ToT - how scary?

[lily2521]

I don't know why, but this is the one ride that just seems to freak me out. My DD (6) is so excited to do it, and I told her I'd do it with her. Which I will, but I am so scared! It's the drop that scares me, and it seems to be pretty dark in there.

I watched a YouTube video, and it's hard to tell what exactly Is happening because it's dark. Can someone please ease my anxiety a bit? Other rides don't freak me out at all, I can do roller coasters, etc. with no problem.

So, how scary (or not?) is it, is it completely dark or can you see something, even a little bit, at all times?

 

[DisneyFan2013]

There are dark parts to it, but not the entire time. I don't find it scary, and the drop isn't even one long drop. It's like a series of little drops.

 

[ZephyrHawk]

Okay, so there's really 2 parts to the ride. The first is when you're going up the elevator and moving to the "front" of the building (long story). Those parts are not particularly scary, at least, not any more scary than the Haunted Mansion or other similar dark rides. Just "spooky". At the end of this part you will come to a "field of stars", that will start to swirl together into a single point of light, and that's when the second part begins.

Doors will open showing the outside, and letting you visualize how high up you are. You will then drop, at a random time, and for a random distance. You will drop more than once, bouncing back up to a different height a random number of times before plummeting again. Is it dark? No, not really. You're in an elevator shaft, but you can generally see about you because the doors to the outside are open letting in light. And you go up to the doors to look out again a couple times, too.

Now, my personal opinion? I have a phobia of drops. Not heights, drops. There's a distinct difference. Anyways, this ride scares the bleep out of me. Every. Single. Time. Not the first part, just every second from the "single point of light" onwards. Why do I ride it? My husband loves it, and no one's going to call me a coward. But I do NOT enjoy it. If you are okay with drops on other rides (I'm not, I suffer through them), then you'll probably be okay with this one.

 

[nilla]

The drop is really dark, except for the brief moments you can see outside. As DisneyFan2013 said, the drops aren't really far, but are really sudden, and there are a lot of them.

Our 9-year-old daughter LOVES EE, RnRR, Space Mountain, and Big Thunder...but HATES ToT.

That said, I think you should ride, to (1) give your daughter the opportunity to ride, and (2) face your fear head-on.

Funny story from when our son was about 6 or 7...we managed to get him on the ride, in spite of him being afraid. After we belted him in, he told the CM at the elevator door that he was really scared. The CM looked at him, said, "it's only going to get worse", then pulled the doors shut. Are we bad parents for laughing?

 

[anniebean]

The lead up to the drops always scare me....but in a good way, but the actual drops are not bad at all. It's just the anticipation for me. I love the ride!!!

 

[supersnoop]

I describe the actual drops as a bouncy chair. It's the story that freaks people out. If you can keep yourself calm through the build-up, the actual drops are pretty fun.

 

[maplesuga]

I do all the scariest of scary roller coasters...not a single one at all of Disney or Universal makes me even slightly scared. Except the Tower of Terror makes me screech a little with the unexpectedness of the drop. And it literally scared the barf (10 minutes later) out of my 5.5 year old. It's more like a sickening drop than a scary ride.

 

[Turn the Page]

I am not a fan of this ride either. I will go on it but only under protest.

The thing about it I find most unsettling is how random it is. From what I understand the ride is designed to have variable drop sequences which means you never know the distance or sequence of drops. That drives me batty.

Every time I have been on it (which has only been one time in the last 15 years or so) it would drop halfway down the shaft first, then shoot you all the way up, the doors at the top would open, drop you all the way down, then shoot you all the way up to the top and immediately drop you down and it was over. DFi swears he went on it once when it had 5 drops.

And I disagree with the PP's who say they aren't big drops. I am pretty sure the shortest drop is like 6 stories and the big one is 13. If that's small what do they consider big? Of course it's fully possible that I am just a big old wimp.

 

[nilla]

And I disagree with the PP's who say they aren't big drops. I am pretty sure the shortest drop is like 6 stories and the big one is 13. If that's small what do they consider big?

This:

 

[nilla]

The thing about it I find most unsettling is how random it is. From what I understand the ride is designed to have variable drop sequences which means you never know the distance or sequence of drops. That drives me batty.

We had a ride once where we were at the bottom the final film started showing, but instead of the ride ending, we got shot up one more time. Pretty wild.

 

[SillySallySews]

This has been my oldest daughter's favorite ride since she was four. I find the whole thing creepy, which I guess is the point. There are a lot of dark parts but during the actual drop the doors are opening and closing and so you can see quite a bit of light. The part I hate the most is right before the drop because it is dark and I know it's coming and at that point I just want it over with. This is the one ride at Disney I honestly hate, but I will ride it once each trip just for my daughter. She better put me in the good nursing home some day. Like mentioned above, it's very random. Some times when I ride it I get off thinking, that wasn't too bad. Other times I ride and think, sorry kiddo, never ever again. It's never the same sequence and there is no way to know what you're in for. I say you should just prepare yourself for the worst and try it at least once, for your kid. But make it clear from the get go that you are only going on it ONCE...unless of course it turns out that you love it.

