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Mistersh0w
09-13-2004, 08:19 PM
Ok, bear with me here it's my first time posting, but I have been enjoying all the fun here from a far for quite some time! Anyway to the point...I'm a wuss, A BIG wuss....Lemme splain: Ever since I can remeber i've been afraid of big rides. My earliest memories of thrill rides consisted of "fast" sidewalk shopping cart races, and lest we forget the ever popular "sticking your head out of a moving car on the freeway when your 8 years old" game. So as you can already tell, I was no stranger to danger...(ok that totally didnt rhyme on purpose!!) And my first trips to Disneyland were amazingly great!! (From what I can recall....)
But fast forward to my first thrill ride, no surprisingly it's not the Matterhorn, and it's not Big Thunder, It was at the grand opening of Splash Mountain!! So my dad and I decided to take the plunge...pun intended....if that's even a pun....So we went on it! Now I don't remember much of the ride itself, all I can remember was that there are a couple of drops BEFORE the BIG drop...And I didnt like that...THEN comes the BIG drop, and faster than I can say "Hey isn't this billion dollar ride based off of a banned disney movie" We drop!! Then it came...The discomfort, the pain, the tummy weirdness....And then it was over.....
FAST forward to present day....Believe it or not, that was the LAST time I ever went on Splash Mountain...My name is Steve Zaragoza, I'm 22 years old, and I am AFRAID of Thrill Rides.....There I said it, I know it took a year and a half for you to read to this point, but I needed an introduction to my fears....Oh and believe me, i've tried to shake it, I've been told: "don't worry about it, it will be fine! go on this ride! Once you get off you'll love it!!" Well, let me tell you i've braved Indiana Jones JUST ONCE and when it was over, I was terrified...Folks you have to help me, it's not really a fear persay, it's more of the fear of vomiting all over my girlfriend, or other riders....Needless to say I have a nervous tummy, and I am deathly afraid of loosing my cookies on a fast ride....I've never been on a roller coaster, the fastest ride i've ever experienced is probably Indy, Though I did go on Jurrassic Park Universal, and will NEVER ride it again....And even MORE pathetic is, I can't go on Pirates anymore because the first drop always messes up my tummy!!! Please help me fellow Disney lovers!! My girlfriend is a HUGE thrill ride lover, and everytime we go to both parks (DLR, DCA) she always rides alone....She says she doesnt mind, but I don't want to let her down everytime....My latest attempt at a thrill ride was at DCA, Soarin' over California..I Loved it!! But that was a simulator...I can do simulators, I love Star Tours!! Anyway, you get the jist of it all...I'm sorry to make this such a HUGE first time post, but I just needed to get it out there.....This is a desperate cry for help...Any suggestions? Helpful hints? Good over the counter medicines?! Oh and just FYI I'm an Annual Passholder. And yes, It's probably a waste of money to be a passholder and not go on the classic thrill rides....but dernit, I love Disneyland!!! urgh....

SCUBAbe
09-13-2004, 08:23 PM
do you shut your eyes on rides? If so try keeping them open. :)

DisneylandForever
09-13-2004, 08:35 PM
Folks you have to help me, it's not really a fear persay, it's more of the fear of vomiting all over my girlfriend, or other riders....Needless to say I have a nervous tummy, and I am deathly afraid of loosing my cookies on a fast ride..

It sounds more like anxiety. If you're more afraid of other people's reactions than what will actually happen to you, then it probably is anxiety. The best way to fight anxiety is to face it. I would suggest going on a "thrill ride" alone. If you're worried about your tummy, take some dramamine, or keep some pepto bismol handy. Ride the thrill ride over and over until the fear goes away. Then when you ride it with your girlfriend, mentally project yourself back to when you rode it alone. Then you can say to yourself "I rode this earlier and didn't throw up, so I can do it again." I have had anxiety before (a lot of people have in some form or another), and I did lots of research to learn how to beat it so it wouldn't interfere with my life. I hope my advice helps you, and if you want any more feel free to Email me anytime.

