RnR and ToT Intensity

[OKWFan88]

Hi all, I need some honest reviews from those of us that like roller coasters but tend to be nervous about the intensity... I can handle SDD, SDMT, BTMR, Splash Mountain, Space Mountain (although only do once and then feel weird the rest of the day due to how jerky it is)... But Expedition Everest scared the Yeti out of me. That was too intense for me... I have not done RnR or Tower of Terror... I am three weeks out from our next Disney trip and we splurged for the Ultimate Day of Thrills VIP tour and those two are on the tour to do and I don't want to be a party pooper...

 

[DanielNYC]

Just one man's opinion here, but I find that both ToT and RnR are more intense than any of the other rides you mentioned. None of those rides has inversions where RnR has THREE! Also, the motion/sensation of being dropped in ToT is very different from a roller coaster and more intense IMO.

 

[Figment Mom]

I honestly don't understand the TOT hype.

Yes, there were drops but I just sat there not hanging on with a little lap belt holding me in place. When it was over I was thinking "that's it?"

RNRC felt more intense but mostly because of the speed. And if I hadn't read that it went upside down I never would have known. I only felt inversion once and it felt like a corkscrew to me. I rode it twice and really tried to concentrate on that sensation and still couldn't figure out the upside down part.

Out of all the WDW "thrill rides," EE feels the most intense to me and just because of the backwards section. I don't enjoy that part for some reason.

I like Space Mountain except I find it pretty jerky for my aging self.

 

[Kbosch]

I fully admit to being a big chicken on roller coasters - Space Mountain is pretty much my limit. I've been on ToT and RnR exactly one time each and that was enough for me! ToT I didn't like because of the drop, which is what I hate about coasters in the first place (but I wanted to see what the rest of the ride was like). There aren't any big drops on RnR that I can remember, but it starts off SO FAST that it freaked me out.

I would MAYBE attempt RnR again now that I know what to expect, but for our next trip I am perfectly happy to stay with my son who's too short to ride.

 

[disneygirlsng]

In the grand scheme of roller coasters/thrill rides I'd put them both on the low end of moderate, definitely not very intense. However, compared to other Disney rides and the ones you have mentioned, they are a good bit more intense.

 

[mamamelody2]

Hmmm. If EE is too intense for you, like RnRC will be as well. If you try it, make sure to request one of the first rows, as the back of the train is WAY jerkier and more intense IMO.

ToT is also intense but in a different way. I LOVE that ride and ride it many times each trip. Of course, it's a straight drop (which really none of the WDW roller coasters have a steep drop) so if you don't like that, probably shouldn't ride it.

 

[snappy]

Too intense for me.

 

[KMarston]

I’m really glad you ask this question! We are going childless/grandchildless for the first time in 25 years. I some crazy moment of bravery, I got FP for SM and EE. The last time I rode SM I stepped out after the ride and fell right back across the car! I really thought I might try it again but after reading the responses, I’m a lot older now, I think I’ll just change those, or let DH ride twice!

 

[Luvs Mickey]

I, personally, don’t like RnRC as I find it the jerkiest of all the WDW coasters, maybe because of the inversions? I usually have a headache afterwards. SM seems to be the second jerkiest. ToT has drops but doesn’t bother me. I’m fine on all other coasters there.

 

[NotTheBatesMotel]

It depends on what bothers you with the intense rides. ToT gives me a major "stomach flip" feeling since it pulls you down faster than free falling does. The sequence they do is random so the intensity might vary a bit. I haven't been on RnR in years because I got a major headache last time I rode it.

 

[kitkat4622]

I personally love RnRc and I was not a ride person before having to step out of my comfort zone to ride with my teenage grandson, it's now one of my favorite. one loop and I believe 2 corkscrews, doesn't bother me. I have ridden EE another favorite but somehow cannot bring myself to rid ToT just the idea of dropping straight down freaks me out..

 

[IluvMGM]

Tower of terror is just "freefall." Not a big deal for me, I love that feeling. Rock n roller coaster jerks me around a lot, so I can't handle it too many times in a row. The start of the ride is also a bit intense going from 0-60 in a few seconds. I consider that much more intense than EE.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

Hi all, I need some honest reviews from those of us that like roller coasters but tend to be nervous about the intensity... I can handle SDD, SDMT, BTMR, Splash Mountain, Space Mountain (although only do once and then feel weird the rest of the day due to how jerky it is)... But Expedition Everest scared the Yeti out of me. That was too intense for me... I have not done RnR or Tower of Terror... I am three weeks out from our next Disney trip and we splurged for the Ultimate Day of Thrills VIP tour and those two are on the tour to do and I don't want to be a party pooper...

