Just got back and have to ask why?.....

[shoppingmom]

Why do parents drag their kids to DL when they know their children don't do well in crowds, don't like going on rides and scream & put up a fight when characters come near? We just got back and saw this happen a couple of times and not only did it bother my dh and me our kids (8 & 10), they were surprised and shocked to see parents taking screaming kids onto rides and forcing kids to go up to characters when they just didn't want to!

I understand kids have melt downs during the day, a trip to DL can be overwhelming, but when I talked to one mother who was dealing with this, they apparently come down at least once a year and are hoping one year their daughter will start to enjoy DL. Isn't that asking a bit much of a 6 year old?

 

[MagicalMomAZ]

Hmmm...we must have like brain waves , I just posted a like post about bringing kids under 3.

If my kid is unhappy or uncomfortable we stop. I can see not wanting to leave a ride after waiting in a long line .... but not at the expense of others.

I also think planning has a lot to do with it, if a child just sees a huge line they have to stand in...forever in their mind...what fun is that? Crabbiness takes over when boredom gets there first.

 

[eargal]

It depends on the parent's planning and ability to compromise. If you plan well, you can avoid many of the lines and minimize sensory overload.

It could also be that some of these people just didn't know what to expect from their kids. I had no idea until we took my son at age 4 that he would be terrified of costumed characters. We learned quickly and avoided them after that. Every kid is different.

There are also times when the parent gets blindsided. DS4 was fine all the way through the streaching room in the Haunted Mansion but freaked out when we went to load the "Doom Buggies"...the cast member told me "it's too late now, he has to ride". I had to pick him up to get him in the buggie and then he hid his head in my lap and cried the whole time. I'm sure people thought I was a horrible mother....because they didn't know the whole story.
As soon as we got off the ride my DS4 turned to me and asked "can we go again, I didn't see the hitch-hiking ghosts".... Ummm...I don't think so.

 

[autumnbaby9]

Ok I probably get dirty looks from other people at the Disney Theme parks when my daughter does this. When it comes to her, she throws a fit before we get on the ride but after we go on it she wants to do it again and again. This happens with every ride, even IaSM. I know my daughter will have a blast once she gets on it but its some work at first. However this is the reason I'm not taking her on my next trip. I don't want the fight. Now I'm getting dirty looks and comments from people who say I'm a terrible parent for leaving my DD out. There is no way I'm going to stop going to WDW and DL so I'm going to have to deal with temper tantrums or being a mean mommy.

 

[dizzyami]

My DS (5) will be on her 4th DL trip in 3 weeks, and DS (3) will be on his 3rd. We learned after the 1st character that DS really doesn't like them, so we let him watch his sister get her book signed...I bring candy to bribe them to stand in lines (I know, I know, but it is a once a year thing), and they love the rides. The only time they really cry is if it is time to go home. If we have a rare occurence we stop, relax and take a break - but it has never really been an issue with my kids. Both absolutely love DL....kids do cry though, and if by chance you see mine screaming please be understanding that I am doing everything possible to change the situation and get him calm and happy.

 

[dletz]

I do think that kids need exposure to get over somethings. I like matterhorn, and I do have her ride about once a year or so so I can ride it. She doesn't really like the snowman (though we yell back at him) and that is her only problem with the ride. She likes the actual ride. So yes, I do make her ride it with me, but its not often, and she doesn't throw a fit. If we're with a group of people who want to ride Space, or other rides I will ask her if she wants to ride. If so, then she will ride, if not, then we will do a switch and she will have to wait for us to ride. There are some rides she will ride if someone good is riding, but if it's just us she will not. If friends are visiting, and they ask she says yes, so she doesn't really like it, but will tolerate it.

She doesn't really like Splash but would ride it. The last time we rode (she hadn't been on in a couple of years) she absolutely freaked out. She liked it when she could sit between my legs. When they changed it so that there was a seat back between people she didn't really like it but was okay if I could reach in front and hold her. Now that they have changed it again to have the back seat fit two next to each other I though she would be okay sitting with me. I was holding onto her, but she was also holding onto the rail. As we went down the last drop the rail was slippery and her hands kept slipping off. We got to the bottom and she totally freaked out saying she was going to fall out of the boat. While I know this won't happen, I had the same fear as a child on the log ride at Knotts, so I can see where she is coming from. I won't push the issue, and will try again in a few years.

I think that you get afraid of something as a child, and unless you are exposed to it you don't really understand that it isn't really all that scary. Now is it horrible if a child never learns to like disneyland, not really. However isn't it also a learning experience for the child to learn how to deal with some things.

