How does Guardians of the Galaxy-M:B! compare to Tower of Terror?

[megh315]

I'm coming to Disneyland for the first time in several years and I had promised myself I would try and conquer my fear of Tower of Terror next time I went...BUT THEY CHANGED IT!!!

I'm coming in July as part of the ABD BSM tour and the reviews I've read seem to indicate that as part of our tour of CA we get to ride Mission: Breakout! and I'd hate to punk out in front of some much-braver-than-me teenagers that are going to be on our tour...

My travelling partner (who has ridden TOT in Disney World many times) has promised to ride it with me if I decide to put on my big girl pants and bite this particular bullet but she's unsure if this new ride might've been updated and contain some elements that she can't prepare me for. It's also been a long time for her since she rode TOT and that makes her a little nervous about M:B! as well.

What I'm wondering is, for anyone who has ridden both, are they exactly the same just with different sets and themes? M:B! already looks way less scary than TOT always seemed to me as a kid, so that helps to eliminate one level of my anxiety but I've never been a huge fan of the dropping sensation or the occasional pitch darkness (seriously, the drop in PotC is ALMOST TOO MUCH FOR ME).

I really want to start getting past my fears of those 3 remaining rides in WDW and DL that I haven't been able to ride yet and I'm a big believer in "forewarned is forearmed!" so any advice is appreciated!! And "STOP BEING A BIG BABY AND JUST DO IT, IT'S AWESOME!" totally counts as advice...

 

[FCDub]

Try the Disneyland forum: https://www.disboards.com/forums/disneyland-california.26/

Plenty of Disneyland vets over there who can chime in! This forum is for WDW.

My answer: I loved it. The soundtrack makes it way more fun than ToT.

 

[megh315]

Try the Disneyland forum: https://www.disboards.com/forums/disneyland-california.26/

Plenty of Disneyland vets over there who can chime in! This forum is for WDW.

My answer: I loved it. The soundtrack makes it way more fun than ToT.

Darn! I missed that this was just for WDW, sorry about that, I joined the forums last week so I'm still figuring out where things are!

Thanks for your help!!

 

[luv4mouse]

I've rode both rides. I rode Tot our first couple wdw trips and then for almost 10 years I wouldn't ride TOT because the pre ride anxiety was too much for me and I convinced myself that I got motion sickness from the ride. I love Guardians so when M:B opened I made myself buck up and ride it. I will admit I was shaking like a leaf and wanted to take the exit as we were about to board the elevator but I managed to force myself on. It shot straight up way faster than I ever remembered TOT doing and thought "what have I gotten myself into" My knees continued to shake the whole ride but I loved it overall. I've rode it two more times since then and when we went to WDW last week I got back on TOT and I enjoyed the ride. To me the rides feel completely different more than just an overlay. The guardians preshow and scenes during the ride are more fun where tot has that scary foreboding feeling; yet I feel like the way M:B shoots you up and then dropping actually makes it more physically intense. It might just be me, but I think you have a better sense of when you will shoot up and drop during M:B than you do tot.

I can't say I've completely conquered the pre-ride anxiety because I still get it, but I can tell myself that I know I will enjoy the ride once I actually get on. So my advice to you is to suck it up and force yourself through those doors at least once for the experience of it or you might regret it. I let my fear get the best of me the second time my family rode and I skipped out. My family got the baby groot sequence that I had been wanting to see and I walked around kicking myself in the butt all day. So, "STOP BEING A BIG BABY AND JUST DO IT, IT'S AWESOME!

 

[Lesley Wake]

Mission Breakout is much much more intense. And less predictable because there are 6 different songs and 6 different drop sequences! I've ridden it around 30 time or so, and still can't predict whats going to happen next. The song you get is also completely random. For the intensity, you definitely fly up out of your seat occasionally, so be prepared for that. The ride itself never really stops moving, bouncing a bit when you are watching one of the show scenes.

The queue itself is also super detailed, with lots of easter eggs from Marvel movies. There are 2 different pre-show rooms, each of which have different artifacts, so it's fun to try and identify new ones.

I think it is my current favorite ride at DLR, so I would highly recommend you give it a shot, at least once. Make sure you sit next to someone who is ok with gripping your hand!

 

[megh315]

Mission Breakout is much much more intense. And less predictable because there are 6 different songs and 6 different drop sequences! I've ridden it around 30 time or so, and still can't predict whats going to happen next. The song you get is also completely random. For the intensity, you definitely fly up out of your seat occasionally, so be prepared for that. The ride itself never really stops moving, bouncing a bit when you are watching one of the show scenes.

The queue itself is also super detailed, with lots of easter eggs from Marvel movies. There are 2 different pre-show rooms, each of which have different artifacts, so it's fun to try and identify new ones.

I think it is my current favorite ride at DLR, so I would highly recommend you give it a shot, at least once. Make sure you sit next to someone who is ok with gripping your hand!

