Okay parents out there, I need some tips! I am a Disneyland expert, but my husband and I are taking our nephews for their first trip in April. This is our first trip with kids (their ages are 3 1/2 and 1 1/2). We are worried about the 3 year old because he is a little bit of a scaredy cat. Anyone have suggestions on how to encourage kids to try a ride, or what to do when they freak out on one? I know all kids will react differently and we definately don't want to force him...but I think we'll have to try a lot of things, so any suggestions will help! Thanks.

We thought about making it a pirate game where if he goes on a new ride he'll get a coin (piece of treasure) and then maybe he can buy a cookie at the end of the day with his treasure or something?

We usually tell our kids they have to try everything one time, but if they don't like it they don't have to do it again - It won't work with all kids I'm sure - may not work with a kid whose really "scared" - mine tend to be just nervous about new things sometimes, and once they try it they are fine. If he is scared of something and then does it, how does he feel when it is over? Is it worse or better? That may help you decide on an approach as well - good luck!! I have a niece who is the same way and it gets frustrating sometimes, I feel bad that she misses out on so much from fear!

I don't know if I personally would bribe my kids to ride rides, but if it works, GREAT! My 3 1/2 year old tried everything she was tall enough for (including spaceMountain) at least once. If she didn't like it we didn't push.
BUT... start with the smaller rides. We progressively got to tougher bigger rides ie. start with dumbo, then Alice, then teacups. Still okay? Try Gadgets go-go coaster. If thats good try the Matterhorn and Big thunder. Pirates and HM only seem scary and were actually my 3 1/2 yo favorites!!!
And do a lot of do-overs!!! We rode snow white about 15 times because it made her happy enough that we could convince her to do things she was hesitant to do. A grumpy kid WILL NOT be convinced to try new things!!!

Start with bright rides first.

I'd pick outdoor rides where he can see the ride ahead of time - fewer 'surprises'. Dumbo, the Carousel and Casey Jr are good rides for this.

Then I'd go for the brighter indoor rides - it's a small world will be closed - but Winnie the Pooh is a funner indoor ride. It's also on the other side of the park from Fantasyland, but I'm here to tell you: The Fantasyland Dark rides are SCARY. If you START there, you will have a heckuva time getting him on anything else. Pinocchio and Snow White are the worst, with Toad and Peter Pan following behind. I always thought Peter Pan was such a great fun ride - you fly OVER Neverland! But my kids have always been reluctant about it, so take that for what it's worth.

Does he know how wonderful the Toy Story movies are? Buzz Lightyear can also be a good introduction ride for a little one.

Is he afraid of loud noises? You might get him some little soft ear plugs or ear muffs to wear on the rides.

I would avoid Pirates or Mansion until you see how he is on some other, shorter dark rides. Those are both longer rides and the scariest part of HM, IMO, is the beginning. You might not get him INTO the ride after the stretching room.

Adrienne

Warning: The last scene in Toad has been known to frighten quite a few little ones (and some big ones). :)

Along the lines of 'safe' testing....the train is a great introduction to dark rides believe it or not....the pass under splash mountain is short but 'dark' but not scary....if they handle that well then stay on the train back to Main Street, if they don't then get off at Tomorrowland station, do NOT go thru the Grand Canyon section....but if they do then stay on and go thru the Grand Canyon section, it's a bit longer, and 'scary' with the dinosaurs roars and noises. Another advantage to the train is that the benches let you hold them close to you if they seem nervous and you can talk to them without disturbing other guests 'as much'.

The monorail is a great 'first ride', If you're not sure about the subs, I'd suggest asking to go into the observation room, you can leave during the video if you needed to but if they love the video then you could try the actual nemo sub later in the trip.

STAY OUT of It's tough to be a bug....don't even attempt it with little ones that age range....the fliks fun fair has a few adorable and very short kiddie rides that they will enjoy, the train ride is very cute/fun and I've never experienced a long wait to ride when we've gone.

Our dd was a very timid 4 y/o our first trip. We found out that ALL rides have a last minute escape route. (Even Pinocchio. Carousel. Casey Jr. Etc.) I don't force or demand the "try it" rule. Matterhorn still turns my legs to jelly because my parents thought that if they bodily got me in the sled I'd have a blast. Ooops. It works on some kids, granted. But the backfire sucks ;)

So he can get close up and back out.

