What attractions weren't worth it with young kids?

[IceQueen182]

I would consider what your kids might be afraid of, and avoid things accordingly. My 5 year old is afraid of fire (due to a fire drill at school!) and absolutely lost it at Fantasmic. In retrospect, we should have never gone but I thought the characters/excitement would balance out the fire... Not so much. I think the fact that it was later in the day didn't help.

I'd also avoid "scary" rides like Dinosaur, even if your 4 year old is tall enough. And keep in mind places for exploration (my DD loved Tom Sawyer Island), lower your expectations of how much you'll be able to do, and take breaks! Have a wonderful time!!

 

[TulipMom]

What wasn't worth it?
Nothing - I planned the trip with the child in mind so we:
1) Went early
2) "Rested" in the afternoon (usually a long lunch or nap in a stroller for at least 90 minutes) (when my wife an I would go get a snack or hit a ride solo).
3) Never stayed "late" (we made sure we were heading back to the hotel around bedtime or earlier). One night we stayed a little later and left as the fireworks at MK was starting.
4) Mainly focused on kid-friendly rides
5) Never used Rider Swap (just was too much of a pain sometimes to get everyone to the podium .. and we would rather ride stuff together even if it was a non-thrilling ride like the carousel or Aladdin's Carpets) ...
6) Purposely avoided "scary" rides (just knowing how sensitive or son is to scary images) .. like Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean, heck he even didn't like Little Mermaid ride because of scary Ursula.

I echo this! Our kids are 7am risers anyway, so why not be at the park for rope drop?

During our last trip, our kids were 3 & 5. We did do the big rides with our 5 yo, with the only exception being RnR and ToT. He had a blast! And we took turns doing an alternative with our 3yo when it was a ride for which she was too small. Haunted Mansion and Little Mermaid were fine for our kids, though. Letting our 5yo ride Dinosaur was our only regret, as it was way too scary for him even though he'd watched the YouTube video before. Space Mountain also didn't go over the best. No tears or anything, but he didn't want to ride it again during our trip. He's pumped to ride it again now that he's 7, though. We didn't bother spending time with rider swap. (Though my inlaws were with us, so we got a chance to ride RnR and ToT, and had a night without kids at MK).

The latest we stayed at parks was 5pm (though we never returned to hotel mid-day). This trip they'll be 5 & 7 and we're still only doing 2 nighttime shows (HEA and MNSSHP). The other park days, we plan to be in our hotel room by their normal 8pm bedtime.

We found out that we do prefer TS to CS. Our kids regularly eat at restaurants at home and do extremely well with it. So, a TS meal is a chance to rest and decompress for an hour before heading back out to the fun. I also echo that Hollywood & Vine was TERRIBLE, though. We had a 30 minute wait for our 10am breakfast res. The food was terrible and the character interactions weren't good.

I think you just really have to know what YOUR particularly family likes best. Do you have strict bedtimes at home or do they stay up late often? Are you morning people or do you prefer a later morning? Do you like a long table meal or do the kids fall apart waiting for food? What priorities do you have for the trip? Don't try to cram so much in that you are too exhausted to truly enjoy the things your family will love the most. There is always more you *could* do at Disney, but your kids won't know what you didn't do.

 

[Tk0021]

Let me just tell you what has made my kids cry.

Haunted mansion
Big thunder mountain
Pirates of the Caribbean
The enchanted tiki room


I have two girls 6 and 4, their first trip was 5 and 3.

 

[jessicamouse]

Our kids were that exact same age when we went for the first time. It was a wonderful trip and I am excited for you guys to explore it together we have two boys, who are pretty rough and tumble, even at that age. We were surprised at how frightened they were during fantasmic, of all things. Lots of loud noises, Villains, etc. just a heads up on that one.

Have an amazing time together!

 

[ofcabbagesandkings]

Fantasmic gave my then 4 year-old nightmares for months. The part of the show dedicated to villains and the dragon at the end really freaked him out. And, it was so late. He loves the MK fireworks and Illuminations though.