DisneyDustin22
09-13-2004, 08:36 PM
I feel for you, when I was a young kid I was afraid of thrill rides and it was hard to watch the rest of the family go on rides when I had to sit and watch. Today, I'm all for thrill rides and I often find myself saying things like, man, that ride was lame, such as after riding Deja Vu at MM. Yet, after riding X, any rollercoaster will seem kind of dull. lol. Anyway, my point is that eventually you have to just say, screw it, and get on a ride, knowing it might make you sick. The only way to get over a fear is to keep braving it until you can fight through it.

Like Scubabe said, try keeping your eyes open if you shut them on the ride. Whoever said closing your eyes to make it better is nuts. The reason why it seems so horrific with your eyes shut is because your mind cant see what is happening to you, so it assumes the worst case possible. So going down a small hill will feel like you are falling off the face of the earth because you cant expect it when it comes. It catches you off guard. If your eyes are open, you can see what is about to happen to you, thus, prepare your body for what is about to occurr, if you see you are about to go downhill, you can tense up and try to suck up some of the force on the stomach. follow? just keep the eyes open and start off on smaller rides. go on gadgets go coaster until you find it tame enough, then step up. you cant learn how to ride a bike by hoping on a chopper. first you need your tricycle. take it a step at a time, but we better see you on some ride pretty soon! :)

PsychDoc
09-13-2004, 08:37 PM
Don't worry about it, many people feel the same way. My brother was 25 before he'd go into Haunted Mansion! He almost squeezed the blood out of his then 8 year old neice's hand. "So you're sure there aren't any drops in here?" He too wouldn't go on Pirates because of the dips. He forced himself to face his fears but he still has limits. I doubt he'll ever go on Space Mountain. The best way to get over your fears is to face them. You might want to make a list (in assending order) of all the rides you'll ride based on your "tummy meter" -- how scared you feel. From the "easiest" SW? Pooh? All the way up to the scariest TOT? Screamin' Roller Coaster? You need to progress up your list, don't start out with the worst or even a mid range ride. You need to keep moving up. When you pass a major hurdle, say riding Indy again, do it a few times before moving up the ladder. Of course not in a row, you will hurl then. Also, if you can do simulators, try this trick. Tell yourself that all of them are simulartors? Sounds crazy, but try it. Maybe you can fake your way until you make it? If you are an AP holder I'm assuming that you live close and that you can do this plan over some time. Don't try to do all the rides in one day; it's just too much too soon. However, don't procrastinate or give into the fear and avoid moving up too slow. Also, it's okay to have a limit. For example, I do like DL thrill rides but some I can do without. For example, I've riden TOT. Like the theming, not too crazy about the drops. That's why I won't go on Mailboomer. However, I initally said that about Screamin and I went on it like5 times in a row as my daughter "forced me to do it." But the last 2 times we were there, she kind of seemed afraid of it and we didnt' go on it. I didn't push it, again, been there, done that. I do like it, but even I still get a bit anxious in line and before the first take off. Don't be ashamed, you're not alone. Hope this helps. Good luck.

drjones
09-13-2004, 09:06 PM
my better half, and love of my life (michelle BKA mrs dr jones) is also deathly afraid of anything that moves. Autopia, once in a great while i can get her to go on it, forget the mountain rides (splash, space, big thunder). my sister thought i was kidding when i firs told her of this fear, until we ALL went on Pirates last year. Michelle totally FREAKED. Like a cat being thown into a bath tub.
I constantly tell her to face her fears, heck the only fear i have left is giant squid. If I could face one on a daily basis, i probaly would.

SCUBAbe
09-13-2004, 09:09 PM
It's good you can do the simulators. Star Tours makes me feel very queasy. Soarin is ok, but there's one part that will make me feel queasy. I still go on them though, becaude I know the feeling will go away and I won't hurl.

I suggested keeping your eyes open, because I used to be terrified of the roller coasters at DL. My family would all ride together and I would keep my eyes tightly shut. It was the worst feeling hqving the roller coaster tss me around and not knowing when turns were coming up. One day when I was about 13 I opened my eyes and enjoyed the ride. Now, I go on all the rides there and at MM.