Some rides you can watch on YouTube, which can help prepare them.

But the biggest piece of advice I can offer is this...don't expect to "get your money's worth" the way you would if there were no kids. The ticket cost will be redeemed through the experience of the park alone. Let them soak it all in. :)

Walk around toon town, and show off the gags. Take your time in Mickey and Minnie's house. They might love the shows (esp turtle talk with crush) and even princess fantasy fair if the day gets long (The story telling is fun and there's no wait, as far as I know)

Meet Characters. Thats my daighter's favorite part, collecting signatures and hugs. She held a long conversation with Snow White, but if a friends mom says "I like your dress" she'll dissolve into tears from the pressure of potentially *talking* to an adult. Of course...be prepared for him to be scared of the characters, too, just take it easy and go with the flow. Kids are weird. Thats the fun :)


Oh, and stop by Engine Ears toys and stuff a potato head box full of parts. Yes, its a costly memento, but its fun and the disney parts are pretty cool. And its a unique experience! (Can even be educational...physics and all...)

I would second the youtube thing - we did that and it's great! Also, along the lines of the bug show, I would either skip Honey I shrunk the audience or not get them the glasses (which is what I do) and remind them they can cover their eyes anytime they are scared!! My four year old went through a period of TERROR over characters and we have an album full of hilarious pics of him screaming and trying to get away from them (even though one of his parents is holding him!) The next year, he was FINE and loved them - sometimes it just takes time!

and to mistofviolets - is that store in CA or DL??? Never been there . . . want to try it!!!

Thanks for the tips everyone. Lots of good ideas. I think we will definitely start slowly and with rides he can see as suggested and work our way up to the bigger things and possibly the rides that he can't see inside. And thanks for the tips on non-ride activities. I know there will be plenty to do even if he doesn't make it on one ride...luckily I just enjoy people watching on Main Street if it came to that! A small bribe would be our absolute last resort. And I think characters will scare him to death, but we'll give it a try at least once just in case, and I'll be right there with a camera so that I can hang up that photo at his high school graduation ;)

Who knows maybe he'll be begging to ride the Tower of Terror by the end of the trip ;) I'll report back and let you guys know how he does. Feel free to post any other tips too! Thank you :D

If you're still considering the pirate-coin-reward method, I would really check with the parents first, since they're not your kids. Some parents may have issues with using rewards for this (or anything), and it might set an odd precedent that the parents (and not you) will have deal with (such as their children refusing all sorts of fun things until an extra bribe is offered, and removing internal motivation and self-satisfaction for external reward). Or, they might be fine with it, but I'm just saying, check first!

Last year when I went to WDW with a just over 3 year old nephew - the strongest reaction he had to a ride he didn't want to go on was the Aladin Carpets. Think Dumbo, with 2 sets of seating per 'carpet' and you're there. You see the whole thing. He had fun with Dumbo first thing in the morning, too!

The only thing I can figure with him, is that he'd gone to a local fair with his Dad and brothers (Mom was probably around too) - and "Spinning rides are for big boys" was something he learned. He initially wasn't sure he was big enough for Dumbo -but beforehand we'd hyped it up to him that it was "MADE for boys his age", and his Aunt had LOVED it when she was his age, and she'd be really disappointed if she heard he didn't go on it (it was a different Aunt, not me :)). But we hadn't played up Aladin or Triceratops (same thing, in AK) - and so he had convinced in his brain that it was a 'Big Boy' ride and he wasn't getting on it. Even after watching it and seeing the other 'little kids' on it!

So don't be too concerned if their logic seems a little illogical!

Oh, and don't forget post it notes for the auto-flush toilets. N 'learned' to rush out of the stall as soon as he was done to get away from the automatic and strong flush.

and to mistofviolets - is that store in CA or DL??? Never been there . . . want to try it!!!

