sensory sensitive kids

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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!

Entrance into Toy Story Land

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. 

Credit: Disney
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How To Prepare Your Highly Sensitive Child for Disney World

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.

If you are planning to take your highly sensitive or sensory sensitive child to Disney World for your family vacation, there are many ways you can prepare them. 

You might be wondering why you need to prepare them anyway.

Highly sensitive or sensory sensitive kids don’t do well with surprises and are easily overstimulated. Vacations in general can be tough because it’s such a big change from their regular routines and familiar surroundings.

Disney World vacations can be even more challenging due to the overwhelming amount of sensory and emotional experiences. 

This is why it’s all the more important to prepare and plan ahead of time, before you ever get on that airplane or in your car.  You can truly minimize (though not completely eliminate) the sensory overload meltdowns, and maximize the magic and fun for your highly sensitive kids.

So now that we understand WHY we need to prepare them, let’s think about HOW we can prepare them. Read on to find 11 strategies to prepare your highly sensitive child for their Disney World vacation.

Become Familiar with Disney Characters
Become Familiar with Rides
Become Familiar with the Hotel
Prepare for Loud Noises
Prepare for Crowds
Bring Other Items to Reduce Stimulation
Discuss General Expectations of Them
Find Things They Love
Get Walking
Make a Countdown
Adjust Your Expectations