Getting rid of the "dropping sensation" fear...

[leahlovesdisney]

Hello! I hope this is in the right spot.
I know I'm not the only one with this fear! I just can't STAND that stomach in throat feeling on a steep drop!

I have been on Everest, RNR, BTMR, Space Mountain, and Primeval Whirl. I don't have any problems with the drops in those rides, since they don't really give me that "weird feeling".

Although I really want to ride ToT and Splash. I'm afraid if I can't conquer this fear, I'll chicken out on them last minute!
Does anyone have an tips on getting rid of this fear? Also, I've heard people take Dramamine/Bonine and don't really feel the drops. Has anyone tried this?

Thanks!

 

[goNDmay9]

I have the SAME fear. I would LOVE to know what you can do on TOT (i have even tried to google it). As for Splash - i am not sure if i should say this b/c is goes against the rules, but if you put your hands on the bar and lean SLIGHTLY forward and duck your head, it is not so bad at all. Since you are at a - what 45% angle, the lean seems to help a little - kind of like you are diving instead of dropping. Kind of like the "duck and cover" approach but not that drastic.

i think the rules of the ride tell you to sit back though so i am not sure if you can. It works for me though! One downfall is that your face is never in any of the pictures. You always see the top of my head!

For TOT I just grin, bear it, and buy the photo swearing this will be my last time...until next year comes of course. It never gets easier for me so i would love to hear about the tricks!

 

[bytheblood]

If you can do EE, you can do Splash with no problem at all - I promise.

 

[WDWCPAlumni]

Splash is not bad. It is only for a second.....if you can do all the coasters i would say you are fine with splash. It looks worse then it is, and the rest of the ride is SO cute it is worth it.
As far as TOT goes, it lasts longer.
I think if you hate that feeling then you do, you can just keep doing it until you finally are just use to doing it. besides that, back out.
I say just do it and plan to buy the photo!
But if the feeling actually makes you feel sick, do it the last ride of the day so you can go sleep it off after. Then it won't ruin your day.

 

[KimviG]

I suffer from the same affliction. I don't like drops and TOT is the only E ride I have not done yet but I'm planning on doing it this year, alone if I have to considering my family doesn't like drop rides either. On our last trip I gained enough courage to go on EE and M:S alone ( actually on BF's urgance to try it out for him but then he chickened out after I got off) So now I feel like I must do TOT or I won't be getting the full Disney experience. Silly, I know.

 

[MessyJ]

I definitely feel that ToT is the most "extreme" ride at WDW, although it doesn't hold a candle to some of the thrill rides at Universal and the various Six Flags Parks (though it's much cooler than any of those rides). I have found that the key to ToT is dealing with the very tip-top of the elevator shaft. At some point during your trip into another dimension (it's different every time) you will be shot to the top of the elevator shaft, only to immediately drop to the bottom. The trick is to deal with that coming-out-of-your-seat feeling at the top. A couple of things I have found that help are:

1. Get your seat belt as tight as possible.
2. Sit on the back row (you can ask the person who loads the elevator to place you here).
3. Try to get a seat with handles, and hold yourself down. This helps A LOT (the handles haven't always been there, and my DW still doesn't let me use them).
4. During a slow time at the park, ride ToT like 5 times in a row. This did more than anything to cure my stomach churning feeling.
5. Just chill. Don't let your adrenaline get all worked up (yeah, right!). My experience on this ride is determined by how scared I am before the elevator starts to drop. If I'm really scared, I tend to get more of my stomach in my throat than if I am not. Just keep reminding yourself that this is a park ride, thousands of people have done it before, and none of them got hurt. Your safety is not in danger. Focus on THAT rather than how "bumpy" the ride might be. And know that the drop is not THAT much worse than the big drop on EE.

AND just have fun. It's not worth doing if you can't do that.

As for Splash, I wouldn't worry about it. It is definitely steep, and at the top it looks ridiculous. But you'll find that by the time the stomach-in-throat feeling starts up on you, you'll already be getting wet at the bottom. That'll take your mind right off the drop. If you can handle EE, you can handle Splash easy!

 

[lovesdumbo]

I think the stomach in your throat is worse on EE than on Splash.

I too am not a fan of that feeling but do it for my DD who is generally very shy but LOVES thrill rides. I've gotten better with "experience".

 

[MyZoeJane]

Hehehe! I have this same fear... For me, part of the thrill of Splash and EE is the exhilarating feeling I get AFTER I go through with it! I have yet to go on TOT, but I plan on being brave next trip (June)!

eta: Funny side note... I get that sinking feeling in my stomach if I DROP AN OBJECT from a high place, too! If I throw a towel downthe stairs to the basement my stomach drop. I'm a psycho, right?

