All the WDW rides with physical drops

[Figment of Speech]

My trip with my partner is finally coming up! We're going on Saturday and staying a week. My partner strongly dislikes fast physical drops on rides. I don't just mean roller coasters, I mean any size drop. In fact, she acquired this dislike going on Pirates of the Caribbean as a kid. That small drop took her so much by surprise that she wants to steer clear of anything like it. She'd be okay on a simulator as long as closing her eyes is enough to avoid the drop sensation.

Can you all make sure my list is complete? (I'll probably be going on all of these without her.) I'm spoilering the list as a courtesy to anyone who wants to be surprised (though I don't know why they would be reading this post if they did).


Hollywood Studios:
* Big drops: Tower of Terror (duh), Slinky Dog Dash, Rock 'n' Roller Coaster
* Small drop(s): Rise of the Resistance

Epcot:
* Small drop(s): Frozen Ever After
* Other possible concerns: Test Track, Mission: Space

Magic Kingdom:
* Big drop(s): Splash Mountain, Space Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Barnstormer
* Small drop(s): Pirates of the Caribbean

Animal Kingdom:
* Big drops: Expedition Everest (won't be open while we're there anyway)
* Small drop(s): Kali River Rapids


Is there anything else that should be on my radar? I grew up going to Disneyland, but I was last there in 2001 and last at WDW in 1989; my partner was last at WDW in 1982. So I know my classic rides, but there are plenty of new ones that we'll both be first-timers for. Thanks!

 

[lizzytizzy]

How did you spoiler tag the list? That's neat!

 

[Figment of Speech]

How did you spoiler tag the list? That's neat!

In the tool bar, next to the smiley face, there's a dropdown (looks like three dots and a downward arrow). I used "Inline spoiler." You could also type the markup by hand by typing OPEN SQUARE BRACKET + "ISPOILER" + CLOSE SQUARE BRACKET at the beginning and OPEN SQUARE BRACKET + FORWARD SLASH + "ISPOILER" + CLOSE SQUARE BRACKET ... without the quotes around the word "ispoiler."

 

[jimmymc]

I would have them work up to Flight of Passage. No physical drop, but the first time you go on the effects can be pretty disorientating.

 

[T.G.I.Friday]

The beginning of Soarin can also be a little disorienting. I know it’s a simulator, but it happened before I was really ready for it the first time.

 

[Skippyboo]

Mission Space and Test Track don’t really have drops. Mission space Green simulation of a earth orbit on a space shuttle type vehicle. So you see a launch, earth below and then land. Test Track you probably go up and down some hills during indoor sections. Spaceship Earth you have a section where you go back down the ball backwards. But it’s pretty slow. Don’t if I would consider that a drop.

 

[glocon]

Soarin actually swoops up and then back down, might warn her on that. It is very smooth tho.

 

[Skippyboo]

Soarin actually swoops up and then back down, might warn her on that. It is very smooth tho.

That part on the Great Wall where it looks like you are going to kick the guy with umbrella. You can probably find POV videos for everything at WDW. So if you want your partner to watch and see if the non obvious rides like Soarin or FoP are doable before riding.

 

[CynBeth]

I am the same way so completely understand. I was fine on Rise. I have not been on it in a while but I believe Dinosaur had a drop at the end. For FOP I went on it twice last trip and it was a slightly different experience each time . The second time I felt it more but it helped when I turned my head and looked at others in the next room definitely have your partner give it a try it is so worth it. I do not notice anything on Test Track, Mission Space Green, Soarin’, Millenium Falcon, Star Tours, Runaway Railroad, or Remy. The backwards descent on Spaceship Earth is slow and am fine on that as well.

 

[Figment of Speech]

Mission Space and Test Track don’t really have drops.

They don't, but we've seen ride-throughs of Test Track, and she doesn't want to ride it. Mission Space we're less certain about. Ride-through videos don't make the vehicle movement very clear. It's hard to tell how much is simulator and how much is real movement. So it's in the "under consideration" category for us at the moment.

Spaceship Earth you have a section where you go back down the ball backwards. But it’s pretty slow. Don’t if I would consider that a drop.

What she most dislikes is the stomach sensation of being in freefall. So if it's slow, she'll probably be fine with it, but I'm happy to give her all the info I can and let her decide for herself.

