Rides & Attractions Archives - Moms Make it Magical

Image of Toy Story land, and Slinky Dog image from the queue. In the center with white background, the text reads "Is slinky dog dash a scary ride for sensitive kids?" From moms make it magical dot com.

Is Slinky Dog Dash a Scary Ride for Sensitive Kids?

Slinky Dog Dash for Highly Sensitive Kids: a Ride Review and Rating

Are you planning a trip to Disney World and wondering if your highly sensitive, sensory sensitive or anxious kids will enjoy Slinky Dog Dash? Or will they be scared and overwhelmed, resulting in meltdowns instead?

Well, you’re in the right place.

Here you’ll find a thorough overview of one of Disney World’s most popular rides—Slinky Dog Dash.

There are lots of things on Disney World rides that could trigger a meltdown in sensitive kids. It could be sudden noises, how loud something is, being in the dark, bright or flashing lights, how fast something is, or “scary” visuals.

Sometimes these seemingly minor things (especially piled up throughout the day) can result in sensory overload meltdowns.

If you don’t like spoilers and it’s your first time going to Disney World, STOP READING NOW! The reason for creating these ride reviews and ratings in the first place is to make sure there are NO surprises. We want you to feel fully prepared and aware of what you’re getting yourself into. But continue on if you’d like all the details about Slinky Dog Dash, and want to find out whether or not it would be a scary ride for your sensitive or anxious kids.

This post may contain affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my links, at no extra cost to you. Please read full disclosure for more information.

SLINKY DOG DASH RIDE INFO

Slinky Dog Dash is found in Toy Story Land in Disney’s Hollywood Studios, one of Walt Disney World’s four theme parks. It is an outdoor family coaster, themed to feel like you’ve shrunk down to the size of a toy and you are actually riding Slinky Dog! You’ll see so many details that show how Andy has built this ride using his “Dash & Dodge Mega Coaster Kit”. The ride itself is about 2 minutes long.

It is the most thrilling ride among the three rides in Toy Story Land (the other two being Toy Story Mania and Alien Swirling Saucers). And it’s the only Disney World ride to features two launches. It is also the most popular ride in Toy Story Land, as indicated by its high wait times.

There is a height requirement to ride Slinky Dog Dash. Your child must be at least 38 inches tall to ride.

Slinky Dog Dash first opened on June 30, 2018. While it is not one of the newest rides at Hollywood Studios, it still has not lost any popularity. This is a good ride to prioritize if you’re utilizing the Genie+ service. It is highly recommended to book this one first, if possible!

Even though it may be a popular ride at Hollywood Studios, it doesn’t necessarily mean that Slinky Dog Dash will be enjoyable for highly sensitive or sensory sensitive kids. Let’s get into the details and figure out if this ride will be too overwhelming or scary for your kids.

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Is Avatar: Flight of Passage a Scary Ride for Sensitive Kids?

Leave a Comment / Animal Kingdom, Rides & Attractions / By susan

Avatar: Flight of Passage for Highly Sensitive Kids: a Ride Review and Rating

Are you planning a trip to Disney World and wondering if your highly sensitive, sensory sensitive or anxious kids will enjoy Avatar: Flight of Passage? Or will they be scared and overwhelmed, resulting in meltdowns instead?

Well, you’re in the right place.

Here you’ll find a thorough overview of one of Disney World’s most popular rides—Avatar: Flight of Passage. There are lots of things that could trigger a meltdown in sensitive kids. It could be sudden noises, how loud something is, being in the dark, bright or flashing lights, how fast something is, or “scary” visuals. Sometimes these seemingly minor things (especially piled up throughout the day) can result in sensory overload meltdowns.

If you don’t like spoilers and it’s your first time going to Disney World, STOP READING NOW!

The reason for creating these ride reviews and ratings in the first place is to make sure there are NO surprises. We want you to feel fully prepared and aware of what you’re getting yourself into. But continue on if you’d like all the details about Avatar: Flight of Passage, and want to find out whether or not it would be a scary ride for your sensitive or anxious kids.

This post may contain affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my links, at no extra cost to you. Please read full disclosure for more information.