Its in DCA. The first store to the right after the entrance/golden gate bridge thing. :) There's a place in the Toon Town store, too, but it doesn't have nearly the selection of cool parts and pieces. :)


DSNY4ever: as far as the characters go, youngest knew about them, and that she could get an autograph if she wanted to which I think made it easier for her. And then, we stood from a distance and said "Wow, look, there's Pluto...want to say hi? And she jumped out and threw herself at him :D

The characters at Disney are trained to interact with kids...they were all so very quiet and slow with her, that it made her comfortable. At least when the crowd wasn't crowding them.

Seashellmama, I totally understand what you mean, and don't worry I will definitely check with the parents first about giving any sort of bribe and we really want to try and avoid that and just try to see how he reacts to trying the rides first. Unfortunately he gets bribes for almost everything, which has made him a little spoiled. He earns coins at home and gets to buy a prize at the end of everyday, which I never really liked (so it wouldn't even be something special for Disneyland!).

So I think I like all of the ideas here of just encouragement...and if that doesn't work a day of visiting characters and watching shows will be just as good!

I agree with the advice of watching the characters first. Some kids can only wave from a distance comfortably. If one wants to hang back, let them.

Now, I have "forced" my niece to go on a ride because she had been on before and liked it. It wasn't til we got situated in the doombuggy she remembered "Oh yeah, I like the Halloween/Christmas house!"

My 4yo nephew is a dare devil. He loved going with the service dog because then he got to ride once with MickeyDogMom, then once with me! On BTMRR, they didn't even get him off the train, they just had MDM slide out adn me in, and off again! He rode every coaster this way. His sister (6yo) refused to ride any coasters, to the rule was she had to wait with us no complaining, but we did a ride she would ride after.

I found some of the best advice on here!

I told my kids that Disney is all about fun and that every ride is meant to be fun. I told them that because its all in fun, no one gets hurt. That things may seem scary and real, but that they are just like watching a movie at home - only you are riding through them. They are real (in the magical sense), but will not hurt you.

That set the ground work.

Second, I told them that if they did get scared, I was right there. They could close their eyes and I would whisper into their ears until the scary things were gone.

I also told them everything they could expect on the rides that might be scary. I held on tight to them and whispered in their ears through the questionable spots. I told them what to expect so that they did not get frightened thinking something wasn't supposed to be there or wasn't supposed to happen - and would they get hurt?

When on the ride, if they got scared, I hugged them close to me and we whispered in each other's ears. I reminded them that I would not let them get hurt and that they were safe in my arms. If it got too scary, they closed their eyes and I held them.

At the end of the ride, I let them choose if they wanted to go on again or not. We did a thumbs up, thumbs down. IF they liked it, we could go again. If not, we tried something else. I let them control that.

We also let them decide if they wanted to try a ride before we went on it. If after telling them what to expect on the ride they did not want to go on it, we didn't.

Finally, I didn't even ask on some of the rides - Tower or Screaming. Heck, if I find it scary as an adult, I'm not trying them on it!

This approached worked really well with my 4 and 2 year old. We really let them call the shots and we all had great fun!

Everyone enjoys themselves their own way, try not to have any expectations. Just enjoy the park through the children's eyes, it does not have to be about the rides, just give in to their whims, and let them enjoy what they want. Any kid will love autopia, and even though it's dark, and I still miss Country Bears the toddler set freaks out for Winnie the Pooh, it has everything they love.
Enjoy the day, and pack lots of little snacks for them.

These are ALL great advices ....especially the one about the train...I love that. And starting out small and working up bigger....but here is something I learned.

I have been to Disneyland many times with my best friend who is a Californian and went to the park as a wee lass. She was scared and her Dad always would say to her "I'll protect you. I won't let anything happen to you" The reason she told me this is that everytime we go to Disneyland we hear parents say to their kids over and over that "the Pirates aren't real" "the ghosts aren't real" "The dragon isn't real" The look in the kids eyes is amazing. They look right back at their parents like you are such fools, I CAN SEE THE GHOSTS PIRATES etc.

I took my nephew on Star Tours waaaaay back when, WHEN he was old enough to not be scared of anything. He was so excited and so quiet watching the screens, SEEING R2D2 in the actual ship we were going to be riding on etc. Got buckled in the doors closed, the ride started and he SCREAMED the whole time. Spent the whole ride quieting him not understanding the freak out. When we "landed" he made me promise to never take him on it again because he didn't want to leave earth and his mom and dad. So he went THROUGH the scared phase and into the believe phase. I didn't try to tell him it wasn't real. He wouldn't have believed me anyway. Just a little tip. have fun!!!!

