If you were taking a 3yo for 1st time, would you do Tower of Terror as first ride?

[Ladymuck]

Before I get accused of child abuse: we're staying at the Polynesian for the first 3 nights of our holidays (the boys are early risers) and so we plan to head to MGM on our first day (to take advantage of the EMH). Looking at park plans we'd probably head for Tower of Terror and Rock n Roll Coaster first (though my youngest is too small for the latter).

I haven't been on this ride for over 10 years, and all I know is that dh is refusing to go on it this time. But what about my nearly 4 yo?

[Villainlover]

me personally ... no (unless he is an adrenilin junkie)

what if he absolutely hates it? you would be hard pushed to get him to go on anything else..

Tower of terror is just that for me it makes me :cry: and I am 35

I would take him to MK and do the nice kiddy rides...

[MattF]

I'd probably build up to it. It looks very daunting and might put him off others that he should love eg Test Track, Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain etc

[Disneybunny]

No I wouldn't put a toddler on that ride, my 6 year old hated it and since they took out the bars it feels like you will fall out.

[Leanne1977]

Last year my boys were 5(nearly 6) and just 4 (birthday on holiday). Both of them insisted they wanted to go on. My youngest loves all the rides, test track, splash mountain, big thunder mountain, he is pretty fearless. My eldest loves all the rides but is a bit scared of the water drop rides.

Anyway, i didnt particularly want my youngest to go on but DH said if he wanted to do it we should let him. Basically they both hated it and do not want to go on again just yet. They didnt cry or anything like that, they even said it was ok when they came off. But when asked if they want to do it again it was a definate NO!!!:erm:

But it hasnt put them off any of the other rides. Do what you feel is best for you and yours.:wave:

[Bumble]

Our 4 year old did want to go on this and loved it :) But my ten year old hated it :confused2 I guess when you get there see how your son feels about the ride.

[Tiggernut]

My biggest concern is the same as others have said - if he did that first and hated it, he probably wouldn't goon anything else!

My DD has always been an adrenaline junkie and went on just about everything in 2004 and when she was just turned 4 - I didn't take her on ToT though as my DH won't ride and I did it once and that was enough for me! :omg:

The following year we did a lot of the same rides - Test Track, Splash, Big Thunder - she took them all in her stride. Then we did Jurrasic Park and we were in a full car and it went down the slope REALLY fast. It completely freaked her and we had a terrible time persuading her to do any other rides for the next few days - even ones she'd been on before.

She's already said that this year she doesn't want to do Splash - even though it was one of her faourite rides before - because of the drop 'like the dinosaur one!'

I honestly think ToT is one to build up to not start with. JMHO!

[Scotsmomma]

If he reaches the height requirement and is keen to try it...I'd let him ride...sometimes kids have a big change of mind when they're stood in line for a while...some kids are naturally fearless and would love it at 4...

[BevS97]

NO!

I wouldn't take a 3 year old on it at all - but I would absolutely start small and work your way up. We took a 3 year old on our first trip, first ride was fine, 2nd ride she didn't like and that was her for 5 days refusing to step foot on any ride at all. The 'scary' ride - Cat in the Hat at Universal. You just don't know what is going to freak them out - but absolutely 100% no way would I let a 3 or 4 year old ride TOT.

[TinkTatoo]

I wouldn't risk it. If you all want to ride you can do baby swap where someone stays with the 3 year old and when the others get off that person gets to ride without waiting.

As Bev says - start small

[_tinkerbell_]

My neice was 4 months away from her 5th birthday when she rode this for the first time, so technically she was 4.

She loved it and insisted on riding it another few times during our holiday. We however, didnt start off at Disney Studios, as we always head to MK on the first day. She got to ride BTM and Splash etc, too small for Space though and she cried and cried because she couldnt ride it with me. Shes now 12.


This year my other neice and nephew are coming with me, they will turn 5 and 3 just a few weeks before we get there. I will not however take my 5 yr old nephew on it as he is totally different natured to my other neice.

Know your child. If he cancope with it then go ahead but if your unsure then dont, its to me, the scariest ride at WDW, even i get scared.

On another note, my DS1 was only 3 when he done his first real coaster. It was at BUsch and even went upside down, i worried the whole way round and he laughed !! Couldnt get him off the thing, now i have created a coaster monster.

[aurora7166]

:smile: He may not be tall enough and if he was expectinig to do it - it would be awfullly dissapointing. Our 3 yr old was desperate to do Splash mountain when we went in 1999r and she was too short - she did get a certificate that put her in line first, whenever she grew enough!!She is now 10 but we never relinquished the certificate - it is a really cute memory - but she was gutted at the time!! Height for rides can be found on WDW site.

[carys]

Personally i wouldn't straight away . I would let him try other rides and guauge his responses to those.My ds 5 at the time went on this as he loved all the other rides , but his physical response to it was not good ! I think i'll leave it at that ! lol

[beanybucket]

Personally I Wouldn't Allow My 3 Year Old On It:omg: I Didnt Let My Middle Ds On It When He Was 6 (DID IT WHEN HE WAS 8) So Theres No Chance I'd Let My Youngest (he'll Be Nearly 3) On It:erm:



INT/DRIVE 04 :pluto: AL*MOVIES 06:mickey2:

[Ninny]

NO WAY!! A 3 year old is far too young to go on Tower of Terror and probably not tall enough as well and definately not tall enough for Rock n Roller coaster. I feel if he went on this it could put him off other more tame rides for life!!