Avatar: Flight of Passage Ride Info

Avatar: Flight of Passage is a ride from the Pandora section of Disney World’s Animal Kingdom. In Disney abbreviations, it is often referred to as FoP.

It is a 3D flying simulator attraction, which allows guests to feel like they are riding on the back of a mountain banshee. This exhilarating flight gives you a birds-eye view of the breathtaking landscapes of Pandora. The ride itself is about 5 minutes long, but it has pretty extensive pre-shows before you even get into the ride chamber.

You must be at least 44” tall to ride. For reference, my 5 year old is tall enough to ride this (although he chose not to… you can find out more in the review below).

Flight of Passage first opened on May 27, 2017. Since then, it has been one of the most popular rides at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. If you ever go to Animal Kingdom for rope drop, you’ll often see people bolting towards Flight of Passage.

Rope Drop:
Disney terminology for getting to park before opening so you can get on some of the headliner rides before significant lines form

While it may be a popular ride at Animal Kingdom, or frankly in ALL of Disney World, it doesn’t necessarily mean that Flight of Passage will be enjoyable for highly sensitive or sensory sensitive kids. Let’s break it down and figure out if this ride will be too overwhelming or scary for your kids.

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Is Avatar: Flight of Passage a Scary Ride for Sensitive Kids?Read More »

Photo of people riding Seven Dwarfs Mine Train at Disney World's Magic Kingdom. Background is light purple with text above Seven Dwarfs Mine Train for highly Sensitive Kids. From moms make it magical dot com.

Is Seven Dwarfs Mine Train a Scary Ride for Sensitive Kids?

Fantasyland, Magic Kingdom, Rides & Attractions / By susan

Seven Dwarfs Mine Train for Highly Sensitive Kids: a Ride Review and Rating

Are you planning a trip to Disney World and wondering if your highly sensitive, sensory sensitive or anxious kids will enjoy Seven Dwarfs Mine Train? Or will they be scared and have meltdowns instead?

Look no further!

Here you’ll find a thorough overview of one of Disney World’s popular rides—Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. Maybe some of your kids’ triggers are sudden noises, noise level, darkness, bright or flashing lights, speed, or “scary” visuals. Sometimes, these seemingly minor things can cause sensory overload meltdowns in our sensitive family members.

If you don’t like spoilers and it’s your first time going to Disney World, STOP READING NOW! The reason for creating these ride reviews and ratings in the first place is to make sure there are NO surprises that will throw off you and your family. But continue on if you’d like all the details about Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, and want to find out if it’d be a scary ride for the sensitive or anxious members of your family.

This post may contain affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my links, at no extra cost to you. Please read full disclosure for more information.

Seven Dwarfs Mine Train Ride Info

Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, also sometimes referred to as 7DMT in Disney abbreviations, is a rollercoaster found in the Fantasyland section of Disney World’s Magic Kingdom. It first opened on May 28, 2014. Since then it has been one of the most popular rides at Magic Kingdom as indicated by the long wait times. It is also one of the attractions at Magic Kingdom that use the Individual Lightning Lane (where you can pay extra to bypass the standby line). So, this clearly shows that Seven Dwarfs Mine Train is usually in HIGH demand!

It is themed after the beloved dwarfs from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. It feels like you are racing through a diamond mine on a rustic mine train. Inside the mine, you’ll get to see glittering jewels and see all of your favorite dwarfs whistling and singing while they dig. The audio-animatronic technology used for the dwarfs make them look super realistic!

This coaster travels both outdoors and indoors. There are also two on-ride cameras that take pretty epic pictures and videos of guests. You’ll need Disney’s Photopass to access them.

On Ride Photo from Seven Dwarfs Mine Train

There is a minimum height requirement of 38 inches (97cm) for this ride. If you’ve got taller kiddos, this could be one they are tall enough to ride at the age of 2 or 3 years old! My son was one month shy of 3 when he was able to ride Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. It’s a really quick ride, as the duration is about 2 minutes, 50 seconds long. This ride is NOT recommended for expectant mothers.

While it IS a roller coaster with a height restriction, is it really that scary for sensitive or anxious kids? Let’s break it down and figure out if this ride will be an enjoyable one or totally unpleasant for your child.

