My Tower of Terror experience - for those who don't understand the fear

[Disney Dreams]

I just wanted to share what a ride CAN do to someone who goes on, not completely willingly.

I was at DLR with a friend I made while playing Disney's VMK on-line. We shared laughter and life stories and friendship for over a year. He and his girlfriend were coming to Disneyland, giving us the chance to meet in person. This is a person I had developed a fun, playful, friendship with. Additionally, he was someone I had built a trust with and felt had my best interests in life in mind. He was a friend.

We were wandering through DCA together and he and his girlfriend announced that next on their list was ToT. Well.... I don't do ToT. It's that simple. And I stated as such.

I am not a wimp, I just don't care for constant dropping and there was nothing that seemed fun to me about it. Upon announcing that i would meet them at the exit, I was basically teased into going on ToT. "You aren't going to let me be able to hold this over your head forever, are you?" I believe was his question to me.

After quizzing the CM extensively as to EXACTLY what would take place, I rode ToT. My stomach was tight as could be. I clutched the arm rests, and I believe a few non-Disney words came out of my mouth during what seemed like the longest ride of my entire life. Then, it FINALLY stopped.

After we exited ToT, they were ready to go on to the next thing on their list. I could barely walk. I grabbed my friend's arm, ignored their laughter, and explained to him that I was truly rattled and needed to sit down. They were very surprised that someone could get that shaken from ToT. I was in shock that anyone could enjoy ToT.

Once they realized I was serious, we found a nearby table and sat down. It was a solid 20 minutes before I could do anything. Before my shaking stopped. Before my knees could hold me up. Before I could even think about anything fun. ToT is not a traditional coaster. The drops can really disturb your system and nerves if it is not your "thing."

To this day, just thinking about ToT (and typing this) gets me a bit shaky. It was truly scary for me. Am I happy to have done it? Eh. I did it because I was coaxed on to it by friends (whom I am no longer in contact with, btw - yeah, seriously!). I dd it to prove a point. As a free-willed adult, I chose to do it, giving in to peer-pressure.

Every time I think of ToT (or see it at DLR), I remember the fear before riding, the shaky feeling after, and the former friend who cajoled me into it. My biggest memory of the first time I met this former friend is the fact that I rode ToT to quiet him and how it has made me even more terrified to ever consider stepping foot on a similar ride ever again.

Btw, the second time we visited with one another (about 6 months later), his kids were with them. When he and his GF wanted to ride ToT, I very assertively stated that I would meet them and his kids at the exit. Again, they were surprised. "But, you have ridden it before. Come on, it'll be fun this time since you know what to expect. Even the kids are going to ride."

After I stood my ground, I met them at the exit - along with both of his kids who asked if they could wait with "Dreams" instead of ride.

- Dreams (who still has nightmares from ToT)

 

[azdisneylover]

(((Dreams))))
Glad to read the next time you were asked to go on ToT, you stood your ground! Good life lesson to the kids that were there, too. (It's okay not to like everything and do everything that others are doing).
One trip to Magic Mountain with family (I couldn't get them to go to Disneyland) I was talked into riding a newer coaster. I screamed the whole time on the ride, I want to go to Disneyland where rides are fun for all of the senses!
Anyhoo, I understand where you are coming from, and when we do get to go to Disneyland, I might be looking for LGMHs while family is in line to ride ToT!

 

[Teki]

On the other side of that, I was terrified of tower of terror until last december. I do not like to free fall, my brother was totally stoked to ride it, but no one else would do it with him. Having spent the better part of my life coaxing him into all kinds of coasters I conceded that I created a monster and allowed him to take me on the ride. I was terrified every noise in the cue made me jump then a gentlemen in front of us asked us to switch dots because he didn't wanna sit under the hole in the roof (still don't know what the big deal was). By the time I was seated (under the very "scary" hole) I was terrified and clinging to my brother arm (my younger brother mind you). After the ride was over I couldn't stop laughing and smiling I even had to buy a key chain (I collect them) and a picture to commemorate my bravery, (my brother bought him self the I survived T-shirt) its now one of my faves and I'm totally bummed that I wont get to ride it this year because my boyfriend gets motion sick and my sisters a chicken. I would never force my sister into riding the ride, but I think there's something to be said for trying it once. You tried it and it didn't agree with you I tried it and loved it everyone is different. On a side note some kids tend to get scared when those around them are scared for example my brother (as a kid) made such a big deal about how Scary Indy was that I got scared. Same with Haunted mansion I used to be petrified as a kid (now both Indy and HM are some of my brothers and my faves) and my brother who wasn't at first decided he was after finding out I was scared. So while I'm glad no one forced those kids to go on it may have been because Dreams was scared that they didn't want to. To each there own I say and to each there own decision I'm glad I decided to try it and I'm sorry you didn't enjoy it. Better luck in the future.

