How to alleviate "that feeling in your gut" on rides?

[Susiequsie60]

I've actually "Googled" this topic, and I've read a few ideas. I thought I'd throw it out here too.

I love the attractions at WDW - just about all of them. The ones I really really really love the best are probably Space Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. I love them from beginning to end. I love going fast. I love going up and down little hills. I love going around corners.

The only thing that gets me on some rides (TOT & Splash Mountain come to mind immediately) is that big drop. It's not that I hate it - if I did I just wouldn't ride. It's that the "feeling" in my stomach almost makes me a little scared. I'm not sure of what - maybe throwing up?

I think I get the feeling a little bit on EE and RnRC, but not as much.

So, does anyone have any little tricks for helping to either alleviate or deal with that stomach dropping feeling? Hold your breath right before? Do "Lamaze breathing" right before? Clench your stomach? Just curious.

Thanks ~

 

[jason10mm]

Avoid a full stomach. For me at least, lots of -ahem- adult beverages of the carbonated variety or food greatly enhance that sensation. So I hit roller coasters well before I plan on eating/drinking.

The weightless feeling is probably due to a host of factors, so perhaps getting a firm lock into your seat so you don't "float" off the seat might help. I don't think any ride drops faster than gravity but certainly staying firmly in the seat (like with a shoulder harness car) seems to help me.

A lot of it is probably anticipation as well, but that's part of the fun, right?

 

[BrianL]

I dunno, that feeling is all part of the thrill to me. I guess it doesn't really make me worry that I will be sick, but that tingle in the stomach is fun. I think the best idea is to just relax and not think about being sick or anything. Just "go with it" if that makes any sense.

 

[BobMar]

Take a deep breath at the top and let it out as you go down. Works for me!

 

[BrianL]

I don't think any ride drops faster than gravity....

Tower of Terror is actually an accelerated drop that is a bit faster than the pull of gravity. They use cables to pull the ride car down the shaft. That'll get you floating in your seat!

 

[riverbend]

Pressing your feet firmly against the front of the ride car was what eased that feeling for me. Not like flat-footed, straight-legged pressure but just bracing your feet/toes of your shoes against the front.

And I agree with the PP who says to take a deep breath right before the drop! It helps you to be very zen about it.

 

[ArwenMarie]

I usually count silently in my head to distract myself during parts I don't like.

 

[Moonwolf]

I am the exact same way with rides. I loved BTMR & Space but Splash (and any other flume rides) makes me really nervous because I hate that gut feeling when dropping. It's why I won't set foot on ToT.

When I do get persuaded onto a flume I will usually scream my head off during the drop. My last time on splash was interesting because I had been wearing a hat and halfway down the drop it almost flew off so I had to grab it to keep it on my head. This distracted me enough that I didn't notice the gut feeling.

 

[Lady Marie]

Me too! I only go on Splash maybe once a trip-- and sometimes that's pushing it. It's sad because I love all other parts of that ride!

I second (or third) the comment about letting out a deep breath as you go down.

Those people who do funny stunt/acts for the camera blow my mind! (Google funny splash mountain pictures if you don't know what I'm talking about) I am way to freaked out about the drop to do stuff like that! Haha!

Anyway, I have never done ToT for this reason, but would really like to try it one day..... I just have to convince myself that it won't be that bad/it's only temporary.....

Or hear some more tips from people if you have any!

 

[Susiequsie60]

OP here. I'm thinking I must be a little glutton for punishment. I'm telling you on Tower of Terror I go a little crazy. The up and down, and never quite knowing how long the drop is going to be!! Yet, I do it. Right before I get on I'm a wreck. When I get off I'm happy I did it, but not sure about next time. When next time comes, I'm right back on line.

I'm going to try to figure out ways to get myself to "relax" a little more during the ride. I'll definitely work on the big breath thing . . .

