then it happens again and depending on which program you get again and again. This ride scares me every time and I ride it every time cause it's a balst. As I said before my 9 year old loves it. Every person is different, but I'm of the opinion let your son try it.
9. Rock 'n Roller Coaster- The best thrill ride in DIsney. This is an indoor high speed blast off launching multiple loop roller coaster indoor through a relatively dark building. Despite the fact that it has loops you go through them so fast taht I don't think you even feel them. If your son handles Space Mountain and he feels adventurous he may have a blast on this.

Aside from Space Mountain every other rideyou can be seated next to each other. Hopes this info helps you make an educated decision.

By the way I noticed you have posted a lot of basic questions about Disney, I would reccomend that you go out and but the Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World, read it cover to cover includinng looking at the maps and layouts and then post teh questions that you have from that. You will be much better prepared for your trip and will avoid making silly mistakes that may detract from your trip. If you have any other questions feel free to PM me.

 

[DreamerCM]

I'm scared for my son when we go on rides too...I still am, and he's 14!

You CAN hold onto your son on Space Mountain, well, depending on your size. I have my son sit in front of me and I reach forward and hold onto his shoulders. I do have long arms, so maybe you might not be able to do the same. Of course, make sure that you are in the same vehicle. With any luck you will be able to hold on!

Again, I STILL do that and he's 14...

Have fun!

 

[bbll24]

Thanks for the reds, can't we not have a little sarcasm on this site?

 

[wdwmagic]

Dude, you really need to calm down. There aren't any rides that are TOO intense at WDW. I think the most intense ride for a little kid is probably Dinosaur. It is pretty jerky, but it's still a lot of fun.

I just think you need to get a grip. It sounds like you are the wimp in your faimly, not your son. Don't just assume that your son will have the same fears that you did when you were his age.

Space Mountain isn't very scary. If you sit in front of him he can still grab you in his "sheer terror."

Your post isn't being helpful, and comes across rather rude. This isnt welcome at WDWMAGIC.

 

[StitchCrazy626]

My son who is 10 years old has been on almost all the thrill rides in Disney. He loves every single one of them. Tower of Terror is a very creepy ride, but it's more the queue that creeps him out. The dropping part isn't scary at all. Rockin' Roller Coaster has to be one of the best coasters in the whole world (then again, I haven't been on many). The first time I went on it, I thought there were two loops, but I was wrong. It's completely in the dark and a total blast! Hope that helps!

 

[CoffeeJedi]

duchess, i think waltdisny is advising you to cross your legs, close your eyes, and say: "ooooooooooooooooooohhhhm........ oooooooooooooooooooohhhhm" nothing to do with Disney really

the only ride i don't like is Dinosaur, but that's just because i hate 'jump-scares' (it took me forever to get over the pop-up ghosts!)

 

[Captain Hank]

I totally understand where you're coming from. For the longest time, I would not get near any of the thrill rides, and was perfectly happy. However, due to several factors (including a healthy dose of peer pressure) I started to get on the thrill rides and enjoy them a lot.

As far as I know, the only attractions where you might have trouble gaining contact with your son are Space Mountain, Stitch's Great Escape, and Mission: Space, all due to the structure of the vehicles or restraints.

For Rockin' Roller Coaster, the ride is very, very smooth. By far the worst part of the ride is the launch. Once you get over that, the ride is actually not that bad. It is quite hard to tell that you're upside down at all, save for the first loop, since you launch directly into it.

Tower of Terror is FAR more a psychological thrill than a physical thrill. Imagineering did a great job of building anticipation for the drops. As with RNRC, the worst part is the few seconds before the first drop. The drops are short and very smooth. And even if you're not crazy about the drops, just experiencing the level of detail of the attraction is worth it.

To put it bluntly, Dinosaur scared the crap out of me. I'm still a little hesitant to go on it again. It's a very rough ride, and as I was seated on the end of a row, I felt almost like I was going to be thrown from the jeep several times (I know that this couldn't have happened, but still...). It's a very intense ride. My on-ride photo, on the other hand, is priceless--especially the expression on my face.