SCUBAbe
09-13-2004, 09:13 PM
I constantly tell her to face her fears, heck the only fear i have left is giant squid. If I could face one on a daily basis, i probaly would.
I have a fear of kelp. I got tangled in it on a night dive and my group left me behind. I still go diving, but I have a great respect for kelp now..:) The other thing that freaks me out is sunken ships. So, I dove at wreck alley in san diego. When the ship first came into view I felt a small panic, but I quickly put it to the back of my mind and enjoyed the dive. It was easier to do that after we got past the propellers...LOL

drjones
09-13-2004, 09:18 PM
i actually DID encounter a giant squid. At the Museum of Natural History in Santa Barbara. A special room just for it and I didn't see it coming. I look up pand there it is, a model (full scale) suspended from the ceiling amd right below it in a preservation tank is a 30 ft long BABY!!!!

I froze in my tracks and my then GF had to move me out of the room

BTW, I used to close my eyes, on the Subs ride at DL during the squid part

Mistersh0w
09-13-2004, 09:18 PM
Amazing, simply amazing!! You guys have been extremely helpful!! Here I thought I would be made fun of, and instead you all came through and treated me like a regular! Thank you! All the advice seems helpful! In fact after reading PsychDoc's post I felt like I could take on TOT right now!! But your right, It's time to face my fears and just do it...Although it may be easy for me to say, it sure wont be easy to do. In fact, come the next visit, I'll probably take all of your advice with me, but bail out at the last minute....But i'm sure as heck gonna try!! And as for keeping pepto bismol with me for after rides? Well, ask anyone who knows me, I never leave the house without a bottle in my bag!! And believe it or not, the "just do it" attitude worked really well when I was in line for Soarin', and even though I became very nervous when we were being loaded onto the ride, I toughed it up, and with the help of my girlfriend, I rode it out. Afterwards I felt like I could take on the world!! It felt so great to overcome that fear....But alas, my goal to go on Indy afterwards was flushed down the toilet after filling my tummy with delicious pasta and iced tea.....That's another thing, I subconsciously feel hungry before a thrill ride attempt so that I can fill up on food, that way i'm too full to even try....Yeah, it sucks...But I belive with the right kind of guidance from my girlfriend, and the step-by-step ride program, I can somehow, someday overcome my fears.....Now if I could only overcome my fear of Wilford Brimley!!

SallySkellington
09-13-2004, 09:24 PM
I would like to reinforce two things that have been mentioned:

1. NEVER close your eyes on a ride. I get motion sickness on some things, and it's always worse when I can't see where I'm going (which is the reason I can't ride Space Mountain).

2. Build up to rides SLOWLY. One night I rode Maliboomer and Screamin' (both for the first time) and was physically sick for the next 18 hours.

justjason
09-13-2004, 09:35 PM
Something else that might help is to lean into the turns.

sami869
09-14-2004, 08:47 AM
Ride the thrill ride over and over until the fear goes away.

I'd recomend not doing that. I don't have a weak stomache or a fear of thrill rides but if I were to ride a thrill ride over and over again I'd definitly get sick. I sugest you work up to the scarier, bigger rides. Chances are if you just go jump on TOT now you'll never want to go on any sort of thrill ride again. Don't spend a trip going on just thrill rides. Mix it up; thrill ride, calm soothing ride, thrill ride.



FYI I'm an Annual Passholder. And yes, It's probably a waste of money to be a passholder and not go on the classic thrill rides....but dernit, I love Disneyland!!! urgh....

I don't think it's a waste of money at all. There are tons of great things to do at the DLR besides thrill rides. There have been multiple days where the lines were just too long so we didn't go on any thrill rides all day and we still had a great time. Just remember that if you can't kick this fear it's okay. You can still go and enjoy the park.

sediment
09-14-2004, 09:07 AM
I'll take a guess:
1. You are the youngest of your siblings.
2. You like the attention you get when you don't go on the ride.

