Good age for a child's first trip to KI?

[Lakota88]

I'm looking forward to introducing my daughter to KI soon, but she's only four years old. Do you think that's too young for a first trip?

My main concern is that she's a big chicken -- just like I was at her age -- so I'm not sure how many rides she would try. I haven't been to KI in ages so I don't even know what the former Hanna Barbera section is like now.

Can parents ride with kids on most of the rides?

[ChazyG]

My Son was 7 day's old when he first went! lol

[frisbeefan]

From my experience when I've gone with my cousins who are younger, around 4 or 5, they have a great time. There are many small rides in Planet Snoopy that are really great for younger kids. A list of rides in Planet Snoopy can be found here. There are some rides in which you can ride with her, but many smaller rides can only accomodate small kids.

Other rides that my young cousins enjoyed outside of the smaller rides were Scrambler and Monster. Hope this helps a little and hope you have fun!

[markr]

I think your child will have a wonderful time in the Planet Snoopy section.

You state that you are concerned about your child being " chicken " about certain rides like you were at her age. Many people, children and adults included, have their physical and mental limitations regarding thrill rides. While I love roller coasters, my sister cannot stand them as she gets very sick when she rides them. No one should ever be ashamed of expressing these limitations and I feel it is important that we respect others limitations and not force or shame them into experiencing rides that they are absolutely terrified of. Perhaps your child will eventually enjoy thrill rides but, I implore you, do not force your child into riding anything of which she is absolutely terrified. This will almost assure that she will hate thrill rides in the future.

[IndyGuy4KI]

My Son was 7 day's old when he first went! lol

I think my son was just a few months old when he went for the first time.

As stated above Lakota88, let them decide and I think a little persuasion is fine, but do not force them, they will come around the next time your at the park.

Welcome to KIC by the way!

[standbyme]

4 Years old is EASILY old enough to have a great time...the park has a lot of great for kids of all ages!

I implore you, do not force your child into riding anything of which she is absolutely terrified. This will almost assure that she will hate thrill rides in the future.

Amen!

[ScootZilla]

Well my youngest went when he turned 3,My oldest son went when he was 6 and my little girl went when she was 2.

My little girl didnt ride anything but she had a blast at GWL,But my 3yo loved everything he could ride,He made me and my wife ride WTB flume ride like 10 times that day.

PS.He did wear boots so it made him a few inches taller.

[Lakota88]

. . . I implore you, do not force your child into riding anything of which she is absolutely terrified. This will almost assure that she will hate thrill rides in the future.

Oh, I'd never think of forcing her on a ride. No way. But when it comes to things that I know aren't scary (but just seem scary to her) I try to reassure her and talk her into trying it. I really don't think she'd do any of the rides solo, but she probably would with me or mommy.

Thanks for the link to the Snoopy rides,frisbeefan. Am I crazy or is "Race For Your Life" the old log flume?

[markr]

No, you're not crazy-Race for Your Life Charlie Brown is indeed the old log flume.

Also, I want to extend a big, hearty welcome to KI Central.

[XGatorHead 8904]

Welcome to KIC Lakota88!

4 years old is certainly not too young to go to KI. My 5 year old daughter has been enjoying it since she was 1 1/2, and she gets to experience more and more each year. We did get some comments from friends when we took her to Disney World when she was 1 1/2 ("Isn't that too young?", "Why are you doing that? She won't remember anything!"), but she had a great time.

Now KI is no WDW, but there are plenty of things for your daughter to enjoy. My daughter isn't afraid to try most rides, with the exception of Boo Blasters on Boo Hill, so I don't have the same situation that you do with your daughter being "a chicken". A good ride to ease her into the park experience would be Charlie Brown's Wind Up. These are swings that go around in a circle, low to the ground. She's probably familiar with swings at the playground, so having something similar to what she's already used to might be a good thing. Another good ride to start with is Character Carousel. As she gets used to the rides, she may want to move on to others. And, seeing other kids having fun on them may convince her that it's okay to try new ones (yes, it's peer pressure, but that can be a good thing at that age! ).

I completely agree with markr's comments above. Please don't be a parent that drags their kid onto a ride they're not ready for. From the sound of your post above, it doesn't sound like you would, but doing so can prevent her from wanting to ride anything in the future.