I can do all of the ones you mentioned and, like you, can only do Space once. I can handle EE once as well and that's it. I did RnRC a few years ago and, wow, never again. My legs were shaking afterward. I have a fear of falling, so will never do ToT, but I can't really comment on intensity of that ride vs. a WDW roller coaster. If EE is too intense for you, I would not do RnRC. They have a lovely gift shop you can look in while others ride! (or get some ice cream at the truck nearby!)

 

[Christine]

RnR is more intense that EE to me. ToT doesn't bother me much.

 

[epcotty]

does rnr have a place to put sunglasses?

 

[Brett Wyman]

RnR is typically considered to be the most intense ride at WDW. Some would choose Mission Space Orange Team but that's not really a ride as much as claustrophobic torture. Either way RnR would be one of the top two.

 

[mckennarose]

It's interesting to see how differently everyone classifies these rides. I feel like ToT is the most intense and I hate the drop. I love drops on roller coasters but ToT makes my legs shake when I get off.
The takeoff on RnRC is what I find most intense, the rest of the ride, including the inversions don't bother me or feel really intense. EE is my favorite "thrill" ride in WDW. The backwards section is most intense for me and I don't feel the forward drop is that big. I don't get the "belly jump" on EE like I do on Splash. I don't ride Space Mt. often because it's really rough on my neck and back. I feel that's pretty tame as far as roller coasters go, it's just in the dark and gives you whiplash.

 

[seashoreCM]

I have ridden Rock & Roller Coaster in years past but I can no longer take the startoff acceleration.

 

[Hieraxx]

IMO you must do ToT once minimum for the theming and experience. Best ride setup in the parks...again imo. You are pulled vs free fall and I am a height chicken. Love love the ride. If you have issues with EE you probably won’t like RnR since it’s faster and more intense from my experience. Ridden all 3 of these rides many times and I would put RnR as the most intense if I had to rate them.

Now ...I would prefer RnR to space mountain if given the choice because space is jittery and feels old to me. Space mountain in Disneyland however is a top notch ride and does not bother me.

Keep in mind I’m a non Disney coaster chicken due to heights but I love the Disney rides. Thunder was one of the first coasters I did, and that is a family coaster. I’m able to do hulk and other fast, looping coasters now except for rides that go 3 miles up and outside. In the dark I will try anything.


Back on topic you must try ToT and experience the ride in total. Nothing else like it. Good luck and enjoy.

 

[YawningDodo]

Hi all, I need some honest reviews from those of us that like roller coasters but tend to be nervous about the intensity... I can handle SDD, SDMT, BTMR, Splash Mountain, Space Mountain (although only do once and then feel weird the rest of the day due to how jerky it is)... But Expedition Everest scared the Yeti out of me. That was too intense for me... I have not done RnR or Tower of Terror... I am three weeks out from our next Disney trip and we splurged for the Ultimate Day of Thrills VIP tour and those two are on the tour to do and I don't want to be a party pooper...

It really depends on what you mean by intensity! As you can see above, there's a pretty wide variance in how people classify those rides in terms of "intensity."

You mentioned that Space Mountain is a one-and-done for you each trip because of the jerkiness. If that's the main issue, RnRC may be the same for you--it's a very different style of coaster from SM, but like several other posters in this thread, I get headaches from it (I'm usually good to ride it once, and then I stay away the rest of the day because I know a repeat ride is asking for pain).

You also said that EE scared you, though. Was it because of the big hills/drops, or was it more an issue with the ride feeling unpredictable due to the backwards section? Either of those issues could make ToT an issue for you, but for different reasons that may be more or less surmountable depending on which it is. I know some people just plain don't like the falling sensation at all), and it's designed to be unpredictable by following a randomized drop sequence.

If you like the drops but surprises tend to scare you too badly, the thing I'd say to be aware of on ToT in WDW is that the first elevator shaft is not the drop shaft--when I first rode it, the thing that absolutely terrified me was when the ride vehicle suddenly drove forward out of the first elevator shaft and into a hallway, since I was absolutely not expecting it. The vehicle driving into the drop shaft carriage in pitch black darkness is still my least favorite thing about that ride, since I'm always scared (irrationally) that the carriage won't be in place and we'll fall down the shaft for real. In my opinion that's the scariest part; once the drop sequence starts it's all falling/rising sensation and nothing but fun (and I say this as someone who's really very badly scared by open-air drop towers--being unable to see out and see how high up you are most of the time makes it much less scary for me).