Hi there! We will be going to WDW on November 5th. My two sons ages 7 and10 have never been on a rollercoaster but want to try one. Which one in any of the parks would be a good one to start off on? Any input is greatly appreciated. Oh, I love rollercoasters!!!

Are they daredevils in normal boy stuff (bike riding, skate boarding, etc) or are they fairly 'calm' about them?

I'm not a fan of the super-short one in Toon Town (Barnstormer, I think) - I think Big Thunder Mountain might be a good start. But Soarin and Test Track might be better 'thrill' rides to start with.

But I'm not a parent - I'm throwing this out there so the parents have an idea to throw darts at!

Well, I'm a parent and not a daredevil. I rode my first Disney coaster in March and yes, it was Barnstormer. I'm a big coward though, and I closed my eyes the whole time.

My daughter's first coaster at Disney was Space Mountain, followed by Big Thunder and she was 5 years old at the time. She loved them both and rides as often as possible each trip.

I think Big Thunder (according to my family's reports) is a good one to start with. It's big, but not too big.

I'll put in my vote for big thunder too. I don't usually do coasters at all, but I like that one. its very open aired, and I am pretty sure you see what is coming the entire time. Test track is also cool, cause you are in a car and also see what is coming. I still have not done space mountain, but my wife and son love it, while my daughter (too short for it) and I enjoy the speedway for our time. The other thing I noticed with kids, in general, if you put fear into their heads, they will be fearful. If you want to go on the ride with them, tell them it is fun and look at who is leaving the ride. That's what helps me personally. When I see these little kids getting off the rides, I know it cannot be that bad.

I think Test Track is one of the better ones to start with because it comes in small doses. The really fast part is over in about 30 seconds so if they really don't like it at least it was quick.

Big Thunder Mountain is also good too, but I see some problems with it. If you sit in the front then you don't really get the rollercoaster feel, and if you sit in the back you get thrown around a lot. I think it is best to sit in the middle for Big Thunder Mountain, but the problem is that you don't have a choice unless you ask the CM.

Also, as a parent, I think a lot depends on how the grown-ups present it. If parents say "This might be scary" or if the parent themself is anxious, it will have a different impact than if parents approach it as an 'opportunity for fun'. Sometimes it's good to let them see the ride beforehand, so that they can see kids their own age riding and having a good time.

When my kids were elementary age, sometimes they had more of an issue with the 'dark' rides and the 'scary parts' (like Snow White or the Haunted Mansion) than the roller coasters!

I've never been afraid of roller coasters, but I've gone to WDW with friends who are, & Big Thunder (MK) is definitely a good start (&, actually, was my first favorite when I was 5!). Space Mountain (MK) is pretty good, too, unless they're scared of the dark. But if they are like, really into Buzz Lightyear, you can talk about being a spaceman like him & it might help. I would steer clear of Rockin' Roller Coaster (HS) & Everest (AK)... but if you haven't been before, YOU should definitely try them!

Splash Mountain is just one drop at the end, and they could get wet, which may or may not appeal to them. Most of the ride is not scary at all. Soarin at Epcot is really fun, and thrilling, but is not a coaster. My daughter will not go on a coaster, but Soarin is her favorite ride. If they like the "frog hopper" type of ride, with up and down motion, they may like Tower of Terror. Again, not a coaster, but the ending is random, and they could go up and down several times, within about 30 seconds or so.

If your boys have never been on a coaster, my advice is to have them try the Barnstormer first. (I conferred with my 'panel of experts'--aka my kids, who range from cautious to fearless and are ages 11 and 12).

Our reasoning for choosing Barnstormer is:

it is a short ride, so if someone doesn't like it, it's over soon;
you can see the entire track, so there are no surprises in the dark; and
it is small, so it's not so intimidating.

If they love it, then head on over to Big Thunder Mountain, and have a great time! (If the dark sections of Big Thunder don't bother them, then head to Space Mountain!)

My vote is for Big Thunder Mountian. Have a blast!

