How scary are some rides at WDW?

[Lewandowski]

Hey All,
I am 16 years old, and you might laugh at me for this, but I sometimes get a little scared and am not always brave enough for thrill rides. I also get a little scared of mentally scary rides. I know this might sound funny to you, but I don't go to theme parks that often.

So I have been to Disney once before, and did Big Thunder Mountain, Tower of Terror, and Everest. I managed those ok. BTMR didn't really scare me at all, although I was a tiny bit scared. Tower of Terror and Everest did scare me quite a bit though before going on. I was extremely scared of them, especially ToT. I managed them though, and they are so far my favorite rides that I did at WDW. I will be going again next week and want to ask about some rides:

Here are the ones I am worried about:

Space Mountain
Splash Mountain
Mission Space
Test Track
Rock N Roller Coaster
Primeval Whirl
Kali River Rapids

I really want to ride all of these, and I do think I am brave enough and can handle all of them, but could you please explain a little how the ride goes and how scared you think I might be? Also how does the thrill on those rides compare to BTMR, ToT, and EE? Rock N Roller Coaster is the one I am scared for the most, but Primeval Whirl I am quite worried about as well. Well truthly I am worried about all of them, however at least most of them, if not all, I will do my best to suck it up and ride them and see. Most of them I think are some of the best rides in the park. Splash Mountain and Kali are also making me nervous a bit. How sudden or fast does the water splash you on those?

I also wanted to know how mentally scary is the Haunted Mansion? I rode DINOSAUR and Snow White's Scary Adventures last time, and Snow White was a piece of cake. DINOSAUR scared me a very little but I loved the ride and handled it. I have been reading on here though that Haunted Mansion can be quite scary mentally, and want to know how would you compare it to DINOSAUR and Snow White's Scary Adventures. I know Snow White's Scary Adventures doesn't exist anymore, but I am telling you because maybe you could compare.

I honestly really want to ride all of them, as I believe they are really the best rides there, so I will try to manage all the ones I listed above. I can tell you though I was inches away from just skipping ToT, but I decided to go on at the very last minute, and loved it.

 

[ShirikiUtundu]

Dinosaur is the scariest by far. If you rode that everything else will be a piece of cake. If you did ToT, Haunted Mansion will be no sweat. It has a lot of really cool details and you will probably ride again and again to catch them all. Mission Space is tight, so if you are claustrophobic, avoid it.

 

[hakepb]

EE ride (while you are banking steeply backwards) feels the same as RnR inversions.
(RnR does have the fast acceleration... But that eliminates the suspense while climbing a hill)
Since its dark, you almost cannot tell you are inverted.

 

[halssister]

I haven't been on any of these (I'm the only one in my family who can handle "scary" rides so it isn't worth me going alone - you aren't the only one who feels that way so don't feel funny about it!) But if you didn't know, you can usually find videos online for all the rides and that may make them less scary for you. It's not the same feeling as riding them, but it can take away the fear of not knowing what happens next. That's the only way my teenage son can handle ANY ride is if he watches a video first so he knows what to expect before he gets on it

 

[ChasingLeslie]

I enjoy rollercoasters, but the thing I dislike about Space Mountain is that little lap bar. It jerks around in the dark and I feel like that bar is going to pop up (not really, but I fixate on the bar instead of enjoying the ride). I'd rather have a strong seatbelt or a full harnass like RnRC.

 

[tee11]

You can watch the YouTube videos of most of these rides to prepare yourself!

I think there is a BIG difference between motion-sickness-scary or "intense physical ride" scary, and, as you say, mentally scary (gruesome images, etc.)
I've always loved all coasters, but I cannot go into any rides that spin, like the teacups - this is highly individual, and hard to forecast.
You pretty much just have to try it.
For the "mentally scary" I recommend pre-watching the ride on the internet, that way you can turn it off any time, and it is not as intense as if you sat right there through it.

 

[tee11]

on splash mountain: this one is not bad, in my opinion, just don't sit in the front, or on the very end of the sides... you will get wet, but likely not soaked.
on kali rapids - you will get soaked! it is very fun! there is also an are where you could get sprayed on by other people, if I remember correctly, the ride itself is not "intense" in my memory, but yes, there is a lot of water splashing on you!

 

[tee11]

primeval whirl - now this one I could never go on, as I can't take any spinning - LOL!

Rocknroller coaster is probably the fastest one of the coasters you listed.

 

[Lewandowski]

on splash mountain: this one is not bad, in my opinion, just don't sit in the front, or on the very end of the sides... you will get wet, but likely not soaked.
on kali rapids - you will get soaked! it is very fun! there is also an are where you could get sprayed on by other people, if I remember correctly, the ride itself is not "intense" in my memory, but yes, there is a lot of water splashing on you!

Thanks. I am not worried about getting wet, I like it, what scares me is how exactly or how sudden the water splashes me and everything. Yeah I was already planning to ask for a seat in the middle for Splash Mountain. The drop also looks scary.