Mission: Space is indeed thrilling, but not really scary. The g-force sensation is a very unfamiliar feeling, but again, not frightening. If you don't get motion sickness, I'd suggest giving this one a try. However, be aware that the pod is designed in such a way that it is difficult to see or have contact with the person sitting next to you.

Also remember, the last-minute exit from the loading platform is always an option. Hope you have a good trip!

 

[se8472]

Just to clear something up, you can hold hands on space mountain. I have seen it done all the time, in fact, I have seen parents lean forward and put both hands on there children to help hold them in (its not really needed)

Granted it wird looking, but you do what you got to do

 

[KevinPage]

Rock N Roller coaster features the typical head banging that any horse collar roller restraint gives you, nothing severe, but slightly uncomfortable for some, doesn't bother others.

None of the rides are ROUGH by any stretch of the imagination if you want to compare them to a park like Six Flags, where the coasters are not as maintained nearly to the degree that Disney does (in Florida at least).

I'd say don't worry and just have a good time, if you kids see fear in you, they might get all worked up for no reason and be more scared than they would be themselves.

 

[TESTDUMMY S64]

i find Space Mountain to be kinda rough. not too scary. it only does 28 mph by the way. RnRC is among my favs. this is coming from someone who cant get on ToT. the launch is simply fun, not scary. the best part is you know when it is coming. a little as shaky as mentioned above. mission: space-do not eat before riding. it isnt that intense and you are only spinning at 30-35 mph. just follow the warnings. there are 35 warning signs, so you shouldnt miss it. i have done Test Track 12 times now. it is by far the best ride at WDW IMO. not scary, but once again just fun. the only part you might have a problem with is when you go into a dark tunnel and a semi truck pops out and you almost hit it. besides that, its very fun. once again, i am not a thrill seeker. no one can wright me a check big enough to get me onto the hulk coaster. just have fun with it.

 

[TESTDUMMY S64]

one last thing: see the Lights, Motors, Action stunt show is possible. it was excellent.

 

[NTI2002]

Rockin Roller Coaster has loops but it's one of teh smoothest rides that I have ever been on. you really seem to jsut float. It is really fast though, and teh initial take off can be intense. but if your son likes speed i think he'll be fine.

Space Mountian iv'e been riding since I was his age. He'll probably love it as much as me

and on the tower of terror, every seat has a seatbelt now.

Just go and have fun! And if there's a chicken out session, no biggie, just find soemthing else to do, there's pleanty!

Have a great trip! :wave:

 

[Raven66]

duchess...............My daughter who is 8 goes on all the rides. ToT is her favorite right up there with RnRC. When she first rode it, it was me that was scared. I was afraid she would fall out on the upside down parts. I screamed and cried. Did I mention I was on it too? :zipit: I squeezed her hands so tight I think she lost feeling in her fingers, but there was no way she was falling out. In my head I know that she can't, but my heart wouldn't listen. :lol: So she cried and said she was never going on it again. I told her that she should try it once more with just her daddy because it was probably me that was making her scared. I was right of course, she came off that second time laughing and jumping up and down that she wanted to go on again. So I sit and people watch while they go on RnRC.

So I guess what I'm trying to say is, let him try it once, if he doesn't like it then he doesn't have to go on again.

Good luck!!! :wave:

 

[Lauriebar]

Just to clear something up, you can hold hands on space mountain. I have seen it done all the time, in fact, I have seen parents lean forward and put both hands on there children to help hold them in (its not really needed)

Granted it wird looking, but you do what you got to do

I had to laugh when I read you post. The first few times that I rode Space Mountain with my children I would make sure that one would sit in front of me and one would sit in front of my husband. Since I'm kind of short (5'2") my arms don't reach very far, so I would put my legs up into the front seat and wrap them around as much as I could!! Now believe me, I realize this was totally useless and strange but, it always made me feel more in control and therefore able to enjoy the ride so much better. I don't do it anymore (my kids won't let me!!:lol: )