[Ladymuck]

OK - I guess that's fairly persuasive!

I find it hard to remember the scare factor - when I went last time I felt that the rides were much tamer over all than Alton Towers say, and both of mine have annual passes to Chessington, Thorpe Park and Legoland. But I hear what you're saying - we'll skip ToT on day 1!

Does that mean that the EMH at MGM isn't much use then? I think he can only do Muppetvision (and I guess that I'll have to see if the 6yo wants to try ToT and the Rock n Roll Coaster).

[psharrock]

OK - I guess that's fairly persuasive!

I find it hard to remember the scare factor - when I went last time I felt that the rides were much tamer over all than Alton Towers say, and both of mine have annual passes to Chessington, Thorpe Park and Legoland. But I hear what you're saying - we'll skip ToT on day 1!

Does that mean that the EMH at MGM isn't much use then? I think he can only do Muppetvision (and I guess that I'll have to see if the 6yo wants to try ToT and the Rock n Roll Coaster).


How big is your 6 year old? My DD is 7 and could only just about get onto the Rock n Rollercoaster with her biggest heeled shoes, and she is taller than most in her class.

Paul

[carys]

There is still alt there i guess it depends on height restrictions . Des he like playhouse disney ? There are some great shows. See how he is on other rides and maybe fastpass it before the crowds come in.If he is used to scary rides you may be the best judge of it tbh. I would still go though it is a great park !

[Ladymuck]

My 6yo (who turned 6 on Monday) was 120cm in bare feet a month ago, so I hoping to add the 2cm in a combination of 6 weeks growth and some decent thickness of trainer sole! The 3yo is in a similar position for his 102cm target! The 3yo is probably small for his age, but the 6yo is fairly average amongst the Year 1 boys. I haven't mentioned rides or height restrictions much to them yet, so I'll measure them up in trainers next week and then start to prepare them for what they can and can't do.

[psharrock]

You'll probably be ok, you just need to teach them not to slouch when being measured.

A word of warning my DD was nearly 4 when she first went on the TOT, she was happy to go on it, we told her what to expect, and she even watched it for a while, as we tried to make sure she knew what she was letting herself in for. She loved all the MK rides especially Splash Mountain. We went on TOT and absolutely hated it, it took us another 2 years to get her to go back on it, but the strange thing is she then refused to ride on splash mountain due to the drop at the end. A bit of bribery cured that one, and then she was fine again but as others have said it can have an adverse reaction against other rides.

Having said all that our DS loved TOT on his first trip when he was 4.

Paul

[AlisonB]

Our 13 yr old DD still won't do TOT - and her favourite rides in Florida are Splash and Space mountains, Rock n Roller coaster, the Hulk and Duelling Dragons!! And she's worried about little old TOT! However - she just won't do it!

[BevS97]

There is plenty that can be riden by a 3 year old in all the parks, it's certainly not just MuppetVision.

i did a post recently where I highligted everything a baby could ride, I'll see if I can find it as it would be equally relevant to a 3 year old.

[Ladymuck]

Thanks Bev - my question was specifically about the EMH morning hours though as at MGM the only rides listed seem to be ToT, Rock n Roll, Star Tours and Muppetvision. However I'm sure the younger one will be excited just to look at the theming to be honest.

[BevS97]

Ah - I understand now,

To be honest, I would go to MK on your first morning, it will be less crowded than MGM if that is the EMH park, and everyone neesd to see the castle as soon as they arrive.

i have pinned that thread now, i will add epcot and MK when I have some time

[beth-xx]

i didnt dare but will this time although he might find it scary he will be to small probablys! lol

[highland lass]

no - it was the only ride my 6 year old hated - it is not only the ride but the dark spooky entrance up !!!!!

[poohspals]

I certainly wouldn't let my 3 year old go on it for fear of putting her off other rides.

[wombat]

Hi,

I wouldn't, it could scare the life out of him and spoil your holiday.

I wouldn't risk it.

[tenyears]

I took my daughter on there when she was 3 years old and she absolutely loved it.
Having said that, she has always been a complete ride junky and I can't remember her being scared on any ride.
It very much depends on the nature of the child I suppose.

[Seminole]

No I wouldn't put a toddler on that ride, my 6 year old hated it and since they took out the bars it feels like you will fall out.

When did they take the bars out? I am the only one in my family that will ride this attraction but have been trying to convince my DW for years just to have a go. DW began to freak on her first go on Test Track especially when we had a malfunction right by the bit where you get the extreme hot and cold temperatures but once through the doors, she's never looked back!

No I wouldn't put my little 'un on Tower of Terror but each to their own

[ally1966]

Totally depends on the child !!!

But, be warned, the pre-show and even the building can be abit "creepy" for little ones and might put him off before he gets as far as the ride.

My DD was 5 when we went last and being a total adrenalin junky wanted to go on all the rides that she was tall enough for - including TOT. I had done the ride before and was quite happy to take her on (you know your child better than anyone - LOL!!). Anyway, we queued for half an hour and as soon as we entered the building she began to get "clingy", by the time we reached the elevator she was totally freaking and we had to leave by the chicken exit - but it was the atmosphere and the build up that got to her NOT the ride !!!
(DS 7 loved it BUT DH 43 hated it and says he will NEVER do it again, So I guess its nothing to do with age!!!)

[gary33000]

I would also exercise some caution we went with a 2 year old and a 6 year old and i wouldnt let my 6 year old go on tower of terror but the roller coasters were fine when we built him up to them