 

[Anchored]

scream. really.
the other posters who said exhale have the same idea, but screaming is the accelerated version of that lol.
I taught this to my kids, we are a bunch of screaming banshees on the thrill rides

 

[Raenstoirm]

I don't get that feeling much honestly. The only consistent time is on splash, but not on the big drop which I find very tame, but one of the little ones on the inside. The hill is steep enough to warrant a little uphill at the end to slow the raft down and it gets me every time. I also feel it going backwards on EE, but given the angle and the speed that is to be expected. The only real "issue" I have sometime is the liftoff on RnRc. I am asthmatic and the 0-60 can suck the air right out of my lungs and make it hard for me to breath for a while. I do the lamaze breathing if I think I am going to have an issue, but honestly after going on it a few times, my body "remembers" and doesn't cause an issue.

 

[ArwenMarie]

Me too! I only go on Splash maybe once a trip-- and sometimes that's pushing it. It's sad because I love all other parts of that ride!

I wish Splash didn't have that drop either because I love it so much (other than the drop)

 

[pigletgirl]

I find that it tends to be a bit of an ache. I love thrill rides so it doesn't bother me in the least!

 

[ZoZo]

It's funny, usually my automatic reaction to most "scary" rides is to laugh. I do love coasters, and have laughed my way through pretty much all of them. Maybe laughter serves the same purpose (physically) that screaming or deep breathing does - helps you to relax somewhat.

 

[Susiequsie60]

Ahhhhh. Yes. Excellent. I'm remembering now that on RnRC last year that I screamed. A lot.

For some reason, the scream doesn't come as naturally for me on ToT. I'm probably more inhibited because I'm sitting next to a stranger on one side. We didn't do Splash last year because it was closed when we were there.

I'm going to try to embrace the scream.

 

[pharaoh]

I don't do Disney rides with drops anymore, but when I was younger, I would suck it up and ride them with reservation and always feel silly for being so nervous once the ride was over.

Something that helped me, as a PP mentioned, was planting my feet on the seat ahead of me or hard flat on the floor of the ride car, on my tippy toes, pushing my knees into the restraint. I would also sometimes crouch down, almost holding myself into the seat as much as possible. Made for some stupid-looking ride photos, but it alleviated a lot of the drop stomach feeling.

Nowadays, more than the drops, what bothers me is the ANTICIPATION of the drops. I get so anxious about it that I can't even enjoy the ride, so I've stopped riding anything with a drop. Even POTC makes me nervous, for crying out loud, but I can be persuaded onto that one because I love the ride so much. I once felt like I was going to have a panic attack just in the queue for ToT, so now I don't even bother.

 

[bumbershoot]

I inhale before the drop then let it out slowly but somewhat forcefully. Makes for funny pictures, though.

scream. really.
the other posters who said exhale have the same idea, but screaming is the accelerated version of that lol.

Agreed.

It's funny, usually my automatic reaction to most "scary" rides is to laugh. I do love coasters, and have laughed my way through pretty much all of them. Maybe laughter serves the same purpose (physically) that screaming or deep breathing does - helps you to relax somewhat.

I think laughing would do the same thing as exhaling and screaming.



For some, they LOVE that stomach feeling. My son feels it, hmm, a bit lower and it makes him giggle. I doubt he's alone, but maybe not everyone talks about it. Others dislike the stomach feeling, like me. I don't like to be a ride wimp, and I sort of like the other feelings I get on the coasters, so I try to ride them, but I have to prevent the stomach feeling or it's no good.

 

[grimley1968]

scream. really.
the other posters who said exhale have the same idea, but screaming is the accelerated version of that lol.
I taught this to my kids, we are a bunch of screaming banshees on the thrill rides

Exactly. Any kind of accelerated exhaling or yelling tightens the stomach muscles, which is really the best way to combat the "feeling in your gut." I'm a former trumpeter, and I imagine I'm playing a high E or so and how tight my stomach had to be to hit that note, and then scream. It really works. I'm not too dignified to do everything I can to avoid "that feeling in my gut."

 

[Candleshoe]

scream. really.
the other posters who said exhale have the same idea, but screaming is the accelerated version of that lol.
I taught this to my kids, we are a bunch of screaming banshees on the thrill rides

This is what my big sister taught me, and it works for me.

I love fast rides, but the feeling gets to me, too.

Can't tell you how many times I've been on the climb up a tall hill thinking 'WHY DID I DO THIS AGAIN!?' ;-)

Screaming is my outlet.