Please help me with the rides I can go on?

[Wismgari]

Hi everyone! I am making heading back for my second ever visit to WDW next year and am planning a bit of time at Universal for the first time... however, I struggle with a lot of rides, which is the reason Disney is good for me! I was wondering if people could help me out with what I could ride/ watch and which ones were priority to get to at the start of the day, and which would have lower lines throughout the day. I am not staying in a Universal hotel so no early entry or express pass. I will be there in the second half of April.

I cannot do anything that spins (teacups are my idea of hell) - I get very dizzy easily!
I cannot do anything that shakes around too much - Dinosaur in Animal Kingdom made me feel incredibly ill, I wimped out of Star Tours at the last minute and I can just about manage Mission Space: Green, but not twice in a row... I learnt that lesson! Soarin I have no problem with.
I also cannot do any rides that go upside down or have a vertical drop! I really like Everest in Animal Kingdom, apart from the backwards bit as it makes me feel dizzy, but I enjoy the rollar coaster. I also love Splash Mountain, in Magic Kingdom, one of my favourite rides ever!

I would appreciate any help people can give me - I have been trying to read official descriptions, and some of the big rollarcoasters are obviously out, and Forbidden Journey I think, unfortunately (I am a huge Harry Potter fan). What are the best things to go on and see? And which do I need to get to first thing to try and beat the crowds?

Thanks so much!

 

[Kivara]

Can you do simulator rides? I know a lot of people get dizzy with the screens and 3D.

IoA-
Marvel
Hulk- closed and no
Dr Doom - no (demon drop/tower of terror)
Storm - no (teacups with flashy lights)
Spider-Man - maybe? It doesn't really go off the floor, just feels like it...it uses a screen and 3d glasses. The are a few jerky half-spins and one spin the goes around 2-3? times.
Toon Lagoon
Bluto's Bilge Rat Barges - one of those round raft rides, you do get soaked
dudley Do Right - log ride
Jurassic Park
Pterydon flyers - need a with you to ride this...high up, tour over tree tops in a swing-like seat
River adventure - big water log ride
Hogsmeade
HP Forbidden Journey- some whipping, turning, tilting, and it has screens
Hippogriff - kiddie coaster (but a lot of fun)
Dragon Challenge - no big inverted coaster with many loops
2 shows (frog choir & TwiWizard Schools) and Ollivander's wand shop "show"
Hogwarts Express (need a Park to Park ticket) -YES, gentle train ride, watching screen/windows of the English countryside & Potter & Co's antics
Lost Continent
2 shows (Sinbad and Poisidon)
Seuss
High in the Sky Trolley Ride - gentle, great views, silly fun (if you like Dr Seuss)
Caro-Seuss-El - carousel
Cat in the Hat - lots of spinning, darkness, and black light

 

[damo]

You should be able to do Mummy, if you can do Everest. Personally, Everest makes me sick and Mummy is much smoother and tamer.

You can also do Despicable Me, Shrek, probably Transformers, Gringotts, Et and Terminator. There are shows that you'd enjoy as well.

There will be lots for you to do! You can even do Rip Ride Rockit, if you like coasters, since it does not go upside down.


Have you tried taking a Bonine before heading to the parks? It makes a world of difference for me.

 

[johde]

Cat in the Hat - lots of spinning, darkness, and black light

When I went in January, the spinning was much tamer than it used to be. Most people shouldn't have any trouble with it now.

 

[damo]

When I went in January, the spinning was much tamer than it used to be. Most people shouldn't have any trouble with it now.

Yes, the spinning is much less than it used to be. Not an issue anymore.

 

[Wismgari]

Can you do simulator rides? I know a lot of people get dizzy with the screens and 3D.

IoA-
Marvel
Hulk- closed and no
Dr Doom - no (demon drop/tower of terror)
Storm - no (teacups with flashy lights)
Spider-Man - maybe? It doesn't really go off the floor, just feels like it...it uses a screen and 3d glasses. The are a few jerky half-spins and one spin the goes around 2-3? times.
Toon Lagoon
Bluto's Bilge Rat Barges - one of those round raft rides, you do get soaked
dudley Do Right - log ride
Jurassic Park
Pterydon flyers - need a with you to ride this...high up, tour over tree tops in a swing-like seat
River adventure - big water log ride
Hogsmeade
HP Forbidden Journey- some whipping, turning, tilting, and it has screens
Hippogriff - kiddie coaster (but a lot of fun)
Dragon Challenge - no big inverted coaster with many loops
2 shows (frog choir & TwiWizard Schools) and Ollivander's wand shop "show"
Hogwarts Express (need a Park to Park ticket) -YES, gentle train ride, watching screen/windows of the English countryside & Potter & Co's antics
Lost Continent
2 shows (Sinbad and Poisidon)
Seuss
High in the Sky Trolley Ride - gentle, great views, silly fun (if you like Dr Seuss)
Caro-Seuss-El - carousel
Cat in the Hat - lots of spinning, darkness, and black light

Wow, thanks for the comprehensive list.