 

[luvsmickey1968]

Disney Dreams, I think your story illustrates that not everyone loves everything and that one should never force anyone to go on anything they don't want to, regardless of how silly they think it is.
I love rides and will basically go on anything but my least favorite thing is ferris wheels. I know, it sounds funny that I have gone on every roller coaster at Magic Mountain but I don't like ferris wheels. I am not fond of heights and I think I like roller coasters because they are moving as opposed to ferris wheels that are stationary part of the time.
I recently went to Disneyland with my best friend. She had not gone on a lot of the "scarier" rides at Disneyland/DCA as she was unsure of them and because she has had back surgery.
She had been on Big Thunder Mountain so it was not like she was terrified of coasters and her back was so bad she couldn't go on any of the more rough rides.
I told her that in my opinion, I wouldn't go on the Matterhorn as I find that it bothers my back and California Screamin and Mulholland Madness were find of iffy.
I let her decide if she wanted to try something or not!
We did go on Space Mountain and she hated it! She said that it made her feel disorientated for a while after we go off. She wasn't upset that she went on it but vowed that she will never go on it again. I told her that I had never experienced that but had read others have but was glad that she had at least tried it!
We also went on the Tower of Terror which terrified her but she actually laughed all the way through it. She said that she didn't want to go on it again that trip but might consider going on it again with her children. Maybe!
She went on Indian Jones and I advised her to plant her feet firmly on the floor which I think helps with your back being thrown around.
She absolutely loved this ride and wanted to go on it again immediately and then we went on it every day we were there.
So, she tried three new rides, one which she hated, one which she didn't really like and one that she absolutely loved and couldn't believe that she had missed out on it all this time.
I don't think anyone should feel forced to go on any ride but sometimes it is a good idea to try something once and if you don't like it, don't ever do it again!

 

[jory29]

I tried it a few times in 2007, and quite liked it! I tried it in 2008 once, and didn't care for it, my stomache felt too lurchy. I'm going to try it again in 2009 though! I think I'll try a little bit of gravol first, and will try it after 1 or 2 days in the park. It tends to take me a couple of days to get my 'park legs.'

 

[amyamya]

Yeah, this is why I won't go on ToT. I would like to see the queue theming tho, since I love that era and TZ stuff. Thanks for posting!

 

[ORMom2Four]

I'm sorry to hear you had such a bad experience with ToT.

I had the same thing happen with my Dh and kids. They practically forced me onto the ride after years of bugging me about it. When the car was beginning to ascend, I was crying because I was so afraid.

I got off that ride laughing and wanting to ride again. It took YEARS for Dh & the kids to convince me to get on, and it's now my favorite ride

 

[JenDisneylandlver]

I have yet to ride TOT, and it will never happen! LOL Not everyone likes those kinds of rides, and actually that is WHY I love DL so much. It's a lot more then just hard kill your stomach rides.

I don't enjoy regular roller coasters either for that matter. Both my dh and son do though, and I'll gladly meet them at the exit. They've learned to not say a word to me about going on it. Not gonna happen!

 

[mechurchlady]

You are never getting me on the Orange Stinger ever after I freaked out literally and was having panic attacks. I carry a lot of neurovariations and panic attacks are well buried in my brain and never come out but boy did I freak out.

It is sad to here that someone was coerced into riding when they should not ride. I wonder who you went with. VMK memories, sigh.

 

[avalon451]

DD13, after loving Space in March, wanted to try all the coasters in October... even though she was a little worried about Screamin'. But she was pretty much decided that there was no way I was getting her on ToT. I won't ever force or shame my kids onto a ride. DD11 just doesn't like coasters at all, even after trying one, so we cheerfully do kid swap with her. (although she LOVED Indy!)

However, in October, DD13 ADORED every ride she went on, including Screamin'. She was hooting and hollering and high-fiving me, coming off that one, every time. So when I announced that I was going on ToT finally, I just looked her in the eye and said quietly, "You know, you've loved every ride you've been on. Are you sure you want to go home without trying ToT? It's fine if you don't want to, but I don't want you to feel bad that you didn't and wonder if you would have liked it." When she thought about it that way, she decided to try it. She was pretty anxious, but she liked it just fine! I had told her exactly what it entails, and that the drops last about a minute. So, when it was over, she turned to me and said, "That was IT? Awww, that wasn't bad at all! That was kind of fun!" And we did it again the next day! She enjoyed it even more then, because she wasn't worried any more.

