(Article last updated: August 30, 2017)
There are several attractions at Disney World that may seem harmless and if you go purely off of the height requirement you may think it is suitable for your child. However, even though they look fun you may find that they are a bit more than you bargained for.
Of course, every kid is different so yours may like all of these but many of these are things might scare little ones at Disney World.
Let's take a look...
We left some attractions off that either had taller height requirements or don't really require much explanation (like Splash Mountain). If there's anything not listed here that you'd like to see, please mention that in the comments.
In this article
Magic Kingdom
Pirates of the Caribbean
Height requirement: none | Scare level: 3/10
Why it could be scary: in the beginning, there are lots of skeletons that some kids might find scary. Also, the ride is dark and there's a scene in the middle where canons are being fired which could be scary to some kids.
Tips: have a small child sit in the middle of the row during the ride, preferably not in the front row
Haunted Mansion
Height requirement: none | Scare level: 4/10
Why it could be scary: the darkness, haunting audio, and images of skulls and ghosts could scare some
Tips: try to redirect a child's attention by telling them to help count how many ghosts they spot
Tomorrowland Transit Authority (PeopleMover)
Height requirement: none | Scare level: 1/10
Why it could be scary: this ride is really mild but there are parts that go through complete darkness
Tips: let kids know that this ride is a tour through Tomorrowland and that you have to go through some buildings in the dark
Stitch's Great Escape
Height requirement: 40" | Scare level: 7/10
Why it could be scary: guests are strapped to their seat while there's scary imagery, sounds and smells
Tips: don't ride it. Not only is this an attraction that might scare little ones at Disney World it is also an attraction that might gross out an adult.
Space Mountain
Height requirement: 44" | Scare level: 7/10
Why it could be scary: roller coaster completely in the dark (with a 44" height requirement, many little ones won't be tall enough to ride anyway)
Tips: probably should avoid this ride altogether if you have a child that is scared. Even some adults get a little freaked out about sudden roller coaster movements in the dark.
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
Height requirement: 38" | Scare level: 4/10
Why it could be scary: this roller coaster is the most intense attraction in Fantasyland so it might take a little one by surprise
Tips: have your child test the roller coaster waters with Barnstormer first; if they like that one then they will probably love Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
Epcot
Spaceship Earth
Height requirement: none | Scare level: 1/10
Why it could be scary: mild ride but it's very dark in parts
Tips: this ride will not scare many kids but you might want to just explain that the slow ride up is looking at the past and then there's a slow ride down that is about the future
Mission: Space
Height requirement: 40" (Green Mission), 44" (Orange Mission) | Scare level: 5/10
Why it could be scary: guests are harnessed and the simulation includes feeling g-forces and a semi-rough ride through space (though the more family-friendly "Green" mission is milder than the Orange side)
Tips: have them focus on pushing the buttons in front of them when they light up
Test Track
Height requirement: 40" | Scare level: 3/10
Why it could be scary: sudden stopping and turning plus a high-speed lap around the track
Tips: I've only occasionally seen a child be upset by this ride but just let kids know that it's a car ride that ends with a fast drive on a highway
Animal Kingdom
It's Tough to be a Bug
Height requirement: none | Scare level: 8/10
Why it could be scary: dark theater, bugs dropping from the ceiling, seat movements that feel like bugs crawling
Tips: if your child has any fear about bugs or the dark, you should probably avoid this. Otherwise, you might want to just remind them that all of the bugs they see are pretend.
Expedition Everest
Height requirement: 44" | Scare level: 8/10
Why it could be scary: big coaster that goes backward during part of the ride (though many 5-6 year olds will meet the 44" height requirement, it's too intense for many of them)
Tips: be sure to try out other easier coasters first to see about your child's comfort level. If this is their first, they may never get on another one again.
Avatar Flight of Passage
Height requirement: 44" | Scare level: 7/10
Why it could be scary: Riders are strapped in onto individual seats making it hard to offer much comfort (if needed), ride simulates falling and the feeling is very realistic and may be too intense for some
Tips: there is a ride vehicle you can test outside of the attraction so try that first
Dinosaur
Height requirement: 40" | Scare level: 8/10
Why it could be scary: rough, dark ride where dinosaurs suddenly appear and make very loud dinosaur noises
Tips: don't ride if your child scares easily but have them sit in the middle of a middle row if they ride and want to minimize the scariness
Hollywood Studios
Fantasmic!