Below is a list of easy going rides that you can ride with her:

Character Carousel, Sally's Sea Plane, Snoopy's Junction, Woodstock's Whirlybirds, Grand Carousel, and of course, Kings Island & Miami Valley Railroad.

Easy-going rides that are for kids only:

Charlie Brown's Wind Up, Peanuts 500, Peanuts Off-Road Rally, and Snoopy vs. Red Baron.

Avoid Boo Blasters on Boo Hill if your child is afraid of the dark/monsters, even though it's listed as a "Level 1 - Low Thrill Ride" on the park's website. My daughter is a thrill seeker like me, but BBoBH was too much for her (but I love the ride).

Also, she may enjoy seeing the show Charlie Brown's Hoedown, and depending on when you're going, Snoopy Rocks On Ice (which opens June 5th).

Hope this helps. Have a good time, and let us know how her first trip goes!

[KIfan1980]

Ditto what others have said, with a couple of quick adds:

• Don't try and rush you daughter right onto a ride when you get there. Take a walk around Planet Snoopy and let her take it all in first - this will also help you figure out what she wants to rides.
• Get her measured when you get to the park (they'll put on a wristband with her height - in shoes). This will help you know what she can ride
• My 3 year old was scared at the beginning of last year (that is long gone now). Linus' Beetle Bugs is a good ride to up the thrill level a little and The Great Pumpkin Coaster is another that you can ride with her.
• You might also want to consider a trip up the Eiffel Tower. Fear of heights and fear of rides do not always go together.

Have fun!

[markr]

When I first started taking my niece to KI when she was 6, before taking her on a ride I would try to show her the ride in action before taking her on the ride. If she said, "I think that's too scary for me Uncle Mark" ( she was so adorable when she said that!)I would respect her wishes. Gradually as she got bigger she started to experience the bigger rides of her own free will-now at the age of 18 she loves coasters.

[CoastersRZ]

Well, I have been going to KI ever since I was young. Very young. About seven months old as a matter of fact.

See:

And:

Little did my parents know at the time how much of an amusement park enthusiast I would become, or how many years I would spend working at an amusement park. I still find it hard to believe that I am in my ninth season working at Coney Island in the rides department!

[Dbfan]

I started going around the age of 4. I was way to scared to ride any roller coasters except Taxi Jam. When I was 7 my parents had to drag me on Beastie. From then on they coulnt get me off the rides...

[shark6495]

Welcome to KIC.... 4 years old is a good age to start but truth be told most (I said most not all) memories do not begin to be formed and kept "forever" till around the age of 5 or 6. Even at that age usually big emotional moments are the ones that are formed....

So the question is are you taking your child for he/she to enjoy it or are you taking them there so you can enjoy your child being at the park. While I do agree that taking a 1.5 year old to WDW may be a bit young, the child will enjoy themselves at any age. But if you are looking for something that the child will remember for years to come, it may be best to wait an extra year or so.

Sorry to rain on the excitement parade

[XGatorHead 8904]

Welcome to KIC.... 4 years old is a good age to start but truth be told most (I said most not all) memories do not begin to be formed and kept "forever" till around the age of 5 or 6. Even at that age usually big emotional moments are the ones that are formed....

So the question is are you taking your child for he/she to enjoy it or are you taking them there so you can enjoy your child being at the park. While I do agree that taking a 1.5 year old to WDW may be a bit young, the child will enjoy themselves at any age. But if you are looking for something that the child will remember for years to come, it may be best to wait an extra year or so.

Sorry to rain on the excitement parade

The way I see it, why not take them to the park just to enjoy themselves? Sure, they may not remember it, but they'll have a good time. Sharing good times with your family is crucial for young kids.

When we took GatorGirl to WDW when she was 1 1/2, we knew there was no way she'd remember it. But we did take plenty of pictures, and we took along the video camera. I burned that trip and our next WDW trip the following year onto a DVD, which GatorGirl loves to watch from time to time. She enjoys seeing herself there with us, and hopefully after we're long gone, she'll still want to watch and look back fondly on us and the good times we had.