 

[MadfordaMouse]

I was terrified of my kids losing it in Disneyland when they were little, so I played the Disneyland sing-along ride tapes over and over and over again weeks before our first trip with our daughter who was then 2 1/2 (she's now 12). I had read about Kids freaking out to the sight of a 6 ft mouse so I kept pointing out how big Mickey was when he stood next to the kids on the tape, saying "he's tall like daddy". When we finally got to the park, she walked through the gates, stood on Main Street like "mommy, I'm home!" and ran over to a crowd of people who were swarming Mickey to get his autograph.

My youngest when she was 5 (now 8) only had a fit once when we were on TMRR. Ride stopped at the end and she started to cry and say "I don't want to get off, I want to go again!" and was carrying on to the point where the cast member asked if she was hurt! We got back on 5 more times in a row and to this day its one of the first rides she goes on. Now I think I've created two more Disney obsessed fans in the process!

For the record though, I wouldn't have forced my own kids onto any rides if they were at all nervous one way or the other. I kept asking all the way up to the front of the line if they were still fine, I just figured other people payed money too and wouldn't want to hear the fussing. I can't judge anyone else who does, I guess every kid is different and every situation is different, sometimes kids are just on sensory overload and react when otherwise they would have no problem. I'm just thankful I'm not the mommy who has to deal with it!

 

[ByTheHook]

kids do cry though, and if by chance you see mine screaming please be understanding that I am doing everything possible to change the situation and get him calm and happy.

Amen! It's tough enough for many of us parents to come up with some kind of touring plan that will keep everyone happy (or at least moving progressively) all (or most of the) day long for several days at a time, perhaps, so please understand that if our little ones break down, it's not always because we have no concern for their needs nor the general public's.


I'm certain, for example, that my little ones will be crying at times in the lines, on the rides, after deboarding and en route to the next rides. In our case, it will not be due to our poor planning nor our imposing nature, but just the natural tendency of kids (esp. little ones) to get a little overstimulated/ emotional in a place as kid-Utopian and sensory-overwhelming as DL. We'll do our best, too, to pace it and keep the young'uns happy, but please bear with us if the kid-factor just happens to kick in at moments that might be unopprtune for some of you. "It's not personal, it's [messiness]."

 

[Amy&Dan]

I think parents take their little ones to Disneyland to have fun at the Happiest Place on Earth and don't always realize its about as much stimulation as one little person could be exposed to! In the end every single kid (even some of the grown up ones) will have meltdowns just like they do at home, school, grandma's and everywhere else because thats what kids do. You got alot of kids, you got alot of opportunities for meltdowns, tears and other joys of childhood. I guess sometimes I just don't understand why people wonder why parents don't just leave. Maybe because their ticket home isn't for another few days and they just want so badly for little junior to have fun, so they keep trying. And really and truly, unless someone follows a particular family all day long, they have no idea how the day ultimately unfolds. A crying kid in the Dumbo line at 10:00 a.m. may appear to be having a horrible time that cannot be salvaged. But who knows, 10 minutes later after you can't see them, they may be having the time of their lives. And in reverse order the kid crying at 6:00 p.m. might have been fine, all day long up until that point. Personally, for every one kid I see having a meltdown I see about 200 having a great time.

 

[TheZue]

It's really hard to judge what's going on with a kid from the snap shot of them crying. I'm sure I looked like an absolute monster last night when I told my son that we weren't just going on the tea cups over and over and over and over and over again. I told him we'd try a new ride, then go back. He had an absolute hissy fit and was screaming and kicking while getting into his stroller again and I pushed a full on tantrum throwing kid out of the park. But that was just one part of the day that also included him meeting Eeyore, calling to Mike and Sully before we got on the Monster's ride, and having his birthday party. Kids will have tantrums anywhere, and probably even more in Disneyland just because they are soooo wound up and excited. Unless you followed a family around for the entire day I wouldn't make any assumptions. When I see a little kid crying I just know that at some point it will probably be our turn; and most likely have something to do with not wanting to ride the tea cups again.

 

[Amy&Dan]

When I see a little kid crying I just know that at some point it will probably be our turn; and most likely have something to do with not wanting to ride the tea cups again.

Exactly.

 

[TinkerbellTris]

I can see it both ways. The parents that bring the kids that throw the fits. Well you know they pay their money too so they must figure they paid and their kid is gonna do what they paid for. I understand it only because My son when he was 6 was finally old enough to ride Big Thunder. He waited till we were like 5 minutes from boarding and started balling everyone was starring. Then as we were boarding he decides to cry louder and announce to everyone he doesn't wanna ride cause he has to poop. So my husband told him that because we waited to ride for so long that he needs to hold it or poop his pants. I was laughing so hard and the people in front of us and in back of us were laughing. But he balled the entire ride, and we got off and I said hurry lets get you to a bathroom, and he said oh no I don't have to poop i just didn't want to ride it. But now I love it, can we go again? SO thanks to all who put up with his balling. As for the parents who don't put up with it, props to you. But you'll never know if your kids are missin out.