Soarin actually swoops up and then back down, might warn her on that. It is very smooth tho.

I will share that with her, thank you!

You can probably find POV videos for everything at WDW. So if you want your partner to watch and see if the non obvious rides like Soarin or FoP are doable before riding.

We've watched quite a few. It's not always easy to tell from those videos what the movement is like, especially when it comes to the shorter, unexpected drops. You can see big ones easily enough, and if people scream, you know something's going on. But I couldn't tell from watching ride-throughs that there was a POTC-style drop on Frozen Ever After, for instance. I got that from vloggers mentioning it aloud.

I am the same way so completely understand. I was fine on Rise. I have not been on it in a while but I believe Dinosaur had a drop at the end.

Thanks, it's especially good to hear from someone with the same concerns. She is hoping she'll be brave enough to ride Rise. She knows she'd regret missing such a renowned ride just because of a split-second drop. This is the first I've heard about Dinosaur maybe having a drop. I don't remember that about Indiana Jones at Disneyland (which uses the same track as Dinosaur), but it's been a very, very long time. It would be helpful if someone could contribute a word on that either way.

 

[Calee]

Dinosaur feels like a bumpy jeep ride-no drop.

I wish she would try Test Track! No drops at all.

 

[PurplePigment]

On the topic of simulators, Mickey and Minnie's had a waterfall scene where you know it's coming pretty far in advance, but I think Remy's is a bit quicker, so it might be nice to know in advance that when he's on the roof at the beginning and the floor creeks (I think it's immediately after he says "That's it!") that's when it happens.

Also, seconding, no drop on Dinosaur. At the end it LOOKS like you'll drop and the vehicle goes downward but it keeps it controlled so you never feel anything. I also hate drops, so I was actively thinking about it the whole time.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

They don't, but we've seen ride-throughs of Test Track, and she doesn't want to ride it. Mission Space we're less certain about. Ride-through videos don't make the vehicle movement very clear. It's hard to tell how much is simulator and how much is real movement. So it's in the "under consideration" category for us at the moment.

What she most dislikes is the stomach sensation of being in freefall. So if it's slow, she'll probably be fine with it, but I'm happy to give her all the info I can and let her decide for herself.

I will share that with her, thank you!

We've watched quite a few. It's not always easy to tell from those videos what the movement is like, especially when it comes to the shorter, unexpected drops. You can see big ones easily enough, and if people scream, you know something's going on. But I couldn't tell from watching ride-throughs that there was a POTC-style drop on Frozen Ever After, for instance. I got that from vloggers mentioning it aloud.

Thanks, it's especially good to hear from someone with the same concerns. She is hoping she'll be brave enough to ride Rise. She knows she'd regret missing such a renowned ride just because of a split-second drop. This is the first I've heard about Dinosaur maybe having a drop. I don't remember that about Indiana Jones at Disneyland (which uses the same track as Dinosaur), but it's been a very, very long time. It would be helpful if someone could contribute a word on that either way.

If you think Mine Train is on the "big drops" list, do not, in a million years, take this person on Mission Space.

 

[Figment of Speech]

Dinosaur feels like a bumpy jeep ride-no drop.

Also, seconding, no drop on Dinosaur. At the end it LOOKS like you'll drop and the vehicle goes downward but it keeps it controlled so you never feel anything. I also hate drops, so I was actively thinking about it the whole time.

Thanks, that's what I thought. Again, we've watched tons of ride-throughs, and it looks like the kind of ride that might have a drop in there, but no one's ever mentioned it. Very glad to have concrete confirmation.

I wish she would try Test Track! No drops at all.

I have the feeling she'd be fine. She used to own a convertible, and of course she's driven it on open highway, so there would be no big difference in sensation. But this is the kind of thing where if she has an unpleasant experience early in the trip, she'll be even more gun-shy for the rest of the trip. I figure, as long as there are other things we can do — and she's suuuuuper excited about being at Epcot during Flower & Garden, so there'll be plenty to do — she's probably not gonna miss any specific ride (except perhaps ROTR, which she wants to want to ride, so if there's an exception this week, it'll be that). After all, you can't do everything anyway, so you might as well prioritize the sure things over the maybes.

