A lot of times I hear parents say things like, “Oh, we tried Everest — NEVER AGAIN.”
Trust me – I’ve had my own parenting theme park moments. I accidentally added to the cycle of childhood trauma by taking my 5-year-old on Dinosaur, thinking it wasn’t that scary. (Oops.)
On our first family Disney trip, I hadn’t been in years, and most of the rides were completely new to me. I looked everything up, watched ride videos, checked height requirements, and did all the research. But the truth is, you can never really know how your kids will react until they’re actually experiencing it.
So we decided to try as many rides as we could and see what happened.
First up: Expedition Everest.
FULL DISCLOSURE: This ride goes backwards in complete darkness. It doesn’t go upside down, but it definitely feels like it might. Oh, and the whole premise is that a wild yeti is chasing you, tearing apart the track, and you’re all about to meet your doom. (Okay, maybe not quite that dramatic.)
Needless to say, I was completely unprepared.
As we barreled through the mountain, all I could think was, “Oh my gosh, I am the worst mom. My kids are going to need therapy. I’ve ruined the trip. What was I thinking?”
My 5-year-old daughter LOVED it.
My 8-year-old son cried.
Neither reaction was what I expected.
For the rest of the trip—and honestly for months afterward—all my daughter talked about was Everest. It was her favorite ride, and she couldn’t wait to ride it again.
Next up: Slinky Dog Dash.
After the trauma of Everest, my son went into this one expecting the worst. During the launch, while everyone else was cheering “Go, go, go!” he was yelling, “No, no, no!”
Meanwhile, my daughter, riding high on her Everest victory, was excited to give it a try. Unfortunately, she was small enough that the lap bar became uncomfortably tight during the ride. By the end, she felt sick and thought she might throw up.
So from the kids’ perspective, Slinky Dog was a solid 0-for-2.
I had Tron and Guardians booked for that trip and ended up cancelling them both because my son just wasn’t ready.
Fast forward a year.
We’re back at Disney, and once again we’re trying anything everyone is willing to ride.
My daughter immediately declared, “YES. EVEREST. LET’S GO.”
My son, now a year older and a little braver, agreed to give it another chance.
And guess what?
This time, my son liked it.
My daughter was terrified.
Back to Slinky Dog.
My daughter was an automatic no because of her previous experience with the lap bar. Maybe if she’d tried it again a little bigger, she would’ve been fine—but she didn’t want to risk it, and I respected that.
My son, feeling more confident after conquering Everest, decided to try Slinky again.
This time?
He LOVED it.
In fact, he loved it so much that because his sister opted out, we were able to use Rider Switch and let him ride a second time.
All of this is to say: sometimes it’s hard to label a ride as “one and done.”
Kids change. Confidence grows. Perspectives shift. What feels terrifying one year might be someone’s favorite ride the next.
On our second trip, my son’s confidence had grown so much that he ended up trying Tron and loving it. Now he’s already talking about tackling Guardians of the Galaxy and Tower of Terror next time.
Will he like them?
I have absolutely no idea.
But we’re going to give them a shot.
And when my daughter decides she’s ready to try Slinky Dog again, I’ll be right there beside her—with my ears on.