So this is just IOA yes? I will also have rides I can do in Universal studios?

As for simulators, it depends! I can do Soarin (it makes me a little dizzy but it is OK) and also Mission Space:Green (struggle more with this). I didn't do Star Tours as my bf came off and said it shock around too much and he thought it would make me ill. So I think the more smooth movements are fine, but too much shaking or spinning in a simulator I couldn't do.

I will have a park to park ticket and cannot wait to ride the Hogwarts Express!

Thanks again for this amazingly helpful list

 

[Wismgari]

You should be able to do Mummy, if you can do Everest. Personally, Everest makes me sick and Mummy is much smoother and tamer.

You can also do Despicable Me, Shrek, probably Transformers, Gringotts, Et and Terminator. There are shows that you'd enjoy as well.

There will be lots for you to do! You can even do Rip Ride Rockit, if you like coasters, since it does not go upside down.


Have you tried taking a Bonine before heading to the parks? It makes a world of difference for me.

Thanks for the list, very helpful

How does the Mummy compare to Everest? The stuff I struggle with in Everest is the dark bits and backwards... I can manage for a very short amount of time but I really hate being in the dark, especially in the dark and backwards! I find it really disorientating!

Frustratingly Bonine doesn't seem to be available over here in the UK - I have heard a lot of people say it is the best one to use for travel sickness issues in the parks. My travel sickness meds (I need the for the plane) make me pretty drowsy unfortunately. I will have a look for some alternatives though, as it would be nice to ride the simulators without worrying too much!

 

[Dee2013]

Go through the lines at the things you can't ride! Every ride has an exit just before the ride. I will never go on FJ, but I have been through Hogwarts multiple times. I am actually able to do Gringotts all with a High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Ride, and E.T. I will do Flight of the Hippigriff if I am having a good day. I might ride it just once, whereas I can do Gringotts 2-3 times without issue.

 

[johde]

There is an extremely short backwards section in The Mummy. You stop at a "dead end" then roll backwards over a hill similar to Pirates of the Caribbean. Then the car rotates forwards for the roller coaster section. The roller coaster section is in the dark but is pretty short.

 

[Wismgari]

Go through the lines at the things you can't ride! Every ride has an exit just before the ride. I will never go on FJ, but I have been through Hogwarts multiple times. I am actually able to do Gringotts all with a High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Ride, and E.T. I will do Flight of the Hippigriff if I am having a good day. I might ride it just once, whereas I can do Gringotts 2-3 times without issue.

Thanks for this info is it worth going through the lines even if there is a really long wait time if I am not going to ride? I'd love to see the castle, but maybe not being stuck in there for 1 to 2 hours? Gringotts sounds fun, thanks for the info on it

 

[Kivara]

Thanks damo and Johde, I forgot they tamed the Cat in the Hat. Should have remembered that my hubby was able to ride it with us this year

Wow, thanks for the comprehensive list.

So this is just IOA yes? I will also have rides I can do in Universal studios?

No problem. Sorry I only wrote up for IoA; I got distracted and forgot to come back

 

[hdnwaters]

We were at IOA/US Sept 9th and Sept 12. We basically rode everything other than the big coasters. Hulk was being refurbished, no RR Rocket, or Dueling Dragons. I tend to have anxiety but I was okay. We did second rides on Mummy, Transformers, Gringotts, and Forbidden Adventure. Take some Bonine the night before.....all these rides are so cool I would hate for someone to miss the experience. I will say that Forbidden Adventure is "different". It was our first ride and my daughter and I were shaking when we got off. We did go back and revisit it the second day and it really is fun! (except I really hate spiders!) Part of the fun is the fear of the unknown! If you can ride Everest you should be fine! Our weekday visit....we never waited longer than 20 minutes. Saturday it was a little more crowded....we headed to the back of the park first....walked on Men In Black and only 15 mins for Gringotts. I think everyone hits Minions first since it's at the Entrance to US. We came back to it later in the day.

 

[Wismgari]

Thanks damo and Johde, I forgot they tamed the Cat in the Hat. Should have remembered that my hubby was able to ride it with us this year


No problem. Sorry I only wrote up for IoA; I got distracted and forgot to come back

If you get any time to do the same list for Universal Studios, I will be eternally grateful!

