HI!

So i'm a bit of a whimp when it comes to amusement park type rides. I tend to oversike myself up for things more than anything, but i'm not a huge fan of heights and such so i try to at least know what i'm in for when it comes to rides. (i've been to WDW many times and still never tried some of them)

The bigger rides at WDW, which aren't as bad and which are? I was looking at thunder mountain on line and i didn't see any huge drop or anything mostly fast and jerky turns? how about mission space? soarin? test track?

thanks guys! :)

How are you concerning drops?

What about spinning?

Jerkiness and bumpiness?

Being startled/things jumping out towards you in the dark?

What have you gone on that you were ok with and what have you been on that you won't do again?

The biggest shocker to me is Primeval Whirl. I really like the nickname Primeval Hurl, and it was the only thing that I MADE my nephews skip and come back to for reasons other than touring plan. (They wanted to ride right after a big breakfast.) It has a fairly tall height restriction for a reason.

You might want to get Birnbaum's For kids, By Kids, because they describe the potential issues with different attractions.

How are you concerning drops? .

i can handle predictable drops the best (aka, i did Tower of Terror before they did the randomization thing to it, i liked it, wasn't the first thing i ran to , but b/c i knew how many drops etc, i liked it . . now i'd rather not) but things like kali river aren't anything for me.

What about spinning? medium amounts i'm good with

Jerkiness and bumpiness? no issues

Being startled/things jumping out towards you in the dark? no issues.

What have you gone on that you were ok with and what have you been on that you won't do again?

actually i can't think of any that were traumatizing in any way :P at least not at WDW.

The biggest shocker to me is Primeval Whirl. I really like the nickname Primeval Hurl, and it was the only thing that I MADE my nephews skip and come back to for reasons other than touring plan. (They wanted to ride right after a big breakfast.) It has a fairly tall height restriction for a reason.

I haven't done that one but i'm glad now that i haven't haha. i'm not much for the hurl after ride feeling.

actually i can't think of any that were traumatizing in any way :P at least not at WDW.
CLEARLY you haven't been on Stitch's Great Escape! (sorry, I really don't like that one -some people are ok with it). It's not a thrill ride in the normal sense, but it can be confining. Do a search about it for more info if you're interested.

Soarin is super smooth - but if you do have a feeling of hang gliding. The goal was to build an E-ticket Grandma could ride, and I think they succeeded very well with it. IF you're concerned about heights, ask for the 3rd row because it doesn't physically go as high and you can usually see people's feet above you, so it 'reminds' you you really aren't flying around Yosemite.

I often recommend Big Thunder for a first 'real' coaster, because it's not bad at all. You should try that one, and if you're ok with it, then you might want to try Space. Rock n Rollercoaster is very fast, with a fast takeoff and loops, so you might want to hold off on that.

Test track is supposed to simulate putting a car through it's paces. There are some hairpin turns and tests of anti-lock breaks, but they aren't at very high rates of speed. The big outside loop doesn't go any faster than you do on a freeway - and it's just a convertible, though the track is banked.

Mission:Space, if you're not claustrophobic - try the 'less intense' side and see how you like it, and if you want to 'feel the Gs' after that, go for the more intense side. If you're claustrophobic, stay away.

Expedition Everest goes backwards in the dark but doesn't go upside down. The big hill you can see from the outside. It can be a little unsettling with the backwards part, but it's very well themed (do standby first, if you can).

I love thrill rides, so I can show a different perspective. Thunder Mountain Railroad to me was very very mild. Space Mountain also was mild, but the most thrilling part was that it was in the dark. The only rides I get a "rush" from is Tower of Terror, Rockin roller coaster, and Mt Everest. Everest isn't that scary, but it is unique since it goes backward (but it does not go upside down if that's a problem for you). Test track I wouldn't think is a problem. Soarin' again, I can't see a problem unless you are seriously afraid of heights and can't get past the "thought" of being way up high. I would say most fears for thrill rides are mostly psychological. I'm not a fan of spinning rides. I guess I'd say... try anything at least once! :)

=I was looking at thunder mountain on line and i didn't see any huge drop or anything mostly fast and jerky turns? how about mission space? soarin? test track?

thanks guys! :)

BTMRR is a very smooth roller coaster with only one mild 1-second drop. It's more about speed and curves.

