What attractions weren't worth it with young kids?

[Bebella]

I'm interested in hearing what attractions you didn't feel were worth it with your young kids? Our kids will be 2 (almost 3) and 4 when we go in Feb ...We're planning on doing all of the fireworks, Fantasmic, RoL, etc ...our 4 year old (over 40") will be doing all the thrill rides he can, and we'll do rider switch. That's our plan anyway ....but if a lot of people think something wasn't worth it, the kids really didn't enjoy it then I'd reconsider.

Thanks!

 

[MHSweb79]

All kids are different! I recommend picking up a copy of the Unofficial Guide to Disney With Kids. It rates and describes each attraction and its appeal for kids of different ages so you can decide what's best for your little ones. When our DD was four, she was afraid of anything in the dark and the book helped us identify possible pitfalls.

Sounds like you are planning to keep the little ones out late for fireworkds, etc. so you may also want to plan for an afternoon break back at your resort.

 

[tlmadden73]

I've gone to WDW when my son was 2, 3 and 4 1/2. (Also with a 5 mo on the last trip).

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.

Honestly, going on the "small" rides were more memorable than the big ones simply because of the look of joy on my son's face.
So despite going three times since 2014, I haven't gone on Space Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain, Everest or Splash Mountain in a long time.
.. and that's okay!

ONE thing I can say was NOT worth it? Hollywood & Vine character meal.
We had great food and fun at Character Meals at Tusker House and Crystal Palace when he was 2, but when he turned 3, characters began to scare him. He loves the Disney Junior characters (and loved Disney Junior Live show) .. but going to a dinner where these larger-than-life characters with giant heads wanted to come up to your table? Meltdown city! And .. frankly .. the food wasn't really great for the cost. Luckily we were also there with his cousins who enjoyed it.

On this last trip (4 1/2) we started going on bigger rides (Test Track, Soaring, Star Tours) . .some he loved, some he did NOT like as it was too rough for his small body.

So almost everything was "worth" it in my opinion. You don't know how your child will like it until you try it. There wasn't anything they didn't like, just some things my particular child realized he doesn't want to experience again (anytime soon). Some things scared him (like the Ursula scenes in Little Mermaid) .. some things made him feel "funny" (like Star Tours).

 

[elaine amj]

Whatever your kids will enjoy sounds like a good plan

I was just there for 2 weeks with my 3.5 yr old niece. She's not into princesses, so other than Ariel and Belle (which was more for me and my own DD16), we skipped them all. She adores Mickey so we met him multiple times. Funnily enough, by week 2, she was no longer so hyper about meeting Mickey so we didn't do many character meets that week. She doesn't like shows that much so other than Disney Jr, we mostly avoided shows with her. I did take her to watch the Little Mermaid show (because my brother and I wanted to see it!) in DHS and she liked it well enough but wasn't crazy about it. So we did the Frozen singalong on a day she wasn't there with us (a lot of talking so upon reflection, it was a good call. Especially since she doesn't know the princesses or the movie). We also avoided longer attractions like American Adventure and Carousel of Progress. Although she was happy to chill with us on two rounds of the Peoplemover!

We didn't do too many night shows with her - 2 rounds of Happily Ever After (which she absolutely loved), Fantasmic (she liked some parts but mostly played with her glow bracelets), and ROL (she liked it). We tried to get her to bed by about 10pm most nights since she was up around 8/9am in the mornings. We did end up letting her sleep in most days and skipped rope drop. Mostly because her parents like to sleep in and I never did get them out of the room until about 10am at earliest.

She loved Disney

 

[pitpat]

Our kids will be 2 (almost 3) and 4 when we go in Feb ...We're planning on doing all of the fireworks, Fantasmic, RoL, etc ...

At least in Feb. the nighttime entertainment won't be so late, but you can probably skip RoL. With very young kids, sometimes crossing off a nighttime show is a very liberating feeling and that one wouldn't be my priority.