If you don't do something just because your young child won't remember it, you won't end up doing anything. What a boring existence that would be. Enjoy the time you have together now, because the future is not guaranteed.

[74Gibson]

^ I couldn't agree more. If it's a question of this year or next but not both, maybe wait but otherwise just go. I got happy just thinking of your daughter looking at those photos, I'm sure they mean a lot to her. Look at the pics Ronnie posted. I really doubt he remembers it but I bet they're a personal treasure.

I'm taking my almost 2 yr old daughter Nigella and Mom to KI tomorrow. I know it will be an amazing time for all of us and I couldn't care less whether or not she remembers it. I know she'll be in a good mood from it for awhile though and the (rediculously many) pictures I take will be family treasures.

[shark6495]

oh please dont take my statements as a slam against you or anyone else who is taking their children to wonderful places. 74gibson, thats what I meant more, if its an this year or next, I say way till next year. But gatorhead you have good points about burning the trip to dvd and yes one day she will look back and laugh at how young "mom and dad are" along with the wonderful moments you all had together.... And yes I know if you wait till they "remember it" you may be waiting a long time, but through personal experience my parents took me to KI since I was just a wee one (pictures date back to my dad holding me) but to be truthful I dont remember much of it, if any. Memories have a weird way of merging together. As a family we waited till I was 6 and my sis was 5 (perks of being close in age) for our first family vacation. WDW was the trip after that and I was 7. Since then family vacations yearly (even at 24 I still have time to go on a trip with the family)..... but in closing no matter what age you take your kid to KI, WDW, or just a county fair take too many pictures and buy a video camera. The memories may fade over time but pictures and video help refresh those colors....

[standbyme]

I know she'll be in a good mood from it for awhile though and the (rediculously many) pictures I take will be family treasures.

This made me smile!

[XGatorHead 8904]

^^Shark, thanks for clarifying in your post and the PM you sent me. I did take it a little personally but now I know that wasn't your intent. I have my BA in Psychology and took my fair share of Child Psychology and Child Development classes, so I know where you're coming from on the topic of memory development (although with how long it's been since I took those classes, my memory of them could use some refreshing ).

Remember yesterday, live for today, plan for tomorrow.

(Ooo, I kind of like that. I think I made it up, but I could have heard or seen it somewhere before and it was just buried somewhere in my subconscious. I don't remember! )

[74Gibson]

Wow, all kinds of good stuff in this thread. I love talking about our kids.

Shark, I took no offense. You made a good point. I know of many parents who are that self-serving... I doubt you'll find many on this board though.

XGator, thanks for getting The Kinks stuck in my head. I love Child Psychology and work as a Elementary Scool Counselor.

Standbyme, I cleared an 8GB card (before thinking about video) and will probably do another (now that I've thought about video).

[shark6495]

After I read your response I was like, oh no that was not the intention. So I am glad we are good, and yes the only reason its fresh in my mind because those classes Child and Language Development, and Psych courses are only a semester or so old (if not newer.)

What do you do with an infant at an amusement park? Being only 24, I have no children yet, and I dont remember being an infant, what do parks offer for families that young? What does KI offer for the little ones-or families of the little ones? Gator what happened on your trip to WDW? I would assume WDW would have a plan set up for families with the way youngin?

[XGatorHead 8904]

WDW is way different from KI in the fact that a young child can ride a lot of things there. That first visit we only did a one day trip to Magic Kingdom, but were able to take her on many rides there: It's a Small World (twice), Peter Pan, Winnie the Pooh, Buzz Lightyear, Cinderella's Carrousel, Jungle Cruise, Haunted Mansion, Magic Carpets of Aladdin, TTA and the train. There were others there that we could have done on but didn't have time for: Dumbo, Liberty Square Riverboat, Pirates, Snow White. We also took in some shows, such as Country Bear Jamboree, Carousel of Progress, Enchanted Tiki Room, Mickey's Philharmagic (twice), and the Hall of Presidents (which is a GREAT place to go around nap time. I read this tip online and just as the writer said, my daughter fell asleep quickly during it!), not to mention the parades and fireworks.