 

[Wismgari]

We were at IOA/US Sept 9th and Sept 12. We basically rode everything other than the big coasters. Hulk was being refurbished, no RR Rocket, or Dueling Dragons. I tend to have anxiety but I was okay. We did second rides on Mummy, Transformers, Gringotts, and Forbidden Adventure. Take some Bonine the night before.....all these rides are so cool I would hate for someone to miss the experience. I will say that Forbidden Adventure is "different". It was our first ride and my daughter and I were shaking when we got off. We did go back and revisit it the second day and it really is fun! (except I really hate spiders!) Part of the fun is the fear of the unknown! If you can ride Everest you should be fine! Our weekday visit....we never waited longer than 20 minutes. Saturday it was a little more crowded....we headed to the back of the park first....walked on Men In Black and only 15 mins for Gringotts. I think everyone hits Minions first since it's at the Entrance to US. We came back to it later in the day.

Thanks for the tips on what order to do things Unfortunately Bonine is not an option from the UK anyway and I have a medical condition that makes me dizzy easily so I think FJ is definitely out - think I will go through the line though so I can see the castle - I hope the wait time isn't too long since I don't even want to ride!

 

[Kivara]

Just to let you know, I am going off of my opinions of rides (I enjoy all rides.) Also, I have been to Disney once as an adult, so I cannot compare Universal rides to Disney (I don't even remember many Disney rides, sorry!)

Studios park:
Rip Ride Rocket (haven't rode this) - full-on roller coaster, but I believe you never go upside-down, near the top of one large loop, you kinda do a cork-screw turn and stay right-side-up on the top of the loop
Despicable Me - 3D screen show with glasses...seats tilt and bump-motion a bit. They do have a stationary seating option on this.
Shrek 4D - screen with glasses, chairs are like movie theater chairs, but they do bounce you around (simulating horse riding and such)
Revenge of the Mummy- indoor coaster, some dark areas, one quick stop before you hit a wall, one quick drop, and one area where you shoot up a hill into a small drop...never upside-down.
Blues Brothers - street show/concert, near Finnegans ( a lot of fun, everyone dances around in the street)
Transformers - screen & glasses and a car that moves around, but the major effects are simulated (a lot like Spider-Man) the "vortex" scene does make some people a bit dizzy/nauseated

Beetlejuice- show

Diagon Alley
Escape from Gringotts - screen/thrill ride. one part tips you, so you are facing a downwards drop, short drop, fast moving mine cart/running from a dragon (I've only rode this one twice, so I might be forgetting or mis-remembering parts)
2 shows - Celestina Warbeck and the Banshees (fun, silly, great voices, worth seeing) and the Tale of the Three Brothers (missed this one)

Fear Factor - show, if you like the TV show, it is fun, but it can be stomach-turning
Men In Black - like Buzz Lightyear in WDW (a few good spins, but overall not too bad)
Simpsons - screen with a tilting car, doesn't sound too bad, but I hear a lot of people have motion-sickness issues with this one (might want to watch it on YouTube first if you're considering riding)

Kid Zone
Animal Actors - live animal stunt/trick show
Woody Woodpecker coaster- kiddie coaster, similar to the Hippogriff in IoA, fun and not too crazy
E.T. - very gentle, floating bicycle ride (never met anyone who can't ride this)


Terminator - show; part screen, part live acting
Horror Make-Up show - silly, funny, comic-gore show
Studios also has a "Superstar Parade." It's a lot of fun to watch, and not near as crowded as a WDW parade

 

[hdnwaters]

Thanks for the tips on what order to do things Unfortunately Bonine is not an option from the UK anyway and I have a medical condition that makes me dizzy easily so I think FJ is definitely out - think I will go through the line though so I can see the castle - I hope the wait time isn't too long since I don't even want to ride!

You can get Bonine in almost any convenience, drug, or grocery store in Orlando. It will not make you sleepy but you need to take it at least 12 hours before any motion concerns. The castle is really cool at Forbidden Journey and love the Gringotts Bank!

 

[damo]

In the UK Bonine is called Sea-Legs or Traveleeze.

 

[dixonsontour]

Both these seem to have been discontinued in UK unfortunately.

 

[Wismgari]

Both these seem to have been discontinued in UK unfortunately.

I used to love traveleeze... I'm gutted you can't get it any more! I'll take some sort of travel sickness pill to get me through universal days, but I don't think I could take anything strong enough to get me through FB!

Does anyone know if you can skip the end of the line if it is long at FJ... Really want to see the castle, but don't want to be stuck in there for hours!

 

[dixonsontour]

My DH has always walked through the castle but not ridden (due to size) The bit where you leave is not far from the sorting hat so as far as I know you just join the regular line. He just tells cm at door he is not riding so he can bring camera.

What are your dates? We have never waited long doing fj in October.