Please help me relax about Flight of Passage!

[DisneyOma]

Hi! I very luckily scored some FP's at less than 30 days out for FOP (leaving in 10 days!) I am so excited to ride this after reading all the reviews. However, I have mild claustrophobia/fear of heights/panic issues. I have been on Soarin several times and have decided after the last time that I just don't care to do it anymore. The simulation is fine, its the fact that you ARE actually high in the air that makes the experience unpleasant for me. I can get through it, but its just not "fun". Which sucks b/c its such a cool ride.

I LOVE Star Tours and HATE Mission Space, so I guess I am divided on simulators. MS I mostly hated b/c of the claustrophobia, not the simulation. Our FP is in the evening, so I hope that having a pre-ride cocktail or two will help calm any nerves I have. I also like the strategies mentioned by other people in other threads of sitting a little more back to not have the restraint be too tight and closing my eyes if things get too intense!

I am riding this one way or another, so any words of encouragement from fellow anxiety sufferers would be welcome!

Claustrophobia/heights sufferer here! FoP was pretty intense, but not in terms of either of my issues. I did close my eyes a few times when the banshee did a downward swoop. And when I first got on the ride vehicle, the wall that eventually lifts in front of you seemed too close and I got a bit nervous. I just looked around for a minute and the feeling went away.

The intensity for me came from how fast everything happens - I couldn't keep up with it all! I felt like I missed a lot of special stuff, trying to see it all. There are a few 'rest' spots though that helped.

 

[TeresaWen]

I am without question the biggest ride chicken you will ever meet and I road twice!! Loved it.

 

[holden]

I giggle and scream with joy like a six year old on FOP. It’s that much fun.

 

[Angeliki19]

I giggle and scream with joy like a six year old on FOP. It’s that much fun.

Love it!! That's me on Star Tours and Dinosaur, haha.

I am getting very excited reading all of these responses. I think I will be fine. I know what to expect and from there I just need to not overthink it (which of course is the hard part.)

 

[jaysmom4285]

My husband has a mild aversion to heights. He'll do Soarin' but he sits back in the seat and holds on a bit. He did FoP with me today and was okay with it. He just closed his eyes a few times during the dives and that was enough to keep him comfortable. It isn't his favorite ride, but he was glad he did it.

 

[Angeliki19]

OP here! Just thought I would provide an update after I went on FOP last week!

I went with my plan to have an African Margarita with my dinner at Tusker House to relax me a bit. By the time we headed to Pandora around 7 for our FP, I was feeling pretty good. We came in the back way from Africa and as we started to get close, the little hints of glowing things out in the trees just set the stage so well for what we were walking into. I don't know if it was the tequila or what, but Pandora is AMAZING at night. I couldn't get over it as we walked in. It was just SO cool.

We headed straight to the FOP FP line and within a few minutes we were in the pre-show room where they link you up to your Avatar. I did not feel claustrophobic at all in this room (again, might have been the tequila.) When we went into the room I started to feel a little nervous, but there was no backing out now. My DH sat to my left and my DD to my right, with my DS on her other side. I did sit back in my seat so the restraint would not be too tight. DD started panicking that her glasses would not stay on her head, which to my surprise, the CM was not very sympathetic about and promptly told her that was the only size they had and she would have to just hold them. That sort of took my mind off the ride starting and a minute later I started to see the flashing lights. I closed my eyes and told myself I would open them after the initial drop.

Probably a split second later, I peeked them open to see, and what I saw took my breath away. It was literally SO BEAUTIFUL. I did not close my eyes for a second after and loved EVERY SINGLE MINUTE. I was screaming and laughing and just in total awe. DH who is not one to be overly impressed with anything turned to me in the first 30 seconds and said "Wow. This is awesome." The four of us literally glided into the gift shop and could not stop telling everyone we saw how much we loved it. All four of us agreed it was the highlight of our trip.

Just wanted to share in case anyone else is reading this in the future and had the same fears as me. Give it a try! I am not prone to motion sickness so I cannot speak to that. I am terrified of heights, but honestly, I really was not scared on this. It does feel "real", but I would liken it much more to Star Tours than Soarin. In the back of my mind, I knew that I was attached to the floor. That reassurance let me just experience the ride with no fear. And like a PP said, there is wind blowing on your face, which does always help me feel less anxious.

I can't wait to ride it again!!!!!!!!!!

 

[ArielSRL]

I have issues with simulators. I can do Soarin and LOVE it - even though I do have some fear of heights, but cannot do Star Tours and have never attempted Mission Space (I’m claustrophobic as well). I skipped FoP last trip but my DH (and almost everyone else) claims it’s one of the best rides ever, so I’ll just Dramamine up next trip and do it.

 

[epcotty]

I absolutely can't stand Mission Space as I feel it's too enclosed but Fop is nowhere near as bad. I didn't know there were levels until I just read that now

 

[cutigerlady]

My husband is on the verge of being sick every time we ride Star Tours (unless we are in the first row) and he barely made it through FOP. I think the motion sickness is what gets you, not the heights. He can handle the mild version of Misson Space.

 

[Natcol]

I really dislike heights and I don’t enjoy that falling feeling if I don’t feel safe and secure at the same time. FOP was exhilarating and joyful for me. I was a bit nervous the first time, but it’s so immersive that it just takes you away to an amazing place. As people have mentioned, because you are very securely attached to your ‘bike’, it feels very safe. The glasses and light tricks your eyes as the wall moves away to reveal the screen and then you are flying. I didn’t find it scary and I spent the rest of my trip trying to ride it as much as I could. Honestly it’s one of the best things I’ve ever experienced and I hate heights.

 

[Angeliki19]

I really dislike heights and I don’t enjoy that falling feeling if I don’t feel safe and secure at the same time. FOP was exhilarating and joyful for me. I was a bit nervous the first time, but it’s so immersive that it just takes you away to an amazing place. As people have mentioned, because you are very securely attached to your ‘bike’, it feels very safe. The glasses and light tricks your eyes as the wall moves away to reveal the screen and then you are flying. I didn’t find it scary and I spent the rest of my trip trying to ride it as much as I could. Honestly it’s one of the best things I’ve ever experienced and I hate heights.

Yep, that's exactly how I felt! I am so glad there is such an awesome "flying" ride for people who don't like heights.