That is super helpful, thanks so much!! I've still got a bit of time to decide and I REALLY REALLY wanna get past this because I find it as exciting as I find it terrifying! If the next two months doesn't leave me with a firm "I WILL ABSOLUTELY DO THIS" then I hope my fellow tour mates encouragement will talk me into it at the last second!! XD

 

[Niltiac]

I have trouble with drops and it took me years to get myself onto ToT. It's intense, but not as bad as I had been expecting. It seems like such a long drop looking from the outside, but once I had ridden it I realized that you never really do the whole drop at once, there are a bunch of mini-drops. Also, you're very enclosed. Your feet hit the ground (and I'm short), and there are walls and handles. In that respect it's much less scary than say, Splash Mountain.

Some people say GotG is more intense because it's less predictable. In my opinion, that only makes it more intense for people who ride it repeatedly. The first time you experience ToT you can't predict anything either. I think GotG is less intense because it's more light-hearted. With ToT, all the story was at the beginning, and once the ride started it was just drops. With GotG, there are scenes interspersed throughout the ride, so you get little mini breaks and a fun distraction.

In terms of physical intensity, they're about the same. It mainly the atmosphere that's different.

Try to get a seat on the outer edge of the vehicle. I always felt better in those seats because with the wall next to you you just feel less vulnerable. You'll have to look at the chart on the wall in the loading area and trade spots with someone in your party to get the end seat, or ask the CM before they start lining you all up.

 

[Niltiac]

Oh and one other thing - any time I try a new ride that scares me, I try to do it early in the day/trip so I have time to ride it again if I like it. I always find I can enjoy rides a lot more the second time around since I know I can handle it.

 

[lalasmama]

Like others, the pre-ride jitters are the worst. Afterwards, I am on a great adrenalin (sp?) high. To help me feel more secure, I always ask for the back corner (rows 3 and 4, from of the line when loading). Its a constant bouncing now, which I enjoy. As ToT, it was like I almost forgot it was going to "fall" again sometimes. With GotG, I'm ready to "fall" the whole time because of the bouncing.

And for what its worth, never are you actually falling. Its a controlled pull down where its pulling you faster than gravity... Strange, but it gave me some comfort, since I had always pictured it as a falling elevator!

 

[megh315]

I have trouble with drops and it took me years to get myself onto ToT. It's intense, but not as bad as I had been expecting. It seems like such a long drop looking from the outside, but once I had ridden it I realized that you never really do the whole drop at once, there are a bunch of mini-drops. Also, you're very enclosed. Your feet hit the ground (and I'm short), and there are walls and handles. In that respect it's much less scary than say, Splash Mountain.

Some people say GotG is more intense because it's less predictable. In my opinion, that only makes it more intense for people who ride it repeatedly. The first time you experience ToT you can't predict anything either. I think GotG is less intense because it's more light-hearted. With ToT, all the story was at the beginning, and once the ride started it was just drops. With GotG, there are scenes interspersed throughout the ride, so you get little mini breaks and a fun distraction.

In terms of physical intensity, they're about the same. It mainly the atmosphere that's different.

Try to get a seat on the outer edge of the vehicle. I always felt better in those seats because with the wall next to you you just feel less vulnerable. You'll have to look at the chart on the wall in the loading area and trade spots with someone in your party to get the end seat, or ask the CM before they start lining you all up.

That is really great advice about sitting on the sides, I think that would really help, feeling like i can hang onto something solid. I had friends who used to love that middle seat in the back with no bar, just a seat belt and I AM NOT HERE FOR THAT.

Also, the lack of predictability probably won't be an issue for me since I have nothing to compare it to and unless I over-the-top love it, I think once will be enough for me.

I walked the queue in TOT a few times with friends and family (and then ducked out to the non-rider exit) so I'm glad that the theme for this appears a lot more light-hearted as you mentioned because the creepy-factor just heightened my anxiety even though I knew I wasn't going to ride...

This was super helpful! Thanks so much!!

 

[megh315]

Like others, the pre-ride jitters are the worst. Afterwards, I am on a great adrenalin (sp?) high. To help me feel more secure, I always ask for the back corner (rows 3 and 4, from of the line when loading). Its a constant bouncing now, which I enjoy. As ToT, it was like I almost forgot it was going to "fall" again sometimes. With GotG, I'm ready to "fall" the whole time because of the bouncing.

And for what its worth, never are you actually falling. Its a controlled pull down where its pulling you faster than gravity... Strange, but it gave me some comfort, since I had always pictured it as a falling elevator!

I'm definitely going to keep in mind that bit about it being a controlled pull down rather than a drop. Knowing how a thing works is one of my favorite things, even if it does kind of disrupt the illusion, for me it just makes it better because the engineering is so incredible!

I wonder if there is a way to see how TOT or M:B! works, like a model or something like they used to show for Soarin'...

Thanks so much for the advice!!

