Welcome to planDisney, Erin! I'm so excited to hear that you've booked a trip to take your kids to
The Most Magical Place on Earth! While I don't think there's a bad age to take children to Walt Disney World, pre-teens are definitely one of my favorites.
I, too, have adventurous children and a timid child, so I can understand your question. I'm happy to tell you that your daughter can always choose not to ride. Enter the attraction queue as a family. This area begins to tell the story and is an important part, so don't miss the details! As you are approaching the loading area, notify the Cast Member that she will not be riding. Someone will direct her to the "chicken exit." At that point, one of you should ask the Cast member where riders will exit, so she knows where to meet you. Thankfully, this is often in a store, so she can look around while she waits.
Have a conversation with your daughter and assure her that she will never be forced to ride anything. In the past, my own daughter has experienced anxiety in line, fearing we were waiting too long for her to exit. There is no such thing! She never has to experience anything she doesn't want to. Know that most attractions are for everyone and not intense.
My advice is to check out the
list of attractions for each theme park, so you know ahead of time what she wants to ride and what she'd like to skip. If there's anything she's uncertain about, you can look up a video of the experience to help her make the decision. It takes away a little of the magic, but it adds so much by removing the unknown.
In
Magic Kingdom Park, Tron Lightcycle Run and
Space Mountain can be a bit too thrilling for hesitant riders. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad,
Tiana's Bayou Adventure, and
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train are considered milder to some, but you can see portions of them, making it easier to make that judgment. My girl has taken the alternative exit on all of these attractions. If your daughter chooses to ride, ask to be seated in rows 2-4, where the experience is typically less intense than in the back.
In
EPCOT, she'll want to skip
Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, as it is arguably the most intense attraction in all of Walt Disney World.
Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets in Disney's Hollywood Studios has inversions, but it also has one of my favorite pre-shows and queues, so don't skip that part!
Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance is not to be missed! It is a relatively tame attraction with one small vertical drop. My daughter finds that she can handle this, but you know your girl best.
I can tell you are a caring mom, Erin, and it's going to be a magical trip! You three are going to make the most amazing memories, and I wish I could hear all about it! As you continue your planning, please come back and see us here at
planDisney if you have any more questions. We're always happy to help!
Always Dreaming -
Elizabeth