Advice from fellow fearful ride folks?

[bleeps]

18 days until our return to the House of Mouse -- cannot wait! This is our third trip in 3 years -- DH, 7 yo DS, and me.

Here's where I'd like your help:

Dh and Ds LOVE all the rides -- rollercoasters, high altitude rides, whatever -- they are there. I am a ride weeney. I don't get motion sickness or anything, but I get fearful and extremely uneasy/uncomfortable. I do go on Dumbo every time but to be honest, I am holding on for dear life and "lightly" admonishing my DS not to make it go up and down. I can handle the teacups (and DH can't, so I do have some sense of ride pride there!). But, I just hate sitting it out all the time while the guys are having fun.

Are you like me? Have you ever pushed yourself to go on rides that frightened you? Were you glad, afterwards, or bummed? The guys want me to try Splash Mountain, Goofy's Barnstormer (yeah, I know, but the thought of it still scares me) and Astro Orbiter at night (they say the view is magical). I so want to try.... I once did a log-flume ride w/ DS at another park and my neck was sore for a week -- that's because I was SO tense during the drop! I imagine that if I could just relax my body then I wouldn't get the nasty neck injury....

Anyway, sorry this is so long, but I'd love to hear from those who share my anxieties, and how/if you overcame them!

 

[Mersmom98]

I personally LOVE rides, but my MIL hates them. We went in March and she did ride Splash Moutain and BTMR with us...ONCE...It was a magical moment for my dh to ride a roller coaster with his mother for the first time ever. After that she sat and read a book while we went on them again, but we were so proud of her for trying something she had never done before. I say that you should go for it and who knows...You may end up loving some of the roller coasters. Splash Mountain is such a neat ride before the big drop that you really should experience it once in your life. The drop is over quickly....I promise!!

I don't know if this helps but I just wanted to let you know that there are others like you who have gone before and survived.

 

[doodle]

I am a ride WEENEY big time but I have done Splash Mt and BTMRR. BTMRR was okay but I really just do it because my faimily wants me to. I think you would like Splash. It is SO much gentler than any other log flume I have been on and the theming is wonderful!! Be sure to go on Soarin' in Epcot. I loved it and would go again and again if there weren't such huge lines.

Enjoy!

 

[mjh8955]

I used to enjoy roller coasters but I'm 50 now and do not enjoy being yanked and thrown around anymore. However, it was my personal goal to ride all the roller coaster and thriller type rides during a trip to Disneyland a few years ago (without kids). I rode the Himalya and lived so I moved on to Big Thunder Mountain, and lived. I have done Space Mountain, it is the one I tolerate the best. Last year I managed to do Splash Mountain but did not enjoy it at all, and with my apologies to everyone else around me, my nerves probably did not allow them to enjoy it either. I dislike drops intensely. I can do Mission Space without too much trouble; a little clausterphobic in the beginning but I do deep breathing to get through it. This year I managed Rock N Roller Coaster. My eyes were shut the entire time so maybe that doesn't even count, and I was saying bad words under my breath the whole ride. Will not do it again. Same with Tower of Terror (and that thing was certainly named appropriately). The cast member in the waiting room was doing a great act and must have sensed I was the one in the room who had the worst case of nerves because he really did a number on me and scared me, twice. That part was fun (because it didn't involve me hurtling downward). On this one I again buried my face in the shoulder of the person next to me (my poor brother-in-law) and after the first drop I even wound my leg around his to brace myself further. Never again.

DH can't do any spinning rides or he throws up so I do all of those with our kids and he does all the ones that seem life-threatening to me. Now I can say I have ridden all the rides at MK and Epcot.

 

[sunny04]

I NEVER rode roller coasters or rides with big drops until we started going to WDW. (I mean, I did the kiddie-ones as a kid to know I didn't like them...)But I have done all the big scary ones now...Splash, BTMR, Space Mntn, ToT, RnRC, even Mission Space!!!! Now, I will never do MS again. I don't care much for RnRC, Space or Splash, but I do them quite often with DH. BTMR is one of my FAVORITES at Mk now! It doesn't have real big drops, just is fast and curvy, so I enjoy it alot! You should try to get yourself on that one first....it's pretty tame. If you like it okay, then go for Space and Splash if you just want to do them like I did. Oh and Goofy's isn't too bad either...it's a little jerky, not too fun, but it's REALLY short, so it's not too bad.

 

[wickey's friend]

Fellow ride weenie here! But, having said that, I finally rode all the scary rides (except Astro Orbiter) on our third trip to WDW. I LOVE all of them -- okay, Splash Mountain still scares me some, but the last time I rode it, I was able to keep my eyes open most of the way down the drop! It's beautiuful!

I'm really afraid of heights, but LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Tower of Terror!!!! And, I can't get enough of Rock 'n' Roller Coaster. Weird, huh?

Maybe it's Disney Magic, but I'm okay on them all now. And, this next time, I may even get up enough courage to ride Astro Orbiter. Maybe.

I say go for it!!!

 

[waltdisneyworlddreamer]

I hate roller coasters and usually put my husband up to doing those. However, my DS pleaded with me to do Rock n Roller Coaster. DH gave me the guilt trip, so I finally aggreed. I would have to admit that in the first 5 seconds of the ride I thought I had made a mistake, but after that it was really a great ride, very smooth. We also were fortunate to see SM with the lights on. (We were on Tommorrowland Transit Authority and it stopped right at the window for about 10 min, while they worked on SM.) I would have to say it really doesn't look too bad, maybe I'll get the nerve to try it sometime!

 

[Deb & Bill]

I've tried lots of them, but I get sick. So when my husband and son go on those rides, I wait for them at the end. I might go ahead and pick up some Fast passes for another ride or pick up some drinks, popcorn, etc. And I'll be waiting for them. I have no problem with them going on the rides and me not going on the rides.

