Being afraid of bugs is not the only factor. Even without a particular fear of bugs (though I’m not exactly a bug-lover), the experience is simply way too intense to be enjoyable for me. There’s the visual effects (obviously) and the soundtrack (I can deal), but add in the smells and the sudden bursts of air in your face and the tactile elements . . . That’s at least 2 senses too many for me. I gave it a second try after several years had passed, thinking it couldn’t possibly be as bad as I remembered. It was.
And while many kids (and adults) love it and find it hilarious and just good fun, every time I find myself wandering the paths around the Tree of Life (where the show is housed), some poor traumatized child gets carried out the exit in the middle of the show. Every. Time. Without fail.
You won’t know how your child will fare unless you give it a try, but it’s a gamble for sure.
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Having taken several young cousins over the years for their first ITTBAB experiences, I can confidently say…
Yep.
Just too much for most youngsters.
Add in any sensory issues, fears, etc…and yep. It’s a bit much.
I’m a fan of watching DH jump every time, though. 
We went to see it with my then 6YO daughters. We purposefully got a seat next to the exit door. We needed it when the spiders came down from the ceiling. One of my daughters just stuck her head in my wife’s shoulder. The other started balling. I apologized to the guy at the exit and he said not to worry about it, and that my daughters weren’t the first kids to cry and won’t be the last.
Personally, I love it. But kids might think it’s real and that makes it scary. If you go and are scared they might be scarred, get a seat by the exit door and leave. They will let you.
I really REALLY hate this attraction. I’ve done it 3 times. The first was the first year AK was open, and I was maybe 12? and I cried. at 12. I don’t care if you judge me for this.
The past 2 times I’ve been to it I closed my eyes, lifted my feet in front of me and didn’t watch a second. I only went because other members of my party wanted to go. The last time was in 2010.
Now I don’t even mention it to my parties. And no one is the wiser. And I save my sanity.
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Not sure what to say, but its too scary for me and I’m 43! I will never forget the first time we went to see Tough to be a bug. It was a girls trip; me, mom, sister and my daughter. We didn’t make it not 3 minutes into the show and wanted to leave. Thank goodness we were on the end next to the exits and walked out. Nope, did not like the feeling of bugs on me and not being able to see but only feel. You couldn’t pay me to sit through it!
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Yupp. This is me. All I needed to hear was bugs falling from the ceiling. Yuck.
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