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Scary Disney World Rides

5 Magic Kingdom Rides That Unexpectedly Scared the Sh*t Out of My Kids

Disney World, and specifically the Magic Kingdom, is supposed to be the "happiest place on Earth." Our children's most beloved characters, including Mickey, Merida, Moana, and more, frolic through magical landscapes. Cast members greet girls by saying "Hello, little princess." There's an ice cream stand, balloon vendor, or gift shop on every corner. From dusk till dawn, guests view parades and fireworks and ride dozens of attractions designed solely to entertain and delight. What's a kid (of any age) not to love?!

In my daughter's case, surprisingly, it was a lot more than I expected. Turns out the magic of Disney also includes some stuff that scared the bejesus out of my little one, who visited the park twice, shortly before her 4th and 5th birthdays. I'm not saying the rides below ruined her Magic Kingdom experiences — far from it, in fact. I'll admit that my kid tends to be a bit of a scaredy-cat in general, but I was startled by how many rides at the park she found terrifying that I've always thought of as pretty terrific. You can guess who won the battles of to ride or not to ride (hint: it wasn't me). If you have a fearful kid on your hands, here are five Magic Kingdom attractions you might want to prepare them for . . . or rethink riding altogether.

Image Source: Flickr user Jeff Kern

1. The Haunted Mansion

I can't tell you if my daughter would have been scared of The Haunted Mansion after riding it, because the very theme elicited such horror from her that she refused to even get in line, no matter how much I tried to convince her that the mansion's spirits were friendly and funny. Ghosts are not her jam, and neither was this attraction.

Image Source: Flickr user Jennifer Lynn

2. Stitch's Great Escape!

We tried to fit this ride in at the end of a long day, so my daughter already wasn't in her bravest state of mind. But she was so scared of this attraction, which is completely in the dark and includes loud noises, bright lights, smoke, smells, and audio-animatronic special effects, that we had to bail a few minutes in and find an emergency exit. We weren't the only parents leaving with a terrified child, which somehow made me feel better.

Image Source: Flickr user Theme Park Tourist

3. Pirates of the Caribbean

This ride is a classic I always loved during my own childhood, but yo ho, yo ho, the pirate's life was not for my daughter. I'm still not sure whether it was the salty seamen, the ride's darkness, or the skeletons that scared her most, but she spent most of the ride with her face buried in my husband's chest.

Image Source: Flickr user Haydn Blackey

4. Splash Mountain

Splash Mountain is beloved by children of all ages — except my daughter. That big drop at the end of the ride was way too much for her, and the enormous smile I plastered on my face and the encouraging words I kept saying ("Isn't this fun?" "Wow, this is so. much. fun.") didn't seem to help, either. She still calls it the ride with the big scary fall that got her wet. Fail.

Image Source: Flickr user Rhys A.

5. Seven Dwarves Mine Train

This was the hottest and newest attraction during our first trip to the Magic Kingdom, and I was stoked that I scored a FastPass+ for us. Almost three years later, my daughter still talks about how terrifying it was. Strangely, it wasn't really the roller coaster-aspect of the ride that frightened her (though she didn't love that part either), but instead the life-size witch featured in the interior of the attraction, which looks like a 3D version of the Evil Queen when she transforms into the old woman delivering the apple that puts Snow White to sleep.

Image Source: Flickr user Jeff Kern

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