What Is It Like To Work On The Kiddie Rides?

Hello, I'm just wondering what it is like working on the kiddie rides because I plan on working at the park next season. Is it more stressful working with kids and is it more slower paced than the bigger rides? I don't mind working with little kids usually, if anything I might prefer it. So what is it like working on the kiddie rides compared to the bigger roller coasters?

I take my young grandsons to the point. I have a great appreciation for the people running the rides who know the importance of ride safety and how important it is to know the youngsters think they are going on something as exciting as MF ot TTD. Even toddlers can tell if the ride operator is bored. Life is a great adventure. For a few minutes you are the guide. Have fun with the kids but never forget safety.

I worked Kiddy Kingdom/Kid Arts in 1999 and the most "problems" we encountered were parents disregarding safety rules with their children riding (reaching over guardrails to "high 5" kids as they went by on the ride). Plus, if their kid is too short or too tall parents got really upset with us, even though they stand right by the rides instruction signs.

Just this summer, we witnessed a guest that got upset because her daughter could not fit in the 4X4's. The ride host was unable to buckle up the safety belt around her. The mom got REALLY angry and stomped right over to Park Operations to complain. Park Op supervisor came right over and the ride host said "I couldn't buckle the belt on her." Park Op stood by the ride host as the guests safety is #1.

Just be ready to hear those ride buzzers all the time :)

Okay thanks for the tips guys! :)

I have worked both big rides and flat rides and kiddie areas. Fast pace rides are fun but can easily be stressful if you are not used to fast pace environments. Flat ride and kiddie rides do have their perks and can be fun with the right crew (yes even Kiddy Kingdom) it really depends on how you take things. Every ride has its own level of stress and can be just as stressful as the next. But if you have keep an open mind and confident in yourself you will have a blast.

I can honestly say I loved working in Kiddy Kingdom this past summer. It was nice because if another ride was short staff, it was easier to double up a ride and move you somewhere else to be trained. I also got to work Planet, Cads, and Blue Streak but Kiddy was always my home. People make it out a lot worse than it actually is. As for the buzzers.. you get used to it and at night if you're really tired they wake you up. After working Blue Streak for almost three weeks, on Labor Day when i got the choice where to go, I choose Kiddy and honestly was so happy to had been back to my crew. The crew makes it all worth it. However, at the ecd of the season we had only five origional crew members left. The biggest pains though are you're directly in sunlight(the tents do not help) and bending over to unbuckle and rebuckle all the seat belts( which sometimes, like on 4x4's dont always fit, and kids cry). Those are really though the only two downfalls to Kiddy Kingdom at least. I hope this helps and I wish you the best of luck!

So I worked kids-ish rides..They can be a blast, it is what you make of it.

Also know, for kid rides and attractions, you have two audiences to please. You have to make the kid feel safe, secure, and let them have fun. However you also have an adult audience to do the same, but both require different...avenues. This is weird for me to explain, someone may do a better job

I was the Co-Team Leader of the Gemini Children's Area for the 2013 season, so I should hope that I can help with this!

Like several others before me have said, the biggest issue is parents. Not all, but there are a large number of those who end up fighting you at every turn. I wish that I could say that it's because of some legitimately valid reason, but oftentimes, it's because they didn't read the sign before they put their child in line, or weren't listening to the ride host spiels as they were waiting in line, or while they were on the train waiting to go.

So it's not really a matter of wanting to work with kids; it's a matter of are you willing to deal with parents who are likely to interpret anything you say or do as a slight to their child or themselves, even if you're just doing your job: keeping their children safe.

As for comparing it to a bigger roller coaster, I actually started the season working on Maverick. I do have to admit, it is a ton of fun working a bigger coaster, and there are many perks to working one that you don't see in a kids area. There are things to be aware of, though. A bigger roller coaster's Ride Hosts tend to have longer hours, and they start earlier in the morning, and leave later in the night.

I was the Co Team Leader of Planet Snoopy this past summer. The key to working kid's rides is that you have to really enjoy working with children, and you really have to be understanding of parents. Some of the parents are incredibly protective of their children, while others don't take safety seriously at all.

After three years at CP and working a variety of rides, I can honestly say that if you succeed or excel in a kid's area, you can do pretty much anything.