You may want to avoid Dinosaur.

 

[Bebella]

I've gone to WDW when my son was 2, 3 and 4 1/2. (Also with a 5 mo on the last trip).

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.

Honestly, going on the "small" rides were more memorable than the big ones simply because of the look of joy on my son's face.
So despite going three times since 2014, I haven't gone on Space Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain, Everest or Splash Mountain in a long time.
.. and that's okay!

ONE thing I can say was NOT worth it? Hollywood & Vine character meal.
We had great food and fun at Character Meals at Tusker House and Crystal Palace when he was 2, but when he turned 3, characters began to scare him. He loves the Disney Junior characters (and loved Disney Junior Live show) .. but going to a dinner where these larger-than-life characters with giant heads wanted to come up to your table? Meltdown city! And .. frankly .. the food wasn't really great for the cost. Luckily we were also there with his cousins who enjoyed it.

On this last trip (4 1/2) we started going on bigger rides (Test Track, Soaring, Star Tours) . .some he loved, some he did NOT like as it was too rough for his small body.

So almost everything was "worth" it in my opinion. You don't know how your child will like it until you try it. There wasn't anything they didn't like, just some things my particular child realized he doesn't want to experience again (anytime soon). Some things scared him (like the Ursula scenes in Little Mermaid) .. some things made him feel "funny" (like Star Tours).

Good to know about H&V ...I keep going back and forth about making a res for that. We are doing Tusker House breakfast and the Bon Voyage breakfast ...my son loved meeting the characters when we went to DL last year. My daughter only liked the princesses and face characters ...Olaf terrified her! Now that she's older, I guess we'll see. Our son loves carnival thrill rides ...so that's why I want him to experience some of those, so we'll just have to figure out the logistics of rider switch. They really like shows, parades and the fireworks. Our daughter hates carousels for some reason ...she's really not the thrill kid. We plan to go early and do a long rest, but stay in the parks or the monorail resorts (we're staying at POR so I don't want to go all the way back on our MK days). We made the mistake of taking the kids on the Snow White ride at DL ...never again with the little kids! We'll most likely avoid Haunted Mansion, ToT, and anything with a scary storyline.

Thanks for all the advice!

 

[mickeyluv'r]

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.

 

[KrazeeK120]

We took our son on his first trip in May at 18 months. The only ride that ended up not being worth it was FEA. The drop absolutely terrified him. And here I'd been so excited that I'd gotten a FP+ for it! So...that attraction is definitely on our "one and done" list. He loved the rest of the rides we took him on. We also did 2 character meals and some character greetings and he liked those too.

 

[elaine amj]

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!

 

[mickeyluv'r]

I've gone to WDW when my son was 2, 3 and 4 1/2. (Also with a 5 mo on the last trip).

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 (
3) Never stayed "late" (
6) Purposely avoided "scary" rides

So almost everything was "worth" it in my opinion. You don't know how your child will like it until you try it.

Kinda funny, because my experience is a bit different. I've been going to WDW since I was a toddler; though never solo, and I've gone in all different group sizes and all ages.

While we usually arrive early to the parks, this last trip -making rope drop practically ruined two mornings. Even on some prior trips, prying folks out of bed too early wasn't wise, or fun.

I should add a specific warning for everyone's benefit! Regarding this summer: RD at MK and AK was recently a HUGE disappointment! MK was PACKED with only a few rides open. We used to ride 5 attractions in the RD hour, last month we did just 2 at MK, and not-even 1 (FoP) at AK. When we exited FoP 80min after the start of RD, the wait was actually shorter than it was at RD! Making RD is a bit stressful for us, and last trip, the effort wasn't rewarded.

What almost always works -for us- is to be in the parks until closing, even with toddlers! Mostly, the very young have napped comfortably in their stroller. As I said earlier, IME, it is the adults that most often cause get grumpy when they don't get their way, often over something petty. Adults often benefit from a nap or break, but MK after dark is our absolute favorite part of WDW!

