Young Toddler on Barnstormer

[Haley R]

Has anyone taken a young toddler on Barnstormer? Our son is almost 21 months and we’ll be at MK next weekend. He’s very close to 35 inches but I’m wondering if it’ll be too intense for him based on his age.

 

[Aimeedyan]

We took ours on it for the first time in November; he was 25 months, so a tad older. He did well! The video of him is priceless, but he didn't cry. He did say he didn't want to ride it again (we have ridden it many times since without any complaint, unlike Figment which he refuses to ride ever again...).

 

[Haley R]

We took ours on it for the first time in November; he was 25 months, so a tad older. He did well! The video of him is priceless, but he didn't cry. He did say he didn't want to ride it again (we have ridden it many times since without any complaint, unlike Figment which he refuses to ride ever again...).

Thanks! I guess we’ll just ask him if he wants to ride or not. Last time he didn’t even want to be measured so we’ll see. He’s hovered around 34 inches for awhile so I think with shoes he’ll be pretty close. Lol why doesn’t your ds like figment? We rode it with our ds and he liked it but it was awhile ago

 

[Aimeedyan]

Thanks! I guess we’ll just ask him if he wants to ride or not. Last time he didn’t even want to be measured so we’ll see. He’s hovered around 34 inches for awhile so I think with shoes he’ll be pretty close. Lol why doesn’t your ds like figment? We rode it with our ds and he liked it but it was awhile ago

One night we rode it before heading back to the hotel and he was overtired. He'd ridden it before but this time, the very end scared him and he burst into tears (the part where there is a loud pop, poof of air, and the walls come down). And now he's hesitant.

We have pushed through a few times, and I prep him/hold him tight at that spot, but a couple of weeks ago he refused to even get in line. We're going tomorrow and haven't decided if we'll try again or just skip it.

 

[Haley R]

One night we rode it before heading back to the hotel and he was overtired. He'd ridden it before but this time, the very end scared him and he burst into tears (the part where there is a loud pop, poof of air, and the walls come down). And now he's hesitant.

We have pushed through a few times, and I prep him/hold him tight at that spot, but a couple of weeks ago he refused to even get in line. We're going tomorrow and haven't decided if we'll try again or just skip it.

I have a feeling my ds might not like figment this time when we ride. He’s been getting a lot more hesitant and “scared” with things lately. It’s been really weird things too.

 

[Specter]

No first hand experience but DD will be 34 months when we go in March and is super excited to go on barnstormer. We've shown her POV videos on Youtube and she is all in to try.

 

[Haley R]

No first hand experience but DD will be 34 months when we go in March and is super excited to go on barnstormer. We've shown her POV videos on Youtube and she is all in to try.

We got our son measured for it in December and he was just a little too short. He said he wanted to go on it though. Showing videos is a good idea.

 

[sponica]

I skipped it with my 21 month old, but she tried to climb out of Dumbo.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

My two older girls did it around that age, no regrets. Just stick their head in your armpit the first time or two so they can get used to the side-to-side forces. Same advice for kids who are just barely 40 inches and riding Big Thunder for the first time.

 

[Haley R]

I skipped it with my 21 month old, but she tried to climb out of Dumbo.

Lol we haven’t had that issue yet. We’ll see if he tries on our next trip

 

[Haley R]

My two older girls did it around that age, no regrets. Just stick their head in your armpit the first time or two so they can get used to the side-to-side forces. Same advice for kids who are just barely 40 inches and riding Big Thunder for the first time.

That’s kind of what I was worried about since there’s only a bar. There will be so much space between him and that bar. I’m not sure if dh or I will ride with him. Most likely dh. That’s a good idea to tuck him in close. I showed him a POV of it on YouTube today and he was really excited

 

[sponica]

Lol we haven’t had that issue yet. We’ll see if he tries on our next trip

Yeah I never thought Dumbo was terrifying until the two of us were trying to pull her from the side of the elephant as she DID NOT want to be in a flying elephant and didn't understand it was a long way down.

We're going back in a few months (she's 5.5) and I told her she wasn't allowed to do any "big" rides until she rode dumbo.

 

[Haley R]

Yeah I never thought Dumbo was terrifying until the two of us were trying to pull her from the side of the elephant as she DID NOT want to be in a flying elephant and didn't understand it was a long way down.

We're going back in a few months (she's 5.5) and I told her she wasn't allowed to do any "big" rides until she rode dumbo.

lol dumbo is actually my ds’s favorite ride. We usually ride it first thing in the morning 3-4 times. That would be scary!

 

[isabellea]

My kids rode it as soon as they were tall enough. My oldest laughed the whole way but when we did it with my youngest, she cried and screamed. No kids are the same!

 

[ktlm]

I have a feeling my ds might not like figment this time when we ride. He’s been getting a lot more hesitant and “scared” with things lately. It’s been really weird things too.