I'd also agree with Big Thunder Mountain or Splash Mountain being good first roller coasters.

Honestly for my kids (now 10 and 6) Space Mountain was the last ride I let them on (they both rode ToT and RRC first). I hate the seating of one behind the other- you can't see or hold them- and the dark really intensifies the experience.

As for the Barnstormer- it's more like a kiddie ride and if your kids are anything like mine they'll think it's for babies.

I would agree on Test Track and Big Thunder Mountain.

Splash Mountain is just one drop at the end, and they could get wet, which may or may not appeal to them. Most of the ride is not scary at all.
There are a couple of smaller drops before the big drop with one of them being in complete darkness. (It's smaller than the Pirates drop though.)

Our youngest (who is 7 now) went on Splash Mountain for the first time last year but wouldn't go on it again because he didn't like that last drop. I think when they are that little and don't weigh much, they get "air" on the big drop because there's so much space between their body and the lap bar (especially with an adult next to them). He did love going on the Barnstormer coaster though but wouldn't venture onto Big Thunder Mountain.

This year, he went on Splash but again wouldn't go on it a second time. We had him watch BTM a couple of rounds (what's nice is that you can see the coaster and its tracks) and pointed out to him that there are no big drops (like Splash), which is true. BTM does mostly concentric circles. He was convinced, went on it and loved it! I think he rode BTM a total of 10 times thorughout our trip.

So, my vote is BTM (even over Splash), and starting them on Barnstormer just to get them warmed up to the idea of a roller coaster ride.

I agree with the idea of going on the Barnstormer first, then over to Big Thunder. If they like both of those, then the others shouldn't bother them.

And why is Test Track getting lumped in here? It's a thrill ride, but it's in no way a roller coaster.

As for the Barnstormer- it's more like a kiddie ride and if your kids are anything like mine they'll think it's for babies.
I agree and wouldn't waste my time there - It's a kiddie coaster. The OP's kids are 7 and 10. At that age you can put them on anything they are tall enough for including RnRC and they'll love it. But if you want to wade in slowly, either BTMRR or Space Mountain will be fine.

Another vote for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad! I'm so not a roller coaster person, but I LOVE LOVE LOVE BTMR!!! Something about that ride makes me happy. I first road it at 15. At 34, I'm still giggling like a kid when I ride. :)

We just got back from WDW, and my daughter (6 y.o.) had her first Disney coaster experiences this trip. She started with the Barnstormer and loved it. Then we went on Big Thunder Mountain and she loved it even more. The Barnstormer is a good warm up to BTM. It is short, so if they hate it- it's over fast. Yet it can throw you around pretty good, especially in the back rows. It also had no line to wait in, so no time lost.

It also had no line to wait in, so no time lost.That would be a MAJOR factor for me to decide if you wanted to try Barnstormer first.

Hey all,

My first ever roller coaster was at MK in 1980ish. It was Space Mountain. I was about 7 years old and it was thrilling to me. From what I read the ride isn't fast as people are led to believe. For the most part it is a lot of dips and dives that make it seem to be going faster. SM is a good beginning coaster at the parks other then barnstormer.

Big Thunder mountain I believe has a height requirement on it of 40". SM may too. If you do ride it try to ride both tracks. You will notice that you return on a different track from the one you started from. I found that out the hard way when I had to ride it again to get back to my ECV.

I agree with Barnstormer for a 7 year old! It's short, sweet and fun! The cars are two seaters, so they could sit together for confidence!

And Big Thunder Moutain Railroad is a great ride as well! And it might be a good one for both of them to try first. I have even seen 3 fit in a car!

Another good choice is the Primevil Whirl in Animal Kingdom, however, it is undergoing some refurbishments and is not scheduled to open until mid-November, but with a bit of luck it may open sooner :)

Our son was 5 the first time we went and we started with a few fun low thrill rides first - like Astro Orbitor, (it goes up and down and is very high in the air!) and Pirates - (has a good drop in the dark and intense themeing for some kids) and then hit Big Thunder and he was good to go! Good luck and have fun!