 

[shakebear]

If you can do EE, you can do Splash with no problem at all - I promise.

Completely agree. Splash is nothing compared to EE.

Also, I know this isn't exactly what you want to here, but I get the same thing on ToT and Summit Plummit, more ToT than anything though. My stomach goes right up into my throat, and this isn't exactly my favorite feeling, but I just suck it up.

 

[Donald is #1]

Wow! So, I'm not the only one with this problem ???

I have done TOT and I make sure that I hang on well. But I couldn't get myself to try EE.

 

[leahlovesdisney]

Thank you everyone!

I'm so happy to hear Splash is no worse then EE. I'll definitely have to try it next time.
And thanks for the tips on ToT. My DH also said to just relax right before the drop.
I've also heard people say screaming actually helps! I'm not much of a screamer-but if it works...

 

[tink71973]

I hate hate hate drops. I have done EE And the backwards part about killed me, But with 4 kids I am bound to ride again. I always ride splash Because I love the little drops and the inside of the ride. The big drop is over so quick and always glad I did it.

On my first trip to the world last year I promised DD14 I would try every thing at least once so off to the TT we went. I almost chickened out at the last second but went on cause if my Mom can ride in so can I. So after 8 rides it's my new favorite ride.
You can do it. Have a blast.

 

[ChickieToo]

A doctor friend told me that if you scream, and actually make noise--not one of those silent, open mouth things, the sensation is lessened due to ... I just don't remember, something to do with the diaphram and pushing out air ... anyway, I do it because for me it actually works. Maybe its the power of suggestion, I don't know, but I always hated drops and now they are quite tolerable. TOT is now one of my favorite rides.

My approach is to start the scream right before the drop starts. I have also found that the more relaxed I am the less tense my body is and the less I feel that stomach thing. Worth a try I guess.

 

[2Princes2Princesses]

To avoid the stomach in your throat panic feeling (which I love BTW!) the key is to EXHALE starting right before the drop, blowing out all the way down.

If you breath in sharply right before you go, which is the instinctive thing to do, it intensifies the feeling.

So.....as you reach the top, relax, and then blow like you are blowing on a pinwheel. I taught my mom this trick, as she hates the feeling, and she was shocked how well it worked.

I discovered it by accident on a ride where I inhaled too early and ended up having to exhale or suffocate as we went over, and no stomach jump!

 

[Sk8Leigh]

When you get to the top of ToT, focus on the view instead of your fear. It's a nice view of the park.

I think I automatically scream without even meaning to, though.

 

[hezreck]

I second screaming. I always scream on TOT and never feel it in my stomach.

 

[MouseDogMom]

Splash doesn't bother me (much) - only the anticipation of the drop. Once I get to it I actually love it!

ToT - I've managed to ride it 3 times, twice before they changed it, once since. I actually enjoyed it more the last time, even though there were more drops. Screaming helps; so does laughing! I found on the last ride that I actually lost track of whether I was going up or down, and was laughing so hard that it stopped bothering me.

But I too, HATE drops! Love loops and cordscrews in roller coasters, but don't do ones with huge hills.

 

[MaeDaisy]

I have never been on any of the straight-down plummet rides like TOT, but I have a trick that works great for drops on roller coasters. Most people, when they're scared or nervous, will kind of "shrink" up -- tighten up your muscles and hold your limbs real close to your body. On a roller coaster, part of this shrinking is pressing your feet back, so if the seat wasn't there, they'd be under your butt. But if you push your feet out kind of straight instead, when a drop comes, it feels almost like you're just standing up rather than falling forwards.

Also, my son complains that he can't breathe during drops, and I"m going to have him practice the exhale thing so he can try that next time. I bet that will make a huge difference to him, because he really likes the thrill, but that sensation of not being able to breathe is scary.

Great topic!

 

[Rustysmom]

I go on roller coasters, but I HATE the drops too. I find that screaming helps me too and I feel sorry for whoever is sitting next to me because it's a loud scream!

I haven't been on TOT in 10 years, but it wasn't so bad back then. I'm not sure if it was 1 drop back then or up and down like it does now. My DS loves the up and down rides, so I have a feeling that i'm going to be dragged on it more than once if we're able to do that.

 

[suggies08]

I'm one of the biggest chickens that ever lived and I LOVE SPLASH
It really isn't bad at all and like a previous poster I tend to scream a lot, lol. I was worried to death the first time I rode it, and yes the anticipation is worse than the drop. Once I rode Splash I had to do it again and again. I thought Everest was worse than Splash, but i love it too.

Try it you will love it. Now TOT I still have to overcome my fear on that one