 

[vanjust14]

I just got back from my trip and the only rides my 20 month old cried at were Haunted Mansion and Winnie the Pooh. We skipped Pirates for this reason just in case so can't comment on that one. She loved everything else she could go on, including FEA and Journey of the Little Mermaid. She loved all the nighttime shows as well. She is pretty adventurous though so I guess it does depend. I do suggest skipping Haunted Mansion just in case. My six year old didn't like Haunted Mansion either, but she will go on everything else, and I mean everything , including ToT, so go figure.

 

[juxtapose]

When we went with my 4.5 and 15 month old we skipped Haunted Mansion and I'm glad we did, there was a little girl my daughters age super scared the whole ride. The older one was tall enough but refused to ride any of the height restriction rides but Soarin' and 7DMT. I would skip Dinosaur for any younger kids.

 

[juxtapose]

Oh and we also didn't take them to a single night show. They both were so exhausted every night they slept 11.5-12 hours straight a night the whole time we were there when they never sleep that long at home.

 

[LongLiveRafiki]

Every kid is different. My kids (DD7 and DS2) sleep later than most so it wasn't worth it to us to get up for rope drop. We were never out of the room until 10-1030, later on pool days. It also wasn't worth the travel time to take a midday break as no one really wanted to leave the park. Neither kid got cranky. We stayed in the parks until close, caught all of the night shows, stayed at MNSSHP until midnight, and hopped to MK for EMH until midnight after a full Epcot day. DS usually took a nap in his stroller in mid-afternoon and would wake up around dinner time. We took the kids on everything they were tall enough to ride. DS barely met the height requirement for Barnstormer and liked it, enjoyed Pirates, Pooh, LM ride and show, Fantasmic (as well as all of the other no height attractions- just listed those ones since they're seen as the scarier ones). He loved Haunted Mansion and had a blast pointing at all of the unique scenes and laughing at the ghosts in the mirror at the end. I actually think the scarier rides (HM, Pirates) were the ones he liked most. He also loved Gran Fiesta Tour because he got to point out Donald around every turn.

Obviously, not all kids are like that. You know your family best. The only thing I would say is probably not worth it for anyone with young kids is the Swiss Family treehouse. There are soooo many stairs! DS was worn out after the first 10 or so stairs and I had to carry him the rest of the way up... Then back down. There's really not a lot to look at and most young kids aren't going to really be able to understand or appreciate the stuff that there is to look at.

 

[mousefan73]

Many times I have rode Haunted Mansion and Dinosaur and have seen little kids coming off screaming and traumatized. I am not overreacting. I myself traumatized my DS with space mountain.. He rode that at 5 and is now 12 and still will not ride it, finally got him to ride everest this year.

I am not sure if you mean worth your time or if the ride itself is fun for the kids or are the parents simply taking their kids along for the ride.

I like youtube it gives you an idea. Haunted Mansion is itself ifself not bad, but EVERYTIME a little kids is screaming their head off after the stretching room, darkness and then screaming... it is usually just one person, but repeat riders get a kick also out of doing the screaming with. Dinosauer is also imo dark and scary.. My DD age 11 refuses to ride it again.

but some parents swear their kids are into everything... some kids are more winnie the pooh types. Also if your kids is the height for Soarin or TT and NoT a huge Frozen fan,, use that FP for either Soarin or TT.. Epcot still tiers I think so its one of those. Frozen ride IMO is NOT worth it compared to those two unless you have a Frozen fan.. there is also the M&G next store with anna and elsa,, less wait times... and I think it would be easy to convience a kids to meet them iso ride some lame ride... in fact... your kids are young enought they dont even have to know that ride exists.. hint hint.

 

[mousefan73]

LOL This has always been my daughters favorite ride for some unknown reason! I think it is calm and quiet maybe?

we looove that ride as a family!!!!

 

[wrmiller13]

Also, the Dumbo line/playground is an amazing place for a nice afternoon break. We adults napped/chilled while my niece played and enjoyed herself thoroughly. We went in a couple of times with no intentions of riding Dumbo lol!

Is it air conditioned? ( I may spend my whole vacation there with the "twins" if it is!!)

 

[smallsy]

So I know every kid is different, but it sounds like Haunted Mansion scares most kids 1-5ish? My 2yo girls were terrified of the blow up Halloween decorations at Home Depot when we went last week, so I'm thinking we should skip HM.

