If you have a young one who is easily scared of darkness, loud noises or harsh scenes, you might want to skip those until they are a little older. Alternatively, you could watch ride through videos on YouTube to judge for yourself. Here are the attractions to avoid with little kids (I did leave off the attractions with height requirements as those can be a no brainer):
Magic Kingdom
1. Astro Orbiter – This attraction is located on the 3rd story of Tomorrowland and you must take an elevator to access it. If your little one is scared of heights, avoid this one.
2. Haunted Mansion – This slow dark ride is themed around an actual Haunted Mansion. The scariest part for little ones is the stretching room. About 30 guests are ushered into a small space and the lights go out and then the pictures start moving as the ghost talks. If you think your child might enjoy the ride itself, you can ask the Cast Member if you can skip the stretching room.
3. Pirates of the Caribbean – Boat rides are popular at the Disney Parks but I do not suggest you start with Pirates of the Caribbean or your little one might not want to get on another boat ride. This attraction is dark with multiple animatronic pirates located throughout. There is even a small drop (14 feet) that has been known to bring on the tears. My toddler loves it, but my son was not fond of it until he was 5.
4. Stitch’s Great Escape – Must be 40″ or taller to ride. This attraction has bars that go down over head down to shoulders and does go completely dark with loud noises at times.
Hollywood Studios
5. Tower Of Terror – Must be 40″ or taller to ride. This attraction entails a 13 story drop plus the footage of the ghosts before the drop is scary to little ones as well.
Animal Kingdom
6. It’s Tough To Be A Bug – Unless your little one loves bugs, this attraction is going to upset them. It is a 3D experience with bugs and even includes a scene where the bugs come scurrying through the audience and tickle your back as they run by.
Which attractions upset your little one? Let me know!
Learn more tips and tricks for your next Walt Disney World vacation. Destinations in Florida can also help you add tips and tricks to your next vacation.
Dinosaur! My nephew will never trust me again after that one!
Wish I had this before we went… my son had a melt down at all attractions that were dark. It made for a stressful trip but luckily we had their Godmother there so she took him back to the resort and our family was still able to enjoy the rest of the day.