So what if we are not rollercoaster fans?

mommymanda

Mouseketeer
Joined
Sep 23, 2012
We are a family of five. Two of us are absolutely not thrill ride fans, one isn't sure, one loves them and one enjoys them, but getting a little older and would rather just not 😀.
We've been to Disney three times and have always enjoyed it, but kids were young.
I've always wanted a universal trip, but is it worthwhile with the dynamics?
I think we will all enjoy the 'show' style rides. We have three Harry Potter fans.

**UPDATED** So after a few days of awesome advice and a little research I'm feeling better. One of the things I pay attention to is the "seatbelt" of the ride. So looking at say The mummy ride, it's just the seated bar. So yes my entire family can handle a ride that's got bumps and speed, but not so intense we are fully strapped in. Even Hagrids may be ok...that said the full over shoulder, your pinned in like Hulk, I'm out. So other than my old body arguing about bumps and bruises, it looks like once I mentally prep myself, many rides will be a blast.
 
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I do a few of the basic coasters but never the popular ones that are like high climbs and quick drops

You will find enough rides in the park that are not coasters

Take a look at the website for UO maps and get basic info and description of what is in each park

Potter fans will enjoy both universal parks !
 
We have three Harry Potter fans.
Two of us are absolutely not thrill ride fans
Plenty to see and do in the parks, even for those who don’t enjoy the more aggressive rides.

The HP themed areas are so well-done, stunning really for a first visit. If you are fans of the franchise, I’d call it a must do.

are you aware that the major HP rides could be compared to (well-themed) coasters of a sort? No huge drops, some motion-sickness inducing twists & turns for many. Hagrid's has a section where it does goes backwards like Everest in AK if that is a concern.

Might want to google ride-throughs before making up your mind
 
I don't like big coasters but I love Universal! For some reference, Everest at Disney is my threshold of "this ride is too intense." I agree with the person above, if you don't mind being spoiled maybe YouTube some of the rides so you can get an idea of what they are like.

Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, the big HP ride inside Hogwarts, is what I would consider a thrill ride but is not a coaster. It's a little hard to describe but it's a mix of motion simulator and a dark ride, and you're basically on a giant arm that moves you around. It doesn't go fast, it doesn't spin you in circles, and there are no major drops. There are a few points where you are on your back looking up, and at one point it basically dunks you back so your feet are higher than your head, but it's pretty quick and with everything happening around you you may not even notice it. However, if that sounds intense, definitely take the time to walk through the line. It's truly one of those "the line is an attraction" queues. The whole line is basically a walking tour through Hogwarts which is done really, really well. Your HP fans will love it. The Gringotts ride is a like a coaster mixed with a simulator but is considered less intense than Forbidden Journey. You'll probably all love the Hogwarts Express. Hagrids is a fairly intense coaster from what I've seen (haven't been since it opened) and the other coaster is a family coaster that's really cute and fun.
 


If it is literally coasters that are the issue, you will skip Hulk, Rip Ride Rocket, and Velocicoaster, and maybe Hagrids. Still plenty of things to do.

But if you do Gringotts & Mummy (indoor non-intense coasters), you should consider doing Hagrids as it doesn't have any real height/drops or inversions and is such a cool ride.
 
I love Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure. It is different than Disney but never boring. There is a lot of ways to explore this theme park. I think a lot of people do not give it the time to discover all there is to do. The first visit I really did not know anything about Universal .I’m not a Harry Potter fan.So I had zero expectations and was just able to explore without any pressure . I think Disney has such high expectations “built in” that we set ourselves up for some level of disappointment even tho it is the best.
I guess my first wish for everybody that visits Universal , would be me saying”I hope you are their for the holidays” ...The Grinch stole my heart and Mickey will never win it back.
I truly hope you have fun cause it is wonderful to visit and be surprised just Because it is something different.

And Hagrids Mystical Magical is not as bad as it appears. Try it as the passenger in the sidecar .Hopefully you will want to return to ride it again as a nightime experience. I mean when are you ever going to safely ride a motorcycle in this lifetime? At least once.
And do not miss the Bourne Stunt Stageshow cause it is so much more than a stunt show and you will be amazed and will be asking yourself how did they do that?
 