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Frozen Ever After for highly Sensitive Kids, a ride review and rating. Photo of Frozen Ever Ride entrance. From moms make it magical dot com

Frozen Ever After for Highly Sensitive Kids: a Ride Review & Rating

5 Comments / Epcot, Rides & Attractions / By susan

Going to Disney World and wondering if your highly sensitive or sensory sensitive kids will enjoy Frozen Ever After? Or will it cause meltdowns instead?

Well, you’ve found yourself in the right place!

Here you’ll find a thorough overview of Frozen Ever After, looking at factors like sudden noises, noise level, darkness, bright lights, speed, and “scary” visuals. Sometimes, these seemingly little things can induce meltdowns in our highly sensitive or sensory sensitive kids.

If you don’t like spoilers and it’s your first time going to Disney World, don’t read on! The whole purpose of these ride reviews and ratings is to make sure there are NO surprises that will throw off you and your children.

This post may contain affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my links, at no extra cost to you. Please read full disclosure for more information.

Ride Info

You can find Frozen Ever After at the Norway Pavilion in World Showcase at Epcot. It first opened on June 21, 2016. Since then, it has been one of the most popular attractions at Epcot. If you ever go to Epcot for rope drop (a park strategy to get there before opening so you can be among the first to get on one of the headliner rides before significant lines form), you’ll see people bolting towards Soarin’, Test Track, or Frozen Ever After.

Clearly, it’s themed after the oh-so-loved movie “Frozen”. It features our favorite characters, Elsa, Anna, Kristoff, Sven, and Olaf. You get to voyage to Arendelle on a Nordic vessel, through the frozen willow forest, and up the North mountain to Queen Elsa’s ice palace, while listening to so many of our favorite Frozen tunes.

This is an indoor boat ride, and the first attraction to install all-electronic audio animatronics. This technology allows the characters to move in a more lifelike and fluid manner. The duration of the ride is about 5 minutes, and there is no height minimum in order to go on this attraction. This means even infants can go on this!

But just because babies can ride this doesn’t mean it’s an attraction your highly sensitive or sensory sensitive kids will enjoy. Let’s break it down and figure out if this ride will be an enjoyable or unpleasant one for your child.

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Image of Toy Story Mania entrance at Hollywood Studios. Text says "will your highly sensitive child enjoy toy story mania?" from moms make it magical dot com.

Toy Story Mania for Highly Sensitive Kids

5 Comments / Hollywood Studios, Rides & Attractions, Toy Story Land / By susan

Going to Disney World and wondering if your highly sensitive or sensory sensitive kids will enjoy Toy Story Mania? Or will it cause meltdowns instead?

Well, you’ve found yourself in the right place!

Here you’ll find a thorough overview of Toy Story Mania, looking at factors like sudden noises, noise level, darkness, bright lights, speed, and “scary” visuals. Sometimes, these seemingly little things can induce meltdowns in our highly sensitive or sensory sensitive kids.

Toy Story Mania is a ride found in Toy Story Land at the Hollywood Studios theme park. It’s an interactive 4-D shooting game, which first opened on May 31, 2008. The ride vehicles have a have a pair of mounted pull-string cannons on each side, which means there are 4 per vehicle. It’s a really fun take on classic carnival midway games.

The background story is that you are “shrinking” down to the size of toys to play a carnival game that Andy got for his birthday. Some of the games include: throwing virtual eggs at farm animals, shooting virtual darts at balloons, throwing virtual baseballs at plates, and tossing virtual rings on the adorable Toy Story aliens.

Keep in mind that you need to be wearing their special glasses to fully immerse yourself in the 4-D experience.

While there is no height minimum to ride Toy Story Mania, let’s figure out whether your highly sensitive kids will be overwhelmed OR enjoy their experience on this attraction.

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Image of Soarin' Around the World entrance at Epcot, with text Disney's Soarin' for Highly Sensitive Kids

Soarin’ for your Highly Sensitive Child

Leave a Comment / Epcot, Rides & Attractions / By susan

Will your highly sensitive child enjoy Soarin’ Around the World?

Are you planning a trip to Disney World and asking yourself, “will my highly sensitive or sensory sensitive child enjoy Soarin’ Around the World”?

