What do you think is the minimum age for Tower of Terror?

[ZachnElli]

Wow, I'm shocked such young kids are riding it! I thought for sure we'd be skipping it. I'm gonna try to find that movie to rent it and then see what my kids think. I still think the preshow might get them (4 & 8 years).

 

[tink2]

I think it depends on the child's personality. On a family trip, my brother took his 5 yr old daughter on TOT. She wanted to ride and he talked to her about what would happen while on the ride. Even though she had never ridden anything scarier than Snow White, she still wanted to go. When she got off, she was crying and said she never wanted to go again. It is two years later, and she doesn't want to ride any "thrill rides"- roller coasters included. I think it depends on the child and their previous ride experience. I definitely would not make this the first "thrill" ride experience for a child.

 

[2d_star_to_the_right]

My son did the TOT at age 4 1/2. He rode it 3x in a row and then decided he didn't want to do it anymore. He was never clear why he decided not to ride it again. In fact, he had been vocal that he was not going on it before the trip and then when we were sitting waiting for dh to get off Rock N Rollar Coaster- he up and decided to ride TOT. This trip he is again vocal about not riding- but I guess we will see what happens when we get there. I don't push - it is completely his choice and I do prepare him every step of the way what is happening next to make it easier for him.

Test track continues to be a big hit as does Splash Mountain.

 

[Tribe0701]

I took my DD (then 5) last March, she wanted to ride it so bad so I didn't tell her what was going to happen the first time. She was silent throught the whole ride and when we got off she said lets ride it again. She was scared of the pre show though. However, the child behind us was terrified and was crying through the whole ride. So I guess it just depends on the child. I would suggest riding it without him once to refresh your memory and then you may have a better idea of how scary it might be for him.

 

[disneydew]

I feel that 5 is still a little to young for Tower of Terror. My DD wouldn't ride till she was 8 (now she loves it!)

 

[strawberryblonde]

My DS (then 5) rode this twice in Dec. Once with his Dad and then once with me (we were child swapping with the 2 yr old). After getting off with his Dad I asked if he liked it and if he wanted to ride with me and he said "yes" and gladly bounced through the line with me. It wasn't until he cowered into my arm (right before the first drop) that I wondered how much he really did enjoy it. When we got off he said he didn't like it after all and didn't want to ride again. True to his word, when we took our big extended family trip this March (during which he turned 6) he chose not to ride with his two older cousins (8 and 9). My neice and nephew were so eager to ride and I thought they were old enough but they both sobbed during the entire drop sequence. They both continued to cry 10 min. after the ride was over, my nephew chosing to face the wall as he ate his breakfast bar wanting no interaction at all. Each time I looked over at my neice she would shed more tears. Very intense experience for them, perhaps because they better understood the preshow, I don't know. Best wishes.

 

[Kissimmee JP]

Took my DS on it 2 yrs ago when he was 4...he was a little freaked by the preshow (as he was at the HM at MK). He loved the ride, however.

He's already talking about going on it again, along w/his 4 y.o. brother.

 

[tricia]

I think my son is all backwards. He cried at the end of TOT and Splash when he was 3yo because he wanted to keep riding. In both instances a CM asked if it had been too scary and he sobbed 'I don't want to get off!' I made him get off with the promise that we would ride it again(we usually had fp's).

 

[threeboysmom]

I think a good gauge as to whether your young child will get scared by the preshow part, is to rent the movie. It has a couple of real scary parts & explains the storyline well. If they enjoy them movie, then they will like the preshow as the same characters are in both & they will recognize them. The only thing different is the dark. Maybe watch the movie a second time at night with the lights out and see how they do! My 5 year old rode ToT when he was 4, but didn't like it because "he floated". But after watching the movie, he wants to try it again on our next trip. It's our 11 year old we're having problems with! He doesn't like drops, but I told him he needs to try ToT this trip at least once and then if he doesn't like it, he doesn't have to go on again. If his wimpy mom finally got the courage to ride it this past Sept. after chickening out for years and then ended up loving it, I think he will too.

 

[mrscrabapple]

Just got back yesterday! We had a great trip overall. My dd, who is 7, was totally freaked out by the ToT. It wasn't the drop sequence. It was the preshow and the fact that the ghostly characters from the preshow reappear towards the end of the ride. We were also on the ride with a group of teens who were screaming whenever something slightly scary was going on which added to her fear. (Not their faults, they were just having fun.) My dd was practically hyperventilating. I had to hold her arms and shake her a little to get her to look at me so I could start calming her down. She was beyond scared and moving towards hysterical. If you're not sure about how your child will react my suggestion is don't take them on it. I should've known better. If your child is scared of the dark or spooked by ghost stories, as my dd is, don't do it! She also didn't like HM much this trip although we rode it 3 times in a row when she was 4 because she loved it so much!

 

[ChiTownZee]

Well my DD was 2 (close to 3) when she rode the first time. After she recovered from the shock she asked to go on again, but DH and I said no. She's ridden it again most times we go, by her request, but once is enough, even though she enjoys it, she doesn't want to do it twice in a row. She's 5 now. She's got her sites on Rockin' roller Coster next!