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THE THEME PARK SURVIVAL GUIDE (FOR PARENTS AND KIDS ALIKE) |
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Surviving the Rides
I’ll say it again (and again and again and again); Just because you (or your children) can, doesn’t mean you (or they) should. Judgment plays a large role in whether or not you or your children should actually ride a particular ride (or watch a particular show). Each and every ride and major show has been rated – the bonus…they include warnings regarding what may be cause for alarm in certain children (and even certain adults). Read through them carefully. The rides you cannot see are the ones that should befurther investigated before having your children ride them. The rides that are out in plainsight for all to see (and probably hear as well) are usually (not always, but usually) not the ones that will fall into question. Simply watching them for even a few minutes will most likely ward off those who are even slightly unsure of riding. The rides that require your attention are those rides you may think to be innocent. For instance, the Muppets 3- D at Disney-MGM Studios completely terrifies some children, who become petrified by the 3-D effects, (though to be fair, for most children it is simply an entertaining and very amusing experience). Meanwhile those same children will ride the most horrible-looking stomach churning thrill-a-minute roller coaster without a second thought - and thoroughly revel in the ecperrience. It comes down to the fact that various special effects-whether motion based, visual, pyrotechnic, or those touchy-feely sensory effects - have very different (and often entirely surprising) effects on different people (kids and adults alike). Talk with your kids to find out what may or may not frighten them, and by all means never, ever, force them to ride a ride that they don’t want to experience. That is a sure way to ruin their entire day (and likely yours as well).
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Something else to consider when deciding on the appropriateness of a ride be sure to carefully consider the little and often subtle hints provided to you by its name. Fluffy’s Furry Adventure is probably a reasonably safe bet (again I say probably!), but the Horrible Hurricane Hurler - well, what do you think? |
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Be sure to heed the warnings and restrictions placed on the rides by the parks themselves. They are there to protect you and your children, not just from simply being frightened but from actual physical harm. The slew of medical warnings and height restrictions noted at many of the rides throughout the parks are there with good reason so don’t simply fluff them off because they tend to appear so often. Every year there are too many unfortunate incidents that could at times have been avoided had riders (or their parents) simply heeded the warnings. If for any reason there is a question as to whether a ride is too much for your child (or even you) to handle (especially physically but also mentally) - it’s likely best to ere on the side of caution. If the warning signs (often posted several times before the actual ride entrance) states that those with head, neck, back, heart, breathing, or mobility limitations (among many others) should not ride - then by all means if you or your child falls into any of the categories listed Stay Off! With regard to the height restrictions, safety restraints are designed to protect a body of a certain size and stature, and if you or your kids are not the within the proper parameters, the safety devices may fail to work properly. On a ride that can reach speeds of up to 60 miles per hour dangling from hundreds of feet above the ground, twisting, turning, and spinning out of control, I am fairly confident you would be more comfortable if the restraints worked as intended.
 Unfortunately, many visitors have become far too complacent – they often completely ignore the many posted warnings (which are posted at the ride entrances, often times posted over and over throughout the queue at some of the more intense rides, listed on the park guide maps, and within the ride description itself among other places like guidebooks, websites, and so on) riding themselves or allowing their children to ride simply because “It’s Disney – it must be okay” when in fact a thrill ride is a thrill ride is a thrill ride no matter where it’s located. Disney, while experts at catering to the kid-set,knows full well that they too must have attractions that appeal to the thrill seekers, the adrenalin junkies, and well, kids over the age of 12. At each one of Disney’s theme parks you’ll find a handful of rides that do just that. So…the lesson here? Read the warnings – heed the warnings – and very importantly just because your children are tall enough to make the height requirement it doesn’t mean that they should be allowed to ride! (if some of the same rides were located at Universal Orlando in stead of at Walt Disney World, I’d have to bet that more that just a few riders and certainly plenty more parents would heed the warnings and keep their younger kids off of them). Children under the age of 8 (and I’m being extremely generous here – I would prefer to say 10 or 12), whether they meet the height requirements or not, should not (in my opinion) ride the high intensity thrill rides (including, but not limited to, Disney’s Test Track, Mission: Space – though the newer non-motion based version may be okay for some, Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, the Twilight Zone, Tower of Terror, the Rock ’N’ Roller Coaster starring Aerosmith, Star Tours, Expedition Everest, and others like them - many of which are located at other area theme parks). If you plan ahead, do a bit of research, and your plans are realistic, you will be sure to survive, and you may even find that you have a bit of fun along the way.
Be prepared for long lines, especially during peak vacation times and holidays. We have actually had to wait for 2 1/2 hours (during spring break) to get on a 3-minute ride. While that may seem like complete insanity, that’s the reality at times. And while I must admit my children are probably some of the most impatient on the planet, amazingly they fare rather well, surviving some of the longest lines without tremendous difficulty (some mild complaining, but no major difficulties). It is the adults once again who seem to be the source of most of the line dilemmas. This is probably due to the fact that it is practically inconceivable that we are actually putting ourselves through the experience of waiting in line for hours in the heat and at times high humidity for a ride that lasts only minutes. Either way, if we as parents can manage to stay calm, the kids are far more likely to follow suit. Take the opportunity to talk with your kids, play a word game, number game, or memory game, plan out what you’re going to do next or for dinner. The idea is to make it as fun as possible, not as miserable as possible, and if you can do that, then all the waiting will seem more manageable in the end.
