Valley Fair and Young Kids?

TAKE HER TAKE HER TAKE HER! :0) Tell her you are so proud of her for doing a great job all year at school that you want to celebrate by doing something really special and take her! My girls are 4 and almost 6 and my son is 17. They all love it. There is TONS of stuff to do with a child her age. We have season passes and LOVE it! We are going again tomorrow. :0) Just like at Camp Snoopy, there will be rides she isn't big enough to go on. You can go to www.valleyfair.com and look at all the rides and the height requirements. There are pics and tons of into on the site. She will have a blast and so will you!
S.

Hi B.!

So I'll pile on to all the comments and say "YES! Definately go to Valleyfair!" My 2 1/2 year old is 36 inches tall and had a blast at Disneyworld four months ago. She enjoys rides like crazy, so of course the MOA is a frequent destination for us too. We'll be heading to Valleyfair this Sunday for the first time and I'm excited too, not just for the rides (which should have a much shorter wait time than at Disneyworld), but for all the free entertainment. And don't forget to try the IMAX theater. It's a nice reprieve, especially on a hot day (or a place for a quick nap). I also agree with the idea to pack a picnic lunch - either in a backpack or tucked in the bottom of your stroller. They do have a nice picnic area just outside the park (you'll just get a stamp to get back in). It's cost effective, fun and you get to choose the type of food you and your daughter prefer.

PS - about the cost, try to find a can of Mountain Dew..there's a $10 coupon on the back until June 24th.

I was just there this past weekend with my husband and my 11 year old. (Yearly event as we had our first date there 7 years ago.) I saw a lot of kids running around that looked 5-6 years old. There is an entire section of little kid rides that were cute and even some of the bigger rides are okay as long as your daughter rides with you. You won't be able to experience the "big person" rides, but there is still a ton there to do. And definately go to the waterpark. It was too cold on Sunday and we were all disappointed by it.

I would just be sure to talk to your daughter in advance that there are rides she won't be able to go on, rather than waiting until you get there. In fact, I think you can go on the website and the height requirements are listed.

Have fun. I LOVE it out there.

There is plenty to do for a kid her age and she would be cheaper because of her age/height. Also, don't pay full adult price..there are always discounts to get in to Valleyfair.
There are a bunch of rides she can ride as long as she has an adult with her. Also, she would enjoy the waterpark. I have a 4yr old and he loves it.

It's been years since I went to VF, so not sure how much it has changed since then. I would think there is plenty to do for your daughter though. And I also recommend the waterpark - it's a great time.

We took my kids every other year when they were little and we still do with our younger kids. There is a lot to do for the little ones. A piece of advice though, go with a group. We do it this way. One set of parents or adults stays with the younger kids at the kiddie park while the others go on the "fun" rides and then they switch. It is better for both the kids and the adults cuz everyone gets to ride or do what they want. It is just too expensive to go and walk around with the kiddies and not get to ride the adult rides.

I think that your season pass for Camp Snoopy should work for Valleyfair. So you wouldn't have to buy tickets to get in. Just pay for parking $6.00 (I think). It has been a few years since I have worked there. There are a lot of things for you and your daughter to do, shows to see, and you can play at the waterpark. You will have fun.

Apparently you've already decided to go, but I'll stick my two cents in anyway ;) We went to Valleyfair with my husband's company picnic when my daughter was about a month away from being 2 and my son was 5 1/2. We were able to do several things with all of us - the carousel, the Flume, IMAX Theater, and I think a couple other things I can't remember off-hand. As at least one other person has said, I think the water park might be a good idea too. We didn't because we weren't sure about dragging along swimsuits and everything, but I kind of wish we had.

On that note, I'd try to avoid 90-degree humid days if you can ;) That was what the weather was like the day we went and it was not very fun - at least until we made it through the Flume - that was a life saver ;) Then the rest of the day was a little better, but esp. with young kids hot humid weather can be miserable.

Hope you guys have a lot of fun!

My husband and I have been trying to decide if it is benefical too to take our 5 year old who is as tall as a 2nd grader.

When she was 2 1/2 I found out my in-laws along with the hubby took her to Como Zoo and went on rides. No big deal right? Well, I found out she went on such rides such as the scrambler. I about went nuts. Just because a child is tall enough to go on these rides doesn't make it safe. I searched the internet because my hubby didn't think it was a big deal. Well, I found a sight and the gal sent me their report they had done for the company. Since reading this report my hubby will not let her go on these types of rides until she is bigger. You would be amazed at how many accidents and deaths have occurred across America including places like Disney World. Here is a link: http://www.saferparks.org/are_rides_safe/dynamic_force/fa...

We still let our daughter go on rides but we choose selectively. I know many parents think I am over protective but you can't bring your child back to life. One of the reasons the lady was so involved that I spoke with is because her son lost his foot on ride when the car ran his foot over. The ride stopped and he thought it was done so he stood up to get out and it actually had just stopped for a brief moment. He was six years old. Was it his fault...yes...but how can you tell a six year old he should have known.

I didn't want to ruin your day with this post but I see way too many people putting young children on these adult rides.

There are like 18 or so rides that are geared to little kids. My favorite is the MILD THING patterned after the big one, the WILD THING. The Foam Ball Factory is also a fav. As mentioned, don't forget the water park. There is a little person area with its own lazy river. And so your are not shocked as I was, parking has gone up to $9.00. More then parking downtown for the day. So, get dropped off if you can. YIKES!

B.,
I know you got lots of advice and already decided to take her, but I had to give a little advice from my personal experience. You might want to try going for the Starlight admission. If you go on a Friday or Saturday night you can get there around 6 or something and stay til close. But that way, you pay less to get in and that helps a little so they don't get so worn out being there all day long. There's plenty the two of you can ride together, but at her height it would be a real challenge if you planned on all day. Have fun!

And don't forget about the water park, she will have so much fun in there, you might forget about everything else ;). She will have plenty to do, just people watching sometimes is a lot of fun. There are lots of rides for her age and even some she can go on with you. Pack a lunch and have a picnic in the park there, that was our tradition, we brought a picnic lunch every year and we never complained because we each got a treat later in the day. We always went on the 4th of July and had a ton of fun. This will also save you money.

Hey B.,

I can't really fill you in on Valley Fair, but you could go to Como. It's free entry, (or small sum for a donation)and there are alot of rides there for older kids there too. It'll be alot cheeper than Valley Fair.

Also,...tis the season for City Fair events. So, you could look up the cities around your area and find out when their big summer fairs are taking place. Then, you could travel around to the different cities and go on their rides. (I know that many of them will be the same rides, just traveling to different cities, but they're usually not very costly) Cheep entertainment. :)

My daughter is only 3 and doesn't even know that Valley Fair exists yet, but I'm waiting until she's big enough so that I can go on the rides with her. Have fun if you go. :)