WDW has a great parent swap program, which we would use on our next couple of trips in addition to FastPasses to help Mrs. Gator and I ride any bigger ones that we wanted.

As far as little infants, I've never taken one to a park, but most parks (KI included) have some sort of parent swap policy in place. We take advantage of those whenever we can/want to. We're just clear with GatorGirl from the beginning that mommy and daddy want to ride some big rides too. We're blessed that GatorGirl understands that!

[shark6495]

very cool thanks for the info but one dumb question i googled but didnt find a coherent answer for.... what is a parent swap? are you saying one adult rides then the other or you hand your child off to someone else? lol sorry if it seems dumb just interesting to me

[XGatorHead 8904]

Parent swap is where one parent rides while the other waits with the child, then the other parent can ride with no wait. KI has a card that can be picked up at Guest Relations. The first rider waits in line, while the other parent and the child can be off doing something else. When the first parent is done riding, they give the card to a ride op who initials it and puts a time down (if I remember correctly). The first parent then leaves the ride, gives the card to the second parent, who then has a certain amount of time to go up the exit to the ride so they can ride with little/no wait.

If I remember correctly at Disney (it's been a few years since we've gone), you can tell the ride op at the beginning of the line that you need to do a parent swap. They'll give you a ticket which you give to the other parent after you ride, then they can go up the exit or FastPass line to ride. Another way is just to do a FastPass, which we did most of the time. Like I would use my FastPass, then after I rode Mrs. Gator would use hers.

Other parks like Holiday World and Hersheypark have both of you wait in line with the child, one parent rides while the other stays in the station with the child, then you can pass the child off to the first rider as they exit. This is my least favorite method, since the child has to wait in line with you.

[chaddie]

I say as soon as they can sit up by themselves, they are ready. I have been taking my cousin's children since they were 2! They love Planet Snoopy (and Nick Universe). Now the oldest kids are 10 and they go with me on all the big rides.

[shark6495]

thanks gator. I never knew that or how it worked. Very cool...

[VortexJunkie]

I would say 4 years old is a perfectly fine age to go to KI! True she may not remember it, but it's a poor excuse to not let a child have fun just because they may not remember it. Might as well lock them in their room until they're old enough to remember stuff! I have 2 boys, a 4 year old and a 5 1/2 year old, and we just went last weekend and had a blast. Their first visit was last year and they also had a blast that day. They are pretty brave kids and gave every ride a try. I heard Boo Blasters was going to be scary (they loved scooby last year) but we did it anyway and it was still their favorite ride. The only one that really scared them was Woodstock express (beastie, fairly odd coaster, etc), but that IS a pretty intense ride for kids that young. They weren't emotionaly scarred or anything and they had a good laugh when the ride was over... but that first hill gave them a good scream! They had an awesome day filled with fun rides, meeting characters, watching shows, eating blue ice cream, and seeing the sights - they even enjoyed the view from the Eiffel Tower without any fear at all! Of course they thought they were only 25 feet up. (I told them 300 but they didn't believe me haha) And my final arguement is that kids that young DO remember. My 5 1/2 year old asked if we could ride "the train with the bear", which we hadn't even talked about since he rode it last year yet he remembered the bear on KI&MVRR. And yes there are several rides that have a next to zero thrill factor and are designed for younger children (2-5 yrs). Hope that helps and if you decide to go.. have fun!

[Lakota88]

Thanks for all the great feedback, everyone!

I decided to go ahead and plan a trip to KI at the end of this month (during the week before the big kids' school year ends). I'm sure she won't remember it all, but I'll take lots of pictures and videos for us to watch later!

In all honesty, the trip is as much for me as for her, but I wouldn't take her if I didn't think she'd have fun. I'm anxious to visit KI again after all these years.

[74Gibson]

I really think my daughter Nigella (almost 2) remembered our trip. We went Sat and on Sun she kept saying ride... which is what she chanted while waiting in lines at KI. Then we showed pictures to my wife's parents and the first one was of Nigella and snoopy and she pointed, smiled huge and said "noopy" obviously meaning Snoopy. She learned that word for the first time at the park. When we came to pictures of her two favorite rides, she got totally excited but didn't really get excited about the pictures of the less thrilling rides.