The irony of being terrified by the Tower of Terror

[mickeymom22]

A couple of years ago I decided to ride ToT. I realized it was the only thrill ride at WDW that I hadn't ridden. My family would not ride it with me. I was really nervous to ride it, but i got through it. It wasn't as bad as I thought. The drops are randomized. The theming is amazing! I didn't like that only one my hands had a handle to hold onto. I actually grabbed the stranger's leg beside me when we made our first drop! Since then, the rest of my family has ridden it, and they really liked it.

I can't even look at the tea cups without getting motion sickness, but ToT did not make me sick.

I hope this helps!

 

[WooPigScientist]

I get EXTREMELY motion sick on spin rides - just the thought of riding something like tea cups makes me feel a little queasy. Found out a few years back that simulators are pretty bad too. But, oddly okay with 3D, even on full length films. TOT never bothered me - I rode it 3 times in a row one night, with a 5-10 min wait. And as others have said, it's not very long, so it might be worth a try.

Can't help you much on intensity rating - I love roller coasters and the scarier, the better. So my "it's not that bad" might be a little misleading My husband isn't big on coasters, and while he liked TOT, I think he felt like it was pretty intense. But he likes riding Everest too.

 

[Kellars]

I do not like heights at all. Kitchen chairs make me dizzy to stand on. Hubby went with others and loved it and I didn't want to drag down the fun factor by not trying it when we were on our own. I have done ToT twice and will go again. I have learned to ask the CM for the back or centre of the elevator. I can handle the ride from that location.
I always say we have to laugh hysterically or pee our pants on this ride -I choose laughing!

 

[disneydeal]

I get motion sickness going upside down backwards on Everest but I'm perfectly fine on Tower of Terror if that helps. Its fun. Go for it.

 

[kimmyg26]

This was my "I'll hold everyone's bags ride". Two years ago, I decided I had to try it. Our whole family including my 72 year old mom rode it together. I was very scared through the pre-show. I laughed so darned loud once the drops started because the terrifying fear washed away. But I have to admit, I still get very nervous when I ride this ride. Disney really goes all out with the perfect theming of this ride.


Yes, the drops are random but you can prepare for them. Watch YouTube videos so you can tell when you are entering the drop shaft portion of the ride. You do hear it kind of click into place. If you look up, up I can see some light. While it may be scary, it's worth trying it just once. Btw...TOT is my moms favorite ride. After her first ride, she was hooked. Needless to say, we all got back on and rode again. Our pictures are priceless.

 

[hammie59]

I get motion sick very easy from the car, spinning rides, swings, playing 3D video games, etc...but I have no issues with ToT. That being said, I can only do it about two times in a row (my son loves it) then I need to take a break from it for a few hours. The drops are random and don't last very long. I enjoy it mostly for the theming.

 

[Disney Khaleesi]

I don't get motion sick on rides (only in cars) so I don't have experience from that aspect. Tower of Terror has great theming, but it isn't something I'd ever be able to ride!

 

[CAS239]

A couple of years ago I decided to ride ToT. I realized it was the only thrill ride at WDW that I hadn't ridden. My family would not ride it with me. I was really nervous to ride it, but i got through it. It wasn't as bad as I thought. The drops are randomized. The theming is amazing! I didn't like that only one my hands had a handle to hold onto. I actually grabbed the stranger's leg beside me when we made our first drop! Since then, the rest of my family has ridden it, and they really liked it.

I can't even look at the tea cups without getting motion sickness, but ToT did not make me sick.

I hope this helps!

All the seats have handles you can use, it's just the aisle seats that only have one handle.

But don't use any. All hands need to be in the air!

 

[caroline1851]

I'm a non intense ride person. I.e. Thunder Mountain is intense to me. I decided on this last trip that I didn't want my son to have to do all this stuff solo, so figured i'd suck it up and try a few things out of my comfort zone. I did TOT. Did I like it? NO. Did it feel yucko with the big unexpected drops? YES. But I survived and I would do it again if I was with someone who needed somone to go with. That' being said, try RRC.....it wasn't TOOOO bad.

 

[Star Wars Girl]

It took me about 5 years and 10 trips of trying TofT before I finally decided that I liked it (granted, I was about 8 or 9 when I changed my mind, but still). You gotta try, though, because you'll never be sure when you'll like it. As much as I hated it as a kid and as many times as it put me in tears, now I absolutely love it. We usually head to DHS first, and part of the reason is that I'm not settled until I've been on TofT and Star Tours, so I enjoy my trip more if I get those out of the way.

In TofT, after you get into the elevator, you go up, then up again, then you go forward. Then you'll hang there in the dark for a second, and you truly won't know whether you're going to go up or down first. After that, although the drop sequence is random, you'll get a sense of when you're going to drop.