I also chuckle a bit because I distinctly recall riding Haunted Mansion, Snow White's Scary Adventures (now closed) and PotC when I was very young; and loved all of them! Each time we returned to WDW, I was a tiny bit scared of the initial PotC drop the first time we rode it each visit, but I always told myself, "Well, I rode it last year just fine." Plus, I loved everything else about it: the song, the pirates, and especially the gift shop! That shop isn't quite as great as it once was, but it was absolutely magical when I was little.

I'm not criticizing the PP, just saying that experiences vary. Confronting my small fear of PotC served me well as a life lesson.

 

[tlmadden73]

Kinda funny, because my experience is a bit different. I've been going to WDW since I was a toddler; though never solo, and I've gone in all different group sizes and all ages.

While we usually arrive early to the parks, this last trip -making rope drop practically ruined two mornings.

I should add a few specifics: August RD at MK and AK was a HUGE disappointment! MK was PACKED with only a few rides open. We used to ride 5 attractions in the RD hour, last month we did just 2 at MK, and not-even FoP at AK. When we exited FoP 80min after the start of RD, the wait was actually shorter! Making RD is a bit stressful for us, and this trip, the effort wasn't rewarded.

What almost always works -for us- is to be in the parks until closing, even the toddlers! Mostly, the very young have napped comfortably in their stroller. As I said earlier, IME, it is the adults that most often cause get grumpy when they don't get their way, often over something petty.

I also chuckle a bit because I distinctly recall riding Haunted Mansion, Snow White's Scary Adventures (now closed) and PotC when I was very young; and loved all of them! Each time we returned to WDW, I was a tiny bit scared of the initial PotC drop the first time we rode it each trip, but I always told myself, "Well, I rode it last year just fine." Plus, I loved everything else about it: the song, the pirates, and especially the gift shop! It isn't quite as great as it once was, but it was absolutely magical when I was little.

I'm not criticizing the PP, just saying that experiences vary. Confronting my small fear of PotC served me well as a life lesson.

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).

 

[mickeyluv'r]

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!

This is good advice. It is good to note all the little playgounds like this one that are tucked all over the parks. MK has several.

If you do any rider swap, they are great places to go. There's also number of fun options if you do rider swap or split-up a little during your day. If one adult doesn't want to ride something, but others do, you can easily split up for half an hour and everyone can do something they enjoy.

If you do rider swap, it is good to have every adult take a turn being first to wait.

But waiting with the little one can be lots of fun! You have MANY options! You can go on something tame, get a snack, shop, watch the toddler have fun exploring, use the restroom/do practical things.

One of the hidden gems of Epcot is the water fountains up by Imagination. If you can locate the special new Disney Visa greeting location, they are just outside that area (also by the Pixar Shorts). There are multiple fun outdoor water fountains up there to discover that are fun to see!

Another option at Epcot is to explore the post-ride areas and Innoventions. The post-ride of Test Track, for example, is full of fun things to explore.

 

[elaine amj]

I really really thought we would use the little play-areas more often. To be honest, we often just found a quiet spot, sat down and let her run around to play. I also bought her a Mickey bubble wand (the best purchase ever!) for $20. We used rider switch time as bubble wand playtime. One time I sat on the ground in a shady spot near Star Tours for 30+ mins and let her just play with the thing. She LOVED it.

In Epcot, we also used the inside rest area (has tables, washrooms, and plenty of open space) in the building where Character Spot is as a rider switch zone. I thought about taking her to Innoventions, but it became too confusing to explain it to the whole party (I was juggling Fastpass times with a party of 7). So once everyone knew where it was, we just all took turns on Test Track and Soarin. Everyone waiting with her appreciated the quiet spot with good wifi that was enclosed enough and quiet enough that no one had to chase her around. She spent over an hour here and never stopped running up and down the hallway. Whoever was on kid-watching duty was able to sit in AC and mess with their phones while keeping an eye on her. It was a nice break from the stimulation.

