Disney Veterans: I need your expertise on which rides are "jerky"

[Katie Dawn]

I'm working on a touring plan for DH & I (his first trip ever...my first since high school band trips almost 12 years ago!) and DH loves thrill rides. He has ridden coasters at Six Flags over Georgia and Dollywood and enjoyed them all with one exception: very "jerky" coasters. Specifically, he says he doesn't mind if the ride is bumpy in an up/down motion, or in a forward/backward motion, but did not like getting jerked from side to side. In other words, he does not like it when his head or body is jerked very quickly from left to right, (and from right to left, for you literalists)

I hope that description makes sense.

So I've read that a few different rides are known for being jerky: Star Tours and Primeval Whirl in particular. Definitely seems like Primeval Whirl jerks you side to side. Is that correct?

Star Tours is a simulator? I can't remember riding it in high school...but I do remember Back to the Future (my favorite in high school!). It was "jerky" but you weren't actually moving, the car was just pivoting in place. Is Star Tours like that?

Are there any other rides that are jerky side-to-side? Or alternatively, do the Disney rides tend to be tamer so it wouldn't be a big deal compared to what you would feel at, say, Six Flags?

Oh, and one bonus question: His favorite coasters ever have been wooden coasters, loves the "feel" of the ride. I thought BTMRR was wooden but I just realized I assumed that because it has the word Railroad in it! Are there any wooden coasters at Disney?

Thanks so much for help!

 

[Talock]

Dinosaur (formerly Countdown to Extinction) is definitely jerky.

 

[P&L@WDW]

The first ride that leapt to my mind as being 'jerky' was Dinosaur! It's terrible for being rough/jerky. On my last trip, it was about 6 months post car accident, and that was the only ride that really caused me issues. Knocked me out for the rest of the day! Had to go back to the hotel, lay down, and take some serious pain killers!

Star Tours was fine. It's exactly like you described with Back to the Future.

 

[ilovejsparrow]

Primeval Whirl is a rough one, very jerky. My neck always hurts when I get off! Star Tours is a lot like Back to the Future, except instead of a small car its a larger theatre-like room, so I think the movements are a little softer. Another one you might want to watch out for is Dinosaur at Animal Kingdom, it's pretty jerky. And no, there are no "wooden" coasters at WDW, hope I helped!

 

[dgr1973]

I am not a veteran by any means(have only been once) but Star Tours is very jerky and yes it is a simulator. Those kind of rides make me sick so I stay away from them. I know Space Mountain is also pretty rough since it's old but I don't know how it will be when it reopens. Big Thunder is also a bit rough but I think it's supposed to be like that.

 

[swald91]

Thunder Mountain Railroad, Dinosaur are the ones I consider "jerky"

 

[missypriss19]

Definitely Primeval whirl. Love thi ride but it is very jerky.
Another jerky ride is Dinosaur. It is not a rollercoaster it is a jeep ride.
Disney rides on a whole are nothing like the big thrill roller coasters at Six flags. The only big thrill roller coaster is Exp. Everst and Rocking Roller Coaster. Both of which are rail costers. No big wooden coasters like Texas Gaint at Six flags.
Hope this helps

 

[buffettgirl]

Thunder Mountain feels jerky to me and Dinosaur. But the ride that actually hurt my neck this time was Expedition Everest. Mostly, it was a very smooth coaster but there was one part where I got whipped to the side and pop went my neck. (maybe it was during the backwards portion??) I have neck problems anyway, so I probably shouldn't ride anything LOL, but that's the ride that did me in this trip. Primeval whirl I don't so much call jerky because you know the spins are coming and you can brace yourself.

 

[izzy]

I'm sure I'm going to be the only person who thinks this, but I thought Toy Story Mania was a little jerky. Nothing bad, like Dinosour, but it definitely whipped me around a little bit.

 

[chartle]

Oh, and one bonus question: His favorite coasters ever have been wooden coasters, loves the "feel" of the ride. I thought BTMRR was wooden but I just realized I assumed that because it has the word Railroad in it! Are there any wooden coasters at Disney?

