deathly afraid of "drops" on coasters... which ones would be okay?

[BarbieSmith]

I am 46 and would love to do some roller coasters with my daughters this year (they are 7 and 8, and over 48") . Which might you recommend?

Here are the ones I have tried: ToT was so awful when I tried it, I will never do something like it again, I wanted to die (literally, how awful LoL) . Splash Mountain was pretty bad... I could do it again if I *had* to, but it was really pushing my limits greatly. On the other hand I loved RnRC! No big drops bit lots of thrills!

I have not tried any others... would especially like to know about MK and IoA/US coasters (1st time at darkside, though spending most of our time at WDW). Any input on what to try and what to avoid would be wonderful. I want to be a FUN mom as much as I can!

Thanks, Barbie

 

[BarbieSmith]

I forgot to add that my DD's are little daredevils. They can do it all, pending height restrictions.

 

[maddiebee]

You can look up all the rides on YouTube to get an idea of what to expect.

 

[Dis703]

I can't do drops either, so I stick with Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. Haven't even attempted any other coasters.

I'm curious with RnR coaster not having drops if that may be worth a try. Might have to look that up online and see if I can watch a video.

 

[chartle]

I can't do drops either, so I stick with Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. Haven't even attempted any other coasters.

I'm curious with RnR coaster not having drops if that may be worth a try. Might have to look that up online and see if I can watch a video.

This. My wife is the same and loves BTMR. I'm trying very hard to get her on RnRC since its really not drops. Don't let the inversions scare you. You never feel like you are upside down, you are always pushed into your seat.

As for Universal, I never been there but I would say most are all off your list since they are a magnitude higher than anything at WDW.

 

[gingerfeathers]

I think Splash has the biggest drop at MK, so if you can handle anything else less intense then you should be fine. Space Mountain's drops are fairly minor, same with BTMRR. There's a small drop on Pirates of the Caribbean at the very start, but it goes down maybe 10 feet..? It's mild and over with in about a second.

I would avoid Expedition Everest as well... doesn't sound like you'll enjoy it!

I don't have a lot of experience at US/IoA. Most of those you can tell if there is a big drop since many of the coasters are outside. Avoid the Dragon Challenge ride in the Harry Potter section for sure. I think Flight of the Hippogriff is pretty tame, but I would suggest eyeballing it before you decide to go on it. There is a small drop. You should be okay with the ride in Hogwarts (Forbidden Journey)... think Soarin' at Epcot on steroids.

Good luck! Have a good time.

 

[dawnhaze]

BTMRR has no big drops, and the small-to-medium drops are pretty slow and not very steep. Space has some medium drops that go quicker, but it's really more getting whipped around in the dark.

The only coaster at US/IOA I remember that didn't have much in the way of big drops was the indoor one, I think it's the Mummy? Oh, and the Harry Potter kids' coaster, Flight of the Hippogryph, is pretty mild. Do not let your kids convince you to ride Rip Ride Rockit!

 

[married2mm]

I am 46 and would love to do some roller coasters with my daughters this year (they are 7 and 8, and over 48") . Which might you recommend?

Here are the ones I have tried: ToT was so awful when I tried it, I will never do something like it again, I wanted to die (literally, how awful LoL) . Splash Mountain was pretty bad... I could do it again if I *had* to, but it was really pushing my limits greatly. On the other hand I loved RnRC! No big drops bit lots of thrills!

I have not tried any others... would especially like to know about MK and IoA/US coasters (1st time at darkside, though spending most of our time at WDW). Any input on what to try and what to avoid would be wonderful. I want to be a FUN mom as much as I can!

Thanks, Barbie

Barbie,

You are more of a devil than me!
Our first trip to wdw,did no planning,had no idea about anything at all,and the cm at splash mountain said it was a mild ride

I am really short sighted,and was unsure if my sunglasses would stay on,so took them off,and couldn't see anything!
When I felt a drop,I thought thankfully,it must be over- obviously it wasn't!
My stomach lurched deeper than I ever want to feel again,and the photo off the ride says it all-we can laugh about it now- but definitely scarred for life!!

Last year,I attempted btm,as my dd told me it was not up and down etc,and thoroughly enjoyed it.
I'm aware of my limitations,and very happy to stay within them.