Mission Space isn't a problem except for the claustrophobic nature - when they move the cabin control panel into show position, it's really right in your face! The spinning doesn't feel like spinning at all - just added weight.

Soarin' is very very smooth. You said you're not that big on heights. If you can look out the window of a plane without ralphing, you'll be fine. And it really is one of the better attractions at Disney.

Test Track should give you no problems at all. The only fast spot is outside and around the building. It's a cool effect, but you should have no problem with it.

What is interesting with Soarin' is that you will tell yourself that you are not "really" high up at all, that it's all part of the illusion that you see on the screen. It turns out that you really are elevated more than you think you are, but, because it is dark, and you can't see down, or around you, you don't feel like you are elevated at all. It is a smooth ride. I cannot handle spinning, looping around, or even swaying, without getting dizzy, and I have no problem with 'Soarin. If spinning is an issue, the Tower of Terror probably will be OK. It's a straight up and down at the end. I have a SIL who has severe problems with vertigo, and she went on the T of T.

Last night, I was watching Food Detectives on the food network (which is sort of like Mythbusters, but with food), and they tested the theory that ginger helps with nausea by putting people on a teacup ride for 10 minutes (over three times longer than the standard ride length), recording their subjective levels of nausea, letting them rest, giving some people ginger and some a placebo, then putting them on for another 10 minutes. I felt sick just watching them. The people who took ginger did report improvement, BTW. In June, we did late EMH at the MK after the adults had a big dinner. Our friend took all of our kids on the teacups, twice, and did not get sick. I can't go on it once, with an empty stomach.

I just had to say the Teacups really got my husband and myself the last time we rode them. This past trip the kids were 11 and 8 and we said go have fun...we will wave from the side.

Mission Space (orange) did not make me sick, but I stared straight at the center of the screen the entire time. It did make my husband sick, but he had just eaten broccoli alfredo...so stay away from broccoli before riding!:D

Last night, I was watching Food Detectives on the food network (which is sort of like Mythbusters, but with food), and they tested the theory that ginger helps with nausea by putting people on a teacup ride for 10 minutes

That's a very interesting show! I love the food network, lol. I found that interesting, because I do get motion sickness... mostly in the car. Strangly I don't get sick on rollercoasters, only spinning rides. Upside down loops are fine, but put me in a car or spin me around and it is no fun. I should try the ginger trick.

I love thrill rides, so I can show a different perspective. Thunder Mountain Railroad to me was very very mild. Space Mountain also was mild, but the most thrilling part was that it was in the dark. The only rides I get a "rush" from is Tower of Terror, Rockin roller coaster, and Mt Everest. Everest isn't that scary, but it is unique since it goes backward (but it does not go upside down if that's a problem for you). Test track I wouldn't think is a problem. Soarin' again, I can't see a problem unless you are seriously afraid of heights and can't get past the "thought" of being way up high. I would say most fears for thrill rides are mostly psychological. I'm not a fan of spinning rides. I guess I'd say... try anything at least once! :)

I agree with this post. I'll add that Mission Space is rather intense (the "more intense" choice, anyway). I could feel my face getting sucked into the back of my head on that.

The Dinosaur ride at Animal Kingdom is cool. It's not scary or intense, but it's loud and it'll jerk you around a bit.

The only rides I won't ride are ones that just spin you in circles...they make me nauseous.

Soarin' is very very smooth. You said you're not that big on heights. If you can look out the window of a plane without ralphing, you'll be fine. And it really is one of the better attractions at Disney.

