Soarin...terrified of heights...can I do this?

[Tinker_Belle]

I am afraid of heights too, but I LOVED Soarin' once I got over it. If I were you, I would definitely ask to sit in the back (I think it's row C) so you don't go up as high.

If you start to freak out once you're up there, look across the way at the people on the next "swing." This helped me a lot. Maybe it changed the perspective (ie. ruined the illusion).

Once I got over my fear, this ended up being one of my favorite rides!

 

[tink771]

I am not found of heights either but I love Soarin, give it a try!

 

[CaliforniaDreamer]

We hate heights, LOVE Soarin'.

 

[mom2faith]

It is a bit embarrassing, but I was very scared on the first ride, I hesitated to go on it again. But when we did I decided to use the child strap that comes through your legs. I felt a lot better and enjoyed it alot more.

 

[Don Disney]

Little Sister,I'm afraid of heights too!!! I was a bit aprehensive aboat SOARIN' as well,but i did ride it on my last two trips,and it was great!!! Just strap yourself in,hold on ,and enjoy the ride.That said,I'm still a little scared,but it is so worth it! The only ride i won't go on again is Astro Orbiter-that one scares the heck out of me!!!!!!!

 

[surfergirl602]

I am terrified of heights - and I love soarin'. It's the only "ride" I go on.

 

[surfergirl602]

I also wanted to add, that if I start feeling funny, I just look to my left or right, notice the person sitting next to me, and that fear feeling goes right away. I remember, yeah... I'm sitting in a chair. Helps every time.

 

[jpeka65844]

I hate heights too and I was nervous my first time (although don't tell my husband) What helped me is that I was sitting on an end and could see "backstage" i.e. I could see machinery off to the side that intruded on the immersion of the movie. It changed my perspective and reminded my body that I wasn't as high as what I thought.

I would definitely request to sit in a back row so you're not that far off the ground. And try to find a "backstage" reference point to focus yourself if you get upset.

Yes, let's talk about the Astro Orbiter! I just about cried! My husband kept yelling "Take us up! Take us up!" and I kept screaming "No! No!" Scared me to death! Would I do it again? Probably!

 

[Ms_Butterfly]

By the way, if you get revved up by riding some rides you really enjoy before trying Soarin' (so get the FastPass to not wait so long for Soarin' after riding the other rides), the adrenaline will help you get through Soarin'.

That's how I got into roller coasters that go upside down - I was terrified of them before and refused to go on them. My friends went on a bunch (this was nine years ago at Busch Gardens, not Disney) and then finally decided to go on the log ride. Log rides are my favorite type of ride ever and always have been, so I was glad to be able to go on something. That got me really excited for riding things, so I took the chance and went with them on the next upside down roller coaster - and have been hooked on them ever since!!

No, I can't get away from my severe height phobia, but I can still enjoy some safe and exciting rides. Just don't look down!!!!!

 

[Disney845]

I say no. Do not try to ride this.

I am not trying to be mean, but it is not fair to the other guests.

We were just at WDW from 9/19-9/28 and were at EPCOT for evening extra magic hours on the evening of the 26th (I think that was the date) and we were trying to get in one last Soarin' and Test Track that evening. While we were in the line waiting to get on the ride (as you line up in rows 1/2/3 and watch the pre-flight briefing) a woman and man (maybe in their 30s) were next to us (we were in row 2 they in row 3) and the woman was jokingly going on to the man about how she is terrified of heights and how she couldn't believe he talked her into this.

Well fast forward to us getting on the ride. We are all strapped in and the flight attendants are doing the check to pull on our yellow cords thing and I hear a commotion behind us. The woman is flipping out and the guy is trying to calm her down by asking the cast member how high off of the ground they will be. He says, "she (refering to the woman he was with) would only be about 4 feet off of the ground right?" And the castmemeber was like, "no, you will be maybe 30 feet off of the ground [now I am not sure that number is accurate, but it is what the castmember said none-the-less]." Well the woman went into a tizzy. She HAD to get off of the ride, with no small amount of difficulty because they had to unlock her seat and for some reason the castmembers were having a hard time doing this.

