How 'scary' is forbidden journey?

[Ctsplaysinrain]

If anyone has experienced Dar Kastle at Busch Gardens in Willamsburg- how do you compare it to that?

 

[damo]

If anyone has experienced Dar Kastle at Busch Gardens in Willamsburg- how do you compare it to that?

Dar Kastle is like Spiderman. It is much less intense than FJ.

 

[chimo2u]

Ok... Take it from someone who was JUST there yesterday, and got to the front of the line with my son.....and I jut froze. the sweetest tm? / cast member let me wait to the side and let my son go on and experience it first to tell me what it was like. of course he came off it loving it and wanting me to go on. I waited in the room off to the side for twenty minutes, scared and actually in tears because I really wanted to go on but I was so scared. The TM told us when I was ready I could just go ahead and join the line without re-waiting the 45 min. Wait thru the castle.

I finally got the nerves to board the bench, but I was still in tears. The nice TM grabbed my two hands as he loaded me and said " don't worry hon, you'll be fine.. If you are scared just remember I worked on this set and it's nothing but a bit of paint, plastic and styrofoam"

Then we where off.... And I was committed to the ride no matter what I felt.

You know what, as we took off, it was smooth and I felt my fear melt away a little. the bench was an enclosed feeling that made me feel comfortable, and I slowly began to look around. The animatronics where no more scary than Dinosaur the dragon was not overly frightening. Then came the spiders I was so worried about. They where sort of fake looking and far enough away that they did not bother me. The movement was smooth and not overly jarring. I could't really tell when I was on my back, it was all so smooth. Then came the whomping willow/ dementor scenes I was terrified of. Perhaps it was because I was in a modified seat on the far left side of the bench, but the dementors really didn't come right at me or if they did, I didn't really notice... Then wouldn't you know it, but just as the mist screen was supposed to happen, our bench got stuck in the dementor room! Well we where stuck there for a good ten minutes. The lights came on and I was able to see what the dementors where made of, how they are set up on pulley's, the ride vehicle and how it's set up. Thankfully we where in a fairly comfy position when it malfunctioned! We where quite high up, and could see the other benches below us.

All in all I can say I am so glad I did it and can say I experienced it for myself!
I found it not nearly as scary as some say and not nearly worthy of the fear I had let myself feel for so long!
I, personally would not even call the movement intense. From some of the reviews I had read I was expecting really horrible, gravity defying type movement. the movement was smooth and no worse than any other simulator I have been on.... The smoothness actually made it a nicer simulator experience, and I felt no nausea or bad effects.

So, in closing, I would say for those who are scared... Try it for yourself, only you will know if it was what you expected. I am proud and happy I tried myself, and I am sure I could do it again if I needed to. I don't know if I got lucky by my minimal "realtime" dementor exposure with them in flight but I can say my experience was not bad at all.

 

[alenushka]

Ok... Take it from someone who was JUST there yesterday, and got to the front of the line with my son.....and I jut froze. the sweetest tm? / cast member let me wait to the side and let my son go on and experience it first to tell me what it was like. of course he came off it loving it and wanting me to go on. I waited in the room off to the side for twenty minutes, scared and actually in tears because I really wanted to go on but I was so scared. The TM told us when I was ready I could just go ahead and join the line without re-waiting the 45 min. Wait thru the castle.

I finally got the nerves to board the bench, but I was still in tears. The nice TM grabbed my two hands as he loaded me and said " don't worry hon, you'll be fine.. If you are scared just remember I worked on this set and it's nothing but a bit of paint, plastic and styrofoam"

Then we where off.... And I was committed to the ride no matter what I felt.

You know what, as we took off, it was smooth and I felt my fear melt away a little. the bench was an enclosed feeling that made me feel comfortable, and I slowly began to look around. The animatronics where no more scary than
Dinosaur the dragon was not overly frightening. Then came the spiders I was so worried about. They where sort of fake looking and far enough away that they did not bother me. The movement was smooth and not overly jarring. I could't really tell when I was on my back, it was all so smooth. Then came the whomping willow/ dement or scenes I was terrified of. Perhaps it was because I was in a modified seat on the far left side of the bench, but the dementors really didn't come right at me or if they did, I didn't really notice... Then wouldn't you know it, but just as the mist screen was supposed to happen, our bench got stuck in the dementor room! Well we where stuck there for a good ten minutes. The lights came on and I was able to see what the dementors where made of, how they are set up on pulley's, the ride vehicle and how it's set up. Thankfully we where in a fairly comfy position when it malfunctioned! We where quite high up, and could see the other benches below us.

All in all I can say I am so glad I did it and can say I experienced it for myself!
I found it not nearly as scary as some say and not nearly worthy of the fear I had let myself feel for so long!
I, personally would not even call the movement intense. From some of the reviews I had read I was expecting really horrible, gravity defying type movement. the movement was smooth and no worse than any other simulator I have been on.... The smoothness actually made it a nicer simulator experience, and I felt no nausea or bad effects.

So, in closing, I would say for those who are scared... Try it for yourself, only you will know if it was what you expected. I am proud and happy I tried myself, and I am sure I could do it again if I needed to. I don't know if I got lucky by my minimal "realtime" dementor exposure with them in flight but I can say my experience was not bad at all.

Thank you so much for this post! I am totally like you and appreciate your detailed explanations.
I think, after reading this, I am finally ready to put my fears away and try it. One more question: is there any time when something "touches" you as part of another sensory trick (e.g. "Honey, I shrunk the audience" - when mice run on the screen, they blow something on your feet for a "complete" experience. I know it's all fake, but always lift my feet up and hold them in the air

 

[Kellydelly]

One more question: is there any time when something "touches" you as part of another sensory trick (e.g. "Honey, I shrunk the audience" - when mice run on the screen, they blow something on your feet for a "complete" experience. I know it's all fake, but always lift my feet up and hold them in the air

Nothing touches you except water when the spiders spit on you. It is a FUN ride. The long lines don't lie . There are only two amusement park rides that I don't know if I could ride again, Top Fuel Dragster at Cedar Point (the anticipation of speed and height almost killed me while waiting to take off) and Mission: Space at Epcot (the takeoff was a very intense feeling I don't think I want to feel again). Forbidden Journey is a cakewalk, nothing to worry about!

 

[Theodore Hawkwood]

Nothing touches you except water when the spiders spit on you. It is a FUN ride. The long lines don't lie . There are only two amusement park rides that I don't know if I could ride again, Top Fuel Dragster at Cedar Point (the anticipation of speed and height almost killed me while waiting to take off) and Mission: Space at Epcot (the takeoff was a very intense feeling I don't think I want to feel again). Forbidden Journey is a cakewalk, nothing to worry about!

If you go to Islands of Adventure I offer the following advice, having visited there in December last year: Go to the WWoHP and ride Forbidden Journey. I thought it was well worth the experience.

Having grown up in FL I always enjoyed Islands of Adventure (First vistied in 2000) and found the latest updates to be interesting.