KEEP THE FOLLOWING IN MIND WHEN YOU’RE FACED WITH A LENGTHY LINE AHEAD OF YOU:
1. If there are 2 side-by-side lines leading to a ride, take the one to the left as it tends to be shorter (not dramatically, but every little bit helps). Most people out of habit stay to the right, making that line longer.
2. Lines are by far the shortest very early in the day, prior to 11:00 a.m., picking up rather quickly from there after. They tend to slim down during parade times and later into the evenings, after 7:00 p.m. or so, but that’s when the parks are open the latest (until 9:00 p.m. or 10:00 p.m. rather than the usual 6:00 p.m. or 7:00 p.m. closings). Making use of Disney’s Extra Magic Hours can help alleviate much of your time waiting in lines (if you meet the qualifications necessary to take advantage of them).
3. Utilize the special passes (like Disney’s FASTPASS and Universal’s Express Pass) that allow you to ride during a specified period of time. The lines at your return time will be dramatically shorter, and in some cases almost nonexistent. One of the biggest drawbacks to using them, however, is that you’ll find yourself hopping all over the park in a rather unorganized fashion. This also means that you will be walking far more than you would otherwise, which of course wears everyone out that much more quickly.
4. Make a general plan for the day ahead of time. Before you even get to the parks, know which rides are top on your list, which have height restrictions that the kids will not meet, making sure to discuss this with them ahead of time to avoid unpleasant surprises. Research what shows may be of interest and check the park’s show schedule (the times guide may be available at the guest services desk in your hotel, but it’s always available at the park entrance as well as at guest service locations). Show times and parade schedules (other than those held at the very end of the day such as the fireworks displays) pose a separate problem and can throw a real wrench into your plans. While you can ride the rides at your leisure, the shows are offered only at specific times (though luckily some shows and parades play a few times throughout the day allowing for a little flexibility), forcing you to arrange (or rearrange) your well-thought-out plan for getting through the park.
5. Make your way around the park in a counterclockwise or even backward direction. Practically everyone follows the instinctive pattern of a clockwise or front-to-back order. If you break the pattern you will find the crowds more manageable, even though you will eventually meet up somewhere in between.
6. Don’t forget to smell the flowers. Those who rush from ride to ride without taking the time to really soak up the often incredible surroundings (most especially throughout Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando) miss out on a large part of what makes the theme parks so extraordinary.
7. Don’t rush through the parks from one ride to the next as fast as you can in the hope that you can avoid all the lines. Face it, lines (though lengthy at times) are simply a reality of the theme parks, and all that scurrying about will simply wear you out and leave you frustrated, exhausted, and most likely rather unhappy with the entire experience. This is where planning out the proper amount of time it will take to tour the parks is key, and it wouldn’t hurt to allow extra time just for good measure. In rushing about you will also likely miss all of the absolutely wonderful and rather amazing attention to detail,
smaller visual features, and unique little momentary attractions and stop-offs that the parks (in particular Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando) have gone to such extreme lengths to put there especially to create such incredible surroundings and atmospheres.
8. Splitting up can save the day. This is an excellent idea if your kids range far enough in ages or even if you are traveling with another family. Tinier tots certainly cannot ride the thrill rides, and older kids, tweens, and teens most likely want no part of the toddlerfriendly rides, or maybe it is just simply a case where not everyone wants to do the same thing. If the opportunity arises, take advantage of heading in separate directions for a short time. This will also cut down (sometimes rather dramatically) on the number of lines you will be waiting in as well as the overall time it takes to tour the park as you will have accomplished (at least) 2 things at once.
While it may seem like a lot to take in, the suggestions are warranted. Having traveled to central Florida in every season, experiencing the crowds at their best and their absolute worst, with children in tow ranging in age from infant to preteen, I’ve learned that it is easy to make simple mistakes that can absolutely devastate a vacation, and not many families are able to venture back a second or even third time to get it right. Now, I’m not saying that if you follow these suggestions that everything will go absolutely swimmingly. Issues are bound to arise, but the problems should be fewer and far less serious.
Divide and Conquer
For those of you with multiple children of various ages, tackling the theme parks can be a tremendous challenge to say the least. The younger kids are tugging at your shorts, pleading with you to fly off to Neverland on Peter Pan’s Flight (in Fantasyland) while the older kids are begging to conquer the universe at Space Mountain or brave the waves at Splash Mountain – so what is a family to do? I have to be honest - it’s completely idyllic to think that you’re going to spend each and every waking moment of your family vacation all together – especially if you’ve got kids of varying ages. If you prepare yourself now and follow the “divide and conquer” strategy you might actually survive the whole experience with your sanity in tact. Now that’s not to say that you have to follow this strategy every minute, from start to finish, of your vacation, but there will be times when this may be the only way to get through the parks in a timely fashion.
This is also a strategy that works quite well should you find that your little ones are in need of a nap before the day is out. If you’re staying at one of the Walt Disney World resorts (or at one of the resorts located along Hotel Plaza Boulevard), it’s a relatively painless process (in most cases) to head back to your room so that the younger members of your family (and in some cases the older ones too) can rest, relax, and take their afternoon nap - while those with the stamina of a superhero can continue tackling and touring the theme parks.
Now, take a deep breath and have fun !
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