 

[leahlefler]

We did DL when our boys were tiny - it was fun to take joy in some things we hadn't been in for years. My older DS loved the Tiki Room when he was 15 months old (though the thunderstorm scared him a little bit). Small World, Dumbo, etc. were rides we hadn't been on in years and it was fun to see the magic through his eyes again. My younger DS was terrified of characters, even though he'd ride Space Mountain as soon as he was tall enough. We went to WDW when they were ages 7 and 9, so past the "little kid" stage there. At age 7, my youngest LOVED Tower of Terror and the Haunted Mansion, but was terrified of Dinosaur (the only ride that scared him). Go figure.

I'd give Haunted Mansion a miss for the youngest unless you know they want to ride - when mine were very small the other guests screaming in the stretching room when the lights briefly go out totally freaked them out, even though they were OK with the ride itself.

 

[KrazeeK120]

Let me just tell you what has made my kids cry.

Haunted mansion
Big thunder mountain
Pirates of the Caribbean
The enchanted tiki room


I have two girls 6 and 4, their first trip was 5 and 3.

Lol, my toddler was absolutely cracking up in the Enchanted Tiki Room. My husband and I hadn't ever seen it before, having never had a child with us. We were both like, huh? But our son thought it was the best thing in the history of the planet. It was his favorite attraction of the whole trip. Go figure.

 

[elaine amj]

Is it air conditioned? ( I may spend my whole vacation there with the "twins" if it is!!)

Oh yes, oh yes, oh yes!! There's a teeny toddler area in the middle with comfy cushy seats. My SIL parked herself there once, covered her head with a scarf, and napped (she had a headache). There's also bleacher seating around the exterior. Sometimes it was a bit busy, but we always managed to get a section of seats (never a problem for 2-3 people but with a party of 8, we sometimes had to wait a few mins). Best place to ride out a thunderstorm. We did that twice lol. Warning - get in BEFORE any thunderstorms. If they close Dumbo, they will also close entrance to the play area. One time, we left just as a thunderstorm was brewing, planning an attempt to make it to Main Street. The storm started just after we left but we were not allowed back in. Rain alone won't close it - I believe it's lightning. We ended up in the store across the way along with hundreds of our new best friends. We eventually found a corridor at the rear of store (the exit point for the character meet next door) where we could lay back in quiet AC to wait out the storm.

 

[westie55]

You can ask a CM to bypass the stretching room on haunted mansion. I've done this with my son on every trip (he's now 2 ). If they're little enough, however, they won't know to be scared of skeletons or a graveyard etc. so it's really only a matter of being afraid of the dark. My son has done fine on HM; in fact it puts him to sleep. All kids are different. You never know what will scare them, and what's fine one year may be terrifying the next.

 

[kboo]

For us, and by us I mean adults and children alike- the only rides not worthwhile are the ones where we have to stand in a long line; it is especially frustrating to stand in a line that isn't moving. Normally, we don't wait more than 20-30minutes for anything. (RARE exception for FoP. We luckily had a FP for Na'vi River; not worth more than 15min!) Most attractions are under 4 minutes long.

If a line isn't moving or something isn't working for you, promptly modify your plans. Try hard avoid the kind of over-anticipation that makes modification painful.

Like if your child/spouse dreams of seeing/riding X. Once you get in line, anticipation reaches a higher level; leaving can be traumatic. Adult meltdowns are worse than kids-meltdowns! try to let everyone know in advance than plans WILL be modified as needed!

If a ride stops or a character goes on lunch break, you will often do much better walking away and returning later, or just doing something else.

1. Where possible, avoid long queues. 3 small attractions, better than 2 aggravating hours waiting for ONE attraction.
2. Prep your family for idea that all plans WILL be modified when circumstances warrant.
3. Return when conditions are more favorable.
4. Try not to sweat anything. Maybe you'll return an hour later, a day later, or five years later. Make the most of what you do experience.

ALL of this is so true!! Adult meltdowns are the worst. DH had an adult meltdown on one of our trips and he swore he'd not come back to WDW for YEARS. The next day I took our 3yo to Epcot by myself and it was actually easier than having him along! Though obviously he got over it, since we've been back like 4-5 times since then. It's hard to be a park commando with little kids, and just isn't worth it. The only times we have waited about 60 minutes were for A&E meet and greet and Joy and Sadness, but those were because DD1 really wanted to, and she was given the option to just leave every 10 minutes or so, and she was the one who chose to stay. Another thing that's helped is booking child care one night and having an adult date night doing the rides and nighttime shows you want to, without having to worry about meltdowns and overtiredness.

