Motion Simulator and/or spinning rides at Universal

[ImarriedGrumpy]

I have very bad motion sickness and can't do motion simulator rides at all. I used to try and tackle them anyway, but it would wipe me out for hours afterwards (even trying them with motion sickness remedies), so I now avoid them completely. Experiencing the ride just isn't worth it - especially as I've thrown up during a ride and I'm not interested in repeating that!
I also can't do rides that spin in a circle like Teacups at Disney. I attempted it once (and took medicine ahead of time, wore seabands, chewed ginger pills, etc.) and felt ill for an hour afterwards.
And to add insult to injury, as I've gotten older I can no longer do two roller coasters in a row without getting sick. It used to be that I could ride those over and over again, even if the motion simulators and spinning rides made me ill. But alas, now I feel slightly "off" by the end of one trip on Space or Big Thunder, but it goes away as I get some fresh air and walk a bit, as long as I don't try to ride a second coaster within an hour of that one (learned that the hard way! ugh.).

We're planning our first trip to Universal Orlando, mainly for HP. I'm planning on just enjoying the atmosphere, but I'll also do a few rides as my motion sickness allows. So I'm trying to figure out which rides are actually motion simulators, and which ones aren't, but the info on the Universal website is frustratingly vague. I know many rides these days combine elements of both, but I can't seem to find that information, too. And are there any other rides I should watch out for?

A quick background note - my previous trips to Orlando for WDW were between '88-'05. I've done trips to DLR between '09-'18 (moved out to CA), and we're now taking DS on his first trip to Orlando in June 2020. I've had motion sickness issues my entire life and get carsick very easily, so I'm well acquainted with all the various options for treating it. I always try to weigh the side effects of the drugs vs. the experience to decide if it's worth it to me to take the stronger meds, and honestly, I'm at the point where I'd rather skip the ride and feel like myself.

Anyway, thanks for all the help! I've been reading up on everything here and it's been very useful.

 

[Disxuni]

I believe I got everything? If I missed something I either forgot, or never rode it. Others can add if I missed something...

Purely simulators - Spiderman, FJ, Simpsons, Transformers, Jimmy Fallon, Minions (but has stationary seating, ask TM for arrangements).
Note: Pop Eye's is a water rapid ride which might make the same motions of a simulator that could make people with motion sickness ill.

Partial simulators - Kong Kong, Fast and Furious, Gringotts.

Moving theater seats - Shrek (but has stationary seating, ask TM for arrangements)

Spinning - MIB, Gringotts, Spiderman, Cat in the Hat, Storm Force ("Tea Cups" inspired ride), Transformers.

The degrees of these being able to make you sick can be debatable, as some are more harsh and gentler than others. Others should be able to share from their own personal experience, as I do not have motion sickness issues.

 

[CAPSLOCK]

Agree with the above. MiB's spinning should not be taken lightly. Minions is no longer 3D, so it shouldn't be a problem, esp. in the stationary seating.

Have you ever tried the transderm scop patch as an anti-nausea aid?

 

[ImarriedGrumpy]

I believe I got everything? If I missed something I either forgot, or never rode it. Others can add if I missed something...

Purely simulators - Spiderman, FJ, Simpsons, Transformers, Jimmy Fallon, Minions (but has stationary seating, ask TM for arrangements).
Note: Pop Eye's is a water rapid ride which might make the same motions of a simulator that could make people with motion sickness ill.

Partial simulators - Kong Kong, Fast and Furious, Gringotts.

Moving theater seats - Shrek (but has stationary seating, ask TM for arrangements)

Spinning - MIB, Gringotts, Spiderman, Cat in the Hat, Storm Force ("Tea Cups" inspired ride), Transformers.

The degrees of these being able to make you sick can be debatable, as some are more harsh and gentler than others. Others should be able to share from their own personal experience, as I do not have motion sickness issues.

Thank you!! This is very helpful and much more clear than what I was finding.

Agree with the above. MiB's spinning should not be taken lightly. Minions is no longer 3D, so it shouldn't be a problem, esp. in the stationary seating.

Have you ever tried the transderm scop patch as an anti-nausea aid?