 

[Lewandowski]

Hey Guys,
By the way I don't get motion sickness at all, thats not what I am worried about with Mission Space and Primeval Whirl. Just the intensity itself and how scary it is. Also I am not sure if this is completely the best way to go by or not, but I kind of have this feeling that the taller you have to be to ride, the more thrilling it is. Mission Space is 44 inches and Primeval Whirl is 48 inches along with RnR.

 

[Lewandowski]

I have watched most of them on youtube to get an idea, but its not the same at all. However for the Haunted Mansion that might help a little because its the mentally scary thing I am worried about.

How would you compare Haunted Mansion to DINOSAUR. Which ride do you think is more scary MENTALLY?

 

[tee11]

Hey Guys,
By the way I don't get motion sickness at all, thats not what I am worried about with Mission Space and Primeval Whirl. Just the intensity itself and how scary it is. Also I am not sure if this is completely the best way to go by or not, but I kind of have this feeling that the taller you have to be to ride, the more thrilling it is. Mission Space is 44 inches and Primeval Whirl is 48 inches along with RnR.

Yes, I would say, that is likely correct, the taller you have to be, the more intense the ride seems to be.

 

[tee11]

Thanks. I am not worried about getting wet, I like it, what scares me is how exactly or how sudden the water splashes me and everything. Yeah I was already planning to ask for a seat in the middle for Splash Mountain. The drop also looks scary.

Yes, the water splashes you suddenly on both, think about it: could you imagine a slow splash? Splashes are always fast, no?
It is a LOT of water at Kali Rapids. It comes over from the sides into your raft, and it comes from the top and everywhere.
On Splash Mountain, it comes just once, suddenly from the front, at the end of the ride. The drop is not bad at all: Didn't you say you rode Tower of Terror? That's probably the most intense drop in WDW?

 

[kjw42]

Considering what you've already been on( ToT, Dinosaur, EE) I would think you'd handle the rest of the list pretty well. On our last visit I didn't care for Rockin' Rollar Coaster too much. It was a little too intense with high speeds, lots of jostling around load music.

 

[Dreamport]

I would place most of the items on your list as on-par with the intensity of the rides you've already been on. Part of Space and Rockin Rollercoaster's thrill is the fact they are in the dark so it's very hard to tell where the turns are (the latter also does corkscrews and I believe a loop? I'm too busy screaming along to Aerosmith to pay attention). Splash Mountain's drop may look intense but it's only one faction of the ride and is over before you have a chance to get truly terrified.

As for the mental factor on Haunted Mansion.... you said Tower of Terror scared you beforehand and it's now one of your favorites, right? Same here!! I'm a big chicken when it comes to scary things (including the dark), but I manage multiple rides on Haunted Mansion each trip and would rate it about equal to ToT for mental scariness. There's enough silly ghosts in there to match any scary ones so just keep looking for them or close your eyes for awhile if you're feeling freaked out. My only tip would be to get into the omnimover first and have whomever is with you follow.

 

[Lewandowski]

I would place most of the items on your list as on-par with the intensity of the rides you've already been on. Part of Space and Rockin Rollercoaster's thrill is the fact they are in the dark so it's very hard to tell where the turns are (the latter also does corkscrews and I believe a loop? I'm too busy screaming along to Aerosmith to pay attention). Splash Mountain's drop may look intense but it's only one faction of the ride and is over before you have a chance to get truly terrified.

As for the mental factor on Haunted Mansion.... you said Tower of Terror scared you beforehand and it's now one of your favorites, right? Same here!! I'm a big chicken when it comes to scary things (including the dark), but I manage multiple rides on Haunted Mansion each trip and would rate it about equal to ToT for mental scariness. There's enough silly ghosts in there to match any scary ones so just keep looking for them or close your eyes for awhile if you're feeling freaked out. My only tip would be to get into the omnimover first and have whomever is with you follow.

Thanks. It was actually the drop that scared me on ToT not the mental scariness. I wasn't mentally scared on ToT at all.

 

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

Hey All,
I am 16 years old, and you might laugh at me for this, but I sometimes get a little scared and am not always brave enough for thrill rides. I also get a little scared of mentally scary rides. I know this might sound funny to you, but I don't go to theme parks that often.

So I have been to Disney once before, and did Big Thunder Mountain, Tower of Terror, and Everest. I managed those ok. BTMR didn't really scare me at all, although I was a tiny bit scared. Tower of Terror and Everest did scare me quite a bit though before going on. I was extremely scared of them, especially ToT. I managed them though, and they are so far my favorite rides that I did at WDW. I will be going again next week and want to ask about some rides:

Here are the ones I am worried about:

Space Mountain
Splash Mountain
Mission Space
Test Track
Rock N Roller Coaster
Primeval Whirl
Kali River Rapids

I really want to ride all of these, and I do think I am brave enough and can handle all of them, but could you please explain a little how the ride goes and how scared you think I might be? Also how does the thrill on those rides compare to BTMR, ToT, and EE? Rock N Roller Coaster is the one I am scared for the most, but Primeval Whirl I am quite worried about as well. Well truthly I am worried about all of them, however at least most of them, if not all, I will do my best to suck it up and ride them and see. Most of them I think are some of the best rides in the park. Splash Mountain and Kali are also making me nervous a bit. How sudden or fast does the water splash you on those?