Height requirement: none | Scare level: 3/10
Why it could be scary: Disney villains play a part in the show which scares some kids
Tips: focus on the other less scary elements of the show - have them look at the water features, lights, Glow with the Show ears
Tower of Terror
Height requirement: 40" | Scare level: 8/10
Why it could be scary: Aside from the 13 story drop, the Twilight Zone imagery that riders see before the drop could be scary. This ride only has a 40" height requirement so many little ones will be able to ride.
Tips: probably best to avoid this ride if kids seem hesitant as it's pretty intense
Voyage of the Little Mermaid
Height requirement: none | Scare level: 3/10
Why it could be scary: the Ursula character in this show scares some little ones
Tips: remind little ones know that Ursula is not real but sit near an exit door if you think you will want the option to leave
Kylo Ren at Star Wars Launch Bay
Height requirement: none | Scare level: 4/10
Why it could be scary: most character meets at Disney World involve friendly characters but Kylo Ren stays true to his movie persona which may be a little intense for both little ones and adults
Tips: if they are Star Wars fans remind little ones that The Force will keep them safe
Advice for handling things that might scare little ones at Disney World
If your little one scares easily, you can handle it a couple of different ways.
- Avoid the attractions.
- Frame scary attractions in a way that's less scary for them using some of the tips and info mentioned above.
- Give them a key ring flashlight to use on darker rides. If they're scared of the dark, let them have a tiny flashlight that won't bother other people but will give them the chance to turn on a light and let them feel more in control.
- Show them videos or tell them how the attraction will go so there are no big surprises or try a guide that's designed for kids, by kids like Birnbaum's Walt Disney World for Kids book which has pictures and ride ratings.
- Start small when it comes to the roller coasters. Barnstormer is a good test to see how your little one handles the thrill rides.
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Are there any other attractions that you think you should be on this list? Or do you have advice for handling things that might scare little ones at Disney World?
We'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments.
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40 Comments on "Things that might scare little ones at Disney World"
I’m wondering where the Slinky Dog will fit in all of this… more intense than barnstormer or Seven Dwarfs??? Mine don’t love coasters but we thought we might try Seven Dwarfs and Slinky Dog next year???
I read it will be more like the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, but if it’s on here, it might be for that reason and the main drop.
So 4/10.
Heck, it’s tough to be a bug made my then-59 year old mom (:3 she’s 60 now!) jump when the spiders descended and the bugs rattled out the door under your seats. I cackle. I love that show. I hope it stays forever. They can get rid of the stinkbug nastiness. That and that skunk garbage in Imagination. Stop making us smell disgusting stuff, guys.
Everest at Animal Kingdom was a very scary experience for both me and my 5 year old grandson. Avoid.
Just one more addition to HM section- I can still vividly remember a six-year old me whimpering into Mom’s stomach as the “Ghost Host” tells you that there’s no way out and then the rafters reveal a hanged (I know, bad grammar, but ‘hung’ doesn’t sound right) corpse… that part was rather terrifying. Truth to be told, I would bump the scare rating up to 5/10.
An AED symbol next to an attraction in a good indicator that it may be scary (and raise your blood pressure).
LOVE your tip about stitch’s great escape – that should go for everyone, scared or not! Also great tip for the great movie ride, my 5 year old self laid on the floor of ye car when the bad guy came.
when i went my daughter was 18 & i had her watch her 6yr old brother (big mistake) she took him on tower of terror. he cried so hard & it ruined the whole day. now we are going back he reminds not to go on it. i am going to plan the rides very carefully with no dark & scary. just my son & i this time.
Maybe its just me but I have a 5 yr daughter and to this day I don’t know her level of scare I think she is sort of a daredevil with rides at nearby carnivals but another day she will have a nightmare about a elf like elf on the shelf seriously an ELF. So I’m totally lost on what rides to try do I do that Dinosaurs ride or no? Any opinions?