Thanks! Yep, I tried the patch on our first and only cruise. I had the weirdest side effects from it, and I couldn't decide if the motion sickness or the side effects were more uncomfortable. I had weird vision issues and felt very out of it - sort of fuzzy and unable to think clearly. It took about 24 hours for the side effects to go away after I took the patch off.
In general I do okay with very strong, concentrated ginger and seabands (or something similar) to counteract mild motion sickness. That's what I use most of the time so I can ride roller coasters or for longer drives in the car. I add Bonine for times we're driving on twisty roads through the mountains or we'll be on a boat, but it still makes me feel a little drowsy and gives me dry mouth and occasionally a headache. I don't feel totally like "me" on it, so I don't enjoy having to take it. Dramamine knocks me out completely, so I only use it as a last resort, but once I take it I will sleep like a rock until it wears off and there is no waking me up to a fully conscious state. Apparently I say a lot of very funny things when I'm on it, so my family finds it amusing. I used to take it on long car rides when I was a teenager and someone would have to stay in the car with me when they stopped for breaks because they couldn't fully wake me up until it wore off.

I've mostly accepted that I need to make a choice to either experience the rides but feel yucky (either from motion sickness or the medicine to treat it), or I can enjoy the atmosphere, shows, shops, etc. and just have fun being there with my friends and family and skip most of the rides. I love it when they have stationary seating options, but I'm also okay saying that I'll sit out a ride and hold everyone's bags and browse shops instead. I'd love to be free of motion sickness, but it's not a tragedy. I just like to know ahead of time what to avoid so I'm not puking on someone next to me! (oh, that was so awful...and that poor girl next to me...)

 

[CAPSLOCK]

Everyone appreciates the non-puking...

 

[damo]

Have you tried meclizine also known as less-drowsy Dramamine or Bonine? I find it makes me much less tired than regular Dramamine and half a tablet does wonders.

 

[ImarriedGrumpy]

Everyone appreciates the non-puking...

So totally true!! I was so mortified, and they had to take that car off line and clean it.

Never again.

Have you tried meclizine also known as less-drowsy Dramamine or Bonine? I find it makes me much less tired than regular Dramamine and half a tablet does wonders.

I have tried Bonine, which does make me drowsy but definitely not as much as the Dramamine. I get a weird dry mouth on Bonine and feel a little "foggy" if that makes sense. Not quite out of it like when I used the scop patch, but just a bit dopey. I'll have to do a test run on a half a tablet and see if that helps. I'll have DH drive up a mountain road near us to test it.

 

[damo]

So totally true!! I was so mortified, and they had to take that car off line and clean it.

Never again.



I have tried Bonine, which does make me drowsy but definitely not as much as the Dramamine. I get a weird dry mouth on Bonine and feel a little "foggy" if that makes sense. Not quite out of it like when I used the scop patch, but just a bit dopey. I'll have to do a test run on a half a tablet and see if that helps. I'll have DH drive up a mountain road near us to test it.

A full tablet gives me a dry mouth too and a bit groggy. A half tablet does the trick.

 

[andieb0602]

My motion sickness sounds a LOT like yours. For our trip, I had the patch and had some side effects - some blurry vision and just general brain fogginess. I felt like the side effects from the patch were better than the total exhaustion I get from Bonine or Dramamine. The patch wasn't a perfect situation for me but I was able to ride Hulk and then immediately get on Storm Force Acceleration with no problems. I felt like the side effects were worth it because it meant I was able to ride all the rides with my family (including FJ 3 times in a row and Mummy 4 times thanks to them being a walk-ons). The only simulator ride I had a big issue with while wearing the patch was Jimmy Fallon. (We did not get to Transformers, Shrek, Simpsons or ET.)

Honestly, without the patch and just with Bonine, I'm not sure how much I would have been able to ride. Many of the rides that aren't simulators are "perfect storms" to cause motion sickness for me like moving backwards (Hagrid's) or are in the dark (Mummy, Gringott's, FJ) even with Bonine so I would have missed out on a lot without it. That reason alone is enough for me to use the patch again the next time we go.