Thanks so much for help!

BTMRR is not a wooden coaster and Disney has no wooden coasters. I don't even thing the new one DCA is truly wooden.

If you want true wooden classic coasters you need to come to my home town park Kennywood.

 

[SydneyFalco]

I found the poor guys who have to narrate the Great Movies ride to be kinda jerky... but I can't really blame them. It's a tough gig.

My immediate thoughts were: Dinosaur and Star Tours. One of the Fantasyland dark rides for kids has some jerks in it, too (well, for a kiddie ride) but I can't remember which one.

I think I felt some jostling that was not strictly "up-down" on Tower Of Terror, too. Even though the premise of that ride is pretty much just "up-down."

 

[WillCAD]

I have 3 herniated disks in my upper spine, so jerky rides really HURT me.

Star Tours is a little jerky, but not too bad. I can handle it easily, even multiple times.

Dinosaur is very jerky. I can't ride it any more, even though I love it.

Space Mountain is very jerky. I can't ride that any more, either.

Primevil Hurl is way too jerky for my taste, even if I didn't have the bad disks.

I haven't tried TSM yet.

 

[PSUGuy]

Dinosaur gets my vote, wifey can't do R,n,Rollercoaster without getting a headache.

 

[rt2dz]

Dinosaur. That one is without a doubt.

You might put BTMRR in there, but I don't think it is *that* bad. DS8 insists Everest is, but neither DH nor I think it is. Star Tours is fairly jerky. Primeval Whirl is jerky. Depending on the driver, Kilimanjaro is jerky. Space Mountain was a bit rough.

That's all I can think of.

 

[MissMagnolia]

Space Mountain (very jerky to me)
Dinosaur
Star Tours
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad

 

[mmmbop]

I think the major ones are Star Tours and Dinosaur.

Others that have a "jerky" feel are Big Thunder Mountain (but I like the jerking. It's totally part of the experience!), The Many Adventures of Winnie The Pooh (it's generally smooth BUT my grandmother really dislikes the part where Tigger and the honeypot start bouncing), Toy Story Mania, Rock 'n' Roller Coaster (if you don't keep your head back against the headrest) annnnnd... Kiliminjaro Safari (you really need to hold on when you're hunting down those poachers!)

Hope you have a wonderful trip

 

[ransom]

And if he really, really can't stand side-to-side motion, then the water flumes are right out, because at the bottom of the drop (Pirates of the Caribbean, Splash Mountain, Malestrom) your boat is going to hit the guide rails and will bang side to side a bit. On the calmer boat rides (It's a Small World, Tres Amigos, Living with the Land), you'll still get some of that at certain points, but it's usually pretty gentle motion since you're going at less than 5mph.

And then there's Haunted Mansion, where the Doom Buggies will be swung back and forth several times somewhat violently.

 

[cheerful chickadee]

The first thing that came to mind was Primeval Whirl, it is ROUGH! I have a bad back (ruptered/herniated discs) so it was torture for me but my sis ter and DH both had bruised feeling backsides when we got off that ride. ugh, terrible.

 

[anlashokna]

AK - Dinosaur! Yikes, that one hurt.
MK- Space Mountain - Got seriously beat up on this the last time I rode, maybe it will be nicer after the refurb.
EPcot- Test Track - you get jerked around quite a bit
HS - I've not rode anything here that bothered me but haven't tried RRC. Star Wars may get you because it does rock a lot.

I have a testy lower back so these were my problem areas. Rode Tower of Terror without a problem, and I stood and quizzed the CM before going on it because I was concerned about the ride warning. Rode Expedition Everest with no problems. Well...no back problems..lol. Little shakey after that one

 

[marielynn724]

i have to agree with you for star tours - my fiance (who LOVES roller coasters and thrill rides and isn't scared of anything) turned into a green jelly fish on star tours. he just got really motion sick from being jerked around so much. it is uncomfortable for some people.