These are ALL great advices ....especially the one about the train...I love that. And starting out small and working up bigger....but here is something I learned.

I have been to Disneyland many times with my best friend who is a Californian and went to the park as a wee lass. She was scared and her Dad always would say to her "I'll protect you. I won't let anything happen to you" The reason she told me this is that everytime we go to Disneyland we hear parents say to their kids over and over that "the Pirates aren't real" "the ghosts aren't real" "The dragon isn't real" The look in the kids eyes is amazing. They look right back at their parents like you are such fools, I CAN SEE THE GHOSTS PIRATES etc.

I took my nephew on Star Tours waaaaay back when, WHEN he was old enough to not be scared of anything. He was so excited and so quiet watching the screens, SEEING R2D2 in the actual ship we were going to be riding on etc. Got buckled in the doors closed, the ride started and he SCREAMED the whole time. Spent the whole ride quieting him not understanding the freak out. When we "landed" he made me promise to never take him on it again because he didn't want to leave earth and his mom and dad. So he went THROUGH the scared phase and into the believe phase. I didn't try to tell him it wasn't real. He wouldn't have believed me anyway. Just a little tip. have fun!!!!

Winnie the Pooh is a funner indoor ride.

Adrienne

Did you really say this? If it hadn't been in print, I don't think I would've believed it!

Did you really say this? If it hadn't been in print, I don't think I would've believed it!

For 3-year-olds. ;)

What can I say? My children's taste isn't as good as mine. ;) I don't enjoy the ride as much as I enjoy THEM while they're on the ride.

Adrienne

I know this thread is a few days old, but I wanted to throw in the perspective of a kid :)

When I was little, I was terrified of Splash Mountain, and later Screamin when it first opened. What usually happened is I would say "I wanna go on that!" and then hear people scream at the drops and chicken out. A trip or two later though, I would always decide to do it on my own.

For kids not quite that adevnterous though, try telling them you'll hold onto them or something. My dad promised to hold my waist on Splash Mountain (back when those seats weren't there) my first time, and after a few rides I was finally able to do it without him holding on to me. That does wonders.

When I would ask my parents if bad stuff would happen on the ride, my dad would answer "yes, this is Disneyland population control" to make me laugh and calm down, but that's my family's sense of humor and probably wouldn't bode well with a 3 year old :p

But on that note, this works for me even today. One simple question: "what's the worst that could happen?" got me on the Maliboomer for the first time ever on my last trip. Worst case scenerio? You get scared and then it's over. No big deal! And I'm usually glad I rode what I did and ride it a million times after.

If all else fails, don't force it. My sister is 24 and me and her husband made her ride Splash Mountain about two trips ago. She cried really hard after the big drop. (Then again, we have pictures of her face all scrunched up in her baby swing when she was one...) So some people will never grow into bigger rides, but me and my sister still have fun, and you guys can too :D

My oldest didn't want to try tower of terror. I convinced him to stand in line with me, but he got scared right in front of the elevator doors. When he asked to leave, I told him that this elevator was the path to the exit.

My son couldn't figure out why all the strangers waiting with us were laughing after that one.

[QUOTE=MiaTurner;1194625]I know this thread is a few days old, but I wanted to throw in the perspective of a kid :)
When I would ask my parents if bad stuff would happen on the ride, my dad would answer "yes, this is Disneyland population control" to make me laugh and calm down, but that's my family's sense of humor and probably wouldn't bode well with a 3 year old :p...

That's very funny!

My oldest didn't want to try tower of terror. I convinced him to stand in line with me, but he got scared right in front of the elevator doors. When he asked to leave, I told him that this elevator was the path to the exit.

My son couldn't figure out why all the strangers waiting with us were laughing after that one.

So how did he react after the ride?

Wow, so many great tips, thanks guys. I especially like the tips from Htanner about it being like watching a movie at home except you are riding through it, that is such a great way to put it...except with this little guy it is the thought of a ride moving that scares him, haha!