Then you’ve come to the right place!

Soarin’ Around the World, or otherwise referred to as just Soarin’, is found at Epcot inside the Land Pavillion. The Land Pavillion is also known for the popular character meal at Garden Grill and the Living with the Land ride.

Soarin’ is a simulated hang glider tour of the world, inside a 180 degree, 80-foot diameter IMAX digital projection dome. The places you get to “visit” while riding Soarin’ are experienced in this order:

1) Matterhorn in Italy and Switzerland
2) Isfjord, Greenland
3) Sydney Harbor in Australia
4) Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany
5) Kilimanjaro National Park in Tanzania
6) The Great Wall of China
7) The Great Pyramids of Egypt
8) The Taj Mahal in India
9) Monument Valley in Arizona, USA
10) Lau Islands in Fiji
11) Igauzu Falls in Argentina
12) Eiffel Tower in Paris, France
13) Spaceship Earth at Epcot in Orlando, FL

The origins of the ride came from the Disney California Adventure Park in Anaheim, CA, where it was an opening day attraction! This version opened in Epcot in 2005 and has become one of the most popular rides at this theme park. There is a 40” height minimum, and this attraction is not recommended for pregnant mamas.

Image of the front of the Land pavilion at Epcot, featuring Soarin', for article about riding Soarin' with a highly sensitive child. — Photo credit: magicguides.com

Previewing Disney World rides on YouTube POV videos is generally helpful. But it is REALLY challenging to get the full picture for Soarin’, as there are a ton of non-visual aspects to this attraction. Let’s break it down with a “Moms Make it Magical” rating, and figure out if Soarin’ will be a good experience for your highly sensitive child.

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Will your highly sensitive child enjoy Tomorrowland speedway? With pink background and image of entrance of Tomorrowland speedway. From moms make it magical dot com.

Tomorrowland Speedway for Your Highly Sensitive Child

Leave a Comment / Magic Kingdom, Rides & Attractions, Tomorrowland / By susan

Will your highly sensitive child enjoy Disney’s Tomorrowland Speedway?

It’s hard to miss Tomorrowland Speedway once you enter the Tomorrowland section of Disney’s Magic Kingdom. Your highly sensitive child will quickly hear the roar of the engines and the smell of gasoline fumes, once in the near vicinity.

Basically, you get to drive a small gas-powered car around a 2000-foot race track, with a guide rail that keeps you in your lane. Some kids are really excited for this since it feels like you’re driving a mini race car, while enjoying the sights of Magic Kingdom around you. There is a height minimum of 32” to ride with an adult, and you must be at least 54” tall to ride alone.

Image of cars driving on Disney's Tomorrowland speedway. Photo from magic guides dot com. — **Photo Credit:** magicguides.com

There seem to be mixed opinions when it comes to this ride—some feel that it’s a classic, timeless Disney ride. Others think it is dated, smelly, and loud.

Let’s break it down with a “Moms Make it Magical” rating to see whether or not your highly sensitive child will enjoy Tomorrowland Speedway, so that we can minimize those potential meltdowns.

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Will My Highly Sensitive Child Enjoy Peter Pan’s Flight?

3 Comments / Fantasyland, Magic Kingdom, Rides & Attractions / By susan

Have you wondered if your highly sensitive child will enjoy their experience on Peter Pan’s Flight? Peter Pan’s Flight is a classic Disney ride, which was an opening day attraction at Walt Disney World on October 1, 1971. It is located in the Fantasyland section of Magic Kingdom, right across from “it’s a small world”. It is a slow-moving ride where you board a “flying pirate ship” over London, and then to Never Land. The pirate ships are suspended from a rail on the ceiling, to simulate the sense of flying.

Because it is a fairly gentle ride, there is no minimum height requirement. Infants and small toddlers, expectant moms, and older adults (if ambulatory) should be able to ride without a problem. I often see this ride and “it’s a small world” being recommended as some of the best rides at Magic Kingdom for very young children, kids who scare easily, and those who dislike typical thrill rides.

But what about for highly sensitive or sensory sensitive children? Let’s go through some of the attraction details to see whether your highly sensitive child will enjoy Peter Pan’s Flight, or totally hate it and freak out.