Yeah I never thought Dumbo was terrifying until the two of us were trying to pull her from the side of the elephant as she DID NOT want to be in a flying elephant and didn't understand it was a long way down.

I agree to just let him look at it and ask if he wants to ride it. If he says yes and is tall enough let him. It is a short ride, so over quickly if he decides he doesn't like it. If he says no , don't push.

At age 2 on her first trip, my DD took one look at Dumbo- pointed up and said "I'm not riding him". That was the first ride on my list to ride with her- I was so excited about riding Dumbo with her. She was not budging and not getting on "him". We found out a couple of years later, it turned out she was afraid of heights. On that same trip, she wanted to ride Barnstormer and she loved it. On our trip when she was age 3, she became obsessed with Barnstormer and one night during MNSSHP there was no line and she rode it 14 times in a row without getting off. I gave up after 11 and DH couldn't handle it again after 14 or she would have kept going. She got a frequent flyer certificate- and we were dragging her out of the park at 11:45 with her crying and begging for "1 more ride on Barnstormer".

The hesitant and scared thing happens and there doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to it. It is really "weird things" too! Don't be surprised if your kids have always liked a ride and then suddenly become terrified of it. At age 6, DD was scared of Barnstormer and would not get on it, even though she had ridden it 14 times in a row at age 3! By age 4 she rode and liked a lot of the big rides and wanted to ride them multiple times- Test Track, Space Mountain etc . At age 6-8 she was suddenly terrified of all the "big" rides she had loved when she was 4-5. She refused to set foot on Test Track, Big Thunder, Space Mountain etc. (But she did like Dumbo at those ages). Always makes me kind of cringe when people say they aren't taking their kids for a first trip until they are 6 or 7 and will ride and like the big rides, because those were our worst WDW/DLR age trips as we could barely get her on anything. Everything was "too scary" or "too fast" when she was 6-8. Now she rides and likes everything again (well except for Tower of Terror (Guardians at CA) and sometimes Splash). Kids are strange.

 

[motherof5]

Has anyone taken a young toddler on Barnstormer? Our son is almost 21 months and we’ll be at MK next weekend. He’s very close to 35 inches but I’m wondering if it’ll be too intense for him based on his age.

Depends it is a little bumpy.

 

[motherof5]

If your child is car sick or prone to headaches I would wait til older. Their head gets whipped around a little.

 

[Haley R]

I agree to just let him look at it and ask if he wants to ride it. If he says yes and is tall enough let him. It is a short ride, so over quickly if he decides he doesn't like it. If he says no , don't push.

At age 2 on her first trip, my DD took one look at Dumbo- pointed up and said "I'm not riding him". That was the first ride on my list to ride with her- I was so excited about riding Dumbo with her. She was not budging and not getting on "him". We found out a couple of years later, it turned out she was afraid of heights. On that same trip, she wanted to ride Barnstormer and she loved it. On our trip when she was age 3, she became obsessed with Barnstormer and one night during MNSSHP there was no line and she rode it 14 times in a row without getting off. I gave up after 11 and DH couldn't handle it again after 14 or she would have kept going. She got a frequent flyer certificate- and we were dragging her out of the park at 11:45 with her crying and begging for "1 more ride on Barnstormer".

The hesitant and scared thing happens and there doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to it. It is really "weird things" too! Don't be surprised if your kids have always liked a ride and then suddenly become terrified of it. At age 6, DD was scared of Barnstormer and would not get on it, even though she had ridden it 14 times in a row at age 3! By age 4 she rode and liked a lot of the big rides and wanted to ride them multiple times- Test Track, Space Mountain etc . At age 6-8 she was suddenly terrified of all the "big" rides she had loved when she was 4-5. She refused to set foot on Test Track, Big Thunder, Space Mountain etc. (But she did like Dumbo at those ages). Always makes me kind of cringe when people say they aren't taking their kids for a first trip until they are 6 or 7 and will ride and like the big rides, because those were our worst WDW/DLR age trips as we could barely get her on anything. Everything was "too scary" or "too fast" when she was 6-8. Now she rides and likes everything again (well except for Tower of Terror (Guardians at CA) and sometimes Splash). Kids are strange.

That’s so weird she got scared of it as she got older. My son is just now realizing what scared means and he will pick random things that scare him. The other day at the park he found a hole in the ground and that set him off. We’ll just take him and see what he thinks. This morning he asked to watch the “roller coaster video”. I’m thinking the actual ride will be fine but he won’t want to get measured

 

[Haley R]

If your child is car sick or prone to headaches I would wait til older. Their head gets whipped around a little.

No headaches or car sickness so that should help some. I honestly think getting measured is gonna be the thing he doesn’t want to do

 

[motherof5]

No headaches or car sickness so that should help some. I honestly think getting measured is gonna be the thing he doesn’t want to do

I had my son the same way, hated being measured. My daughter complained of headaches and hated it when she was 2, my son loved it!