Gringotts and simpsons

[mrocco90]

Hi we will be going to universal in 3 weeks with my four year old son. We have watched videos of Gringotts and Simpsons and he has shown interest in them. I'm curious how the drops feel, durning the videos you hear people screaming. Does it feel similar to drops on big roller coasters or more comparable to a kids roller coaster? Trying to prepare him for how it will be. Thanks!

 

[johde]

Hi we will be going to universal in 3 weeks with my four year old son. We have watched videos of Gringotts and Simpsons and he has shown interest in them. I'm curious how the drops feel, durning the videos you hear people screaming. Does it feel similar to drops on big roller coasters or more comparable to a kids roller coaster? Trying to prepare him for how it will be. Thanks!

I have not ridden Gringotts, but the Simpsons is more like Star Tours than any roller coaster. You feel motions but you never that "roller coaster" feeling.

 

[deakam]

I don't remember the Simpsons. I don't think we did that one. A few too many 3d rides, we were all getting motion sickness. Gringott's on the other hand we rode twice. It has some roller coaster moves. The first drop is the worst one. It feels like you fell over a cliff. It is worse than Goofy's Barnstormer but after the first drop it is no worse than Space Mountain. There is a height restriction of 42".

 

[bumbershoot]

You feel motions but you never that "roller coaster" feeling.

Oh, if I pay close attention to it and don't close my eyes, I can definitely get the roller coaster feeling. That's why I often close my eyes!

Simpsons isn't 3D, though.

 

[damo]

Any feeling of being on a big roller coaster is fleeing. We took my 87 year old mother on Gringotts in September. She had absolutely no issues with it. If she can do it, anyone can do it.

 

[schumigirl]

Yep, we didn`t think you get that roller coaster drop feeling at all on Gringotts, it so short a drop to begin with and not really a drop......well that`s our thoughts anyway.

I wish it had been bigger, but they had to build a ride that families could ride together and they certainly did that. It`s very tame.

 

[johde]

Oh, if I pay close attention to it and don't close my eyes, I can definitely get the roller coaster feeling. That's why I often close my eyes!

Simpsons isn't 3D, though.

Which is where I should clarify my statement. With the visuals and the motion you get the impression your riding a coaster but like you said, close your eyes and the impression is gone. What you don't get is that sustain feeling of being pushed into your seat at the bottom of the hills or any real "air time" . It's simulated jolts up and down. By contrast you blindfold me and put me on a real roller coaster and I can probably give you a pretty good description of what we did based on "feel" (although I'll admit the beginning of RnR stumped me the first time I rode it) So, to me, you get the visuals of riding a coaster but the physical feeling are just a copy.

So to the OP question, it may look like your going over a big drop but I didn't get any sustained airtime coming out of your seat feeling you'd normally associate with a big drop.

 

[Oodalally13]

I haven't been on Gringott's (yet) but I have been on Simpsons once and plan to keep it at once. So this is just a heads up thread. I ride roller coasters alllll the time and LOVE THEM. The only time I have ever felt even slightly sick was when a friend and I had those cut the line things at our local six flags. As soon as we got off one roller coaster we would go to the next and have absolutely no wait. This went on for several hours and finally I had to stop because I felt a small twinge of being sick. Well the first time I rode Simpsons I thought I was going to hurl half way through the ride. I've never had that "reaction" to 3-d or motion rides before. Even my friends sigh me have said it makes them queasy and we are all adrenaline junky roller coaster fans. I would just caution of the possibility it might cause you to get sick. Minion mayhem didn't even make me dizzy.

 

[lazer]

I haven't been on Gringott's (yet) but I have been on Simpsons once and plan to keep it at once. So this is just a heads up thread. I ride roller coasters alllll the time and LOVE THEM. The only time I have ever felt even slightly sick was when a friend and I had those cut the line things at our local six flags. As soon as we got off one roller coaster we would go to the next and have absolutely no wait. This went on for several hours and finally I had to stop because I felt a small twinge of being sick. Well the first time I rode Simpsons I thought I was going to hurl half way through the ride. I've never had that "reaction" to 3-d or motion rides before. Even my friends sigh me have said it makes them queasy and we are all adrenaline junky roller coaster fans. I would just caution of the possibility it might cause you to get sick. Minion mayhem didn't even make me dizzy.

Ditto. I ride everything with ease, 3d and simulators included. The Simpsons made me so uncomfortable for the rest of the day. It was just an odd feeling. My five year old and husband loved it though. So, to each their own!

 

[mom2rose&john]

Just got back from Universal. Simpsons was very good but I def. got the roller coaster feel. My husband who can ride roller coasters all day felt queasy after the ride. He said it was the worst of all the simulators.

Gringott's was fantastic. All four of us really liked the real roller coaster and 3d effect. It didn't affect my husband at all.

 

[Disney Khi]

Simpsons did make me feel a bit queasy and I skipped Gringott's because I was afraid of being sick. I can't speak to Gringott's, then, obviously, but I would be more worried of the content of the video of Simpsons than other ride issues. It actually seemed a bit violent to me. Fine for adults, but I know that my 4-year - old would have been freaked out. (We actually had her in line with us, but she got scared and we ended up doing rider swap. I was really glad she didn't ride, because she would have been terrified.) I also think that while this is a simulator like Star Tours, it is up in the air instead of an enclosed box, so it feels scarier. Also, the screen is so big that even if your child likes the video on a small screen, he might be scared when it is gigantic and combined with the loud sound effects. However, he might be fine and it could be his most favorite thing ever. You never know with kids.

I hope you have a fun trip!

 

[White Rose]

I would not suggest Simpsons if your child feels motion sick on rides. I did not get the 'push back into your seat negative or positive G feelings' from a roller coaster.

I have seasonal vertigo (related to allergies!) and I find I got that 'dizzy' ugh feeling during Simpsons (this was in CA so I do not know if the ride is different in FL). Because this is something I can experience even standing still, I have a few suggestions that have worked for me to lessen the impact on the rest of your day.

If you do not get car sick, can handle being a passenger in a van without windows or ride in a bus comfortably, close your eyes! This might not be the best choice for you. This can cause other symptoms of motion sickness, similar to 'reading in a car' or riding backwards on a train.

Try not to move your head to the left or right, especially in rides that can simulate weightlessness. (like Mission: Space in Epcot)

Another suggestion would be to stare at a stationary thing (not the screen!)

I do a combination of all three. I will sit very still, close my eyes, then if I feel 'car sick' I open them and stare at something stationary, then close my eyes again, repeat.

I'm not going to ride Simpsons when I got to US next month.

 

[JC Butterfly]

I wish I had done some more research before I took my four year old on this ride, he ended up being scared to death and there was nothing I could do about it. It features images of the ride falling apart, so he thought he wasn't safe. It features beheadings and images from "Hell". I tried to get him to close his eyes but he didn't like the sounds and not being able to see what was coming. I felt extremely queasy afterwards and wished we'd skipped the whole thing.

if you want to see some spoilers from the ride, I found it on you tube, if you fast forward to about 9 minutes in that's when it starts getting extra freaky.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6OHFa3RLj8

 

[HeddyRuth]

If you have already seen video of this it sounds as he will be fine with the images. Our family has enjoyed this ride and plan to go on it with our 4 year old in December (she will be just shy of 42" so no gringotts). We have also watched the video as this will be her first time and have used this to gauge her response to other possible rides.