Amusement parks - bumper cars, etc?

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wondering1

New member

• Apr 19, 2007

• #1

What is your take on rides at big established/good safety record amusement parks?

Would you let a almost 5-year old child who meets the 42" height limit ride a bumper car?

What about other rides? The ferris wheel is interesting because not much to hold you in (on the ones I've been on). I did take a young 3 year old on that.

The operators of these rides will respond if there is an unhappy child on board.

 

Victorious4

Senior Community Member

• Apr 19, 2007

• #2

I used to love love love rides -- till I almost flew out of the Pirate ship ... literally, I am not exxagerating (everyone around me stopped screaming fun & started yelling STOP STOP STOP all together ) Never been a fan of bumper cars, though, not even now: I just avoid rides at traveling parks! Disney & such I feel fine about because they stay put (no dissembling, reassmbling)

 

skaterbabs

Well-known member

• Apr 19, 2007

• #3

I rolled my van 4 years ago. Ever since my kids haven't been much interested in rolelr coasters.

 

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InTheWoods

New member

• Apr 20, 2007

• #4

The scaled-down, for kids only, rides. 5.5yo DS has only ridden in those so far. 2yo daughter, not yet.

I tend toward motion sickness on fast-moving rides (spinning throw-up cups, anyone?) and ferris wheels are waaaaayyy too high off the ground for me. When the kids get older, I'll send them on those rides with dear old dad.

Kristin

 

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Pawy

New member

• Apr 20, 2007

• #5

Wow imagine how long it would take installing a booster seat in the bumper car.!!
ROFL sorry i couldnt help it..!

 

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wondering1

New member

• Apr 20, 2007

• #6

Head on crashes are no longer allowed on bumper cars but you do get jolted around quite a bit. With the bones of the child's neck not fused together, I was just curious what age most feel comfortable letting their child ride in a bumper car would be.

 

Splash

New member

• Apr 20, 2007

• #7

A bumper car... I imagine 5 or 6 years old. Other rides, Charlie already does them. The flying dragons and dragon egg ferris wheel at Busch Gardens almost every darn weekend. He really wants to go on Sheikra (dive coaster with 200 foot 90 degree drop... he LOVES watching it) but not until he's in high school for that one!
I'm really excited for him to hit the height requirement for Cheetah Chase, which is a kiddie roller coaster that basically goes in a spiral up and then comes back down at about 18-20 mph.
I do not do fast rides at traveling carnivals.

 

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trailrunnermom

New member

• Apr 20, 2007

• #8

I got bumped so hard (from the back) on bumper cars a few years ago that I pulled a muscle in my neck/shoulder. Nothing long-term, but a few days of severe soreness. I avoid the adult-size bumper cars now, but I would let DS go on the kiddie ones, and maybe the adult ones when he's old enough to go by himself (age 16?!)-lol.

 

Michi

Member

• Apr 20, 2007

• #9

My kids don't like bumper cars - but they love bumper boats! (They 'crash' much less forcefully...and of course you get to squirt the people you're bumping into)

As far as other rides, we went to Six Flags last summer. My 7 & 9 yr olds went on the rides and loved them but I wouldn't let them do any 'upside down' roller coasters yet even thought they both passed the height requirements. They had a empty 'sample' chair outside each ride. I sat the kids in it and pulled the shoulder harness over them - they looked SO tiny - like they would slip right through the middle! They did go on the log flume, and several 'spinny' rides (daddy took them on those!)

 

kimk2230

New member

• Apr 21, 2007

• #10

We went to an amusument park a couple of years ago. It is called Dutch Wonderland in PA. It is in Lancaster County. It is geared for kids 12 and under. All of the rides my then 5 year old could on and even my then 3 year old. It was really fun It was like Disney World for us but alot smaller and closer to New York where we live.Here is their web site if anyone is interested. http://www.dutchwonderland.com

 

Simplysomething

New member

• Apr 21, 2007

• #11

Splash said:

A bumper car... I imagine 5 or 6 years old. Other rides, Charlie already does them. The flying dragons and dragon egg ferris wheel at Busch Gardens almost every darn weekend.

Click to expand...

I went to that Busch Gardens..once. When I was nine. Why am I sharing? I don't know.

DS2 hasn't ever been to an amusement park. I took DS1 to Busch Gardens (Williamsburg) last summer--because we got a coupon from the summer reading program for 40% off admission. We didn't ride much at all.
He didn't to ride any of the kiddie stuff. We did the cups ride like three or four times. Rode the train...lol Did Escape from Pompeii (Which I will never ride again. lol) and the Roman Rapids.


I remember feeling like I was going to fall out of roller coasters before. The log flume at BG and space mountain.


I'm more comfortable with amusement parks than travelling amusements.
I know that there are folks who try to cheat the height minimums for rides. It's insane to me, because...I figure they are there for a reason, kwim?

 

Last edited: Apr 21, 2007

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beebear23

Senior Community Member

• Apr 21, 2007

• #12

SUre, I'd let him. We go on bumper cars together only b/c he's too small right now. He goes on the little roller coasters at the fair by himself.

We have season passes to 6 Flags Marine World(Discovery Kingdom now) and he'll have to go on the rides alone b/c I won't be able to this summer..

 

beeman

Active member

• Apr 21, 2007

• #13

Bumper cars are so fun! If they're anything like the ones I've been on it would be difficult to get enough speed to do a lot of injury, unless they hit you the wrong way. I'd say go for it.

 

murphydog77

Admin - CPST Instructor

Staff member

• Apr 21, 2007

• #14

We're big Disneyland enthusiasts and they've got bumper cars at the California theme park there. It's hard to get going very fast to get much momentum to really hit someone hard in those. Mulholland Madness is a much more jolting ride at California and the kids love it, but there's a 42" height limit on it, so dd was only just able to ride it this year for the 1st time. My kids prefer roller coasters to the bumpy kind of rides anyway.

 

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southpawboston

New member

• Apr 21, 2007

• #15

i used to love bumper cars as a kid. that is, until i was old enough to do the demolition derby with a real car at the annual county fair. (this was in major hicksville). if i had had a tractor, i would have done the tractor pull, too.

my kids, they probably won't get to go on a bumper car until 5-6. then probably 12-13 before they can race go-karts. that's another thing i used to do. i had my own, in fact.