I totally respect anybody who can't do those rides, though. DH used to love coasters as much as me, but we think maybe his inner ears or something have changed as he got older, because Space, Screamin' and ToT don't sit very well with him now. ToT, especially. He was in a cold sweat when he came off that one.

 

[Luckymomoftwo]

I know EXACTLY how you felt after you rode ToT. There is a similar ride at an amusement park that I once rode....it takes you straight up, pushes you forward onto another track that drops you straight down. I literally couldn't walk after I got off that ride...my knees were shaking so badly. However...my absolute favorite ride at Disney is ToT! I don't know how I can stand riding that and not the other...I think the other one actually drops faster and that's why. Anyway...I'm really sorry you had such a bad experience after riding ToT. Any true friend would not force you to go on a ride that you don't want to go on. Especially if they can tell you are really scared about riding it. I hope you get extra on your next Disney trip to make up for that ride on ToT.

 

[SeansMom]

Yeah, this is why I won't go on ToT. I would like to see the queue theming tho, since I love that era and TZ stuff. Thanks for posting!

You Can!!! Last trip I went through with the family, then my littlest niece and I sat and waited for them to meet us by the pictures. It was fun to see the themeing, but free fall drops aren't for me, either. No worries, plenty of other great things to do at DCA and DL.

 

[amyamya]

You Can!!! Last trip I went through with the family, then my littlest niece and I sat and waited for them to meet us by the pictures. It was fun to see the themeing, but free fall drops aren't for me, either. No worries, plenty of other great things to do at DCA and DL.

Cool! I'll try that next time!

 

[DahliaRW]

This makes me crack up only because when we went last fall my 3 1/2 yo WANTED to go on it, so we let him, and then he got off and talked his grandma who was afraid of going on it to take him on again! Grandma didn't like it, my son loved it again! LOL!

 

[Brady's Mom]

For DS 12 ToT is just the opposite. He has a very active imagination and can really get worked up with the theming and the movie and the blue people at the end. He went on the ride when he was 10 and hasn't been able to go on it since. We were with my niece last Dec. and she tried to coax/coerce him into going on it and he wouldn't. DH got a little short with her when she wouldn't leave him alone about it. DS got all the way through the line and up to the numbers before you get on the elevator and then just couldn't do it. The CM was totally awesome about it and let him wait with her while we went on the ride. Then we all walked out together.

We are glad he tried it once, but would never make him try it again. If he decides to, that's great. If he doesn't, that's great, too.

 

[teatime]

I to was teased into riding it 2 years ago, scared me, I was shaken and really wound up. moral of the story, do what you want and not what others want. I love coasters but not the big ones and not the big drops. and not in the dark.

 

[Disneyluvr2]

I know EXACTLY how you felt after you rode ToT. There is a similar ride at an amusement park that I once rode....it takes you straight up, pushes you forward onto another track that drops you straight down. I literally couldn't walk after I got off that ride...my knees were shaking so badly. However...my absolute favorite ride at Disney is ToT! I don't know how I can stand riding that and not the other...I think the other one actually drops faster and that's why.

DITTO, DITTO, DITTO!!! I know the exact ride you're talking about and the same thing happened to me!!! I couldn't walk for about an hour after I got off that ride! However, TOT is one of my favorite rides too! A completely different experience!

 

[bumbershoot]

...and I'm totally bummed that I wont get to ride it this year because my boyfriend gets motion sick and my sisters a chicken.

So go by yourself! Let them hang out on a bench outside, having some bonding time, and you go on a FP you've gotten earlier! Or they could go on Monsters, or watch the Muppets show (while you go on FPs from their tickets, too, giving you 3 times in a row), etc.

I love going solo on that ride, b/c you get to meet new people and have extremely fun conversations with people! I sat next to these 3 big young men, somewhere in their 20s, acting all tough and all. Then when the ride started (I counseled them to hold tight to the bags they had) two of them were fine, and the one closest to me was smiling but also screaming like a little girl. It. Was. Awesome. (I'm not making fun...it was truly awesome to be there sharing his experience, we smiled and laughed after, I was so glad to have been next to them) He smiled and was amazed and astonished after the ride, seemed to like it, but was definitely not prepared for that ride!