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We are a family of five. Two of us are absolutely not thrill ride fans, one isn't sure, one loves them and one enjoys them

People have been focusing on coasters, but you specifically mentioned "thrill rides." How do you define "thrill ride/" what makes something a "thrill ride?" Everyone's tolerance/limit is different. I'm trying to get some more information to give you better reccomendations on which rides you may enjoy, and which rides you might want to skip.
 


People have been focusing on coasters, but you specifically mentioned "thrill rides." How do you define "thrill ride/" what makes something a "thrill ride?" Everyone's tolerance/limit is different. I'm trying to get some more information to give you better reccomendations on which rides you may enjoy, and which rides you might want to skip.
I think based on the other comments three can handle the coasters. Myself and my 12year old are the ones who will still struggle. I have the fear around anything that drops too fast, I can't handle anything that loops or flips me upside down. Lol I get anxious just waiting and hyping myself up. I will 100% watch videos, because it's the unknown that builds up my anxiety.
My son looks to me, and through Disney trips I pushed myself to go on the mild coasters so he'd follow. Lol even snow white gave me a panic, but yes once done I was fine.
Otherwise we still always had fun people watching. Universal will be different as my 10year old will be able to ride finally too and I want him to choose that...but I am just fine wondering while I wait.
 
I think based on the other comments three can handle the coasters. Myself and my 12year old are the ones who will still struggle. I have the fear around anything that drops too fast, I can't handle anything that loops or flips me upside down. Lol I get anxious just waiting and hyping myself up. I will 100% watch videos, because it's the unknown that builds up my anxiety.
My son looks to me, and through Disney trips I pushed myself to go on the mild coasters so he'd follow. Lol even snow white gave me a panic, but yes once done I was fine.
Otherwise we still always had fun people watching. Universal will be different as my 10year old will be able to ride finally too and I want him to choose that...but I am just fine wondering while I wait.

I'm not a coaster person AT ALL. Very early in our marriage DH got me to ride the log ride of death at Mall of America. As I tended to do ok on water rides (my frame of reference being our local amusement park where the ride spins and goes fast but no drop) I agreed. Totally missing the ginormous drop at the end of the thing. We went down the drop, me convinced we were going to die, and DH got an earful from me. I also learned to pre-game ANY ride I'm thinking about from Seuss to Hagrids and even Velocicoaster though you won't find me on it.

I had a blast in 2019, the theming, the Seuss rides which even my thrill loving 12 year old loved. We enjoyed Men in Black if you can handle spinning which can be really really fast at the end. I've looked at Forbidden Journey and Escape from Gringotts and we have plans to try both on our return trip. I'm on the fence about Hagrids, I really want to try it but I just don't know. Velocicoaster is a big no from me. We also loved Volcano bay, and often spent our afternoons by the pool there, but again we're not a commando touring kind of family - we had a week and went at a leisurely pace. I know not everyone does that.
 
We are a family of five. Two of us are absolutely not thrill ride fans, one isn't sure, one loves them and one enjoys them, but getting a little older and would rather just not 😀.
We've been to Disney three times and have always enjoyed it, but kids were young.
I've always wanted a universal trip, but is it worthwhile with the dynamics?
I think we will all enjoy the 'show' style rides. We have three Harry Potter fans.

Hagrid's is tame. Like a Disney Roller coaster like Big Thunder or Space Mountain.
 
We also loved Volcano bay, and often spent our afternoons by the pool there, but again we're not a commando touring kind of family - we had a week and went at a leisurely pace. I know not everyone does that.

This is us as well. My thoughts are a 6night/5day trip based on travel. We'd get 4day passes and explore as we feel.
Even at Disney we'd usually get to parks 10am, and times varied to return...but we'd have 6-7 days to explore.
 
DH and I are NOT coaster people, but our kids are. We did two days at Universal last year and I generally skipped all the coasters except Hagrids (big harry potter fan), and surprisingly really enjoyed Hagrids. I think it helps that it didn't go upside down and has the cool ride scenes to make the fast bits worth it.

What surprised me was how much I disliked non-coaster rides outside of Harry Potter land. Everything just felt very intense physically and in terms of mood/experience--Jurassic Park river, Kong, Spiderman, Transformers. Felt like I was always being jerked around (as in the the rides were rough) and because it was all "dark" and "thrill" focused I didn't have the sense of joy and relaxation I have at Disney or at the Harry Potter land. Loved most of the harry potter stuff (everything except the Forbidden Journey one-too much spiders and motion sickness). On our next trip, we have three days booked at Universal and I plan to spend 95% of it at Harry Potter land--maybe with one detour to do minions again as that was more my speed. :rotfl:
 
DH and I are NOT coaster people, but our kids are. We did two days at Universal last year and I generally skipped all the coasters except Hagrids (big harry potter fan), and surprisingly really enjoyed Hagrids. I think it helps that it didn't go upside down and has the cool ride scenes to make the fast bits worth it.

