Hi, new to the boards...and need help because I'm a chicken!

[MiloOtis]

Hi all...so glad to have found these boards! I'll be going to WDW in November with my husband and my daughter and her two "BFFs" to celebrate her 16th birthday.

I'm a pretty big chicken about rides, but have found that the ones at WDW are tame enough for me. I generally cannot tolerate roller coasters but love Space Mountain for some reason! I hate the drop on Splash Mountain but can tolerate Expedition Everest. Is that weird?

So I'm wondering if I'll hate Tower of Terror. The theming sounds great, and I do not like waiting outside while everyone else goes..plus I enjoy being with my daughter when she has fun! How bad are the drops, compared to Splash Mountain for example? I don't like that stomach in my throat feeling!

 

[GeorgiaHoo]

Hi all...so glad to have found these boards! I'll be going to WDW in November with my husband and my daughter and her two "BFFs" to celebrate her 16th birthday.

I'm a pretty big chicken about rides, but have found that the ones at WDW are tame enough for me. I generally cannot tolerate roller coasters but love Space Mountain for some reason! I hate the drop on Splash Mountain but can tolerate Expedition Everest. Is that weird?

So I'm wondering if I'll hate Tower of Terror. The theming sounds great, and I do not like waiting outside while everyone else goes..plus I enjoy being with my daughter when she has fun! How bad are the drops, compared to Splash Mountain for example? I don't like that stomach in my throat feeling!

I love Splash and Tower of Terror but for me the drops on Tower of Terror are much "worse" than Splash. You literally would fly out of your seat if not strapped in. I think you should give it a shot but it is definitely a different feel than Splash. You can probably find videos on youtube to get an idea.

On edit, here's a video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qkj8tjW90CY

 

[Alesia]

I'm the same way about Splash Mountain and Expedition Everest.

I, too, was terrified of ToT, I'll tell you what my husband told me: Oh, just get on the damn ride - it's not going to kill you! Disney is not in the business of killing it's guests.

He was right. And ToT quickly became one of my favorites.

 

[Redarrow5150]

I don't know why but when I'm on this ride I ALWAYS laugh my @$$ off! Sometimes I will check other peoples expressions and it's gold! I never get this way on ANY rides but T.O.T. makes me laugh.

 

[RalphinSC]

I'm the same way about Splash Mountain and Expedition Everest.

I, too, was terrified of ToT, I'll tell you what my husband told me: Oh, just get on the damn ride - it's not going to kill you! Disney is not in the business of killing it's guests.
He was right. And ToT quickly became one of my favorites.

Love it! That's basically how I cured both my DW and DS of this one. Could get neither to ride and "free fall" type of rides, but they both LOVE ToT now after riding it several times!

 

[CallieS]

The anticipation is always the worst part. That being said, I don't like Splash Mountain (I don't like the big drop) or Rockin' Rollercoaster (I don't like the launch), but I love Tower of Terror and Expedition Everest. ToT is a unique feeling, so you really have to try it once to see if you like it.

 

[InMemory]

I'm gonna have to try it in about 90 days! Not exactly looking forward but I'm a gonna do it! For the love of a child!!

 

[PeterPanic]

I'm gonna have to try it in about 90 days! Not exactly looking forward but I'm a gonna do it! For the love of a child!!

If you survive it (just kidding) let us know how it went. I don't like straight drops, but the themeing is so good there that it just doesn't seem that bad. It does take your breath away for a few minutes but the drop is a small portion of the ride, the ending to be exact. Walking through the lobby, library, and "basement" is really interesting, and the ride is full of surprises, not jump out at you things, but, things that you just didn't expect to happen on a ride of that type.

Be brave and give it a shot. You will know by the end if it is something that you would ever do again. Enjoy! I went on it because my daughter shamed me into it... I'm glad she did.

 

[parkluvr]

Hi all...so glad to have found these boards! I'll be going to WDW in November with my husband and my daughter and her two "BFFs" to celebrate her 16th birthday.

I'm a pretty big chicken about rides, but have found that the ones at WDW are tame enough for me. I generally cannot tolerate roller coasters but love Space Mountain for some reason! I hate the drop on Splash Mountain but can tolerate Expedition Everest. Is that weird?

So I'm wondering if I'll hate Tower of Terror. The theming sounds great, and I do not like waiting outside while everyone else goes..plus I enjoy being with my daughter when she has fun! How bad are the drops, compared to Splash Mountain for example? I don't like that stomach in my throat feeling!

If you don't like the stomach in my throat feeling, I might be careful going on TOT. You sound a lot like me. I like Space Mountain, Big Thunder, and Expedition Everest, but the big plunge rides like Splash Mountain really take me for a loop. I rode TOT years ago when it had one big drop and one smaller drop and enjoyed the ride but not the drops. The scary thing about the ride now is it is random and you can drop almost any number of times.