I also wanted to know how mentally scary is the Haunted Mansion? I rode DINOSAUR and Snow White's Scary Adventures last time, and Snow White was a piece of cake. DINOSAUR scared me a very little but I loved the ride and handled it. I have been reading on here though that Haunted Mansion can be quite scary mentally, and want to know how would you compare it to DINOSAUR and Snow White's Scary Adventures. I know Snow White's Scary Adventures doesn't exist anymore, but I am telling you because maybe you could compare.

I honestly really want to ride all of them, as I believe they are really the best rides there, so I will try to manage all the ones I listed above. I can tell you though I was inches away from just skipping ToT, but I decided to go on at the very last minute, and loved it.

I am a wimp when it comes to rides. I don't get motion sickness. I am just afraid. Oh, and I don't like the feeling of falling.

Space Mountain: It feels very closed in. Tight and loud. But you can't see much. It reminds me of a wild mouse ride, but inside. I don't remember any big drops, and I would remember them
Splash Mountain: I don't ride this anymore. I convince myself that I can do it. But I know that the drop is way too far for me. You can see part of it, from outside of the ride.
Mission Space: (Green) VERY tight and close. Otherwise not a big deal.
Test Track: Sudden stops, quick turns and speed.
Rock N Roller: VERY VERY fast start. It takes my breath away. It also bounces me around a lot. I rode it multiple times, back to back. There are inversions but again, it is dark and you can't see them.
Primeval Whirl: You can see all or most of the ride from outside of the ride. It is very jerky and jolts you around a lot.
Kali River Rapids: I've never ridden this ride. It has either been too cold (Dec/Jan) or the lines were too long (Sept)

 

[KittyKitty]

Dinosaur is my nemesis. My goal is to keep my eyes open thru the whole ride. Haven't done it yet. It's loud, dark, and dinosaurs pop out. I've tried about 6 times so far.
ToT is the one I'll go on every 10 years or so. Don't like not knowing when it's going to drop. So you are ahead of me!
Try each new ride once. Take about 3 deep breaths before you get on. Then decide if you want ride it again. Whatever you decide, have a great time!

 

[momimouse27]

Hi, OP! Like one of the previous posters, I am an admitted wimp

I don't do any thrill rides, I used to do Splash but don't anymore for health reasons. My dd who is 19, used to be afraid to ride that stuff and one by one she has ridden them all now. She still gets freaked out at TOT though; the drop is alot, but sometimes she can work herself up to it.

Kali River Rapids is a piece of cake. Not mentally scary at all, even I ride it wimpy as I am.

I have to comment on Haunted Mansion. All three of my kids, when they were small, were scared to go on this ride. Each one, at different ages finally went, and every single one now loves it! It was an especially big deal for my son, who is 13 and has autism. He actually has ridden it alone since he started going on it 2 years ago. It's more of a "campy" and "cheesy" scare than an actual ride meant to frighten. If you can talk yourself into it, I think you'll really like it. I haven't ridden DINOSAUR, but most of my family has...and there's no comparison, as far as intensity goes. DINO is pretty intense, HM is a slow moving ride, that is pretty kid friendly.

Hope this helps, and don't feel bad about being scared. Everyone has a different level of tolerance for fear. Have fun!

 

[maltdizzy]

Space Mountain - Being in the dark can throw most people. It does have some dips, but it's a pretty tame coaster over all, tamer than BTMRR. Certainly not a smooth or exciting as the SM in other parks
Splash Mountain - The drop is over fast. But it can be rush. If you rode EE, you can handle the drop, but it's more of a mental hurdle than the others
Mission Space - The none spinning one will only bother you if claustrophobic, the ride is tame. The spinning one...it isn's sacary, but can do a number on your stomach.
Test Track - An easy ride...more fun than thrilling. Goes fast at times but not in a scary way
Rock N Roller Coaster - Easily the most "thrilling" coaster at Disney World. Fast, upside down etc. But like BTMRR, it's all tight turns and loops, no big drops
Primeval Whirl - Does one does a number on my DW, who gets motion sickness, leaving me to ride it dozens of times with our DS. Not scary, but jerky and spins
Kali River Rapids - The shortest and tamest white water rafting ride I've been in. Yes, you may get soaked, but there isn't a lot of action to it

If you've ridden ToT, BTMRR and EE, you can handle the rest. Many are different experiences than those, but scarier or more intense. You've watched the videos so you know what to expect.

Back in the '70's, as a 7yo, I hated scary things and was crying on my way into the Haunted Mansion. The one "scare" is loading early on, the actual riding portion becomes more fun and tongue-in-cheek. That's part of the history of the Haunted Mansion...two combative creative directors couldn't agree on light and fun or scary and it split Imagineers down the line...the agreed on compromise put some of the moody stuff up front to get the scene.