I also don't want to push her onto something because I think she'll be fine, and then she's not, because then she won't trust me.

On the topic of simulators, Mickey and Minnie's had a waterfall scene where you know it's coming pretty far in advance, but I think Remy's is a bit quicker, so it might be nice to know in advance that when he's on the roof at the beginning and the floor creeks (I think it's immediately after he says "That's it!") that's when it happens.

Ooh, thanks very much. I've actually been trying to pay attention to the ride-throughs on those so I can get the "Time to close your eyes" timing down. So that's a good tip!

If you think Mine Train is on the "big drops" list, do not, in a million years, take this person on Mission Space.

Ha, she's just vetoing all the coasters. But thanks for commenting on Mission Space. She's excited to do Soarin' and Flight of Passage, so if something's more simulator-based, she'll be open to it. But I know people regularly step off Mission Space nauseated, and I wasn't sure if it's because it shakes you around like Star Tours (I rode the original version of Star Tours regularly in the '90s, and between that and the primitive, eye-crossing 3-D of Captain EO, Tomorrowland was kind of headache central for me) or something more realistic that you can't just close your eyes for.

These are the limitations of ride-through videos. They're great at showing you what you see on the ride, but they're not always good at communicating how the ride makes you feel. So I appreciate all the first-hand feedback. It's really filling in some blanks for me.

 

[Kristallc]

green mission space has no drops. test track does, but its just like a car driving quickly down hill, dinosaur has no drops that i can remember and I've been on it several times. watch a video on how the cars work, the car bounces but the floor itself is flat. pirates drop is only like 14 feet (?) and its a gentle slope, not like splash mt. she might find pirates very different as an adult than she did as a child. honestly she might get over her fear trying it especially knowing where the drop is. frozen has a drop, but its very small too. I don't like drops at all, so I avoid Everest, but i can manage the mine train and big thunder mt, basically because the drop goes into a turn and your not going straight down. i don't consider soarin a drop because your just glided up at the beginning and down at the end, not pit of the stomach thing. avoid splash mt, Everest. tower of terror , space mt. rock ad roller coaster

 

[chris benton]

If that little slide in Pirates was an issue, then be leary about the flying rides like Dumbo and Aladdin, and Astro Orbiter. Are they all the same platform with levers to move up and down? I can't remember. An aside: Astro Orbiter scares the crap out of me when it squeaks, but I will go on the biggest, fastest, loopiest roller coaster all day long.

Also, doesn't Pan have a tiny floating feel when you begin the "flight" track? It's only a second, and not a drop, but it might be along those lines

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Ha, she's just vetoing all the coasters. But thanks for commenting on Mission Space. She's excited to do Soarin' and Flight of Passage, so if something's more simulator-based, she'll be open to it. But I know people regularly step off Mission Space nauseated, and I wasn't sure if it's because it shakes you around like Star Tours (I rode the original version of Star Tours regularly in the '90s, and between that and the primitive, eye-crossing 3-D of Captain EO, Tomorrowland was kind of headache central for me) or something more realistic that you can't just close your eyes for.

Mission Space is almost the inverse of Soarin. Soarin achieves its illusion primarily using visuals to trick you into thinking you're moving. Mission Space ACTUALLY moves you. Closing your eyes would be just about the worst thing you can do. Head back, eyes forward.

 

[T.G.I.Friday]

I thought of another one, and it sounds silly, but the Little Mermaid! In the beginning to go under the sea, it turns you backward and you go down. It’s kind of like Spaceship earth, but again, since it’s at the beginning and if you haven’t ridden it before, you don’t know what else is going to happen.

 

[Sabine W.]

I would have them work up to Flight of Passage. No physical drop, but the first time you go on the effects can be pretty disorientating.

I agree with this. I found FOP very intense, and I don't mind roller coaster drops. I think it had something to do with being completely restrained in the vehicle. But also, unlike on a coaster, you're not really sure where the "ride" will take you next, and that raises the thrill level significantly. I would for sure make sure she's okay on Soaring before considering FOP. She could close her eyes to reduce the flight sensation, but in that case don't bother with the long wait/additional cost of the ride.

 

[disEAR]

Does Prince Charming Carrousel count?