Demon Drop for a Youngster

My sister is seven years old, and she has gone to cedar point only once last year. The topic has come up that should she be allowed to ride the demon drop this summer. My father says it's an alright thing, however my mom says it's a bad idea, and the scare will be too much for my little sister to handle. I didn't say anything, in fear of starting some type of a fuss. So, i'd like to know if it'd be alright for my sister to ride the Demon Drop this summer. As a side-note, she did ride the Blue Streak and Corkscrew last year, and did fine on the Blue Streak, but the Corkscrew being upside down made her cry.

That's like asking if you should let a 12 year old watch a pg 13 movie. We can't give you the answer.

I rode Demon Drop when I was 6. I was scared to death but ended up loving it. I say if she wants to ride then let her. I find letting the kid choose what they want to ride makes everyone happier.

My 7-year old loves DD. He also loves Maggie & MF (front seat, always), and is itchin' to grow the last 1/4" so he can finally ride Dragster.

It really depends on the kid. Some can handle certain rides. Others can't. My advice is to let her watch DD in operation for awhile and ask her if she wants to go. If she says no, "forcing" her on is likely to be a (big) mistake.

I think you should let her make the decision. If you think that it might scare her badly, then tell her to keep her eyes closed for the first time on the ride. It will be less terrifying. If she likes it, she can go on it again with her eyes open.

Before I go on coasters or thrill rides for the first time I am terrified. But once I get off I regret not going on them before, because I usually have a blast.

Definately let her make the decision.

My first time on Demon Drop (last Sunday), I thought I would be scared out of my mind (I've never been on a drop ride in my life). I ended up loving it and wanting to go again it was so much fun! I can't wait till my next trip to ride it again and again.

Now that I think about it, I must have been a total whimp in those days. I would be too afraid to board Demon Drop at 7. I couldn't get past Blue Streak and Disaster Transport.

I think that she might not like the park how you're laying on your back if she didn't like being upside down. I don't know, coasters and drop rides are a lot different. I personally didn't even go on a descent sized coaster and like it until I was 11. At 7 I quit coasters after being on one, so you you don't want to do anything that may scare her away from coasters for a long time.

Yeah, johnz, that's what i was thinking. But i guess i'll just ask her when we get there. Like some of you guys mentioned, she'll know what's best for herself. Thanks you guys.

Leave the final decision up to your sister. Let her watch the ride for a while and see what it does. Don't just jump in line and ride it.

Whatever you do, don't force her to ride it. That's a great way to scare the crap out of her and ruin the entire day.

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Millenium Force is sinking too said:
If she says no, "forcing" her on is likely to be a (big) mistake.

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VERY VERY true. When my nephew was 5 years old, he didn't want to go onto DT, but my dumb my brother forced him on anyway. He cried the whole way through and did ride it again for 4 years. By seven he would go on every ride in the park, except DT. So, what ever you do, DO NOT, i repeat, DO NOT force her on. You can try to convince her however do not force her against her own will.
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I actually think PT: Space Shot it less intense than DD. If she can conquer PT:SS, she can conquer DD.

My niece is five and I let her start out with the small rides and I let her make her choices on how high she should go. But it is important for her to know what to expect by going through the smaller rides first, taking on a ride like Demon Drop can be traumatizing and make her not want to get on any other rides the rest of the time that she is at an Amusement Park. Let her build her confidence and then let her go on bigger rides if she wants to, the battle with fear is strapping in and waiting for it to get started, but once you start, it's all fun from there usually.

I agree with all of you. I really don't want to ruin her day. However, it's hard to compare her to myself when i was her age. I was a baby, and couldn't even ride the rides at our county fair nearby. It's just different to see someone so young riding those type of rides. I guess times are changing.

-Eagle-

I wouldn't disagree with Khommy. All your sister really cares about is the look of the ride, at her age. PT might not look as bad to her as DD, especially with the noises that DD makes. It's just up to her.