Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ney's macabre trappings in stride, and others are easily comforted by an arm around
theshoulderorasqueezeofthehand.Parentswhoknowthattheirchildrentendtobe-
come upset should take it slow and easy, sampling more benign adventures, gauging
reactions, and discussing with the children how they felt about what they saw.
Some Tips
1. START SLOW AND WARM UP
Although each major theme park offers several fairly
nonintimidating attractions that you can sample to determine your child's relative
sensitivity, the Magic Kingdom is probably the best testing ground. At the Magic
Kingdom, try Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin in Tomorrowland, Peter Pan's
Flight inFantasyland, andthe Jungle Cruise inAdventureland tomeasure yourchild's
reaction to unfamiliar sights and sounds. If your child takes these in stride, try Pirates
oftheCaribbean. TrytheAstroOrbiter inTomorrowland, theMadTeaPartyinFanta-
syland, or The Barnstormer also in Fantasyland to observe how your child tolerates
certain ride speeds and motions.
Donotassumethatbecauseanattractionisatheaterpresentationitwillnotfright-
en yourchild. Trust us onthis one. An attraction does not have to be moving to trigger
unmitigated, panic-induced hysteria. Rides such as the Big Thunder Mountain Rail-
road and Splash Mountain may look scary, but they do not have even one-fiftieth the
potential for terrorizing children as do theater attractions such as
Stitch's Great Es-
cape!
2. BE ATTUNED TO PEER AND PARENT PRESSURE
Sometimes young children will rise
above their anxiety in an effort to please parents or siblings. This doesn't necessar-
ily indicate a mastery of fear, much less enjoyment. If children leave a ride in appar-
ently good shape, ask if they would like to go on it again (not necessarily now, but
sometime). The response usually will indicate how much they actually enjoyed the
experience. There's a big difference between having a good time and just mustering
the courage to get through.
3. ENCOURAGE AND EMPATHIZE
Evaluating a child's capacity to handle the visual
and tactile effects of Walt Disney World requires patience, understanding, and ex-
perimentation. Each of us, after all, has our own demons. If a child balks at or is
frightened by a ride, respond constructively. Let your children know that lots of