SarahShep
09-14-2004, 09:09 AM
LOL...now, see...closing my eyes on the thrill rides helps me. But maybe that's cuz I'm afraid of heights. ;) My body doesn't mind the motion, but it's the anxiety that kills me. So if I don't know what's coming, I can handle it just fine. I guess it just depends on the root of your fear!

Mistershow...if it makes you feel better, I'm 21 and I hate the thrill rides. I'll never ride Splash Mountain again. When I get off, I shake violently and cry. It's not worth it! I nearly died when my family forced me on TOT. My little cousin got off of the ride crying and I was shaking and tearing up. I don't think it's as bad as Splash Mountain cuz it kind of bounces you around, which would probably be a worse thing for you. But anyways....I feel your pain. You'll probably never see me on Screamin'...and if you do, I've lost my mind. And you don't even wanna know what happened when my friends drug me on the Sun Wheel...in the moving gondola!! :eek:

mystycalchyk
09-14-2004, 09:10 AM
Also.....let out a good 'hooodeehoooo' or similar 'whooping for joy exhale' type thing. Although I dont think I consider anything in DLR a thrill ride except for maybe ToT or Screamin' at DCA, BUT I still have tummy flips in all drops, from POTC to Splash, and yes ToT etc etc. I am a maniacle laugher on all rides like that.....when the 'drop' happens I expel a bit of laughter and the deep exhale actually calms the tummy down. Basically what I am saying is 'dont hold your breath', it makes it worse.

Good luck..Face your fears and you will surprise yourself and your honey ;)

DisneylandForever
09-14-2004, 10:03 AM
I'd recomend not doing that. I don't have a weak stomache or a fear of thrill rides but if I were to ride a thrill ride over and over again I'd definitly get sick.

You have a point. I should have been more specific. I didn't mean get right back in line after getting off the ride all day long. I meant he should go on a ride like Indy several times throughout the day until the fear goes away. Since he said he is not afraid of the ride, but afraid of yacking all over his woman, it sounds more like anxiety to me. Anxiety can cause physical symptoms, and upset stomach is one of them.

Do you think it could be anxiety, mistersh0w? Or have you always had a tender stomach, even around things that don't freak you out? If that's the case maybe you can try downing some of that pepto bismol before the ride to help prevent any queeziness? Dramamine works well for motion sickness, too.

MrsPooh
09-14-2004, 11:59 AM
I agree with the Dramamine solution, it helps me. For some reason I get dizzy on Star Tours. Didn't use to happen but it does now. Maybe age? I love the ride, so I take Dramamine before entering the park.

Anyhow, I have another idea that may help with the drops. I have always hated drops, especially the big ones. I love roller coasters of all types, and I enjoy all of the ride except for that big drop, the one where your stomach rolls up into your throat. I hate that part. I made up a trick for myself that works and now my son has tried it and he claims it works for him too.

Right before the drop, tighten your stomach muscles as hard as you can, and keep it that way until the drop is over. It really does help with that fluttery feeling in your stomach. It doesn't take it away completely but it makes it a lot easier to handle.

And, if you have a touchy stomach, as it sounds like you do (carrying Pepto!) then I can see why you can get terribly nauseated afterwards. That is why I don't ride the teacups! I can't recover quickly enough!

Good luck, and let us know how you do!

Mistersh0w
09-14-2004, 12:45 PM
I'll take a guess:
1. You are the youngest of your siblings.
2. You like the attention you get when you don't go on the ride.

Ok, first off, yes. I am The youngest of two. Just me and my brother. And a BIG no for 2!! I hate the attention, I feel like a complete moron when I don't go on the fast rides, and it really singles me out when my other buddies want to go to the parks...


Do you think it could be anxiety, mistersh0w? Or have you always had a tender stomach, even around things that don't freak you out? If that's the case maybe you can try downing some of that pepto bismol before the ride to help prevent any queeziness? Dramamine works well for motion sickness, too.

