Getting your kids to ride the “scary” rides at Disney can be tough. You never know what might upset them, and trying to force or trick them onto rides they aren’t ready for can backfire spectacularly. In this article I’ll go over common reasons kids get scared on Disney World attractions, and I’ll cover a possible order of rides to ease them into the more intense rides. Along the way, I’ll share some of the ridiculous things my kids have been scared of. The goal is to get them screaming in delight on Tower of Terror, Expedition Everest, and Guardians of the Galaxy.
Why Kids Are Scared of Disney Rides
There are plenty of reasons why your kid is afraid of certain attractions at Disney World. For some, it’s the intensity of the ride…or, more often, the perceived intensity. My daughter was all set to go on Seven Dwarves Mine Train, but when one particularly loud guest screamed in fear as the ride went by, my daughter started having second thoughts.
Another aspect of rides is the perceived danger of theming. This can happen on the ride or in the queue. Things that have scared my kids: the lab in the Flight of Passage line, the line and theme of Pirates of the Caribbean and Haunted Mansion, Marshmallow in the Frozen ride, the vultures in Splash Mountain, and above all, Expedition Everest’s yeti (cast members call her Betty the Yeti). This also pertains to rides that incorporate villains, the Little Mermaid or Rise of the Resistance. When it comes to lines, just prolonged darkness or creepy music can set them off. The long walk into Space Mountain was scarier than the ride for my girls.
Don’t forget about loud noises and surprises. If your kid is sensitive to loud noises, rides like Dinosaur, Big Thunder Mountain, or Expedition Everest are going to be hard to get used to. Surprises (sometimes accompanying loud noises) also catch kids off guard. Frozen Ever After, as innocent as it is, freaks a lot of kids out when it suddenly goes backward—got my three-year-old the first time, especially because it was followed by a Marshmallow attack. Kids also don’t like surprises because they lack a sense of control.
Finally, just prepare yourself for everything, and prepare yourself to comfort your little one. You never know what might strike your child the wrong way. I’ve seen a lot of unexpected fear, from the dream sequence in Winnie the Pooh, to the witch at the end of Seven Dwarves Mine Train, to a dandelion-headed cartoon woman at Gran Destino Tower, to any character wearing a mask (even Mickey). My kids have had no shortage of absurd things to be afraid of.
But now to discuss a possible onboarding path for your kids to get used to dark, fast, scary (i.e., fun) rides.
Step 1: Magic Kingdom Rides that aren’t scary
Dumbo Ride
The first place I’d start to get kids acclimated to rides is Dumbo. It has a short, not scary queue with a playground in the middle. And the ride offers a very gentle introduction to g-forces and heights. You can sit with your kiddo to help them adjust, and the best part is that they can control the altitude themselves. This sense of control gives them a psychological safety net. We’ve taken my toddler son on it repeatedly, and he loves it! If you want to step it up a notch, ride Astro Orbiter instead—same concept, but faster and higher.
Pro Tip: Dumbo and Astro Orbiter are great places to watch the fireworks if you don’t want to get into the crowd. In the past, we’ve been able to ride it repeatedly during the fireworks without returning to the line because the crowd was so low. No promises that the Cast Members will allow that for you though.
The Mad Tea Party
Next, head over to the teacups. The Mad Tea Party can be one of the scariest (or at least nausea-inducing) rides at Disney depending on how fast you turn the wheel, but again this allows your little Mouseketeer a sense of control as they control the speed of the teacup (or demand you do the work). Because they feel in control, they’ll often allow themselves to generate g-forces as high as the most intense rides at Disney. A warning though, don’t make yourself nauseous in the process. Kids’ equilibriums can handle this ride better than adults.
Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid
This final ride is the gentlest of the three. You’ll sit in a slow-moving seashell as you relive the plot of The Little Mermaid. I recommend this ride because the queue can get a little dark, the ride can get a little dark, and you encounter a villain, but it’s perhaps the friendliest ride in the park with these features. On another note, if your child is familiar with the story and characters, it helps with just about any ride. Remember though, every kid is different. One of my daughters was far less scared of Slinky Dog than this ride.