Ya, Ropedrop isn't for everyone (especially now with FP+), and with books and sites like this the "word" is out there that going at rope drop is the "best" time to go, so more and more people do it. But with little kids, getting there early is just helpful - it is not so hot, they are awake and full of energy, etc.

Most of the time I am "rope dropping" with my family we are walking up to the security lines AS the gates are open. Unless you have a commando-style plan, I don't find it worth getting there super early just to be at the front of the line, but lines for rides are definitely shorter that first hour or so, so you do get more done. Well that, and it is super hard to get a family with young kids moving that early .. but it CAN (and has) happened. We have even done morning EMH (which I also highly recommend with kiddos .. even though is tough to get going).

Oh I agree with going on the "scary" rides. My memories of those rides as a kid is being scared to death just waiting in the queue of those rides. A great memory (now). But that was when I was an elementary age child, not a preschooler! Heh. I'll get my son scared soon enough (much to my wife's dismay).

We used to do EMH (our kids are usually up by 6; 7 = "sleeping in" - but now we've started doing rope drop (or close to it) at the park that had PM EMH the night before. Light crowds. Or, an in-park breakfast at 8am on a 9am park open. It's become sort of a family tradition to get a picture on an almost empty Main St. while heading over to Crystal Palace for breakfast. On our last trip, we got to rope drop at MK and with the use of some FPs And rider switch, we did Pooh, Carousel 2x with the younger while older one did 7DMT 2x, a bunch of photopass pictures, and Little Mermaid 2x all in an hour and a half.

I would consider what your kids might be afraid of, and avoid things accordingly. My 5 year old is afraid of fire (due to a fire drill at school!) and absolutely lost it at Fantasmic. In retrospect, we should have never gone but I thought the characters/excitement would balance out the fire... Not so much. I think the fact that it was later in the day didn't help.

I'd also avoid "scary" rides like Dinosaur, even if your 4 year old is tall enough. And keep in mind places for exploration (my DD loved Tom Sawyer Island), lower your expectations of how much you'll be able to do, and take breaks! Have a wonderful time!!

My ODD (now 6) was tall enough for most of the rides at an early age, but she really didn't enjoy Haunted Mansion and even PotC (skulls, bones lying around freaked her out). She didn't enjoy the thrill rides until later, too: Soarin (4), Star Tours (4-5) and 7DMT this year (6 - she went from not wanting to ride at all last year, to arms up this year, so go figure). She LOVED FOP. Tower of Terror - not so much, and she was very excited with the theming and everything. It was the actual ride (the unpredictability of the drops) that really upset her. We did Test Track when she was 4.5 and she did not like the acceleration at the end.

Lol, my toddler was absolutely cracking up in the Enchanted Tiki Room. My husband and I hadn't ever seen it before, having never had a child with us. We were both like, huh? But our son thought it was the best thing in the history of the planet. It was his favorite attraction of the whole trip. Go figure.

Our kids LOVE the Tiki Room! We never went as adults alone, but now we have to go every trip. This last time, our toddler signed "more" when it was over.

 

[kboo]

Also - Epcot is underrated for kids. Mine like the movies, the musical acts, just getting to walk around and explore. They love Spaceship Earth as well.

For us, TS >> QS as well. Somehow the slightly more formal setting helps, and it's a nice break for all of us. With QS, one of us is usually stalking a table with one kid while the other is in line getting food, and it's just very hectic. Our ODD did pretty well with TS starting at around 3, she felt like a big girl in a fancy restaurant getting to pick her food off a menu (even if it was just the kids' menu). This last trip, we took the kids to California Grill and, not gonna lie, the toddler did lie down for a while and cry behind my seat, but it was by the window and not in anyone's way. Also she ate all her pasta with her hands. Oh well. Next year it will be better.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

At that age my kids were happy with anything we had planned. Nothing was a bust. Now that they are teen/preteen it seems like nothing makes them happy.