I've always had a sensitive stomach, ever since I was a kid. I used to carry around tums in my pocket as a young student. It would settle my stomach when I would get nervous, and that really helped me out when dealing with alot of things. Including some rides at DLR and DCA. And I have tried the Dramamine thing once. I had never been on Roger Rabbit's CarToon Spin before, about 2 or 3 years ago, because I HATE spinning rides, but LOVE Roger Rabbit. So I took some Dramamine and I ended up spinning that cab like a mad man!! But even now I can't have a trip to the park without going on CarToon Spin, I don't spin it NEARLY as much as I did on Dramamine, but I still spin. So I don't think it's a "dizziness" thing, I'm pretty sure it's moreso a vomiting thing. But then again I guess dizziness leads to vomiting sometimes too eh? But i'm not going to rule out anxiety, It's very possible. And downing pepto bismol really helped before I went on Jurrassic Park, but it was still a terrible experience....man that drop seemed to last for 10 minutes!!!!

sierranevada
09-14-2004, 05:28 PM
Another great remedy for a queasy stomach is ginger. When I am on a boat for scuba diving, the crew brews fresh ginger tea - a few sips will settle almost any stomach. Just cut up fresh ginger and boil it to make tea - you could bring it cold into the park. It tastes yummy too!! If fresh ginger isn't your "cup of tea" (pun intended!), you can get ginger capsules and any vitamin store. A lot of OB's recommend those for their pregnant patients morning sickness. I would take a few capsules a day or two before your visit, including the morning of.

Good Luck!!

Disneyfreak
09-14-2004, 05:32 PM
What are you afraid of? Nothing will happen to you on the rides.

SCUBAbe
09-14-2004, 05:39 PM
Another great remedy for a queasy stomach is ginger. When I am on a boat for scuba diving, the crew brews fresh ginger tea - a few sips will settle almost any stomach. Just cut up fresh ginger and boil it to make tea - you could bring it cold into the park. It tastes yummy too!! If fresh ginger isn't your "cup of tea" (pun intended!), you can get ginger capsules and any vitamin store. A lot of OB's recommend those for their pregnant patients morning sickness. I would take a few capsules a day or two before your visit, including the morning of.

Good Luck!!
wow, I wish the dive boat I went on did that. I'm ok as long as the boat is moving, but when we did the wreck dive it was only 5 or 10 minutes to the next wreck site. The little boat just sat there bobbing for like an hour. I felt sooo sick, but I went on the dive and as you probably know when you go under the queasy's go away. However, as soon as I got on the boat again it started all over again. Needless to say I fed the fishes...LOL. The channel island dive was better. The boat was moving most of the time.:)

SCUBAbe
09-14-2004, 05:40 PM
What are you afraid of? Nothing will happen to you on the rides.
yep and if you do hurl you'll feel better after. :)

CoasterChickie
09-14-2004, 05:55 PM
I've read a lot of replies telling Mistersh0w to "just do it." I was very fearful as a child so I've made myself "just do it" as an adult. It usually gets me past my fears and I feel better afterwards. But the one and only time I went scuba diving, I spent the entire hour telling myself to stay calm and breathe and when I thought about what I'd done later I had a panic attack. Also, there is a ride at Great America and the Boardwalk called the Fireball that I made myself go on once at each park. The first time I was fine and really liked it. The second time it was physically painful to me so I don't want to ride it again. And, I rode the BTTMR twice since it re-opened. I was not worried at all, but my friend was fine the first time then freaked out the second time because she started thinking about the accident.

Mistersh0w...the only way you're going to know if "it's in your head" or "it's truly in your body" is to try it if you can get up the nerve. I saw a program once that proved that there is something in the human brain that makes a ride either enjoyable or terrifying to people. Just remember that on a lot of the rides, the scary part only last about 4-10 seconds and it's not going to kill you. Just think...it may even turn out that you love the scary feeling!!

SweetAurora
09-14-2004, 05:56 PM
Hahaha. Great post!

Got anything good to say to a person who SAYS he won't go on some rides (i.e Splash Mountain, any roller coasters, MAYBE BTMR..etc.) because he swears they are unsafe? Oh, and might I add, he bounced forward on the Log Ride when he was 8 and cut his lip on the log...so he won't go on that either. he also is an ex-Attractions employee at DL...so he says he "personally" knows the rides are unsafe...