Step 2: EPCOT Rides That Aren’t Scary
After checking out the above rides, head over to EPCOT to kick the intensity up just a little bit. There are lots of rides at EPCOT that aren’t scary—Living With the Land, Nemo (a good substitute for The Little Mermaid)—but I’m going to focus on some rides that will help your kids acclimate to the bigger rides.
Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure
The overall kid-friendly theming of Remy does a good job of hiding the intensity of this ride. You’ll be jerked around a little bit and face a few scenes of peril as you navigate Remy’s restaurant experience. This is a good one to get kids ready for the more intense Rise of Resistance and Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway.
Frozen Ever After
This is essentially the same concept as the Little Mermaid ride. You’ll ride slowly on a boat through scenes from Frozen. However, it’s a little more intense than the Little Mermaid ride. It’s much darker, and there’s a pretty surprising backward drop that might get you wet. Plus, as I mentioned before, Marshmallow (the giant guardian snowman) acts a little bit like he’s going to attack you. Lots of parents have commented that the drop freaked their kids out. However, most parents find that their kids love these characters so much that they can overlook the intensity. The darkness, wetness, surprising drop, and intensity will help kids get ready for other rides at EPCOT like Cosmic Rewind, Test Track, or Splash Mountain/Tiana’s Bayou Adventure.
Soarin’
This ride gives you the impression that you’re riding a hang glider as you visit some of the most beautiful places on Earth. Despite being hoisted several yards in the air, it’s a gentle ride with mild drops. It will help prepare your little one for dealing with heights, a long safety demonstration (nice work, pal), and dealing with an immersive simulator. This is the best ride to take your kid on if you’re trying to prepare them for Flight of Passage, which is a very similar experience (but much more intense).
Step 3: Hollywood Studios Rides that Aren’t Scary
Now that your child has experienced some level of intensity in a variety of categories, it’s time to try out a roller coaster. You could head back to Magic Kingdom and try out Barnstormer, Seven Dwarves Mine Train, or Thunder Mountain, but I thought I’d take you to a new park. There are very few rides at Hollywood Studios without some scare factor. Swirling Saucers and Toy Story Mania are the only ones I can think of, but I’m going to continue to offer rides that help acclimate them.
Slinky Dog Dash
Despite being heavily kid-themed, Slinky Dog Dash is not an entry-level rollercoaster. It goes up to 40mph and has several sharp turns, drops, and a restart. However, it’s an extremely smooth ride, and the queue is the least scary of any of these coasters that I mentioned above (except the Barnstormer). Also, because it’s a beloved Toy Story IP, your kids might be excited to have this intense experience in Andy’s Backyard.
Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway
This ride is very similar to Ratatouille with the magnetic cars moving back and forth. It’s slightly more intense because of the frantic nature of the plotline. Once your child gets this one under their belt, they might be ready for Rise of the Resistance, the most intense of these magnetic car rides.
Smugglers Run
This ride scratches the itch of a fear I haven’t talked about much. Some kids (and adults for that matter) don’t like simulators in enclosed spaces like Star Tours and Mission:Space. This one is a little intense, but as I mentioned with Dumbo, since there’s a level of agency and control (you’re basically playing a video game), then this might be a good entry-level to enclosed simulations.
Conclusion
Well, there you have it. If you want to get your kids ready for the more intense rides (the ones that are fun for adults), then you want to ease them in gradually. I listed several rides that cover a variety of fear points for kids, but each kid is going to be different. In fact, some kids don’t have any inhibitions about riding any ride, but here are a few more tips to get them ready:
- Don’t try to force your kid. If they hit the level of full meltdown, that experience might trump any rational discussion of a ride. As much fun as you want to have, this is really about them.
- Watch the rides and movies associated with the rides ahead of time. This will prepare them for the surprises and endear them to the characters…maybe don’t do this with Tower of Terror.
- Use peer pressure. Let them see similar age or younger kids or cousins they look up to enjoying a ride. Sometimes that changes their mind. (This often works with food choices, too.)
- Set your expectations low and get prepared for a reversal of opinion. My daughter was very excited about Flight of Passage but got cold feet just before boarding because she thought she was actually going to get turned into a Nav’i. This actually worked out for us because they let us do a last-minute rider switch, and I got to ride twice.
- Finally, be aware of height restrictions for rides. Some of the rides I mentioned, your kids might not be able to go on yet.
How do you prepare your kids for scary rides at Disney?