The only reason I can go on it is b/c it is NOT a free fall ride. You are on a platform that is pushed up and pulled down, and I can feel the difference between that and the *falling* rides. The falling rides I won't go on (maliboomer), but TOT is great fun. Catching air is the best, even when your seatbelt is tight! And watching your bags go up is just weird.

My stomach is more bothered by BTMRR's quick little drops than it is by TOT...especially if I do the 'goat trick'.


And then there's DS, who begged to go on, and isn't bothered by the up/down aspect of it, but is extremely bothered by the storyline of the ride and won't go on it again in the forseeable future. You just never know.

 

[Disney Dreams]

I've enjoyed reading everyone's replies here and am happy others have taken this thread as a chance to share their fears and adventures as well.

If anyone is curious about the theming in ToT, yes, you can go right up to the moment you go in the elevator. (A detail that I very specifically asked the CMs on the day I rode. I came VERY close to using the "last chance exit.")

Funny thing about memories too: I remember all the theming prior to entering the elevator. I remember getting in my seat, insisting that I sat next to my friend (as opposed to next to his girlfriend whom I didn't know - and didn't feel I could grab on to if needed!). I remember double checking my lap belt. I don't really remember any theming after that point. A PP mention the blue men at the end. Absolutely no recollection of them! None. Zero. (It may be difficult for your memory to take things in while you are praying for dear life and screaming in fear. )

I can ride Space, BTMRR, Stinger, Indy, and Screamin' (although I don't really care for traditional coasters - no theming to enjoy). For reasons I don't understand (and don't need to), the constant drops really rattled me. And now, I know.

 

[Sherry E]

As a small kid I was terrified at the idea of riding Haunted Mansion. Then, I conquered that fear and became frightened of POTC and its drops. I eventually conquered the POTC fear (a long, long time ago) and it became among my top 3 favorite rides in DLR. Now I can't have trip to DLR without riding POTC at least 4 or 5 times. BUT, I have never liked the 'thrill rides' of DLR. I have been on all the mountain rides more than once and they are not my cup of tea. The drop in Splash Mountain is TOO much of a drop for me, so no matter how cute the ride is leading up to that drop, I don't feel the need to go on it and be soaked to the bone in the process again. Even the Teacups are a bit too fast for me now - and I used to be able to ride them with some mild spinning, but DL has sped them up over the years and now if the wheel is even touched, it's too much for me. I am just not a thrill ride lover. Indiana Jones is too jerky, alarming, bumpy and rattling for me (and bad for my vulnerable back), but I will probably go on it again at some point in the future....and yet, I can somehow handle Star Tours - perhaps becasue I know we are not really 'going' anywhere in that ride. In fact, I like Star Tours a lot! Go figure. But no Tower of Terror for me - I LOVED Twilight Zone, the series, but that is about as far as I will go with it. No roller coasters or scary drop rides (that aren't really drops) for me.

Anyway, in the old days I probably went with friends (with whom I no longer talk) who tried to guilt/bully/tease/bother/annoy me into going onto aome of the rides I went on, and I resented them for it. Then, more friends started coming out of the woodwork who do not like "those kinds of rides" or can no longer handle those rides as they age, so now I am never alone if I want to stay off of Space Mountain while other people go on it. In fact, one of my friends is still so anti-thrill ride that she cannot even force herself back on POTC!! It is hard for me to understand because I conquered my fear and LOVE POTC, but she has been on it several times and hates it, and so we respect that. If I go with a group of people and we want to ride POTC, we wait until the one friend has gone home to do it because we want to spend time with her rather than leaving her by herself to wait for us. We don't try to tell someone they have to ride something or that they will enjoy it when they are clearly uncomfortable, nor do we try to make them feel silly about feeling that way. Now if someone asked me, "Would I like this? Should I go on it?" that is a different story. Then I may try to encourage them to go on a questionable ride. But if I SEE they are nervous or opposed to riding something, and they say they don't want to, then that is that. I can either ride without them or wait until they leave. I know my POTC-hating friend would be uncomfortable riding Soarin', too, so I don't even bother trying to sell her on how great the ride is because I KNOW it will make her uncomfortable. Getting someone to go on something is not worth making them miserable. When people say they don't want to do something, their 'friends' should listen!

So, Disney Dreams, even though I know it was probably sad to lose the person you thought was a kind, trustworthy, good friend - I have a feeling you are better off without him. Shame on him for behaving that way and basically teasing/bugging you into doing something.