 

[4xmom]

Our saying in Sept. was " you can live through anything for 60 seconds". That said, I was regretting that saying as I felt like I was going to pass out waiting to get on TOT. I could hear my kids whispering that saying to themselves! lol We all lived and I was quite happy to get a coffee and wait while they rode it over and over and over again. You shoud try it at least once though.

 

[bumbershoot]

The difference with TOT and a "free fall" is that you're not free falling at all. You're being pulled down. Once they stop pulling, you stop. Then you're sent back up, pulled back down. and so on.

I dislike the stomach feeling too, but have found over the last few years that if I deliberately slow my breathing and take deep breaths while going up, I can reduce that feeling by slowly exhaling during the down-part of the ride.

Also be sure to be right in between full and empty, food and drink-wise.

 

[SplashMo]

TOT is actually a very tame ride. the theming is great. The drop is much milder than it could be. For sure go for it. You wont regret it.

 

[Winnowill]

If you want to go through the lobby just to see the theming, you can always escape through the "chicken exit" and not actually ride the ride.

 

[Karbase8]

I am a huge ride chicken, Splash is my favorite ride and TOT I did highly enjoy even though the drops are a little nerve racking, it wasn't as bad as I thought. I didn't like Space Mountain I thought like I was going to fall out. I have yet to conquer Rock N Roll coaster or Expedition Everest I hope to one day. Give it a shot, the first sequence I went on TOT I felt like Tigger bouncing up and down, I am petrified of heights and I tend to close my eyes on the drop for Splash too.

 

[mom2rtk]

I always tell my daughter "they haven't lost one yet!"

Honestly though, Splash is the tamer of the 2. I was a chicken over ToT for a long time. I love thrill rides, but the sensation on ToT is very different from a typical coaster. I finally rode it when my daughter decided to get all brave one day. It was ok, I didn't lose my lunch or anything. But we didn't do it on the next trip. I didn't like the sensation of not knowing how big the next drop would be or when it would come. Since then I've done it many times and it has become a family favorite.

But if you're going to put your toe in the water, definitely start with Splash.

 

[W.E.D.]

I'm the same way about Splash Mountain and Expedition Everest.

I, too, was terrified of ToT, I'll tell you what my husband told me: Oh, just get on the damn ride - it's not going to kill you! Disney is not in the business of killing it's guests.

He was right. And ToT quickly became one of my favorites.

THIS!

I would wait for my family to ride ToT, because I was a chicken as well. I finally said to myself--"look at all the happy, smiling people coming off the ride. You're at WDW. They try to design rides for everyone to enjoy."

I rode it, and now I absolutely love it! I used to the same thing to get myself on EE, which I now love as well.

You should give it a go!!

 

[minnie mum]

Not every ride is great for every person. Not every person will love TOT. Splash is definitely tamer than TOT. I dislike the drop, but because I love the rest of the ride so much, I just suck it up and still ride it multiple times per trip. For ME, TOT was a whole different ball game. Again, for ME the drops were bad enough to trigger an asthma attack. Now I am quite content to either go through part way and take the chicken exit (because the theming is so superb), or get a snack or beverage to enjoy in a shady spot while DH rides.

OP, I'm still going to agree that you should try it once to see if you like it or not. Once you know, you can make an informed choice to do it again or not.

 

[mickey1968]

I am a big scaredy cat when it comes to TOT. The ONLY reason I ride it is because of amazing theming like a couple of others said. I love the story. That is what makes Disney Disney and Universal and Six Flags just have crazy rides that drop you out in the open. No story. I like TOT but it is not a must do for me every trip. Just depends on my mood that day.

 

[Mysteria]

I don't know why but when I'm on this ride I ALWAYS laugh my @$$ off! Sometimes I will check other peoples expressions and it's gold! I never get this way on ANY rides but T.O.T. makes me laugh.

You aren't alone. This happens to me too!!

OP my sister hates elevators/drops but she went for it because she didn't want to miss the experience/theming etc. She didn't love it but she didn't hate it either. She said it was worth it. Try it once. If you hate it at least you'll know.

 

[mmmagique]

I am a big scaredy cat when it comes to TOT. The ONLY reason I ride it is because of amazing theming like a couple of others said. I love the story. That is what makes Disney Disney and Universal and Six Flags just have crazy rides that drop you out in the open. No story. I like TOT but it is not a must do for me every trip. Just depends on my mood that day.

The Mummy
Men in Black
ET

It's been years since I've been to Universal, but I disagree about the no story part. I'm sure there are many I'm missing, but Universal is nothing like a Six Flags.