What surprised me was how much I disliked non-coaster rides outside of Harry Potter land. Everything just felt very intense physically and in terms of mood/experience--Jurassic Park river, Kong, Spiderman, Transformers. Felt like I was always being jerked around (as in the the rides were rough) and because it was all "dark" and "thrill" focused I didn't have the sense of joy and relaxation I have at Disney or at the Harry Potter land. Loved most of the harry potter stuff (everything except the Forbidden Journey one-too much spiders and motion sickness). On our next trip, we have three days booked at Universal and I plan to spend 95% of it at Harry Potter land--maybe with one detour to do minions again as that was more my speed. :rotfl:

Transformers is very rough on the body, I don't like that ride.
Kong is just boring.

Hagrid's ride is what Disney's Snow White Mine Train should've been (but failed), the perfect ride.
 
You don't have to ride anything you don't want to. If you can handle screens and simulators there are tons of rides you can do. Personally, I like the King Kong ride. You may want to go through the line and skip the ride for Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. Based on your dislikes, the ride may not be for you.
 
I don’t do thrill rides and we all enjoy it. I won’t do space mountain but I enjoy The Mummy.

ET, men in black, Spider-Man, Kong, etc are fantastic.

I find the screens eventually give me motion sickness so simpsons was a one and done for me and Forbidden Journey I can only do once a day.

We enjoy the shows - horror makeup etc. we even liked poisdean walk through.

We also love how laid back it is if you stay in one of the hotels with express pass. We can easily go back to hotel for a swim etc. Popeyes is so fun but you get soaked so we usually do that and go back and change.

Go with an open mind.
 
If you skip the coasters, there is still plenty to do at both parks.
Now if you don't tolerate motion rides with screens, that cuts out a lot more attractions than skipping the coasters does.
 
If you skip the coasters, there is still plenty to do at both parks.
Now if you don't tolerate motion rides with screens, that cuts out a lot more attractions than skipping the coasters does.
This is SO True. I thought I was good because I can do some rollercoasters. Hagrid's was great for me. Hulk not so much. BUT - the motion screen stuff just gets me . I couldn't even handle Despicable Me. I can do the Harry Potter ones because I close my eyes at certain times, and I feel they are worth it. I have used the non-drowsy generic Meclizine HCI tablets that had helped. Can't handle the prescription Scopolamine patch.
 
This is SO True. I thought I was good because I can do some rollercoasters. Hagrid's was great for me. Hulk not so much. BUT - the motion screen stuff just gets me . I couldn't even handle Despicable Me. I can do the Harry Potter ones because I close my eyes at certain times, and I feel they are worth it. I have used the non-drowsy generic Meclizine HCI tablets that had helped. Can't handle the prescription Scopolamine patch.

So if I can mentally get myself on Thunder mountain and snow white and survive BUT had my eyes closed through 90% of Soarin. Seems I've asked the wrong question, at least for my personal concerns.
 
So if I can mentally get myself on Thunder mountain and snow white and survive BUT had my eyes closed through 90% of Soarin. Seems I've asked the wrong question, at least for my personal concerns.

Many of the rides at Universal at similiar to Soarin' in that they are motion simulators with a screen, watching 3D or 2D images and you are sitting in seats that move. Do you remember what it was about Soarin' that bothered you? I may be able to provide more information about which rides may be okay and which you may want to avoid.
 
Many of the rides at Universal at similiar to Soarin' in that they are motion simulators with a screen, watching 3D or 2D images and you are sitting in seats that move. Do you remember what it was about Soarin' that bothered you? I may be able to provide more information about which rides may be okay and which you may want to avoid.
I think it was the feeling of height factor. Any other rides at Disney I went on, I was ok. That said our last trip was with a 14, 8, and 5 year old. My husband did all the coasters with my eldest and the little ones and I stayed on the simple rides.
Watching some videos and at least for Harry Potter theme my whole family could handle Gringotts, but Journey would be a big NO for myself and youngest.
 
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