 

[saskdw]

I personally thought it wasn't that bad. I remember getting off it the first time and thinking I thought it would be a lot worse.

The launch of Doctor Dooms fear drop at Universal is way more intense. As others have stated the drops are short. I also think the fact that you are sitting in a large room with many other people makes it less "scary". Smaller, more individual seats would probably be worse.

 

[TXAKDisneyFan]

I can't explain it, but I really dislike rides like Dr Doom's Fearfall, yet I LOVE ToT. ToT is my fave ride of all time - if I could, I'd build one in my back yard and ride all day (I once made DH ride 19 times in a row).

 

[disnut8]

There are different drop sequences and there is one (I am not going to mention it) where, once it starts, I know what it is and I lose it. I am terrified of that one and I know it's going to happen and I start to shut down.

But you know what? After all that and I have to slowly, and I mean slowly, stumble out of the ride (with my husband in front of me so I can fall on him if I have to), I finally get off that darn elevator and am pleased.

Why? Because I know I'm safe and I know I will survive. It's the freaking mind games that attraction plays with everyone.

To the OP - you will be on this with your six year old. Who will laugh about your reactions and you will laugh about hers. Don't think about the actual "ride" but having fun with your daughter.

My daughter-in-law was terrified of this ride on her first trip. So my son and I went on it with her )my husband was with our granddaughter). I was still scared of the ride but wanted to terrify the new daughter-in-law so I focused on her reaction. She loved it! And I walked off with no shakiness.

 

[angierae]

This:

I love that ride (Same as Power Tower at Cedar Point)

 

[saskdw]

I can't explain it, but I really dislike rides like Dr Doom's Fearfall, yet I LOVE ToT. ToT is my fave ride of all time - if I could, I'd build one in my back yard and ride all day (I once made DH ride 19 times in a row).

As much as they are a similar type of ride, I agree they are completely different experiences.

 

[lily2521]

Now, my personal opinion? I have a phobia of drops. Not heights, drops. There's a distinct difference. Anyways, this ride scares the bleep out of me. Every. Single. Time. Not the first part, just every second from the "single point of light" onwards. Why do I ride it? My husband loves it, and no one's going to call me a coward. But I do NOT enjoy it. If you are okay with drops on other rides (I'm not, I suffer through them), then you'll probably be okay with this one.

This is exactly me, heights - I'm good - drops - not so much. And it's all because of one of those Power Tower type rides at an amusement park that I'm sure is way worse of a drop than ToT - that ride scared the living crap out of me, and I swore I'd never go on a drop ride again. The one I was on actually pulls you down faster than a free fall, so it was pretty extreme. I can do drops on Roller Coasters just fine though.

That said, I think you should ride, to (1) give your daughter the opportunity to ride, and (2) face your fear head-on.

Funny story from when our son was about 6 or 7...we managed to get him on the ride, in spite of him being afraid. After we belted him in, he told the CM at the elevator door that he was really scared. The CM looked at him, said, "it's only going to get worse", then pulled the doors shut. Are we bad parents for laughing?

I do plan on riding it and toughing it out, but I need to ease my anxiety in the meantime - ha! And oh my I can't believe a CM said that to your son! That would even scare me!

If you can keep yourself calm through the build-up, the actual drops are pretty fun.

Pretty sure I won't be calm during the build-up, that's probably when I'll be the most nervous knowing what's coming!

 

[Chuckers]

I laugh during the whole drop sequence.. mainly because of the other people shrieking around me. One thing to keep in mind that might help allay some fears, you are not actually dropping.. that's a very important fact. The elevator car is being pulled down and pulled up. Unlike other 'drop rides' there is no real free fall during the ride. It only makes you feel as if you're in a free fall.

 

[Turn the Page]

This:

I nearly yaked just watching that. No thank you. I am a proud member of the wimpy wimp wimp club and I am not ashamed to admit it.

We had a ride once where we were at the bottom the final film started showing, but instead of the ride ending, we got shot up one more time. Pretty wild.

My mom and I took DD9 just after she turned 7 and she immediately said she wanted to ride ToT. I said sure, as long as you are sure you want to. We did and we got to the last video and my mom kept telling DD "it's ok it's over it's over. Right Mom? It's over right?" I'm sitting there going I think so but I don't know for sure lol. Thankfully it was over.

To this day I am kicking myself for not asking to be put in the front row. I truly wish we could have seen DD's face in the on ride picture but she was so short the people in the first row blocked her out. So to the OP, if you do go, ask to be in the front row so you can see your daughters reactions. I bet the picture would be priceless.

 

[cluno]

It's all a matter of perspective, really. There's no way my DH would ever go on it. I went on it for the first time last month with my son and niece and I loved it, and rode it again right away.

The first time was definitely more fun, I think because we were a little scared. I thought that once we were in the elevator, that we'd just start dropping. I didn't really expect the bit before that, so it caught me off guard and freaked me out a bit. The second time was still fun, but knowing what happens before the drop wasn't at all scary. When my sister was a little girl, she said "It's fun to be scared when you know you're safe" which is so true, and really the premise for every thrill ride. So, just remind yourself that you're safe, and even if you hate it, it will be over quickly!