 

[megh315]

I've rode both rides. I rode Tot our first couple wdw trips and then for almost 10 years I wouldn't ride TOT because the pre ride anxiety was too much for me and I convinced myself that I got motion sickness from the ride. I love Guardians so when M:B opened I made myself buck up and ride it. I will admit I was shaking like a leaf and wanted to take the exit as we were about to board the elevator but I managed to force myself on. It shot straight up way faster than I ever remembered TOT doing and thought "what have I gotten myself into" My knees continued to shake the whole ride but I loved it overall. I've rode it two more times since then and when we went to WDW last week I got back on TOT and I enjoyed the ride. To me the rides feel completely different more than just an overlay. The guardians preshow and scenes during the ride are more fun where tot has that scary foreboding feeling; yet I feel like the way M:B shoots you up and then dropping actually makes it more physically intense. It might just be me, but I think you have a better sense of when you will shoot up and drop during M:B than you do tot.

I can't say I've completely conquered the pre-ride anxiety, but I can tell myself that I know I will enjoy the ride once I actually get on. So my advice to you is to suck it up and force yourself through those doors at least once for the experience of it or you might regret it. I let my fear get the best of me the second time my family rode and I skipped out. My family got the baby groot sequence that I had been wanting to see and I walked around kicking myself in the butt all day. So, "STOP BEING A BIG BABY AND JUST DO IT, IT'S AWESOME!

I'm super familiar with pre-ride anxiety...I still get it for Space Mountain even though I know I love it and always ride it but I also get it for The Mummy (which I also love) at Universal and 8 times out of 10 the pre-ride anxiety is so intense it talks me out of actually getting on the ride.

I like the idea of being to brace for the ups and downs on M:B!, I think that will help take away the WHEN IS IT GONNA HAPPEN moments.

Really helpful advice! Thanks!!

 

[BrianL]

I was generally against the change since I love the ToT, but after riding it last week, I do think they did a nice job. The rid has so much energy and is a ton of fun. It also dose feel more intense, but I don't know if that is just perception (also I am more used to the WDW version of the ride with is mechanically different). I greatly enjoyed it!

 

[ashley0139]

That is really great advice about sitting on the sides, I think that would really help, feeling like i can hang onto something solid. I had friends who used to love that middle seat in the back with no bar, just a seat belt and I AM NOT HERE FOR THAT.

Also, the lack of predictability probably won't be an issue for me since I have nothing to compare it to and unless I over-the-top love it, I think once will be enough for me.

I walked the queue in TOT a few times with friends and family (and then ducked out to the non-rider exit) so I'm glad that the theme for this appears a lot more light-hearted as you mentioned because the creepy-factor just heightened my anxiety even though I knew I wasn't going to ride...

This was super helpful! Thanks so much!!

There are no lap bars anymore at all, just seat belts.

 

[Katems]

I loved Guardians!! For me the ride is all about the drops; I don't really care what the storyline is. That being said, Guardians is WAY MORE FUN. The songs are loud and fast and the drops are crazy and unpredictable. In that sense it's more physically intense and you will fly up in your seat but the seatbelt holds you in. Tower was supposed to be dark and creepy, so if that sort of atmosphere is an issue for people it won't be for Guardians. Guardians is pure pumped up fun.

 

[megh315]

There are no lap bars anymore at all, just seat belts.

That...is good to know. Really...good...to know...

 

[megh315]

I was generally against the change since I love the ToT, but after riding it last week, I do think they did a nice job. The rid has so much energy and is a ton of fun. It also dose feel more intense, but I don't know if that is just perception (also I am more used to the WDW version of the ride with is mechanically different). I greatly enjoyed it!

I didn't even think to wonder if TOT in WDW was different from the one that was in DL...I just assumed they were the same.

From what everyone is telling me the theming on this ride is great and really helps give off a totally different vibe than TOT which was always a barrier for me to get over since I'm a huge chicken.

 

[sherilaine]

I hated Tower of Terror - outside of the up and down I found it incredibly boring - same thing every.single.time and honestly very outdated.

I LOVE GOTG - of course it helps that I loved both movies and love the soundtrack. The music makes all the difference in the world - people seem to be having a much better time. My entire family says this is now their favorite ride. We must have gone on it a dozen times our last trip. If you don't try it - you will really be missing out. But that being said if you don't have a clue what the movies are about that takes away from it too.

 

[BrianL]

That...is good to know. Really...good...to know...

Honestly, the seat belts hold tighter than the bars did really. Of course, there's nothing to hold onto unless you are on the side, but I think you got more "air time" with the bars.

 

[mel2014]

My 9-year old was and is still scared of the ghost theming of ToT, but loves drop rides. She was thrilled with GotG -- she gets all of the ride fun with none of the scare factor (like you, she has serious pre-ride anxiety with the Mummy ride at Universal).

My husband, on the other hand, likes drop rides but gets motion sick easily. ToT was no problem for him, but the added ups and downs in GotG made him motion sick for hours afterward.