 

[whitestavern]

I am just like you. I tried ToT last year and HATED it! Will never do it again. I can do Splash if I hold my stomach real tight in the drop, and I tried EE last year and was able to do it two times. It's about the same drop. I can easily do BTMRR and Space. Space has some little drops but you can't see when they're coming. Haven't tried RnRC but maybe I will when we next head down! Most everything at IOA/Universal is too intimidating for me to even try, including the simulators, but I was able to do Forbidden Journey twice (it's just that good!) and Simpsons and Mummy once. The latter two were pretty tough and I'm not sure if I'll do either again.

 

[flortlebap]

Is it the stomach drop sensation you hate? If so then avoid EE - that and ToT are the only two DH can't ride.

He was OK on Space Mountain but it does have some sharp twists and drops. He did RnR but hated the take off, rest of the ride was fine though!

 

[ParrotBill]

If it's really the drops that bother you then I will offer these descriptions of RnRC and EE.

Rock N Roller Coaster has a supercharged launch, which puts adrenaline in your blood right away. There are no drop sensations, as mentioned before the speed pushes you into your seat for few loops. You can see enough in the dark to know you are turning and you will feel the most force in the "corkscrew". The shoulder harness also locks you in tight to help counter the motions. My wife will ride this once every few years. She is NOT fond of thril rides.

Expedition Everest is about halfway between Rock N Roller Coaster and Big Thunder Mountain. You get a lap bar like BTMRR, not a harness like RnRC. The pull up is high with views all around like a real roller coaster - but once it's over the ride's theming blocks views... it's almost like an indoor coaster from that point on. EE is much faster than BTMRR, but there are no upside downs. Plenty of banked curves at high speeds. The drop comes early in the ride after the pull-up and it not as bad as Splash Mountain, but worse than anything on BTMRR or RnRC. And there is the fact that *spoiler* it goes backwards for a part. That bothers some people. Based on what you've said, I would suggest you give EE a try.

There is nothing at Universal you can tolerate. Just watch them from afar and you will realize this right away!

 

[June84]

I think Big Thunder Mountain is the best roller coaster for people who are afraid of them (including myself!)

On IoA I was too afraid to go on the roller coasters... They were very scary to me

 

[tarak]

I am 46 and would love to do some roller coasters with my daughters this year (they are 7 and 8, and over 48") . Which might you recommend?

Here are the ones I have tried: ToT was so awful when I tried it, I will never do something like it again, I wanted to die (literally, how awful LoL) . Splash Mountain was pretty bad... I could do it again if I *had* to, but it was really pushing my limits greatly. On the other hand I loved RnRC! No big drops bit lots of thrills!

I have not tried any others... would especially like to know about MK and IoA/US coasters (1st time at darkside, though spending most of our time at WDW). Any input on what to try and what to avoid would be wonderful. I want to be a FUN mom as much as I can!

Thanks, Barbie

You sound much like me when it comes to thrill rides. I can handle inversions, spins, going backwards, acceleration, you name it. But those straight drops? Nope. I've never even tried TOT and give you a lot of credit for going on it. The rides I know I can't do:

Splash Mountain
Expedition Everest - I had no trouble with any of it until the drop. Even going backwards was fine for me. But the second I approached that drop, all I could think was "Why did I do this?"
Tower of Terror

I can do these with no trouble (because they have no drops, or what they have is, for me, minimal):

Big Thunder Mountain
Space Mountain
Barnstormer
Pirates of the Caribbean
Dinosaur
Primeval Whirl
Star Tours
Maelstrom
Test Track

I've thought that RNRC might be okay for me because it doesn't have any big drops. Based on your recommendation, I might give it a try next trip.

Mission Space I haven't tried and I haven't given too much thought about it. Most of my kids aren't tall enough to ride, so it's not been on my radar.

 

[DavidNYC]

If you're talking coasters and not other rides (like ToT) -

At Disney - you should be fine with Big Thunder. The Space Mountain drops aren't really all that big but there are a few medium size ones and the darknesses makes one of them in particular feel bigger than it really is. Everest has a few decent drops (including a backwards one so I'd skip that).