 

[CampingMinnie]

When i was a little younger i would ride Space Mntn and Thunder Mntn alot but i just cant bring myself to get on them now. I did do Mission once and it wasnt so bad but i dont thing i'll go on again. And after years and years of chickening out on going on Splash Mntn, me and my DM finally went on. Well i was sooooo scared after the first drop i wanted to get off so bad but i knew i couldnt. I just sat that and prayed for it to be over...lol After all it wasnt so horrible i guess but i was so nervous when i got off the ride every part of my body was tingling, i couldnt even feel my hands. To top it all off, our picture for some reason was one of the ones blacked out and i was devistated, boy did i complain, my first and LAST time on the ride and no picture to remember it.

 

[bleeps]

Oh, I so appreciate all the encouragement and support! Dis-boarders are the best!

I'm really going to try this time -- I'll work my way up one ride at a time and will keep going for as long as I am having fun. Maybe I'll surprise myself! I'll post after my trip on how I did....

Thanks again for all the great responses.

 

[CBear]

I think a lot of rides look much worse than they actually are. The drop on Splash, for example, looks huge but when you go down it really is over so quickly and easily (but you do get wet!).

 

[Onceler]

When I was younger I tended to stay away from roller coasters. I wasn't afraid of them and friends were able to get me to ride some, but I did not particularly enjoy the nervous sensation I would get. So I spent more time on other rides.

One day I was at a park with a friend and all of the rides were walk-ons. We decided to ride this big rickety wooden coaster that I never liked before. We rode it once and when we got back to the station there was nobody in line so we we able to ride it again without getting back in line. We then rode it a third time and a fourth time and a fifth time. Five consecutive rides in less than 15 minutes.

After the first trip I still did not enjoy the ride. After the second trip I decided that it wasn't too bad. By the fifth trip I was having a blast. I have been a roller coaster nut ever since.

I don't know if this method will work for others, but it sure cured my discomfort on some of the bigger rides.

 

[oots]

i am also a ride weenie-but I have done it all at disney-47 yr old male-last week rode tot(once-passed on 2nd ride) rockin roller twice-you gotta love the inital kick! splash-the bark is much bigger than its bite-rode big thunder 3 times!!-twice in a row also did space mntn & mission space(will not do it again) soaring was a cake walk. give them a shot most are worth it just for the pre-show stuff.

good luck

 

[TinkerbellMama]

I once did a log-flume ride w/ DS at another park and my neck was sore for a week -- that's because I was SO tense during the drop! I imagine that if I could just relax my body then I wouldn't get the nasty neck injury....
QUOTE]

Hi, I am not a "ride weeney" (that is SO cute and made me LOL! ), but I had a suggestion for you. I do not necessarily advocate drunkenness while in WDW, but perhaps an adult beverage or two before hitting the parks might help you to relax a little bit? Or if you are going first thing in the morning, maybe a few drinks with lunch would loosen you up, just enough so you don't hurt your neck tensing up? Hope you find something that helps! Good luck!

 

[disneymama73]

Another ride-weenie here! I've never ridden Space Mountain, Astro-Orbiter, RnRC or MS. I have been on ToT, BTMR and Goofy's Barnstormer (I told ya! I'm a WEENIE!), and I hate all of them! My DDs think it's hilarious that I don't like these rides, but I have tried them, and I hate them. I do have to say, however, that I LOVE Splash Mountain.

Since my children have become old enough to ride these rides, my DH takes them, and I know how you feel just sitting around waiting for them. So I have recently started shopping, riding the TTA, getting a snack, etc. Try to keep yourself busy & do something fun for yourself.

Most of all - HAVE FUN!

 

[LorieR]

I finally went on Splash Mountain for the first time last year! I spent the whole ride not enjoying it and worrying about the final drop..... It was great but scary.

My DH and I just returned last week from WDW. We did Splash Mountain 8 times this time!!! It is terrific! We even did it in the pouring rain one night!!

I did TOT for the first time this year also!! It was pretty scary and we could have walked right back on it but I had had enough right then!! Rockin Roller Coaster was closed for a few days unexpectedly and we never got back to MGM again before we left. If we had, I planned to ride TOT again as well as Rockin Roller Coaster!! I turned 53 this year and decided I amtoo old to miss out on fun because I am afraid!!!

Lorie

 

[Simba's Mom]

Definite ride-weenie here! Stay away from Astro-Orbiter, the scariest ride I've ever been on. I swear I was terrified, and to think I actually chose to do it in my quest to do every ride in MK! I was also scared on Goofy's Barnstormer-I think that one goes too fast. I did TOT once, never again. I won't even consider RnRC. Dinosaur was fine-as soon as we got on the ride, I closed my eyes, and I didn't open them again until the ride ended (DH had to tell me "It's all over now"). But I love Splash, the drop isn't as bad as it looks, and I've found that if you force yourself to count "One one thousand, Two one thousand", you'll be at the bottom of the drop around "Two"

 

[wvjovifan]

I used to be a weeney....scared of everything..but I made myself ride everything and you know what? I LOVE THEM ALL NOW!!!! The more you ride, the better they are! I love all the coasters, the faster the better! I even did Mission Space on our last trip! I'm 50 and a ride freak!!! Can't wait for May to ride EE!!!!! woo hoo!!!!!

 

[astarr]

I love riding EVERYTHING but even I can't handle the teacups

 

[JuneCleaver]

Charter member of the Cowardly Riders Club! But it doesn't bother me....I happily ride the bench by the rides while the rest of them do something that scares the pants out of me! You meet the most interesting people that way!

June