Epcot is really full of awesome play areas for little ones. The exit of Mission Space, Test Track, Spaceship Earth, Figment...all have awesome interactive areas. Sadly, only managed to do one of these with my niece.

Not much at Hollywood Studios though. We just found quiet shady spots for playtime. None in AC though oh there is that little arcade thing near Star Tours. I sat on the ground near it. I would have gone in, but wanted to let her play with the bubble wand so stayed outdoors.

 

[Jarmo]

If your kids are misbehaving, take them on Living With the Land as punishment

 

[mickeyluv'r]

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.

Only a few rides were open in MK, not nearly enough for the crowds.

Similarly, the PM EMH at AK was a total joke- only TWO rides were open!!! At 8pm, both of them had standby waits of 80minutes!

The capacity in both cases just wasn't anywhere near adequate; and nothing like past RD. We'd have done much better to arrive an hour later when all of MK was freshly opened. RD at Universal was as good as ever!

We generally arrive for RD as you do, not really before the gates open. Waiting is waiting.

OP - going back to your original question - while not an attraction - bathroom-line waits can also be regrettable. It pays to walk a few feet further to the next bathroom, if one has a line. It also pays to be pro-active.

 

[Beth Pagan]

If your kids are misbehaving, take them on Living With the Land as punishment

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

 

[mickeyluv'r]

Not much at Hollywood Studios though. We just found quiet shady spots for playtime.

At HS, our standard split was to take the little ones to the Disney Junior area. Plus there used to be a ton of characters around there. WDW also used to give away stickers near RnRC, but I think that's long gone now.


Also sadly gone are some of the Kidcot stations. They still have them in the World Showcase. If you stop by one, you can do the coloring anywhere if you have a box of crayons. We used to just keep the crayons they gave us when dining.

Likewise, I can't promise they still have them, but many food courts and hotel lobbies once offered coloring pages. The location wasn't always obvious though. If nothing else, the gift shops still all sell coloring books and journals. If you have an autograph book, it can also be fun to look through it, or add drawings of the characters to alternate pages.

Most lobbies still have televisions that play cartoons.

 

[Gehrig1B]

I should add a specific warning for everyone's benefit! Regarding this summer: RD at MK and AK was recently a HUGE disappointment! MK was PACKED with only a few rides open. We used to ride 5 attractions in the RD hour, last month we did just 2 at MK, and not-even 1 (FoP) at AK. When we exited FoP 80min after the start of RD, the wait was actually shorter than it was at RD! Making RD is a bit stressful for us, and last trip, the effort wasn't rewarded.

I think you are confusing rope drop with morning EMH. Everything is open when the park officially opens at rope drop.

 

[ColoradoMom12]

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

My DD loves this one also! I agree, it's the calm and quiet. We have to ride it at least 3 times while we're at Epcot. Luckily the line is never long. She's scared of rides that shouldn't be scary, like Winnie the Pooh. FEA scares her, too, but she's Frozen obsessed, so we ride it anyway. She does love some of the rides that some might think should be scary like Soarin and SDMT. Obviously lots of kids love Winnie the Pooh and find Living with the Land really a snooze, so everyone is different.

I agree with the first reply you got. The Unofficial Guide to Disney with Kids is a good resource in determining what might/ might not be a good choice for your own children. It describes all of the rides and points out anything that could be an issue. After reading that book, I had chosen to keep my DD off Winnie the Pooh, but she really wanted to ride it! She says she'll never ride it again even when she's an adult. LOL. The other one that scared her that I had intentionally never done but she insisted on was the Little Mermaid show at HS.

 

[glassslippergirl]

If your kids are misbehaving, take them on Living With the Land as punishment

That could end up being punishment for everyone else.

OP, with a little one, I think twice about TS dining. It takes a lot longer at WDW than it does at home. Some like character meals have built in entertainment for kids, but others are just fun for adults. I try to limit TS meals and eat CS at off hours.