At Universal - I have mixed feelings. The two big coasters (Hulk and Dragon) have some drops but they're really mixed in with the inversions and curves so that you're not getting the same dropping feeling as a plain big hill. I'd try Hulk over Dragon first as Hulk launches upward (with the accelerated launch like RnR) so there's no big first drop like many coasters and the drops it does have are more integrated into the ride. You probably will be somewhat scared but if you really want to do one there with the kids, that would be the one I'd recommend if you like RnR at Disney. (Oh - I'd avoid the coaster at Universal Studios where the first drop is literally straight down . . . But the Mummy isn't too bad comparitively in terms of drops.

 

[sdwrdt]

I am 46 and would love to do some roller coasters with my daughters this year (they are 7 and 8, and over 48") . Which might you recommend?

Here are the ones I have tried: ToT was so awful when I tried it, I will never do something like it again, I wanted to die (literally, how awful LoL) . Splash Mountain was pretty bad... I could do it again if I *had* to, but it was really pushing my limits greatly. On the other hand I loved RnRC! No big drops bit lots of thrills!

I have not tried any others... would especially like to know about MK and IoA/US coasters (1st time at darkside, though spending most of our time at WDW). Any input on what to try and what to avoid would be wonderful. I want to be a FUN mom as much as I can!

Thanks, Barbie

You sound EXACTLY like me. I almost cried the last time I rode ToT (2005, just kept saying "no" each time it rose again). Splash Mountain is the best of any plume rides, probably because I love all things leading up to it that I just have to do it. And I love RnRC!

I enjoy EE. I read through the previous posts and don't remember any drops, so not sure if it's because they're in the dark?!? Going backwards was the only thing that worried me about it.

BTMRR and SP in MK are a lot of fun! No big drops whatsoever. The worst thing about BTMRR is being tossed from side to side (and I'm getting bigger each time we go, so the movement is a lot less )

We did IOA in 2010 and did the Hulk. It's scarier than RnRC, but I still enjoyed it. There wasn't the big drop, that's why I went on it. Jurassic Park has a big drop, but it wasn't a scary one (water ride) and Dudley Do Right - I don't think I was scared for it. I do remember getting wetter during the ride than the drop.

 

[Pills]

I used to love big coasters. Somewhere around my mid-20s, something broke, and I couldn't take them well anymore.

I don't have an issue with BTMRR. I always see that first "drop" and quickly think "why did I do this?"... and it's over, into a banked turn.

I was a little nervous about RnRC, but my experience mirrors what others have said here. Launch was a little uncomfortable, but I loved the ride otherwise. Thought it was way too short.

 

[epcotty]

I say just Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (which I always seem to call Big Mountain Thunder Railroad). I now skip Space Mountain after not liking it one time when I rode it more recently. Haven't tried rollercoasters at the other parks

 

[tinkerbelle8878]

I also hate big drops and try to avoid rides with them. I'd say as far as coasters go, Big Thunder Mountain is really the best choice. Its maybe one drop but instead of dropping straight down at one point, it drops a little and goes into a curve. Space has alot of drops, plus you can't see where you're going. RnR, I've never attempted and ToT is just drops. No track just drops. Also I'd think Splash would be out because its a flume type ride with one big drop.

 

[juliebug1997]

I can't do drops either, so I stick with Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. Haven't even attempted any other coasters.

I'm curious with RnR coaster not having drops if that may be worth a try. Might have to look that up online and see if I can watch a video.

This is me to a T. I can do BTMRR, but DH doesn't like to do it but will if I ask. Now, I might have to see about RnR, although I'm not too sure about being upside down.

 

[MeLaNie9]

I also do not like the big drops but I have ridden everything at WDW except RnR and ToT. I did Splash Mtn and EE (rode it twice in a row) on the same trip a few years ago. I will never do Splash again - not only did the big drop get me good but there was a smaller drop in the dark that I did not expect which freaked me out prior to the big drop. EE again maybe, but I haven't since - I actually think the backwards part was the worst of it! I could never do ToT. It is interesting to hear that there are no big drops on RnR. I will have to check that out.
I love BTMRR, its my all time favorite roller coaster. It took many years to get me on Space Mtn - I was just so afraid of being in the dark, not being able to see any big drops if they were coming. DH dared me on one of our recent trips and DS9 stepped up to ride it with me and so off I went. We loved it! There are really no big drops and it really mostly has tight turns and it feels fast although I think it actually is not. I can also do Barnstormer and Primeval Whirl.