I have to disagree with the bolded statement. I am perfectly fine on airplanes and any other high places where I am safely contained on all six sides (including above and below). But take out one of those safe barriers and I'm a basket case. At Soarin', it's the front and the bottom. I compare Soarin' to a ski lift more than anything. It's true that you are not very high up but even standing on a second floor balcony gives me the willies.

That said, I have done Soarin' twice. The first time, because I didn't know what to expect, I really just sat there and talked to myself through the whole thing. The second time, I relaxed a bit but I still wasn't that comfortable.

Understood, disnut8.

The Dinosaur ride at Animal Kingdom is cool. It's not scary or intense, but it's loud and it'll jerk you around a bit.

And this statement I have to disagree with. Dinosaur is most intense and somewhat scary, especially for the little ones. It's not that bad in the sense of big drops, but it's absolutely intense.

Understood, disnut8.



And this statement I have to disagree with. Dinosaur is most intense and somewhat scary, especially for the little ones. It's not that bad in the sense of big drops, but it's absolutely intense.

Sure, Dinosaur is probably scary to kids, but I am assuming the thread starter is an adult and wants to know, as an adult, which rides are intense. I really don't think that ride is all that scary to an adult. It is fun though.

I was terrified of the "spinning upside down" coasters when I was a kid, until I went to a Nasa show in an annual world convention here in Peru, and i voluntered for a "game" wich involved being strapped to a spinning wheel (sort of like a hamster wheel), and you could walk in circles upside down. I lost my fear of the "upside down spins" then, because i could control the spins...
Last year i went to disneyland and the california adventure park and I stared at the "California Screamin' " ride and I couldnt resist riding it... and i LOVED IT.

Since that i've become somewhat "addicted" to spinning coasters, the bigger and meaner the better... I'm not saying you should ride the biggest first, but you should definetly try... maybe you get hooked like me!!

Sure, Dinosaur is probably scary to kids, but I am assuming the thread starter is an adult and wants to know, as an adult, which rides are intense. I really don't think that ride is all that scary to an adult. It is fun though.

One of the hosts of a podcast I used to listen to (time, not interest for it being past tense) did NOT like Dinosaur because of the dark and the big one jumping out at you when they take your picture.

And bmazzini, in U.S. English I believe you mean 'looping' and not 'spinning' for the type of Rollercoasters you like now. Dumbo and the tea cups spin, going upside down is a loop. (This may even be different in Great Britian English)

One of the hosts of a podcast I used to listen to (time, not interest for it being past tense) did NOT like Dinosaur because of the dark and the big one jumping out at you when they take your picture.


That's funny. The host did realize that the dinosaur was not actually going to eat people, right? :D

Yes, i am an adult. :)

I appreciate the input, from what i'm hearing i think i'm going to try more or less everything minus mission space and expedition everest.

thanks everyone :)

PS: i think the dino eating people is funny too (or that someone was thinking that).

My take on Everest is that it's not nearly as extreme as you might think. The drop is over with before you know it. The only intense part for me is the backwards part inside the dark mountain, and again it's over with before it becomes uncomfortable. I think if you do well with Big Thunder you should try it at least once.

Can't spin, but to answer your question, Dinosaur still scares the poo out of me. I ride it, but just keep my eyes shut. I do NOT like things jumping out at me. RnR and ToT are fine for me, but it would REALLY depend on the person.

Just to add my $0.02: I've never had issues with motion in any direction, but was brought to my knees (next to a lovely porcelain bowl) because I rode MS: orange with a sinus infection. After doing some research, I'm pretty sure the sinus infection messed with my inner ear/balance perception and gave me a nasty case of vertigo. And I absolutely followed all the instructions they gave me about staring straight ahead and all.

Just to add my $0.02: I've never had issues with motion in any direction, but was brought to my knees (next to a lovely porcelain bowl) because I rode MS: orange with a sinus infection. After doing some research, I'm pretty sure the sinus infection messed with my inner ear/balance perception and gave me a nasty case of vertigo. And I absolutely followed all the instructions they gave me about staring straight ahead and all.

:eek:

Freakin sweet.