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Will my highly sensitive child like “it’s a small world”?

3 Comments / Fantasyland, Magic Kingdom, Rides & Attractions / By susan

Ride Rating: “it’s a small world for the Highly Sensitive Child

“it’s a small world” is one of those iconic Disney rides. You can find it in the Fantasyland section of Magic Kingdom, right across from Peter Pan’s Flight.

There is no height minimum, so anyone from babies to expectant moms to the elderly can go on this ride! Let me rate this ride for you from a “Moms Make it Magical” perspective, so we can minimize those potential meltdowns for your highly sensitive kids.

Sudden Noises – ⅕

Your highly sensitive child may dislike sudden noises. “It’s a small world” is definitely more of a ride with constant noise with the repetition of the catchy song throughout the entire 10 minutes and 30 second duration, as opposed to sudden noises. This is why I give this a low rating.

Noise Level – ⅗

“It’s a small world” wouldn’t be what it is without the infamous song! From what I’ve seen, it is a “love it” or “hate it” situation from both adults and kids. If you’re curious, I personally love it and don’t mind the song being stuck in my head all day long.

But this is exactly why I would rate the noise level at a 3. It is not a quiet ride by any means, and the song playing loudly on a loop might be too much for some little ears (or even some adult ones too, if you’re part of the “hate it” camp)!

Darkness – ⅖

This ride is not too dark at all! Most of the scenes are lit brightly enough to see all the animatronics dancing and singing. One section that features Australia, New Zealand, and the Polynesian islands had a bit of a darker color palette than the other sections, but overall, highly sensitive kids with a fear of the dark shouldn’t have a huge issue on this ride.

Bright & Flashing Lights – ⅕

While it is VERY colorful and there are lots of moving parts, bright and flashing lights are not something to worry about on “it’s a small world”. There are no sudden transitions between darker areas and brightly lit sections.

Speed – ⅕

This is a slow-moving boat ride, which moves at a pretty consistent pace throughout. Just watch for the very end when they bring you back to the exit gates–it is a little jolting transitioning out of the water, after a mostly smooth ride. But really, no major speed concerns here!

Drops – 0/5

The ride moves through the different scenes without any drops or unexpected movements. It is very tame in terms of any “thrill” factor.

“Scary” Visuals – ⅖

What is scary to one child isn’t always scary to another, so this is extremely subjective! My kids did pretty well, but the Australia, New Zealand, Polynesian section did have a variety of large tiki masks displayed, which could freak out some kids.

K used to cry at our local children’s museum because of a “sun with a face” that creeped her out and we never ended up renewing our membership there since she hated it so much!

But anyway, the visual scenes overall are very pleasant as they try to promote a happy world where people of all cultures get along.

Crowded/Close Proximity to Others – 0/5

Crowds are often overwhelming for highly sensitive kids. On “it’s a small world”, there are several rows of seating on these boats, and they will seat your party together in these rows. So, there is a low likelihood of being squashed in like sardines and having to be in close proximity to virtual strangers.

Strong/Unpleasant Smells – 0/5

Disney is known to use the sense of smell to make their attractions even MORE immersive without you fully realizing it. In this case, I don’t recall any strong or unpleasant smells, so this shouldn’t be an issue even if your kid’s sense of smell is just as strong as your dog’s! 😉

Wetness Factor – 0/5

Some highly sensitive children are extremely uncomfortable getting wet or sitting around in wet clothes. While “its a small world” is a boat ride, you will NOT be getting wet at all! J was a little fearful of getting splashed after having ridden Frozen Ever After at Epcot, but he was fine after many many times of reassurance.

TOTAL SCORE – 10/50

How do we understand the rating? A lower score means less sensory overload, while a higher score means a greater likelihood of being overwhelmed and overstimulated. Based on that understanding, “its a small world” is a ride I would generally recommend for highly sensitive children (and adults), as long as constant noise and visual stimulation isn’t a huge trigger!

What has YOUR experience been on “it’s a small world”? Do you love it or hate it? Click the image below to join my private Facebook Group to share your opinion and get more tips on planning your Disney trip with your highly sensitive kids!