The woman keeps telling every castmemeber who walks by her that she needs to get out, and they are trying to tell her they are working on it. The rest of the riders are getting increasingly annoyed at this. Finally, after maybe 10 minutes they finally get it unlocked and she gets out of the chair, and then she stands there arguing with the guy telling him to stay, she doesn't want him to miss the ride, and they are going back and forth. The rest of us are just wishing she would leave the ride room. By the time Soarin' ends and ourselves, as well as several other we noticed doing the same, try to get over to Test Track, they closed.

Again, I am not tryng to be mean. It wasn't as though we were annoyed at having to wait for a physically challenged person to get on the ride. This was a woman who clearly knew she shouldn't have gotten on it from the beginning (when we were in line and she was moaning to the man about her terror of heights) and yet she did anyway and delayed a room full of others because of her folly.

 

[momof3+twins]

NO NO NO!!!! DO NOT DO THIS RIDE!!!!
My hubby went on it first with the kids and they all said " It is great, not scary, do it". But I hated so much that I will not do this one again!! I can walk to the top of Swiss Family Treehouse so your anxiety sounds a little worse than mine! You will hate this ride!! Although I do agree that it was neat if you take away the scared of heights thing!!

 

[bytheblood]

Reality is this...the views in the attraction are very real (like Omni Theatre/IMAX is designed). Though you may be only 50 feet off the ground, you will feel like you are hundreds of feet high during some scenes. If youa re terrified of heights, this attraction is probably not for you.

HOWEVER, the good thing about Soarin' is that if you start to feel uncomfortable at any time, all you have to do is close your eyes.

 

[bytheblood]

I say no. Do not try to ride this.

I am not trying to be mean, but it is not fair to the other guests.

We were just at WDW from 9/19-9/28 and were at EPCOT for evening extra magic hours on the evening of the 26th (I think that was the date) and we were trying to get in one last Soarin' and Test Track that evening. While we were in the line waiting to get on the ride (as you line up in rows 1/2/3 and watch the pre-flight briefing) a woman and man (maybe in their 30s) were next to us (we were in row 2 they in row 3) and the woman was jokingly going on to the man about how she is terrified of heights and how she couldn't believe he talked her into this.

Well fast forward to us getting on the ride. We are all strapped in and the flight attendants are doing the check to pull on our yellow cords thing and I hear a commotion behind us. The woman is flipping out and the guy is trying to calm her down by asking the cast member how high off of the ground they will be. He says, "she (refering to the woman he was with) would only be about 4 feet off of the ground right?" And the castmemeber was like, "no, you will be maybe 30 feet off of the ground [now I am not sure that number is accurate, but it is what the castmember said none-the-less]." Well the woman went into a tizzy. She HAD to get off of the ride, with no small amount of difficulty because they had to unlock her seat and for some reason the castmembers were having a hard time doing this.

The woman keeps telling every castmemeber who walks by her that she needs to get out, and they are trying to tell her they are working on it. The rest of the riders are getting increasingly annoyed at this. Finally, after maybe 10 minutes they finally get it unlocked and she gets out of the chair, and then she stands there arguing with the guy telling him to stay, she doesn't want him to miss the ride, and they are going back and forth. The rest of us are just wishing she would leave the ride room. By the time Soarin' ends and ourselves, as well as several other we noticed doing the same, try to get over to Test Track, they closed.

Again, I am not tryng to be mean. It wasn't as though we were annoyed at having to wait for a physically challenged person to get on the ride. This was a woman who clearly knew she shouldn't have gotten on it from the beginning (when we were in line and she was moaning to the man about her terror of heights) and yet she did anyway and delayed a room full of others because of her folly.

I am sorry, but this post is just silly. Your experience was a negative one and I am sorry you had to go through that, but that was an odd case.

This has nothing to do with being unfair to other guests, but more of a person thinking they can handle something and then changing their mind. This is no different than a child wanting to ride something like RnR or BTMRR and then changing their mind when it is time to be seated....only difference is that Soarin' seems to be more difficult to bypass. For all you (or I) know, this woman had a mental disability that resulted in her behavior. Let's give people the benefit of the doubt.