What Is a Kiddie Ride?
Kiddie rides are coin-operated rides that are usually found in amusement parks, arcades, malls and hotel game rooms. They may also appear outside discount department stores and supermarkets.
They may look like a miniature Ferris wheel, mini carousel or stationary platform ride with flashing lights and pedals. Some even have music and sounds.
The History
The Kiddie Ride is a category of rides that was highly popular in the 1950s and 1960s. However, it faded into obscurity soon after. Despite this, many early coin-operated kiddie rides remain highly collectible today because of their rarity and value.
Modern kiddie rides are often fairly small and simple, designed to attract young children who do not have the time or patience to ride larger rides. They usually have very few moving parts, with the movement largely being controlled by the operator or by touchscreen games on the ride’s screen.
Some modern kiddie rides may also have a narrator, who tells the story of the ride using sound or a video monitor. The narrator may be a character from the ride’s show, or a fictional person. Some rides will even play a tune when they are in motion, to attract the attention of younger riders.
In the United Kingdom, there are several rides that feature characters from children’s TV shows. One is a Postman Pat ride that is based on the popular cartoon series. Another is a Thomas the Train ride that features the character from the Railway Series, which debuted in 1975 and remained popular for years.
Other popular rides include a Batmobile, which has a miniature version of the actual vehicle on a stand. It will flash lights and play a tune from the movie at set intervals. Other rides have been manufactured in collaboration with well-known copyrighted characters or objects from films or television shows, including a Garfield car ride that includes Garfield wearing a hat and sitting on the vehicle with car horn sound.
Licensed Kiddie Rides are often found in shopping malls. These are generally more expensive than their unlicensed counterparts, but they can still be found in many stores.
Some of the most popular licensed rides are those from popular shows such as “Meet The Flintstones” and “Invasion of the Ferb Snatchers”. These are a great choice for a children’s TV theme because they are fun, have good animation and music, and are often not overly formulaic.
The Height Requirements
Height requirements are a way to screen riders so that rides are safe for everyone. They’re not Kiddie Ride intended to turn kids away from rides because they’re too short, but they are designed to protect guests from harm if something goes wrong.
The best thing to do when you’re visiting a theme park is to trust the operators and follow their lead. That means respecting the ride’s safety restrictions and following their instructions on how to get around them.
Some parks have a lot of thrill rides that require height restrictions, such as Alien Swirling Saucers at Hollywood Studios. While these rides are fun for all ages, they do have some elements that might be scary to little ones, so it’s important to be sure you know the minimum height requirements before you go.
Many of these rides also have a “child swap” feature, so that taller members in your group can still go on the ride if their friends aren’t quite tall enough. However, you should know that it may take some time for the ride to load up again and you might not be able to re-ride until your group has moved on to another attraction.
This can be a frustrating situation, especially if you’re traveling with young children and you don’t want to risk them getting turned away. But remember that Disney World is meant to be a place for all of its guests to enjoy.
As a former Disney employee, I worked on a number of rides with height requirements, including Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at Magic Kingdom and the Star Tours: The Adventures Continue ride at Disneyland. We had a team of people checking heights on the rides, and it was their responsibility to make sure all passengers were within the height limit.
When working on a ride, it’s important to keep in mind that the minimum height requirement for a ride is only the lowest level of protection necessary to ensure the safety of all riders. Some rides are actually safer for kids who are just a bit over the minimum height required than they are for those who are a little shorter or bigger for their age.
The Safety Requirements
Most kiddie rides have minimal height and weight requirements that were designed by manufacturers to ensure safety. However, accidents can occur even when a child meets these requirements.
In addition to the ride’s minimum requirements, riders should also observe all other safety regulations. These include a ride’s warning signs and verbal instructions from the ride operator.
Kids should always sit properly and stay seated until the ride comes to a complete stop. They should also never try to get off the ride until they have been told to do so.
Parents should also make sure their children are aware of all the safety rules before they put them on a ride. These could include keeping their hands and feet inside the seat, staying seated, and holding on.
Then, they should only ride with an adult who is familiar with their ability to follow these rules. This helps ensure that the parent isn’t a distraction while the child is on the ride.
It’s also important to watch the ride in operation before you let your child go on it. This is especially true if it looks like it may be too fast or scary for your child.
While the safety requirements are important, you should also remember that you know your child best. If you believe that your child cannot meet these requirements, skip the ride or find a different one.
You can also ask the park to eject a child who is not following the rules. Most amusement parks do this because they want to ensure the safety of their guests.
Before you go on a kiddie ride, look for the L&I-issued sticker near the ride operator station and check that it has passed a safety inspection within the last year. This will give you peace of mind that the ride is safe to use. In addition, be sure to follow the instructions of the ride operator and observe all age, height and weight restrictions.
The Cost
A Kiddie Ride is a coin-operated ride for children that commonly appears in amusement parks, arcades, malls, hotel game rooms, and outside supermarkets and discount department stores. These rides generally feature a miniature Ferris wheel, carousel, or track ride that is activated by a coin. Some also include pedals and buttons, or flashing lights.
Most of these rides use simple but colorful equipment that is hidden under vacuum-formed plastic covers. However, some commercial rides are Kiddie Ride designed with more complex mechanisms that can be easily repaired if necessary.
Many of these rides are based on popular characters and objects from movies or television shows. Examples of licensed kiddie rides include a Batmobile ride, a Garfield car ride, and a Pink Panther train and police van ride.
Kiddie rides have become increasingly more popular in recent years. They attract attention by flashing their lights and playing a sound or music clip at set intervals.
Some of these rides are also equipped with a video monitor. These videos can be displayed on a screen or projected onto the wall of a ride. These videos are usually more interactive than regular kiddie ride content and can be viewed by multiple riders at once.
These video displays can be customized with the ride’s logo and/or images. They are often very effective at attracting children and Periphery Demographic crowds.
One of the most popular types of kiddie rides is the horse ride. Originally invented by James Otto Hahs of Sikeston, Missouri, these horses are made from aluminum and are able to run around the circular base of the machine. They are a favorite among kids, but can be quite expensive to buy and maintain.
Another popular type of kiddie ride is the roller coaster-style Kiddie Coaster. These rides simulate a few different roller coasters, including Blue Streak and Gemini from Six Flags, as well as ICE’s version of the coaster.
Many of these rides are designed with a mode switch that can be set to allow free-play or coin operation. This is a great way to teach kids to save by not inserting coins into the machine every time they want to ride it.