I get motion sick, and TofT does not make me motion sick. Astro Orbiter is a huge no-no for me because of my motion sickness. If you start to feel disoriented, look up. You'll be able to see the ceiling as you move up and down.

I'm a bit of a daredevil, so I've been on rides that are much worse than TofT, so I'm a really bad judge of how intense the drops feel because for me, they're fun without being too intense, but my opinion isn't necessarily that of everyone's. It's one of those things that you must just try once. Especially since many, myself included, consider it to be one of the best rides in WDW. If you hate it, then don't do it again, but if you don't try it, you're really missing out.

 

[BrittyRo]

I tried this ride when I was little with my mom and was HORRIFIED, TERRIFIED and TRAUMATIZED. Gripping to the handles for dear life (thought if I let go I was going to die). I have not ridden it since and I am now 26 and can't even go near the queue without my heart racing. I am determined to get back on this ride. DF is a ride chicken and is scared of Splash and Space Mountain (refuses to go on either again). So I have no one to go on with. I LOVE RRC, EE, SM, HULK (at US), DD (US). How is the drops of ToT compared to these drops (Keep in mind that most of these have over-shoulder restraints) While ToT has a SEATBELT?
My 10 year old brain is still traumatized from this ride! Maybe I should just take a Xanax before I go on it)

 

[LanaBear-ox]

I went on it in Disney land Paris and the first time me and my husband went on we had no idea what to expect other than screaming and having elevator doors opening haha. It's just the anticipation of what's going to happen once you get up to the top and once that first drop is over you'll want more!

 

[vanellopevs]

My dd has made me ride that kiddie ride with her and my opinion is if you were okay with it then you should be okay riding tot. The sensation is the same.

 

[Parker Clan]

I get severe motion sickness on planes, boats etc but ToT does not make me sick.
Even though the drops are random it doesn't bother me. The only ride that made me feel sick was Mission Space

 

[DisneyFan2013]

I tried to search for reviews on this ride, but only came up with 199 results, so something is wonky...at any rate, I am trying to embolden myself to finally try it next trip. I get pretty motion sick on anything spinny, but I'm not sure about drops. Everest made me convinced my life was ending right then and there when I tried it for the first time last trip because of the overall speed and intensity, so I'm wondering whether anyone can provide a comparison between the two in terms of the intensity?

I tried the kiddie Frog Hopper ride with DS at our local amusement park last summer to try to prepare, but I have a feeling it doesn't compare, lol.

I'm mostly wondering- do you know when the drops are going to happen or is it literally from out of the blue? Do the drops make you sick, for those that suffer from motion sickness? Are they super huge drops, like you feel your stomach is in your brain, or...?

Thanks in advance !

TOT is thrilling to me, but not really scary. The drops are unpredictable and fun, but it isn't one big drop.

 

[DisneyDazed]

Agree the drops are at the end of the ride and when your "trolley" Gets you in front of the doors and you stop moving the drops will come. If raises you up and dooooown again and again and I LoVe it! I can't do many thrill rides at the parks and this one I wouldn't really call a thrill ride. It really all depends on the person though.

The darkness and the storyline and all the time leading up to the drops are what get people really afraid I think. That being said if little drops aren't for you if they make you sick then don't do it. It does feel funny but leaves us laughing

 

[bryanb]

If it makes you feel better, here's a YouTube video of a cast member doing paperwork on the ride. No silly drops are going to make him mess up his checklist.

 

[Sevey13]

Sometimes knowing a bit about a ride's operation can help.

The 'drops' on Tower of Terror aren't actually drops. A drop implies that there is a mechanism on top that is letting you go and you are sort of 'suspended' in the drop until whatever mechanism on the bottom catches you. Rather, ToT operates oppositely...you are held up by a piston from below and that piston goes up and down really fast. To me, that's a lot more pallateable. I did one of those 'drop tower' rides at a Six Flags once. Never. Again. I love roller coasters but I will NEVER set foot on another drop tower. But ToT isn't a drop tower, so I willingly and excitedly ride it.

 

[Anne5555]

I have felt a little sick on the Tea Party cups if they spin too fast, but I totally enjoyed the Tower of Terror. I laughed during the drops and bounces, maybe because I was surprised that I thought it was fun. You might like it!

 

[Aurora0427]

The drops aren't as random as they used to be. I felt like they're shorter now. The first time I rode it I was terrified bc I had no idea you moved into the elevator shaft. I was so scared because I thought I could start dropping any minute! I also get motion sickness and ToT never bothers me- but I can't ride RnR and then ToT. Then I get sick!