My 5 year old daughter wanted to go on the Stitch ride with the idea that it was a fun and happy ride. When we went on it, she cried the whole time. Do not ride it with small children or even on your own because if you ride on your own or with older children, it is really uninteresting.
I think Splash Mountain should have been on here. It’s not the scariest thing ever, but I think the vultures and the part before the drop could scare a lot of kids.
I’m curious about Splash Mountain too. How bad is the drop at the end? Is there scary stuff leading up to that?
Thank you sooo much for this post and everyone’s helpful comments! I have an easily scared 3 & 5-yr-old so all these tips will be extremely helpful in our upcoming trip.
My husband and I honeymooned at WDW and went on Dinosaur. We were both terrified the entire time. We won’t be returning to that ride, for sure!
When my daughter was 3, we brought her on most of these rides (if she was tall enough). Needless to say, when we returned with her at age 5, she remembered which rides scared her and couldn’t get her on any of them.
I never brought her on Dinosaur because I knew it would freak her out.
Great post! I wanted to add to Expedition Everest. My son rode when he was 5 and loved the ride…until the yeti figure came out and “ripped up” the tracks. That terrified him on a rollercoaster he otherwise was enjoying. Any kids scared of monsters should definitely avoid it, even if they like rollercoasters.
my daughter had a big fear of “dark” rides. She’s still afraid of the dark. She loves the rides themselves but is afraid of the dark. She has a small keychain flashlight that she holds on the rides. As long as shes holding the light (we’ve used our cell phones when we forget the light) she enjoys her self…she just needs a little night light.
That is a great idea! So sweet of you to bring them for other kids. We will for sure bring some for our kids as well as some extras!
Yes, thank you for this idea. I have a “scared” child and i’m hoping that this idea will help him.
Honestly, my 10-year-old niece and I were a little freaked out during the Safari when they pretend that the bridge is washed out. We weren’t expecting that. My husband thought we were silly for believing it. 🙂
They don’t do that anymore but it would’ve made the list if they did. That was scary.
I’m pretty sure they still do this…? I was on it just last week…and countless times this year and I can’t think of a time when they did not do it. I would add it to the list! 🙂
Maybe we are talking about two different things? When I reread it…I guess I think the Safari should be added for the part where they say the bridge is old…and it shakes and you fall to one side and feel like the bridge is about to break. Not sure if that is what y’all were talking about. I saw “bridge” and that is what I was thinking you were speaking about. 🙂
I also agree that the Aliens section of the Great Movie Ride needs to be mentioned and the scare level possibly bumped up a bit. My wife and I forgot about that part of the ride and my daughter was in tears when one of them jumped out at her. If I recall correctly, one of them drops from the ceiling so the middle seat doesn’t provide any escape. I would recommend trying to distract little ones so that they are looking elsewhere during that portion of the ride.
That part of the ride is still scary to me and I’m 17 years old!
I’m glad you added this about The Great Movie Ride. My husband & I had forgotten about the alien part. We took our 3 year old on it & she got scared & she doesn’t scare easy. Also, isn’t there a scene with the witch from The Wizard of Oz? If I’m remembering correcyly, that scared her too. We felt like horrible parents for taking her on that ride.
I agree, the scare rating for this ride should be higher.
I learned my lesson the hard way that just because they’re tall enough doesn’t mean they should ride. I have very tall children (my daughter was 4 and able to ride almost everything my son will be 3 this trip and is 41 in). These are great tips.
Great article here Shannon! Every parent should read through this before taking their kids on some of these rides. We did the flashlight trick and that definitely worked for rides like Pirates. I agree 100% with the Space Mountain comment, my daughter is 6 and after I rode it I am very glad she did not.
Do people actually take their kids on Tower of Terror??? I wouldn’t even do that one 😉
The alien coming out of the ceiling in the great movie ride scares me so I don’t think it’s appropriate for toddlers.
Agreed! This was my first thought about the GMR. I’m an adult, I’ve been going on this ride since I was 6, and I still have to close my eyes and put my head down at that part! 🙂